I used the Luxo-type lamps for my drafting table for many years, adapted with angle-adjusting clamps to allow the drafting-table top to pivot, dimmed with external rotary and then slide remote 'tabletop' dimmers under the front edge, and with reflector floods in place of plain old light bulbs, which give you more light where you want it and overcome the usual wattage restrictions (60W on the cheap ones with plastic sockets, which let's face it is never enough). I bought mine used and painted a little Screw Grab into the adjustable linkage joints as friction just from turning the screws has never in my experience been enough to hold position. On the newer kind with cheap plastic tightening 'heads' that crumble at a moment's notice, this has become essential. I make my own out of suitable grit mixed with an oil 'carrier' that does not attack any plastic involved. Amusingly I still have all the cheap lamps I 'grabbed' the joints on -- the usual thing that kills them is metal fatigue or distortion at the joints from Godzilla overtorque out of frustration, which is not required with the added 'glide-plane keying effect' of the grab. Works with the cheap plastic joints too... although you might need a mix of grit with bigger particles!
It may be worth watching eBay or the occasional thrift or Goodwill store. On the other hand, OfficeMax had a just-under-$50 sale on the nickel-plated version of the magnifier lamp with LED ringlight, with what appeared to be reasonably good construction -- the combination of all the features together might make it a worthwhile thing.
For the sake of completeness you might also consider the follow-on to those Ott-light atrocities, which is the long slim 'architect' lights with multiple joints. Some of these are better than others; the simple kind that fold up like an old Tensor lamp are... no more useful than a Tensor lamp was, and although I loved those for modeling in 1971 there have been better solutions for a long time. The best ones have multiple arms and swivel joints so you can do the same bounce lighting as in the picture in an earlier post, or quickly adjust the angle if there is an irritating reflection or shadow in a clamped piece.
I dreamed of having a light like one of those Dazors for years. Any of the good arms I found had the long fluorescent-tube heads, and I have trouble with both the color spectrum and 120Hz flicker on those older things. The one note: if in a clamp base they appreciate being installed very firmly and very level.
I have two on my work desk, but neither one has any markings on it as to a manufacturer or brand name...
...neither one was expensive, nor were the other two, out in the paintshop in my garage.
I find the ones shown above not only useful while working on the desk, but also good, removed from their clamped-on bases, when I'm crawling around on the shop floor, looking for dropped parts.
Wayne
SeeYou190Ed: Thank you! That will fill the bill perfectly!
It might be a little dusty but I'll get it in a package to you this weekend. Glad to find a home for it There are a variety of LED flood lamps that are well suited to it. Some have a tight beam spread and others a little wider.
We had hundreds at GE. Each wire drawing station had a work light. Start counting!
GE2faces_0008_edited-1 by Edmund, on Flickr
(The above photo shows the older, green-hooded lights)
Dazor_1104 by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
gmpullmanKevin, I just looked at my surplus department and I found a decent Dazor #1104 lamp that I'd be glad to send you. Definitely very basic
Ed: Thank you! That will fill the bill perfectly!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I agree with Ed on the Luxo Mag-Lamp! My boss gave me a new Luxo KFM-1 X-3 Mag-Lamp for Christmas 1964 and it is still doing its thing today. It’s gone through about a dozen Circline Fluorescent bulbs in its 50 plus years. It is still the best hobby light I’ve ever had. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
In my "working" days at GE I was able to help myself to several "task lights" that were damaged or otherwise deemed surplus.
Some of the best ones I got were made by Luxo and for my hobby use I had settled on one that had a "Circline" fluorescent tube with an incandescent lamp in the center. Similar to this:
https://www.amazon.com/Luxo-LC1ABK-Combination-Fluorescent-Incandescent/dp/B005GGP7U6
For me it had the best of both types of lighting. The incandescent I eventually replaced with a bright, cool LED spot light. The circular fluorescent was great for reducing shadows.
Over the years I've tried out many styles and makes. Some of the "industrial" ones could get into the $250-300 range
SeeYou190I prefer a standard base bulb, and good sturdy construction with no bells and whistles. Something of true professional/industrial quality.
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Kevin, I just looked at my surplus department and I found a decent Dazor #1104 lamp that I'd be glad to send you. Definitely very basic .
Good Luck, Ed
I have a cheap magnifier lamp I got for about $16. I'm 73, and as my eyesight deteriorates this is just great to have. It's particularly nice for fine details like painting figures and Jordan vehicles.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
RR_MelI didn’t notice until after I took the pictures that the swivel knuckle between the lamp head and swing arm is plastic.
That is what I am seeing when I look at them in stores.
My original swing arm lamp I bought about 20 years ago from an office supply outlet (a real one, not Office Depot), but those are all gone now.
About ten years ago I replaced it with an OTT Light, but LED lamp technology has made the OTT Light obsolete.
I want to go back to the traditional swing arm lamp, but I only want ot buy one, a lifetime supply if you will.
I might look on eBay for an old industrial one.
KevinI didn’t notice until after I took the pictures that the swivel knuckle between the lamp head and swing arm is plastic. My old one was metal as are two other old ones that I use on my workbench. All three of my old lamps are roughly 25 years old. I don’t think the new one with go that long . . . . but then neither will I so no biggie for me.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I've got one of these that I like very much. The magnifier comes in handy when you need it and it's still a lamp when you don't. Mine has a ring of LED's.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Guess where it is manufactured? Works great for indirect lighting too, pointed at my hobby room ceiling for working on my computer.Here is the label.The quality is very nice. I think this is the one she got me.https://www.lowes.com/pd/Globe-Electric-Architect-Swing-Arm-31-5-in-Black-Swing-arm-Desk-Lamp-with-Metal-Shade/1002981066Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Thanks Mel.
There are a lot of manufacturures that make similar looking lamps. I just pulled that picture from the internet.
Do you by any chance have a brand name?
I can stop by Lowes and look, I doubt there are too many options.
I had my wife pick up the exact lamp as the one in your picture at Lowe’s three weeks ago, great lamp!! I use a LED Flood in mine.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I need to buy a new traditional swing arm desk lamp like the one pictured below for my model building desk:
I prefer a standard base bulb, and good sturdy construction with no bells and whistles. Something of true professional/industrial quality.
Everything I saw at Office Depot and Target looked like garbage.
Looking at Amazon and other online sellers, reviews are all over the place on these lamps and it is difficult to determine if they are good quality or not. My old stand-by for information, McMaster, did not help much.
Does someone out there have a newer one (still available) that they are happy with?
Help is appreciated.