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Post by drawstop on Sept 8, 2014 15:45:13 GMT
Hi everyone
I am thinking of using led lighting over my Super 7.
Has anyone used an led fitting on their lathe, and, if so would they let me
know their comments and which fitting they used.
Many thanks
Richard.
P.s. Hope this is the correct forum - if not my apologies.
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Post by goldstar31 on Sept 8, 2014 16:29:04 GMT
Probably someone will find a better alternative but I have been using these multi LED torches which cost a quid and a card of cheapo batteries for another quid. There seems to be another set with sticky backs with 3 LEDS for a quid as well. Probably a transformer from a defunct computer or whatever might be over engineering- eh?
My other daft notions are a duo flexible light which clips on- somewhere. I'm trying to mend a diseased camera to see where the little screws are. Thinking of little screws, I have a child's microscope.
The idea is not new. I think that the local urology ward is 'one up' on me taking out a patent.
Theirs is eye watering more expensive. If you know what I mean?
Norman
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Post by andyhigham on Sept 8, 2014 18:19:25 GMT
I use a 12v LED spotlight on my lathe. Good light and cool so I don't keep burning myself on it
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Post by Doug on Sept 8, 2014 19:07:14 GMT
I got one from ikea it's a small high bright led with 240v supply (transformer in the plug) it's got a steel neck.See link |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2014 20:48:14 GMT
I got one from ikea it's a small high bright led with 240v supply (transformer in the plug) it's got a steel neck.See link I have the same lamp fitted to my mill, works a treat.... Pete |
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neil
Active Member
Posts: 39
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Post by neil on Sept 8, 2014 21:33:11 GMT
I converted my machine LoVo (low voltage) ligths, to LED. They were 24V incandesent lamps, I replaced the lamp fitting with a Alloy plate, to act as a heat sink, and fitted a 9W LED module (3x3W, in a single unit), and added a LED driver into the transformer box. The are great, use less power and are far brighter than tghe old system. You do need to have the LED driver to match the LED unit, but both are available from electronic supplier (Farnel, Rapid on line, RS, etc) or E bay.
Neil
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Post by Roger on Sept 9, 2014 6:44:09 GMT
I used the original stalk from the Warco light and made a plastic adaptor to hold a bayonet holder used in a tail light and a 3W tail light LED replacement bulb. It's plenty bright enough. I used the original low voltage AC power supply with a diode and smoothing capacitor to stop it flickering.  20140317_180640 by rogerfroud, on Flickr Bayonet holder with a 3W bulb similar to this |
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Post by drawstop on Sept 9, 2014 17:04:46 GMT
Many thanks everyone.
I now have a multi-LED with magnifier over the lathe and am thoroughly enjoying myself.
Ideal for an old man!
Richard.
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Post by GWR 101 on Sept 9, 2014 19:14:13 GMT
Roger I have absolutely no knowledge of this type of lighting so apologies in advance if this is a silly question, was the additions much of problem to obtain and fit, did the flickering have a strobing effect. Regards Paul
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Post by Roger on Sept 9, 2014 19:45:33 GMT
Hi Paul,
Those are not silly questions at all. The modification is easy enough to do. If you look at that bayonet adaptor I linked to on ebay, you can see that you just need to make a plastic holder with a bore that takes the adaptor. It runs pretty cool so it won't melt.
The bulb you choose might need to be one that goes up to 24V ie for a lorry depending on the transformer you have in your existing light. If it's something you're seriously considering, I'll take off the cover of the lathe and do some measurements.
In principle, the way it works is this...
The existing transformer converts 220V AC to say 24V AC, and this normally goes to the incandescent bulb. What I did was to break one of those lines and insert a diode in series with it. That acts like a non-return valve so you lose half of the AC, say the bit that goes -ve. That means that you get power for half a mains cycle but the other half is missing. This means that it blinks at 50Hz which is the mains frequency. The capacitor is like a battery and charges up during the half cycle that the diode allows through, and discharges into the LED light during the other half. You can imagine that if it had a very small capacity, it wouldn't store much energy and the LED would blink. On the other hand, if it was huge, it would absorb lots of energy and support the LED much more. I experimented with a few values to get the smallest value capacitor without a noticeable blink. You can get the diode and capacitor from ebay, I'll point you in the right direction if you need guidance.
So there's more of a job messing about with the mechanical fitting of the bulb holder than there is to solder a couple of components in the leads.
I'll convert these words into a diagram and show the values I ended up with if anyone is interested.
The key thing to note here is the power we're talking about. Typical incandescent bulbs are around 50Watts so the holders and wires etc get very hot indeed. The wires have to be special high temperature ones else they would melt. The LED conversion has a 3Watt rating of which most gets converted to light. The bulb does get warm but nothing like an incandescent one. You can use whatever wire you like on it.
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dscott
Elder Statesman
Posts: 2,440
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Post by dscott on Sept 9, 2014 21:50:05 GMT
I am getting the feeling that in the future we will be having different voltages round the house with the kitchen and workshop the only places where you may find 230 volts! Our lights are all going low energy, our computers have to transform the voltage down and anyone caught using anything more powerful than a car plug in vacuum cleaner after the end of the month will be in serious trouble!!!
Other appliances may be on future lists! So it may be down to using a treadle lathe again!
I must get my daughters latest LED torch out of her toolbox and do an adaption... She is better equipped that I am, and at 7 years on the 24th is now fully trained at working inside smokeboxes! Some of you met her at Thornbury covered in chocolate.
The lights outside her school are now LED I noticed.
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Post by Roger on Sept 9, 2014 22:05:16 GMT
Yep, low energy it is, and about time too. Most of that wasted energy is from fossil fuels so we should be treating it like gold dust.
I notice they're digging up the roads in our village, removing the old street lamps and replacing them with low energy ones. I should think the payback time on that must run to 100 years to be carbon neutral. Sometimes councils lose the plot.
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Post by cplmickey on Sept 9, 2014 22:27:17 GMT
Roger - I think you need to remember that councils are part of the Government and if central government says do something and then stumps up the money then your local council will be a fool not to do it. The council is the one which will reap the reward of lower maintenance bills and lower power bills without having to spend any of its own (our) money. Remember too that columns don't last forever. Steel rusts and concrete spalls or crumbles so some lamp columns would have to be replaced anyway. If they just replace the lantern and not the whole column then payback is often quoted at 8 years - the cost of traffic management to replace just one bulb or clean the lens can be astronomical so self-cleaning LEDs save loads of money.
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Post by GWR 101 on Sept 9, 2014 22:53:47 GMT
Roger many thanks for your detailed explanation which I found easy to follow. I missed the reference to the 24v supply in your original post so that's what threw me regarding your modifications. I wrongly supposed that the flickering was because it was an LED which concerned me regarding the rotation of the lathe chuck and any possible strobe effect. As I do not have a low voltage supply looks like a visit to IKEA is on the cards, I know someone who will be well pleased to tag along so it could be an expensive outing. Once again many thanks for taking the time to explain your modification. Regards Paul
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,926
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Post by jma1009 on Sept 9, 2014 22:58:51 GMT
i recall a very amusing exchange a few years back in that if all workshop lighting was LED we would need more heaters in the workshop!
cheers,
julian
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Post by 3405jimmy on Sept 10, 2014 5:38:40 GMT
Hi Paul, Those are not silly questions at all. The modification is easy enough to do. If you look at that bayonet adaptor I linked to on ebay, you can see that you just need to make a plastic holder with a bore that takes the adaptor. It runs pretty cool so it won't melt. The bulb you choose might need to be one that goes up to 24V ie for a lorry depending on the transformer you have in your existing light. If it's something you're seriously considering, I'll take off the cover of the lathe and do some measurements. In principle, the way it works is this... The existing transformer converts 220V AC to say 24V AC, and this normally goes to the incandescent bulb. What I did was to break one of those lines and insert a diode in series with it. That acts like a non-return valve so you lose half of the AC, say the bit that goes -ve. That means that you get power for half a mains cycle but the other half is missing. This means that it blinks at 50Hz which is the mains frequency. The capacitor is like a battery and charges up during the half cycle that the diode allows through, and discharges into the LED light during the other half. You can imagine that if it had a very small capacity, it wouldn't store much energy and the LED would blink. On the other hand, if it was huge, it would absorb lots of energy and support the LED much more. I experimented with a few values to get the smallest value capacitor without a noticeable blink. You can get the diode and capacitor from ebay, I'll point you in the right direction if you need guidance. So there's more of a job messing about with the mechanical fitting of the bulb holder than there is to solder a couple of components in the leads. I'll convert these words into a diagram and show the values I ended up with if anyone is interested. The key thing to note here is the power we're talking about. Typical incandescent bulbs are around 50Watts so the holders and wires etc get very hot indeed. The wires have to be special high temperature ones else they would melt. The LED conversion has a 3Watt rating of which most gets converted to light. The bulb does get warm but nothing like an incandescent one. You can use whatever wire you like on it. OR you could just go to IKEA and buy a snake light for under a tenner and throw it away in 10000 hours or so and get on with sometinhg usefull? |
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Post by runner42 on Sept 10, 2014 8:19:24 GMT
Hi Paul, Those are not silly questions at all. The modification is easy enough to do. If you look at that bayonet adaptor I linked to on ebay, you can see that you just need to make a plastic holder with a bore that takes the adaptor. It runs pretty cool so it won't melt. The bulb you choose might need to be one that goes up to 24V ie for a lorry depending on the transformer you have in your existing light. If it's something you're seriously considering, I'll take off the cover of the lathe and do some measurements. In principle, the way it works is this... The existing transformer converts 220V AC to say 24V AC, and this normally goes to the incandescent bulb. What I did was to break one of those lines and insert a diode in series with it. That acts like a non-return valve so you lose half of the AC, say the bit that goes -ve. That means that you get power for half a mains cycle but the other half is missing. This means that it blinks at 50Hz which is the mains frequency. The capacitor is like a battery and charges up during the half cycle that the diode allows through, and discharges into the LED light during the other half. You can imagine that if it had a very small capacity, it wouldn't store much energy and the LED would blink. On the other hand, if it was huge, it would absorb lots of energy and support the LED much more. I experimented with a few values to get the smallest value capacitor without a noticeable blink. You can get the diode and capacitor from ebay, I'll point you in the right direction if you need guidance. So there's more of a job messing about with the mechanical fitting of the bulb holder than there is to solder a couple of components in the leads. I'll convert these words into a diagram and show the values I ended up with if anyone is interested. The key thing to note here is the power we're talking about. Typical incandescent bulbs are around 50Watts so the holders and wires etc get very hot indeed. The wires have to be special high temperature ones else they would melt. The LED conversion has a 3Watt rating of which most gets converted to light. The bulb does get warm but nothing like an incandescent one. You can use whatever wire you like on it. Hi Roger, I think a circuit diagram is desireable if not essential for someone with no electrical understanding, because although you have described a simple half wave rectifier feeding a LED all the components are polarity dependent and must be connected in a specified way. Otherwise it wouldn't work or worse. Brian |
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Post by Roger on Sept 10, 2014 8:42:37 GMT
OR you could just go to IKEA and buy a snake light for under a tenner and throw it away in 10000 hours or so and get on with sometinhg usefull? You're making the assumption that these things take me ages to do whereas I had the electronic components to hand and it took but a few minutes to source the bulb and holder from ebay. Sure, it took half an hour to knock up the holder but I'd have had to make a bracket for a snake light anyway. There's also pleasure to be had from thinking your way through a simple problem like this from start to finish and just doing it. Personally I think it was 'something useful' to do. I'm not of the opinion that anything other than directly making parts for steam locomotives is wasted time. For me, locomotive building is just one of many things I'm doing. I'd be bored doing it all the time, I need a little more variety in my life than that. |
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Post by Roger on Sept 10, 2014 8:44:29 GMT
i recall a very amusing exchange a few years back in that if all workshop lighting was LED we would need more heaters in the workshop! cheers, julian Nice one, my motivation was because I burnt the back of my hand on the light, so it had to go! |
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Post by Roger on Sept 10, 2014 8:48:00 GMT
Hi Roger, I think a circuit diagram is desireable if not essential for someone with no electrical understanding, because although you have described a simple half wave rectifier feeding a LED all the components are polarity dependent and must be connected in a specified way. Otherwise it wouldn't work or worse. Brian Fair point, I'll sort that out. The key thing is that the line marked across the barrel of the diode is going to be the +ve end and that's the end the +ve side of the capacitor needs to go. If an electrolytic capacitor is wired the wrong way it will pop and spread its insides out like confetti which can be alarming if they are big. These ones aren't that big but you still don't want it to happen! |
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