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Light for plane cabinet?

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Light for plane cabinet?

#1

Light for plane cabinet?

Tony Sade (Charleston, WV)

>I'm planning on building a cabinet for planes and other hand tool stuff, something along the lines of the one Christopher Schwarz shows in the December Popular Woodworking magazine. (Picture below-my apologies if I'm breaking any rules or violating a copyright.) I'll probably go a little bigger, being in desparate need of lots of small stuff storage space, and probably a lot less elaborate-I'll probably use oak/birch ply and face frames. I'm thinking of dropping the windows so I can use all of the inside of the doors for hanging storage as well.

Because my shop is in my garage which tends to be a bit damp, I'd like to put a low-voltage light in the cabinet to fight rust. I'm thinking of something long and narrow that will fit on the inside of the top between the top of the doors and the plane cubby. I have an outlet nearby and can simply run a plugged wire right to the outlet, and may also be able to hardwire right into the outlet depending on what I find when I remove the garden tool pegboard that's currently covering the spot.

Any suggestions for what might work? I've looked at the borgs and haven't found anything so I assume I'll have to go to a specialty store to find what I need. Thanks, Tony


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Re: Light for plane cabinet?

#2

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>Tony -

Are you looking for a low wattage or low voltage light bulb? In the low wattage category, how about one of those long thin bulbs used to light paintings? Or a few 'christmas tree' bulbs?

Since heat rises would it be better to put the bulb on the case bottom?

Ed

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

#3

Alternative suggestion

Bob Hackett

>Next time you`re it a well stocked pet store look at the heat mats for reptiles.They`re very thin,are adhesive backed(so you can stick them to the bottom of the aquarium) and don`t use much electricity.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

#4

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

Gary Smyth

>I've seen lights that are installed in gun safes to reduce the dampness and crud that forms on guns in a "sealed" enclosed space. Check out a gun store or contact safe manufacturers for their solution.

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

#5

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>A standard lamp socket and an aquarium lid bulb(about 3 1/2"long and 1 1/4" in diameter) might fill the bill. Available in most pet stores.JR

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

#6

Think Music

Robert Tarr

>Another, albeit more spendy option, is to go to a "nice" piano shop. They have piano heaters that perform the same function you are after....make the air warmer (not hot) inside of a piano to chase moisture out, thus keeping the effects on seasonal wood movement out of the piano notes. They work much the same way the "lizard mats" from the pet store do (although a bit cooler, I would suspect.)

With all of that said, I would probably go with a couple low voltage hockey puck style lights in the cabinet...easy to get at the borg and come in kits and handy to have in a cabinet, for the light.

Good luck.

Robert

Re: Light for plane cabinet?

#7

The good thing about lights

Bob Hackett

>is that if someone breaks into the shop and sees the tool cabinet lit from the inside they`ll think it`s possessed and leave it alone.It might help if you made the lights pulse and also put in a cd player with one of those halloween tapes too.;^)

Mainely,Bob

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