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Lighting for routers

Posts

Lighting for routers

#1

Lighting for routers

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

I have a few routers, which get occasional use. Over the past year or so I have been experimenting with a Makita trim router for removing waste from half-blind dovetails (see link below if interested).

The only issue I have with the little Makita is that it does not have a built-in light, which makes seeing details a little more difficult. It is a powerful and nimble router, with excellent dust control. I wanted to improve this one area. So I have looked around for quite a while at several strategies, such as training a spot light or clamping on a book light. These are have short comings.

A few weeks ago, I received a notice from Lee Valley about a Task Light they were offering. It was designed for their router base. And cheap ($15 USD). I ordered a few.


These are very small LED flashlights. They attach to a holder with rare earth magnets. The holder is screwed to the base of the router. I will show ways I have done this with mine.

In addition to to the trim router, the router I like for general use is this old Elu ...


There was a convenient hole for the screw holding the flashlight stand ...


And on ..



The Makita trim router that started this search ...


The stand was attached to the secondary base ...


This is how it in use before the light ...


Now light one ...


The Makita comes with a plunge base as well, and this is a useful router for inlay and smaller details.


The holder screws into one of the fence rod knobs. Only one knob is needed (the other side only uses one), so it is a convenient spot. Not perfect, but the best that I have come up with so far.


Light off ...


Light on ...


I hope this helps someone.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Lighting for routers

#2

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Re: Lighting for routers

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

It's a very handy light. I bought three of them. I have two mounted to router bases, but the one I use most is the one I mounted on my magnifying visor. I epoxied a piece of 5mm rod to the top of the visor, and the light mounts to that. Very handy!

Re: Lighting for routers

#3

question

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

More light on the router bit. Now that's a significant advancement in my line of work. I can free-hand route better than I can see and I could see better with more light on scribe lines. The performance looks impressive.

It is unclear what one gets if the flashlight is ordered. I can't tell from the mounted pictures what parts are flashlight and what parts are from elsewhere. Will you post a picture of what one gets if the light is ordered? If I can get one mounted it will become part of my trim router as well as above the band saw blade and maybe elsewhere.

What is the PV part number? Seems I may be the only person that has not seen it. As much as I order from them one would think Rob would keep me better up to date on these things :)

The light would make a dandy contest. Who can come up with the most creative use for it in the shop?

Re: Lighting for routers

#4

Re: Lighting for routers

Buckaroo

So the little light has magnet on it,OK.

Would that little light hole/keep it's self on/in a chizel while cutting/making/honing out DEEP INSIDE A TURNING/VASE/BOWL ON THE LATHE??

OTHER WORDS, tape the light inside the 'GROVE/BODY/OF CHISEL''.

GONNA HUSH, FORE I'M ASK TO KEEP MY THANKING TO MYSELF!!!

Re: Lighting for routers

#5

Link

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Bill

The tiny LED flashlight comes with 4 (micro) batteries with are used in a series. There is a second, spare lot of these included.

The package includes the flashlight + batteries, and a stand.

Link: https://www.leevalley.com/en-gb/shop/tools/workshop/lighting/110491-task-light-for-veritas-plunge-base

The sheet in the package includes extra information, which is not on the website, such as examples of attaching the flashlight to screwdrivers, etc.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Lighting for routers

#6

On bandsaw (and lathe) ....

Henry (Raleigh NC)

Bill

I have bought a handful of $1 LED 'desk' lights at the dollar store - these have a short 'gooseneck' flex shaft, and are 120V plug-in lights with 3 intensity levels. I spring clamp the base to the column of my BS and use it for any close sawing - better task lighting improves my work. I use the same type of at my lathe. With BS being a floor model I can just plug this into the wall. This solution won't work as well for a router.

Thanks Derek, I have been looking for a solution to the router.

Henry

Re: Lighting for routers

#7

Re: Lighting for routers

William Duffield

These look like an effective idea. However, there are some other important specifications missing from L-V's description:

- mounting bolt thread size - I hope it's 1/4"-20 UNC, and not some infernal metric kludge. :D

- battery size

- LED lumens

- battery life

Re: Lighting for routers

#8

good questions

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

some of the button batteries are pricy.

Re: Lighting for routers

#9

still unclear

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

there is a blue part, a black part and the silver part. Blue the flashlight? Black the flashlight holder with magnets? Magnets attach to silver part? Will the blue plus black part stick to the side of a band saw cover, that is, are the magnets along the axis of the black part or on the ends where they appear to be in picture?

I seems a great idea. I wish the photo showed it disassembled so I could better figure out how it might be used separate from its intended use.

Re: Lighting for routers

#10

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Re: still unclear

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Bill, there are two cylindrical magnets along the side of the black part. They're intended to straddle the shaft of the mount.

You could mount the light along the shaft of a screwdriver, socket extension, etc., as well as on the router mount provided.

I haven't checked availability, but at one time you could buy just the light and magnet portion without the router mount and screw.

Re: Lighting for routers

#13

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Re: will magnet stick to a flat vertical surface

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Yes, it will.

BTW, the light uses two tiny (aspirin-sized) batteries. They do last quite a while, though. I still have the original set in all my lights - even the on on my visor that sees frequent and long time usage.

Re: Lighting for routers

#14

Re: will magnet stick to a flat vertical surface

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

BTW, the light uses two tiny (aspirin-sized) batteries. They do last quite a while, though. I still have the original set in all my lights - even the on on my visor that sees frequent and long time usage.

Jim, the ones I received use four hearing aide-sized batteries. Otherwise your description is the same.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Lighting for routers

#15

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

Re: will magnet stick to a flat vertical surface

Jim DeLaney, Austintown, Ohio

You're right, Derek. They do use four batteries. Didn't think about hearing aid sized, though. :\ My hearing aids use ones that are smaller yet.

Re: Lighting for routers

#16

Other lights

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Henry, I tried one of those on the router. It was too cumbersome. Heck I tried so many lights in the past year.

This book light was relegated to the drill press (pretty good there) ...


.. then replaced by button lights (I posted these lately) ...



... and finally by a bicycle light ...



I am waiting on delivery of a different light from LV for the bandsaw. I will post about it after it arrives: https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/home/lighting/specialty-lights/110645-battery-powered-magnetic-led-orb-light

Regards from Perth

Derek

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