Lighting Options for Reloading Bench?

[StrutStopper]

Just built a bench in my daughter's former bedroom. She's got her own place and now I've got mine The lighting in the room isn't that great and I'm looking at options for lighting for the bench. I don't have any shelves, at least not yet. Thinking maybe a clamp on fluorescent lamp with a magnifier? Will that mess with my lil' Frankford Arsenal scale? What type of lighting do you all use and what would you recommend?

 

[WestKentucky]

I don't like fluorescent as it makes odd shadows that don't seem natural, and in my mind at least, that makes seeing something odd a lot less likely. Since I used my bench (currently in storage) for lots of things and plan to put it under cabinets at my next house I picked up a used range hood for 5 bucks complete with light and fan. May seem crazy, seems a good fit for me. If your looking strictly at the type of light I would go standard incandescent.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

My bench is 12 ft long. I have two 48" twin tube florescent fixtures in a row and hanging down so they are about 30" from the bench top.

 

[cfullgraf]

You cannot have enough light in my opinion.

My reloading table is about 4 foot long positioned in the middle of the area. My presses are mounted to free standing floor stands that I can move around as I desire. I have three 48" twin tube florescent fixtures over the table, one directly over it, one three feet in front of the table and one three feet behind the table. Also, walls are painted white.

Plus I have other lighting in the room. The reloading area is at one end of a 15'x45' room.

With the lighting fixtures several feet above the table, I have not seen any issues with my electronic scales, but I do not have the Frankfort model.

I have a flexible neck LED light that I use to look in cases for powder level on my progressive press.

I have never thought that I needed a magnifier when reloading. Might be useful when working on firearms. But that is me. It may work for the OP.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Same here on the flexible neck light to look in cases.....It's a book light from Dollar Tree.

 

[Joea132]

I use a fluorescent fixture with a "whiter light" bulb. I also would suggest a light above your head and behind you to allow you to see inside of cases

 

[Hardtarget]

I was in Sam's Club and saw an LED shop light this weekend. I've never seen one of those and have no idea what the light would be like to work under. Also don't know how long they would last. It was about $35.00...so I'd hope it would last a LONG time!

I did not take one home to start a "test run".

Mark

 

[rcmodel]

48" florescent shop lights hanging from the ceiling.

Two over the 8' long press bench.
One over the powder charging bench.
Two over the Gunsmithing bench.

Can't have too much light!!!!

rc

 

[cfullgraf]

I use a fluorescent fixture with a "whiter light" bulb.

Yes, I prefer "cool white" florescent lights or "bright white" lamps as opposed to "warm white" bulbs. The latter are too pink for me.

There are also "daylight" bulbs but they are too blue for my liking. But they are brighter than even the bright white bulbs.

Anyway, you have to decide for your self which is best. The big box hardware stores have displays showing the different bulbs and I am sure you can see the same at a good lighting store.

 

[Rule3]

LEDs are the way to go. I prefer very warm color spectrum up in the 6500 range )some think it is bluish color. I raise Marine (salt) fish and corals and it is one of the wavelengths used for those

Cool white is yellowish and in the 3- 3,00 K range.

You can find clamp on or standing versions. They put out a lot of light use little energy and will last almost forever

Something like this which has all spectrum's 3-6,000K

Might need 2.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FVS9UM0?psc=1#productDetails

 

[Gravedigger56]

When setting up my lighting, I was warned to stay away from florescent lighting because if you use electronic scales (Lyman especially), they can be sensitive to it and will not work properly.

I was wandering around Menards and on their closeout table they had a bunch of those simple clamp-on swing arm incandescent lights for $5. I bought a couple because I liked that I could just mount them to the ends of the bench and they can be manipulated to anywhere on the workbench, wherever I need some light. Stick in a 100w bulb and you're good to go.

At the press, I bought a great little 10 LED sewing machine light. Plugs in, has a flexible arm and a magnetic base w/switch. Throws a ton of light right where I need it at the shell holder or wherever.

 

[nettlle]

I have two 96" High Output florescent fixtures over my bench. One is over and slightly behind my head. The second fixture is 6 feet behind me. Both are 6 feet from the top of the bench. These are industrial lights and put more than enough light with no shadows. I use a beam scale.

 

[bob4]

I have 2 florescent mini light fixtures attached to the ceiling of my room. 2 bulbs each 4' long. One over the bench and one about 5' behind that in an 11 x 11 shop. Walls are particle board so no help there from white walls. I feel my lighting is more than adequate.

 

[joem1945]

My main bench is 8' long and has 3 four foot 2 tube flor's over it. No shadows at all. Entire basement is set up as man cave. I think I have 16 or 17 four foot flor's down there.

 

[Blue68f100]

I think all the problem with florescents was with the older Magnatron ballast. These are very heavy and do create a magnetic field. All the newer ones are electronic type and do not create the same magnetic field as the old ones.

You can not have too much lighting. I have 2 4 bulbs units over my 8' bench a 2 bulb unit over the other bench. All have the daylight bulbs for proper white balance. The led's are great and would be a great choice. More energy efficient than the florescent. and can be brighter. And you don't have the problem of glass and mercury vapor going every where if you happen to brake one. My 4 bulb units have a diffuser to protect the bulbs which is a good thing since I've launched a few springs at it over the years.

 

[Paddy]

I've completely eliminated fluorescent lighting from my life. 4' tubes are awful, ballasts die and tubes degrade 50% within a year. They also buzz and don't work in cold. Then there are the coiled up compact ones. They take 5 min just to warm
Up and also die quick. LED is the future! The screw in bulbs at lowes are great! Not super bright but with led, or any lights for that matter, having many sources of dimmer light creates better lighting. That's why white walls help, as they reflect diffusedight from the source, however can also add eye strain imo. The led shop lights that have a big array of small lights are good because of the pattern they throw. My shop has big "high bay" lights, 100w each and while they light my space very efficiently they also cast sharp shadows, and id like to fill in with some other flood beams here and there.

 

[wild willy]

I've tried about every kink of clamped on, taped on, table mounted,press mounted light I could find to see into cases.What works best for me is to just wear a headlamp shines where I'am looking.I have a nice bright Fenix LED works great

 

[GLOOB]

I'm not that particular about my reloading bench lighting, but I have other benches for detail work. For fine detail work, I can't use LED lighting unless it has a really good diffuser, and I find the bluish color is more fatiguing than the warm yellowy, personally.

I am quite fond of warm, yellowish, broad spectrum fluorescent lamps. And halogen or incandescent, as inefficient and hot as they are.

 

[ddc]

I have several gooseneck lamps with conventional bulbs mounted up high.

On the press itself I use one of these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80169636/

I shine it down through the hole in the middle of the 650 toolhead and it lights up the entire shell plate area quite well. I can easily see the powder charge in a 9mm. (That's all I've loaded on this particular press.)

 

[splattergun]

When setting up my lighting, I was warned to stay away from florescent lighting because if you use electronic scales (Lyman especially), they can be sensitive to it and will not work properly.

I was wandering around Menards and on their closeout table they had a bunch of those simple clamp-on swing arm incandescent lights for $5. I bought a couple because I liked that I could just mount them to the ends of the bench and they can be manipulated to anywhere on the workbench, wherever I need some light. Stick in a 100w bulb and you're good to go.

At the press, I bought a great little 10 LED sewing machine light. Plugs in, has a flexible arm and a magnetic base w/switch. Throws a ton of light right where I need it at the shell holder or wherever.

Check the wattage rating on those cheap little clamp lights. They are usually listed only for 60W, sometimes 75W, rarely 100W. Overheating can cause some, umm, interesting results.

 

[lightman]

I have a 4ft 2 bulb florescent fixture about 50 inches over my bench. No issues with my Dillon scale or my Chargemaster. I also have a gooseneck clamp on worklight that I can move around. I like the coolwhite or delux coolwhite florescent bulbs, I think its a fp41.

I agree, can't have too much light.

 

[Twiki357]

All I have over my bench is a two bulb florescent fixture and a swing arm lamp with a 100 watt bulb for “Spot” lighting as/when needed.

 

[Potatohead]

Boy Im hearing a lot about lighting but Im not seeing any pictures.

 

[anothernewb]

http://www.flexfireleds.com/

I've got a set of the ultrabright architectural ones on my bench. crazy bright. Not the cheapest option out there though.

 

[Sunray]

Over the bench, not behind. Especially with fluorescent's. Partial to a reading lamp myself.