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Daylight/modelling lamp


nick32

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Chaps, can anyone recommend a decent but reasonably priced daylight lamp please? I think a combination of aging eyes (i'm only 35 and they are going already! ) and these useless modern eco bulbs means i can't see what i'm doing. Just lately i've been doing modelling in the kitchen because of the decent striplight in there, but it's not comfortable and i'm getting in peoples way.

Ideally i'm looking for something that can be clamped on a desk, put away when not building and not too expensive...

Very grateful for any help,

Nick

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One of the lamps I use is a short angle-poise type, cost £14,99 from Argos. I fit it with a G10 daylight LED spot bulb. Its good and bright and the small head on it I can get really close to the work. No heat off the LED bulb. Doesn't clamp to a table, it has a round heavy base, but thats not overly big.

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I bought this light from argos.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9279777.htm

It is mains powered, I screwed it underneath my lowest model shelf to provide better light than the room lightbulb, it still needs a plug to be put on.

Worked for me so far.

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Thanks guys, some great idea's there - I've asked the wife to pick me up one of the striplights from Argos that Deadman has suggested, should fit nicely under the shelf abve my work table - I'll let you know how i get on.

Thanks again,

Nick

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I've had a few variation over the years but one thing is quite clear - try to fit a daylight bulb if possible as it will make colours and detail much clearer than a wishywashy odd yellow shade the many standard lamps and tubes emit - especially if ambient daylight is poor (and so many modelers are banished to dark corners on their own home!).

...and if you think picking the correct light for modelling is difficult try keeping tropical fish...T8, T5, LED, spot/strip/tube, high/low end, fixed, suspended, daylight or nocturnal, colour temperature, light angle spread, controllers & dimmers...

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You can still get filament daylight bulbs if you look in specialist lighting shops. I picked up a stock when you couldn't get daylight bulbs to the new technology, but have still been able to get them recently even in my local hardware store. However, the newer bulbs are fine if you give them time to warm up, except that I've found the more powerful bulbs are too long to fit into the older spaces.

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Thanks chaps. I have actually got a daylight bulb, but it's a bayonet fitting and i can't find a suitable lamp for it. I do my modelling in the dining room on a desk tucked away in the corner, what with these energy saving bulbs i can't see a thing when the sun goes down.

What is scary though is that this time last year it wasn't a problem - My eyes are fading fast......

Nick

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If you go on the likes of ebay you can buy a bulb base converter; eg e27 [edison screw] to BC so you can use the bulb in any fitting.

Its lamp fitting first / bulb fitting second. I use one for my G10 bulbs to fit an E27 lamp. The converter costs between 99p and £1.99 on ebay, about £5 a local hardware shop.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361364324818?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=630707284830&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

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Thanks chaps. I have actually got a daylight bulb, but it's a bayonet fitting and i can't find a suitable lamp for it. I do my modelling in the dining room on a desk tucked away in the corner, what with these energy saving bulbs i can't see a thing when the sun goes down.

What is scary though is that this time last year it wasn't a problem - My eyes are fading fast......

Nick

I'm the other way around, with a screw-fitting light I've no socket for. I'll have to look for that converter in my local shop - wish I'd read this before they shut... (seriously, there's no actual rush)

Nick: buy a more powerful bulb. The new ones do not emit less light than the old ones, providing that you buy the equivalent output, and wait for them to warm up. The most recent ones take less time than the originals, which did get annoying. I do feel, however, that they do not provide the promised extra life.

What has made a difference to me is that after some decades of use I have altered the main light in the loft/model room from being one more-or-less behind my head to two, one over each shoulder. Should have done it years ago. I still need the extra one on the worktop, however.

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We sell these as a good quality, but reasonably priced led desk lamp / magnifier:

http://www.modellingtools.co.uk/led-craft-magnifier-lamp-11726-p.asp

Or if you are after a basic lamp magnifier, we sell a lot of these that can be used around the neck or on a table top.

http://www.modellingtools.co.uk/dual-purpose-neck--desk-magnifier-11720-p.asp

Paul

Edited by little-cars
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  • 3 weeks later...

I've just bought one of THESE from Maplin and can I just say it's bright, very bright on the low to mid setting, the top end setting I'm afraid I'll melt my worktop, it's not cheap, but I've read many reviews and it was very well rated, so took the plunge, I'll see what it's like after a while of use.

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How do you find the head-mounted lights? I could imagine them being distracting, although I'm perfectly prepared to be wrong :) That looks like an Optivisor, so I'm guessing that's an attachment you can get for it.

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Just don't answer the door with it on. By the way, that's not me.

reminds me of a friend who got interrupted by the door bell as he was getting ready for a fancy dress party.

Answered the front door wearing Mr Spock ears!

always makes me chuckle

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How do you find the head-mounted lights? I could imagine them being distracting, although I'm perfectly prepared to be wrong :) That looks like an Optivisor, so I'm guessing that's an attachment you can get for it.

They're sold here in the US by Micro-Mark:

http://www.micromark.com/Quasar-Lighting-System-for-Optivisor,8608.html?sc=WGB&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=GoogleBase&gclid=CjwKEAjwho2xBRD0mpzUvsya6SgSJAAkRepSKlJ6qfIPnMEabgfW5HWny724j1XG85cr5mArZtL_yhoCJYTw_wcB

As well as other retailers; I think I got mine through Squadron There are other Optivisor lighting attachments available as well, and a Google search will turn them up. There are also neat little LED clip-on lights for eyeglasses and LED headband lights sold here at Lowe's and Home Depot and on-line.

Edited by Space Ranger
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  • 3 weeks later...

Just an update....

I got one of the striplights from Argos, works ok but as Graham has suggested the placement of the light is quite critical. I fixed mine under a shelf just in front of me, its better than it was but it does create shadows. I could do with one directly above me i think, which isn't going to happen because i'm in the dining room and an extra striplight hanging from the ceiling would result in moaning from the wife (She's a good un really but i don't want to push it!)

I'm off to Telford tomorrow so i'll have a look and see whats available there.

Thanks for all the input, greatly appreciated.

Nick

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I've had one of these for a few years and have been very happy with it - good light, I use the magnifier quite a lot and it's easy to position wherever I need it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maplin-A29FF-22W-Fluorescent-Daylight-Magnifier-Lamp-Shadow-Free-Light-/361393882246?hash=item5424c10486

Cheers,

Roger​

Nick,

I've been using one of these, which I bought from Maplin, for about 4 years now and its the best modelling item ever bought.

It clamps quickly to the table, folds quickly to be stored in its box when not in use which is important to me and is easily positioned to give light just where you want it. The magnifier was a bonus for me but its really handy too. I just saw its on offer for £24.99 at the moment:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maplin-A29FF-22W-Fluorescent-Daylight-Magnifier-Lamp-Shadow-Free-Light-/361393882246?hash=item5424c10486

Phil

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Thanks Phil. I went to Telford yesterday but blew the budget on kits! I'm useless! :lol:

That one from Maplin looks good, especially at that price. Might have to pop in to my local store and have a look.

Thanks again,

Nick

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  • 4 weeks later...

One of the lamps I use is a short angle-poise type, cost £14,99 from Argos. I fit it with a G10 daylight LED spot bulb. Its good and bright and the small head on it I can get really close to the work. No heat off the LED bulb. Doesn't clamp to a table, it has a round heavy base, but thats not overly big.

I had a look on e-bay at the bulbs, but there are so many different ones, I was wondering if you could tell me the details of your bulb ? That way I'll know I'm getting the right one ! :cheers:

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The lamp unit;

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4312134.htm

The replacement bulb;

I think this is the one I bought

http://www.tesco.com/direct/minisun-3w-60-smd-led-gu10-light-bulb-cool-white/429-3728.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=429-3728

Mine has the code 4310 on it. Only 3w was available, now there are 5w daylight ones.

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  • 3 years later...

I have an elderly anglepoise lens unit with an integral traditional daylight lightbulb, but have recently added a neat little dual-head LED light fitting on the side of the desk, from Hobbycraft (Deepdale, Preston).  It's a bit low really, but ok.  Hobbycraft offer a wide range of LED lights for hobbyists, my wife uses a larger self-standing unit for crochet work.

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