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Magnifying Light


Juan Rodriguez

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2 hours ago, Juan Rodriguez said:

Anyone recommends or know where I could find a good magnifying light for my scroll saw?

Thanks,

Juan

Harbor Freight. I bought mine there and then upgraded the bulb to LED. By he time I got done I have about $75 in it. It works well for me and I wear progressive lenses. 

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I have an Ottlite that I got at Joann Fabrics.  It has two interchangeable glass lens.  I had the Horrible Fright one and the lens was plastic and hurt my eyes. I can use my Ottlite with my bifocals and no problems. Mine also has a 3X and 5 X lens but i typically use the 3X.  Mine has a fluorescent light but would love to have one with LED  adjustable brightness.

My recommendation is to try one at the store and make certain yours eyes are happy with it.  Peoples eyes vary a great deal and important to find the right one.

Best use for mine is digging splinters out.

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10 minutes ago, OCtoolguy said:

The H/F that I bought has a glass lens and I'm not sure what the magnification is but it works fine for me. My biggest complaint is having to wipe the sawdust off of it every once in a while.

 

Yeah, they need a washer fluid reservoir and a wiper blade...🤣 

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I never did well with the magnifier lights either. I guess I move my head around too much when sawing. I use one of the magnifier headbands 2.5X and my reading glasses under it for the really small work. The reading glasses alone work fine for most work.

For light, I use two gooseneck LED lights. I made a mounting bracket that attaches to the upper arm of my DeWalt 788 saw and the gooseneck part of these lights attaches to the bracket, one to each side of the saw arm. In use, they are positioned just ahead (toward you) of the blade and pointed down at about a 45 deg angle at the blade. Using two lights positioned like this, eliminates almost all of the blade shadowing and makes it easier to see the blade and exactly where it's cutting. You will be amazed at how much better your accuracy will be after you begin using two lights positioned this way. Look back to my very early posts to see photos of my lights. They came from Lowes and were the clip-on type. I removed the clips to install them on my light mounting bracket.

Charley 

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On 11/19/2022 at 6:45 PM, OCtoolguy said:

The H/F that I bought has a glass lens and I'm not sure what the magnification is but it works fine for me. My biggest complaint is having to wipe the sawdust off of it every once in a while.

 

Wipe it off with a used dryer sheet.  It actually helps keep the dust from sticking.

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On 11/19/2022 at 3:39 PM, Sycamore67 said:

I have an Ottlite that I got at Joann Fabrics. 

I also have an Ottlite which I bought at Joann Fabrics.  Mine has glass lens and LED light.  I am very happy with it.  But, as others have said, find what works for you.

My wife has an account at Joann Fabrics and sometimes gets a coupon for discounts, which got me a good deal for mine.  

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On 11/21/2022 at 7:07 PM, NC Scroller said:

Wipe it off with a used dryer sheet.  It actually helps keep the dust from sticking.

Yes, dryer sheets work well, especially dryer sheets that have "already been used" in the dryer. The "already used" ones actually work better because they don't leave a coating that will affect your vision through the lens. Static charges build up on the plastic  lenses (even your eye glasses) and will attract fine dust. Wiping with a used dryer sheet will leave a very thin but clear film of slightly conductive coating that will bleed off the static charges, significantly reducing the rate of sawdust attraction. After a bunch of uses it's probably a good idea to get some more "already used" dryer sheets from your laundry. They don't last forever.

Charley

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