Cheap and safe machine worklight

Professional machine worklights tends to be very expensive for the home workshop. Now, LED-lamps can be a very good alternative, like this lamp I found at Ikea in Norway. It is called "Jansjo" and costs £10 in the UK.

The advantage with this lamp - apart from the low cost, is that it is a a low-voltage lamp (6 V, 3W I think, safe voltage for swarf) and its long flexible gooseneck.

Here is how I mounted it on my milling machine:

And here a view of how strong the light is with two of these lamps:

I think I will fit my lathe with a lamp or two!

Regards Sverre

Sverre, I use them on my lathe and mill. They are good as they are not too large and don't get in the way and at the same time bright enough to give a good working light.

John

Look for an article on this subject in MEW 200. Mains operated, clip-on, many types of bulb.

Regards

Geoff

Geoff - MEW 200? The last issue out now is MEW 197....

Sverre

Yes, Sverre, David Clark accepted an article from me on this subject, and said it would appear in MEW 200, the special issue.

Regards

Geoff

Hi There

Yes, issue 200.

All scheduled in.

We are working ahead because of Christmas.

Currently scheduling articles into MEW 201 but really I should be working on MEW 202 schedule now.

regards David

They'd better live up to expecations, because I've just ordered three of them! One for the lathe, one for the vertical mill and one for general use. The lathe does have an industrial low voltage (25V) light on it, but I gave up using it because it eats bulbs, and they're not cheap.

Andrew

Hi SverreE,

I recommended these lamps from Ikea back in March in the thread 'Workshop Lighting'.

I have the one with a base for my mill, and the clip-on one for my lathe. I think they are excellent value for money and provided a very good degree illumination right where you want it, with the bulb bit being so small it doesn't get in the way. I would still recommend them!

Chris

Any suggestions for converting regular worklight? google quickly comes up with GU10. Is that suitable. (voltage conversion obviously)

Might actually bother with an xmas sale to look for a triffid light as I don't have an IKEA around.

Hi all,
I had made lights from some aluminium tubing fitted with MR16 bulbs. (12 volts spot lamp bulbs.) I fitted 20 watt on my mill and drill and a 35 watt on my lathe. They all gave good illumination but the housing on the 35 watt one got too hot to touch. I have now replaced these bulbs with 4 watt LED bulbs. These give excellent illumination and the housing only gets warm. I have now fitted one of the Ikea lights to the other side of my mill. As others have said they are excellent and their small size allows them to be placed closer to the work. If you plan to modify the mounting then I would recommend tha base mounted version as the clip version is more difficult to modify.
Bazyle, How do yo define a regular worklight ? (Lamp type and voltage.) GU10 bulbs are mains voltage and available in halogen or LED versions. I would advise using low voltage lights.

Les.

As one of our workshop people here said:

You get a great little light, AND if you permanently mount the light, you get a hunk of cast iron from the base, too!

Certainly much better than CFLs or incandescents.

Another JohnS.

Les, thanks for that - I thought the GU10 must be the size designation for one of those 12v downlighters.

I was thinking of the traditional 24v rather solid machine lights as I have 3 machines with them but no bulbs as Andrew mentioned above. Seems a pity to scrap the housing if it was possible to do a simple LED conversion with a different transformer and LED bulb.

Probably cheaper to by cheap and cheerful powerful LED torches and take the LEDs and drivers out of them than to go to the bother of buying the bits from Farnell or RS. They ought to be fittable to most types of housing. There was one in Machine Mart for about £7 last week.

Neil

Hi Neil,
I also considered using the cheap LED torches wit the Cree LED's but rejected it for a few reasons. 1 when they are switched on on off they cycle through three modes of operation. (High power, low power and flash.) 2 You still need to find a flexible mounting. For these reasons I think the ones from Ikea are better. I got a LED torch cheaper than your £7 one. £4.48 with postage on ebay from Hong Kong. ( Item number 350642952389)

Bazyle, You could use the 12 volt MR16 spot lights if you changed the transformer. Some of the £ shops have down light fitting which is the cheapest way to get the holders.

Les.

John,

For info ...

At least in recent models; the insert in the base appears to be some sort of Iron-loaded Rubber, not actual Cast Iron.

MichaelG.

Hi Les,

I was suggesting them as a source for replacing traditional bulbs in existing mountings.

My stepson has found some very good torches on fleabay.

neil

For info GU10 refers to the base connector style of the lamp.

HTH

Gary

Please also be aware that GU10 bulbs are Mains Voltage

The light source itself may be LED, or whatever

... but the terminals are Mains Voltage.

Useful list here

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/11/2012 22:50:46

At £10 these Janso low-voltage lights are what I have been searching for for years.

Ikea's website reads as though I can't order, and have delivered, via the internet in the nomal way.

There is a basic charge of £15 within the branch delivery area, or have I misunderstood?

My apologies: Ikea do deal with internet orders in the usual way, but I didn't find it easy to register.

Perhaps it is my fault - it often is these days.