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lights around your mill

Started by jmouton, November 08, 2013, 07:28:26 PM

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jmouton

         I am wondering what lights to put up around our sawmill , like the 250 or 500 watt  costruction lights or the temp string lights or what ?  I am trying to figure it out without spending money 2wice or 3 times for the right lights ,  I am asking  cuz the days are getting shorter here in s.e. mich  and I still do work during the day and you gotta do what you gotta do  , and believe it or not we get on average at least 2 sawmill jobs a week or so , thats pretty good  for us ,  should they be led or the old standby regular bulbs , I just dont know , I have been trying to figure it out for a while now,   thanks for any suggestions ,

                                                                                                                               jim
lt-40 wide ,,bobcat,sterling tandem flatbed log truck,10 ton trailer, stihl 075,041,029,066,and a 2017 f-350,oh and an edger

barbender

LED lights can definitely be bright, but the light is harsh. I've ran and been around machines that had high intensity LED light kits, they are hard on my eyes, kind of a white/blue light. Halogen work lights can be pretty harsh too. I'm not much help, am I? ??? Actually, for my siding project I'm doing I'm just rigging up some light receptacles for halogen yard light flood bulbs, we'll see how those work out.
Too many irons in the fire

AnthonyW

As my recent experience would show, The portable halogen lights can be fairly fragile. The glass is hard to find and/or very expensive to replace. It must be 1/4" tempered glass. I found the glass for $37-$50 plus shipping. If I was going to buy a bunch of lights, I would look elsewhere first. I would look at the caged construction string lights or the LED lights first. I would also consider the lights they use for the light-alls on the highway. Don't know how much they cost nor how robust they are, but they put out a lot of light.
'97 Wood-Mizer LT25 All Manual with 15HP Kohler

YellowHammer

Are you under roof but in the dark, or just out in the open? I saw under an open wing of my barn and use the standard double floodlight fixtures to light up the mill, like they sell at Lowes for house porches.  I also have one of the big streetlight fixtures mounted off to the side to light up the log yard.  Between them all, its bright enough to saw.
YH 
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

wormy

My mill has the old round car head lights that run off the mill because I don't have power at my mill shed but they work goog for me.

Nomad

Buying a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter
WoodMizer LT50HDD51-WR
Lucas DSM23-19

sigidi

I tend not to mill of an evening, but on the last occasion I had to, I used the LED spot lights I have rigged to the back of my ute...

 

In the shot down the driveway, that double gate is 35m (108') away.
I bought them on Ebay for $80AU for the 4 spotlights, free shipping and they are 27w each so with all four of them on they draw a little over 100w in total.
Always willing to help - Allan

GDinMaine

Just last week I had to finish job after it got dark (4:30 pm these days).  I had to use an LED head lamp and that started the same thought process.  The LED lights might be a bit harsh but they put out plenty of light.  I'm thinking of getting LED lights that were meant for tractor or other farm equipment use.  I have one on my tractor as a rear light. 
It's the going that counts not the distance!

WM LT-40HD-D42

jmouton

   Yes I am under a roof thank god ,  I built a 14  x 30  sawmill shed last year  and it was great in the summer but now i am going to enclose 3 sides  for the winter leaving the front open to load and unload ,  and the wiring wont be a problem it will stay dry  ,   so at least i have a few ideas from  all you guys who responded  ,     thanks

                                                                                       jim
lt-40 wide ,,bobcat,sterling tandem flatbed log truck,10 ton trailer, stihl 075,041,029,066,and a 2017 f-350,oh and an edger

yukon cornelius

I used 4 45watt fluorescent dusk to dawn lights in my 36x36 shop. its so bright I could do surgery! they were very inexpensive. under $40 each from lowes. they have slightly smaller lights for $25 and that includes the bulb. they are rated for outdoor use and cold weather use. sometimes with the big door open in the daytime they will shut off due to the  daylight sensor but a small piece of tape over that would fix that. they only shut off when its bright enough they aren't needed anyway.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

drobertson

these pics are from 07' just after I installed the electric and lights, 4' fluorescent.   They are real close to a necessity in the fall and winter. 

  

 
david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

captain_crunch

I use generator powered 4 ft florsent shop lites
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

AnthonyW

I was thinking about this post over the weekend. It occurred to me that we don't know if your mill is outside or under cover. That would change the options tremendously.

Are you outside or do you have a roof over the mill? What power is available?
'97 Wood-Mizer LT25 All Manual with 15HP Kohler

jmouton

             I am outside  under a roof  with  power  I get from my  shop  60 ft away


                                                                                                       jim
lt-40 wide ,,bobcat,sterling tandem flatbed log truck,10 ton trailer, stihl 075,041,029,066,and a 2017 f-350,oh and an edger

bandmiller2

I vote for fluorescent. Look around many business' are replacing perfectly good fixtures with the newer small energy savers, plenty good for a mill. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Dave Shepard

They don't work so well in the cold. I've even had trouble with the cold start ballasts not working in the cold. ::)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

drobertson

The newer ones will work well below zero, they are the smaller bulbs, they burn bright and very quick, they were 46 bucks a piece with bulbs,  not really the walmart version for sure,  no issues to this point with bulbs or ballasts since 07' ,  I was told that all of the older versions of fluorescence would be obsolete by now, not sure about that, never had to buy any,    david 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

PineNut

I use high output, low temperature 8 ft fluorescent lamps. Both the ballast and the tubes are not the standard. The tubes will not fit into a standard 8 ft fixture (different pins on the end.) They are advertised to work to –20 F.  I don't have those temperatures here but they do put out the light. These are located inside an enclosed unheated building. I would not use them in an exposed location but under cover, I would expect them to work.

AnthonyW

Quote from: jmouton on November 11, 2013, 07:22:36 PM
             I am outside  under a roof  with  power  I get from my  shop  60 ft away


                                                                                                       jim

Since we are talking stationary, then I take back what I said earlier. I would vote for strategically placed halogens or the large area outdoor lights. Perhaps you and find a couple of parking lot lights that someone is getting rid of.
'97 Wood-Mizer LT25 All Manual with 15HP Kohler

Chuck White

I think this would be a good job for LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights.

They are very bright and don't use as much electricity as incandecent, halogen or flourescent lights!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

drobertson

Led's would work great, I'm sure,  and can even be directed at a specific area.  With white walls the fluorescents reflect quite well.  All sheds are different, and lighting must be directed as needed. 
david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

jmouton

          I dont think I am going the flouresent  bulb way  its either led or  the 500 watt  light  and it will have to be trial and error where I put them   ,put them up  and  then move them 6 or 12 times to make sure we can see and not cut our fingers off ,, I just hate doing the same thing 2wice but I know the importance of good light with moving parts  , 


                                                                            jim
lt-40 wide ,,bobcat,sterling tandem flatbed log truck,10 ton trailer, stihl 075,041,029,066,and a 2017 f-350,oh and an edger

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