Lighting

[JerryH]

I love to carve outside in the natural light. I have a problem with standard inside lighting due to glare and shadows. Florescent lighting provides more even light but seems to cause eye strain for me. Do you guys and gals have a preference for a particular type lighting over your carving bench?
Jerry

[Kenny_S]

I like Ott lights. Natural lighting.

http://www.ottlite.com/

A little pricey but well worth the price.

[fandh]

Originally Posted by JerryH

I love to carve outside in the natural light. I have a problem with standard inside lighting due to glare and shadows. Florescent lighting provides more even light but seems to cause eye strain for me. Do you guys and gals have a preference for a particular type lighting over your carving bench?
Jerry

I just learned this so.. I might be missing part of it..

it depends on the normal type of carving you do.. i/e relief carving wood spirits etc.. I just watch a dvd called in a different light by david bennett where he explains how you are displaying your final work is set around how you carved your work originally meaning the light shows certain depths and relief differently..

[Mark Gargac]

Carving under poor lighting conditions is like carving with dull tools you will never be able to get consistant results or progress to full carving potential. Inadequate light does not cast shadows. Lighting that is good for a woodworking shop is not really good for carving. Bright light strking a carving from the side will make the carving appear to be larger than it really is and a dim light causing the opposite thus resulting in a carving that is out of proportion. You want light that is directional that allows shadows to be casted. This kind of light lets you see the contours of the surface to be carved creating the shadows to assist you in seeing the details to be carved. A good light will not cause any distortion. The best way that I have found to achieve this is to use those swing arm lamps (Home Depot) with a 60 watt bulb "reveal 60" (Home Depot) I use two at my carving station. With the lamp you can move this to any position in front of you and the carving. To start its best to have this lamp adjusted so it strikes your carving at about a 45 degree angle from above. For backgroud light use the florescents mounted at the ceiling,I have a couple of rows of these in my shop but have them on separate swiitches and on reostats so I can adjust them down dimmer than lamp positioned in front of me. Also by having a dimmer on your swing arm lamp allows you even more flexibility, now you can really fine tune your lighting conditions,some cuts are best made with normal lighting and a dimmer light is best for more subtle and finer detail cuts. The best way is to fine what works best for you by experimenting. I can tell you this thou, the set-up I describe above is very versible and if you tried this you would never go back to standard shop lighting for woodcarving.

[JerryH]

Kenny, the Ottlites look interesting. I am going to look at some this week.
Mark, your suggestions make a lot of sense, especially the varable light level.
Thanks!
Jerry

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I had an ott lite and it was not bright enough, ended up selling it....the one I have, can't remember the name of and there is no name on the light? but the bulb is twice as long as the ottlite, wider and a lot more light!, wish now I had bought two of them!

[mdallensr]

I use an Ott light and have a regular incandescent lamp to add shadows. Daylight is best, but I'm at work during the day and have to carve with artificial light.

[Bob_in_TN]

During the CCA seminars at Dollywood last year I seen some Daylight Compact Lamps, which I thought provided enough light, plus I liked their size. I have ordered one, but don't have it as yet, so can't give first hand experience, if you're interested I'd be happy to post after I get it. It is similar to the Otts, less money, and they have an optional carry bag, It's a long hike from the parking lot to the carving area, so I'm planning ahead for September when I go back.
Bob

[Lightningbolt]

Lighting is another one of those areas that I could also stand to learn more about. My current lighting system for carving includes one of those small fluorescent lamps sitting up and over my carving area for a stable sort of "flooding" of light, then I just use one of those adjustable architect lamps with a standard light bulb that you can move around to produce the shaddows that I need for "seeing" the depths of the wood in the "best light" possible.

No matter what lighting system that I might eventually settle upon, I know that it will have to be quickly adjustable so that, like I said above, I can get it to produce the correct shaddows. I would even say that, for me, it is this perfect angle of light that is constantly adjusted during the carving process to produce these shadows which allow me to better "see" my work might even be more important that just what kind of lamp is used above the work.

[whitecree]

You can get a flourescent bulb that radiates in the 'natural' spectrum. I use a regular 48" in the ceiling for general shoplight, and a compact flourescent in a gooseneck lamp to aim it where I want it.

Both cost a buck or two more than regular flouescents, but are worth it I think.