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Lighting

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Maca:
I have a small shed with a 5ft strip light which is fine for working at the workbench but casts shadows when I'm working on the lathe.  I also have a small led spot light on a flexible arm https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DD93CKR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which I can shine directly on the workpiece but as the days are growing shorter I'm finding myself working more and more in the dark hours so I want to get a light to hang above the lathe.  My question is do you have any particular preference for lighting the lathe?  Or for that matter positioning the lighting?

Lazurus:
I use a good quality anglepoise type lamp with a magnetic base, gives a great pool of clean light and is infimitely adjustable, if you hang lighting it will offer shadows somewhere or another.

Mike313:
For this very reason I'm putting retractable castors on the bench where my new lathe will be mounted. When not in use, my lathe will be against a wall and when in use will be wheeled a few feet into the room so that the light (from two 5foot fittings) is on the work and the shadows are behind me. Being retractable means the bench can be lowered to sit directly on the floor, rather than on the wheels of the castors.
I also use an anglepoise lamp at the work itself, it's a larger than usual model that was originally attached to a large drawing board so has a good 'reach'.
Just for interest, these are the castors I'm using:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/POWERTEC-17000-Workbench-Caster-Pack/dp/B00SX3T2LO

Twisted Trees:
I have upgraded my strip lights to LED panels specifically Daylight white which if it makes sense is bluer than florescent light. I have one over the lathe and one in the general area of the workshop. Link below.

I do think they are better, however I also use a magnetic spotlight on the lathe as the only way to avoid shadows is to get the light in front of you.

https://www.lepro.co.uk/36w-led-panel-light-3900015-dw-eu.html

fuzzyturns:
I started out with one of those magnetic lights, but found it did not have the flexibility I wanted. A dentist's light would have been ideal, but firstly they are horribly expensive and secondly they need a very sturdy mounting point in the ceiling. So eventually I built my own solution. The arm is mounted on a sleeve that moves sideways with about 4ft of lateral movement. It swings out to any angle in a near 180 degrees range. The scissor lift can be held in various place or completely relaxed to hold the lights pretty much at lathe rotational axis level (good for hollowing!) and the part holding the actual lights is fully articulated. The lights themselves also swivel and tilt in their arms, and are fitted with two LED bulbs (initially these were halogen bulbs, but they almost burned my ear off on one occasion).
Yes, this is quite a bit of work to make, but it does not require any special parts, all standard nuts and bolts and a few pieces of wood. Total cost approx. £50, plus a few hours of work, but it has solved my lighting issues for good. The workshop itself is lit with three square LED panels, daylight colour, which provide a very bright non-directional light.

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