Popular Woodworking 2006-11 № 158, страница 34

Polarized plugs, commonly found on smaller woodworking tools, have one prong with a wider tip so they fit but one way into a socket.

ally these plugs receive quite a lot of use and wear, often because of the neglectful act of pulling the cord and bending the prongs. When plugs need replacing, replace worn plugs with dead-front plugs. This type has no exposed wires or screws, and the prongs are surrounded by smooth plastic. If there are screws, they are recessed and are only for securing the plug body together.

When attaching wires to a three-prong 120v plug, connect the black wire to the brass terminal, the white wire to the silver terminal and the green wire to the green or gray terminal.

Polarized plugs have one prong with a wider tip. This type of plug is designed to fit into an outlet in only one direction. You'll commonly encounter this kind of plug on smaller appliances and woodworking tools.

A Regent 300-watt halogen shop light suspended above my table saw provides bright, shadow-free lighting at the saw blade. The housing is 36" in length and features diffused tempered lenses, safety screens and a pull-string on/off switch. This lamp augments the workshop's fluorescent lighting.

Lighting Your Workshop

There are two types of lighting in most woodshops: fluorescent and minimal use of all other types. Fluorescent lighting fixtures are probably used the most because they are inexpensive and commonly available. Other lighting types are thought to be useful as house lighting and not for woodshop lighting. While there is some truth to the generalization that fluorescent lights are useful in the woodshop, it is my opinion that their limitations are overlooked.

Woodshop lighting is woefully neglected in today's woodworking. There's a cornucopia of aftermarket improvements to almost everything electric within the woodshop except lighting. Lighting stores and hardware stores usually have jumbled lighting displays, making it nearly impossible to view and judge lighting fixtures one at a time. The one exception I've found is a General Electric display of different fluorescent lamps. This display is a set of identical photographs, individually set in a series of recessed boxes, each lit by a different fluorescent lamp. This display nicely reveals the color-rendering differences of fluorescent lamps.

Unfortunately, few light fixtures

A single 50-watt halogen spot light on the cieling augments the workshop's fluorescent lighting and provides focused brightness at the band saw blade.

Workshop Lighting Tips

■ Use long life, reduced-wattage bulbs whenever possible.

■ If color is important, use bulbs that approximate daylight (5,000 K).

■ Use zone lighting so that areas in frequent use will be well lit.

■ Paint walls, ceiling and other surfaces light colors for maximum light reflection.

■ Place incandescent spot lamps at drill press or band saw.

■ Put drop lights over workbench if you need spot lighting and less diffused lighting.

seem to be designed specifically for woodshops. Those that are tend to be either sterile-looking white metal devices or cheap-looking clip-on reflector hoods. This simply means that it's up to the woodworker to solve shop lighting questions through both personal experience and research. Trial and error may seem like a difficult path to follow, but it does allow you to customize your woodshop.

When evaluating lights and fixtures, consider that there are several key elements to using light: color, shadow, contrast and reflection. These are the products of lighting that we see in both dynamic and subtle ways. They give usefulness, meaning and emotional connection to woodworking. Many artists refer to the process of their work as "painting with light." Woodworkers should also control and use light for both acceptable room lighting as well as artistic and aesthetic reasons.

Good workshop lighting is more than having a shadow-free environment. Lighting should also assist in artistic and aesthetic evaluations of wood and the subsequent project.

Color is perhaps the most subjective and difficult aspect of light. Fixture location and light source will change color values. For example, an apple in the glow of sunset will look different (warmer) than when it's sitting on a workbench under fluorescent lights

Popular Woodworking