# magnifying light



## aramco (1 Dec 2019)

anyone got any thoughts on which on to get please??

take care
John


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## AES (1 Dec 2019)

I bought a little "sewing machine" light thru Amazon. Loads of LEDs in it (about 8 I think) very strong magnetic base, and a sensible length flexible goose neck. Actually made in China, and mine actually came from there, but didn't take very long either (about 10 days if I remember) Cheap too - again if I remember, less than a tenner.

The only reservation I had/have was with the fitted mains lead supplied - about the thinnest conductors on any mains cable I've ever seen in my life! But so far so good, no problems at all, and the mains plug doesn't get even slightly warm.

The magnetic base clamps very firmly to anywhere I like on the Ex21 arm, or indeed, the table.

Was a great buy which I first got on to through a thread on that subject here in the Scrolling section. If I remember correctly the relevant post was by Claymore, but it's several years back now.

A P.S: I bought 2 of them actually, one for me (above) and one for my wife's sewing machine. But the casings on her machine/s are non-magnetic, so I had to rig up a little steel plate up for here to "stick" her lamp base onto.

HTH. (IF you need it, I can probably find the details, but I guess a quick search through Amazon's web pages will locate it OK. Let me know if any probs).

Edit for a P.S. After posting the above I just noticed the word "magnifying" in the title of your OP. The above has NO magnifier, sorry. I do actually also have a magnifying light (with a normal bulb) on an Anglepoise type arm above my saw, but it really is about a million years old and I've no idea where it came from, sorry.


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## Roland (1 Dec 2019)

Having failed to find a magnifying light that I liked I opted for a clip-on lamp and a pair of extra strong reading glasses.


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## aramco (2 Dec 2019)

hi I have found this one on Ebay item number 192970382981 and it looks good, two options either desk mounted or floor so am going to test drive it, I will let you all know he out come.

take care
John


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## stevebuk (2 Dec 2019)

hi
i have always used the magnify headband which has the magnified plastic eye pieces in, i found it to be far better than a light and magnifier combination.


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## Honest John (3 Dec 2019)

I have one that I bought at a sale on good old Maplins, back in the day before it all went wrong for them. I use it at my bench for a whole lot of activities that require good light and a bit of help with small things. I have taken it over to my scroll station but to be honest I found it to be a bit in the way. Two issues really, 1. The whole thing was in my way, and 2 the focal length of the lens was awkward in that it had to be close to my scrollsaw and from memory I had also to be close to the lens. Didn’t like it at all. Of course it could just be my particular lamp and others may be different. I found as has already been mentioned, that the headband arrangement with changeable lenses seemed to work better.


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## kstano83 (4 Dec 2019)

I have this one in my wish list: https://www.axminster.co.uk/lightcraft- ... ing-103874
Just waiting for restock.


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## flying haggis (6 Dec 2019)

kstano

try here
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DCh ... xA1&adurl=


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## powertools (6 Dec 2019)

I also have the light from Mappings but I have found that looking through the lens is more of a hinderence than a help.
I would recommend just getting a light.


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## Blackswanwood (6 Dec 2019)

I have one of these ... https://www.buybrandtools.com/acatalog/ ... n1300.html and am very pleased with it.


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## AES (6 Dec 2019)

I guess it's like so many other things, it depends what you like/what you're used to/your own personal preferences. As glasses wearer I get on well with the magnifying light similar to the one Kstano linked to (but mine's now about a million years old), but I don't use it for all cutting by any means, only the smaller/tighter intricate cuts.

I also guess that you have to try one yourself before you decide it's useful to you personally or not.

Not much help really, am I?


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## aramco (7 Dec 2019)

hi all and thanks for your input .

Had a real think about this and am not totally convinced that one of these would be such a good idea,

wasnt happy with the head band magnifying set up , ruined a good pair of glasses with clip ons,so have gone another direction, got rid of the large ear defenders and gone with bud type,which will allow the head band magnifier to be used and I am test driving one of those masks ,that, fit flat on the face, instead of the bulky type, which the filters cost and arm and a leg, and have to changed virtually as soon as you put a new filter in, but to press cannot get it to seal right , still mists up my glasses , maybe I aint got it tight enough, so will persevere.

again thanks
take care
John


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## Peter Sefton (7 Dec 2019)

I have had a couple both of which have broken over the years from Maplins and Axminster, by far the best one and still working is from these people. They usually have a stand next to me at Harrogate and always look busy.

https://www.craftlights.co.uk/index.html

Cheers Peter


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## whatknot (9 Dec 2019)

I don't think its going to be of much help but for what its worth 

I have one of the headband with light and magnifying lenses, not much use on the scroll saw but helpful for watches, small item repairs etc 

I have a desk magnifying light with a bendy stem, its okay but not long enough in the stem as you need to have somewhere next to the scroll saw to place it

And I picked up an ex medical magnifying light, on an anglepoise type arm, it had no base, and cost the princely sum of £2, I fitted a block to a hinged shelf which in turn is fitted to a wooden beam which is by the side of my main scroll saw on its stand and is by far the best item, I can angle it anywhere I like, and use the magnifier if needed, but mostly it acts as a light source right by my work

Like the attached but no desk clamp, mine just has a pin which I have fitted to the block on my hinged shelf


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## flying haggis (9 Dec 2019)

bargain


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## flying haggis (9 Dec 2019)

Peter Sefton":26d0oxsi said:


> I have had a couple both of which have broken over the years from Maplins and Axminster, by far the best one and still working is from these people. They usually have a stand next to me at Harrogate and always look busy.
> 
> https://www.craftlights.co.uk/index.html
> 
> Cheers Peter



how can they justify £18+ for one bulb?? when similiar are available for £1.50 and what exactly is a "high definition" bulb


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## whatknot (9 Dec 2019)

In my experience, anything with the word "Craft" before it is substantially more expensive than it should be 

My daughter had an Ottlite desk lamp for crafting, £60+ to buy and a bulb will set you back £30


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## flying haggis (14 Dec 2019)

for anyone still looking for a flexy lamp, the e-bay ones i linked to have come down in price to £14.39 for two. looking at the pics it seems that the flexy bit is held to the clamp with a nut so could be removed and fitted to a wooden (obviously! ) base or permantly fitted to a machine etc

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-MAINS-PLU ... SwwzhZSzKv


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## kstano83 (6 Jan 2020)

Several days ago I was about to buy the magnifying light that flying haggis and AES mentioned for lower price than from Axminster but it is back to £112. Sugar, I had no clue that the £75 was a sale price


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## aramco (6 Jan 2020)

hi again I decided not to get a mag light, as I figured it would more of s hindrance than a help,

take care
John


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## kstano83 (7 Jan 2020)

Why is that? Can you elaborate, please?


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## aramco (7 Jan 2020)

when you are working , you have to keep moving it out of the way when changing holes and changing blades, then replace it , imagine doing that between 150 and 1000 times on each piece you work on ,it is bad enough resetting the blower each time and a light as well, would drive you crazy, hope this helps.

take care
John


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## AES (7 Jan 2020)

I have to say that in this instance I disagree with John (aramco). BUT .... this is, IMO, simply NOT a case of "right" or "wrong", it's more a case of what suits each individual - PLUS whatever you, personally, have got used to.

Personally I do have a magnifying light, and I do use it on the scroll saw quite a lot. NOT all the time, but especially when making intricate cuts on small pieces. Mine is mounted on a "swivel" which for the scroll saw is simple a block of wood fixed to the table that the scroll saw is fixed to. The block has a big hole drilled in the top, and the pivot of the lamp just drops into it, thus it swivels quite freely. The original fitting (a clamp with a hole in it) is fitted on another table where my little metal working lathe is fixed, thus allowing me to easily move the magnifying lamp between the 2 machines.

When using the magnifying lamp on the scroll saw it's easy to just swivel it out of the way when changing blades and/or threading blades through entry holes. It's also easy to just swing it back into position when getting back to the actual cutting.

But I stress that's just me and it may well be that this set up wouldn't suit everyone - John for example. And as said above, I guess it's also a question of what you get used to - John is quite right, you do need to adjust the lamp carefully to get it into the right position initially.

So in the end I GUESS it depends on A) what ever suits you, and B) what you get used to. As said, I don't use it all the time by any means, but wouldn't be without it for small size jobs. But that's just me, and I guess the only way to find out it to try it and see.

HTH


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## aramco (7 Jan 2020)

hi Andy nice to hear from you I went the other way and bought clip on magnifying glasses and a head set as well both came to about £12 and do the job, and I already have a light that sticks on the arm - magnetic - the one Brian suggested and works really well.

not totally on topic if anyone has an Axminster saw hand has problems with arm dropping, it is possible to get a replacement part, as the ball bearing gets a flat on it I have just got one but for some unknown reason I have to keep adjusting it,.

take care 
John


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## AES (7 Jan 2020)

Hi John, Happy New Year mate.

Yup I remember Brian's (Claymore's) post a while back, when he was more active on the Forum, before his wife died.

Actually, that little LED light is listed as a sewing machine light and I bought 2, one for the scroll saw and one for my wife (for her sewing machine). Although her machine is a substantial bit of kit, there's little metal to be "seen" anywhere near the working section (the whole case, etc, is some sort of plastic) so I now have a spare (I offered to set her up with a metal plate to "clamp the base of the light onto, but she wasn't happy with that solution, it got in the way and caught on the fabric, etc).

But the one on the scroll saw is a perfect addition to the magnifying lamp, and as you know, clamps very well indeed anywhere on the Exc 21 arm - at my age you just can't have too much light!

I also have a head band (non-illuminated) but only use that for really fine bits of metal work & marking out off my (glass) surface plate. Horses for courses indeed.

Re arm dropping, someone else on here had a problem with that, (was it you?) and I think it was kstano 83 who had a problem with noise on lower arm bearing. Apparently that's gone away now though.

I must say I haven't had either of those problems, but stress my machine is an original Excalibur, not the Axi version. Though they appear to be identical there MAY be some differences, I dunno. But my Manual shows both a list of spares AND an adjustment for keeping the arm up when you lift it. I did that adjustment once only and have had nothing to do there since, BUT please note, with mine, after lifting the arm all the way up it does drop an inch or so before coming to rest in the "almost fully up position" ( I guess I should call it)!

But if you want a scan of the spares listing for my machine, and/or of the adjustment for the top arm, just drop me a PM. Without checking I'm pretty sure my spares listing does include that ball bearing.

Must stop now as am off to the hospital in a mo (to see if I can get rid of this +"*ç%& back corset)! "That'll be the day"*!

HTH


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## aramco (7 Jan 2020)

belatd happy new year and I wish you loads of luck getting rid of the corset /

take care
John


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## flying haggis (7 Jan 2020)

kstano83":2k3gzcup said:


> Several days ago I was about to buy the magnifying light that flying haggis and AES mentioned for lower price than from Axminster but it is back to £112. Sugar, I had no clue that the £75 was a sale price



not much of a saving but still a saving here

https://cpc.farnell.com/lightcraft/lc90 ... dp/LA08049


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## kstano83 (8 Jan 2020)

Thanks for the link flying haggis. Unfortunately they do not deliver to Slovakia. Even if they did, delivery would probably make it equal to axminster´s price. Plus if I get some useful extras with the light from axminster and make an orders over 149€ I´ll get free shipping. 

Regards the magnifying light being in the way and constant swinging in and out. 
My problem is, that I lean over the scroll saw so close to the top arm that my forehead is almost getting hit and my neck hurts. It´s not about having a bad sight. For me, it´s the way I can cut precisely. As a toy/puzzle maker I don´t do many internal cuts and I don´t see a problem in repositioning the light. I´m more curious whether I´d get too much "tunel" vision looking through the magnifyer (only a small part in the middle is sharp and the rest is unpleasantly blurry)


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## aramco (8 Jan 2020)

have you thought about getting a head set magnifier , mine works really well and the clip on magnifier specs work magic, might help your neck a lot.

take care
John


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## AES (8 Jan 2020)

As I've already suggested in a previous post above, my own opinion is that all this is highly personal matter. E.G: How old are you? Do you wear glasses? Bifocal/Varifocal? What sort of work are you doing (tiny pieces or "normal" sizes)? And there are obviously other variables to add into each person's own list of variables, like how many hours per day are you cutting, and is that done only in poor or reasonable background lighting?

In other words, what works for me won't necessarily work for you or anyone else.

It follows from that the only way to find what's best for you it to "suck it and see". Now if that trial and error involves just a few dollars/francs/quid to try something out, OK, not a lot lost if it doesn't work for you. BUT, as in the above example, it we're talking about investing a hundred quid odd for something that maybe doesn't work for you then that's something that needs thinking twice (or more!) about.

So I think that asking others for their own personal solutions, and their reasons for making a certain choice is all well and good, but in the end each individual can only make his own decisions. If that works well, great, but if not you're left with something that's not ideal. And the only way out of that that I can see (if it was an expensive item) is to try and sell it on - e.g. via the net, this Forum, etc, etc.

Not a lot of help really, and the above is all "obvious" really, but I can't see any other way/s, sorry.

P.S. @Aramco: (Got rid of "the thing" yesterday. All healed/joined up. Thanks)


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## aramco (8 Jan 2020)

magic forgive the pun back t normal

take care
John


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## kstano83 (9 Jan 2020)

aramco":296z4zky said:


> have you thought about getting a head set magnifier , mine works really well and the clip on magnifier specs work magic, might help your neck a lot.
> 
> take care
> John


Not really, but I found one locally for 20€, that looks EXACTLY like the head set from axminster. Except it doesn´t say it´s "craft"


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## flying haggis (13 Jan 2020)

just noticed that lidl are doing clip on flexi led lamps (similiar to the loved ikea ones) from this sunday, also a version with a base.
£7.99 each

https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/p/office-esse ... amp/p28837


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