Hello there!
Getting a little long in the tooth, my eyes ain't what they used to be. The last few years, it seems that I wait for weekend mornings to do the vast majority of my rod wrapping, as well as finishing....especially since I don't have a good light source that will allow me to do this in the evenings after work. Hey, I'm just a hobby/personal/family/friend rod wrapper, but I still build a few rods a year, & this just isn't all that productive.

I know this has probably been beat around in the past, but please let me know if some of the newer lights out there, like Daylight or Ott, really make a big difference for you in your rod wrapping & finishing. If so, what wattage & design works the best for you (twin straight bulbs, circular bulb, magnifier built into the circular bulb housing or the separate magnifier you see with some of the straight bulb setups). I'd really appreciate your feedback!

Tom

I have a Ott clamp on light that works great for me. Instead of a magnifier attatched to the light I use magnifying glasses. Below is a link to the light I use.

Bob

[www.save-on-crafts.com]

I use two 4 foot flourescent light fixtures, each with two 40 watt daylight bulbs. I have them hung from the ceiling just high enough above my work area so I don't hit my head on them.
I suppose one 8 foot fixture would do, but the 4 foot bulbs are cheaper.

Larry

I use Larry's type of lighting and I had my Eye Doc make me a set of glasses just for thread work
Good Wraps Bob

I have exactly the same setup as Larry.

Kerry

Get a fly tying lamp with the magnifier lens. Works great, make the thread look like rope

I use two cheap gooseneck lamps behind my station, each with a 60 W regular bulb, and get them real close to the work. Makes a difference, the closer the better.

I'm with Tom. Two goosneck lamps behind the wrapper. Makes it real easy to direct the light on the work from two different angles, close up.

Tom,
I am also a little long in the tooth with eyes that are not what they used to be. Your eye works a lot like a camera. The more light that you have the more the iris opens up and the more depth of field you have and the easier it is to focus. In my judgement you almost can not have too much light when working on rods particularly when wrapping. Well I guess if you started to get sun burned that would be too much. Seriously, I have a set up simular to that described by Kerry and Larry, two 4 bulb, 40 watt, fluorescent fixtures directly over my bench but even that is not enough sometimes when doing fine detailed work and I bring in close an additional incandescent lamp with a 100 watt bulb.

Emory, I'm with you on most of that, but a small technical correction: the iris of the eye closes, not opens up, with more light. That closing, as with a camera lens, increases depth of field.

Tom,
You are absolutely correct. That was stupid of me. Thanks for the LARGE technical correction.

I have a flourescent light above me, and set a little forward of my work station. I personally like the warm white bulbs instead of the cool white (most common type of flourescent) bulb. To me, the warm white is a more natural light. I feel that the bulb in my magnifier that I use for fly tying does not give me the light I like. It is good for fly tying because I know exactly what I am tying for flies. I use the magnifier on the light though, without the light. Just my opinion of what I do. Hopes this helps.

Thank you all for the responses!

I definitely need to work on the lighting in my work area!

Tom

I use the Daylight lamps. You would not believe how well those lights work for getting a true white light. I have the table top model with a magnifying glass attachment. Have not had to use the magnifying glass yet, but will be needing to start using it sometime soon I think.

Mine might be overdone, but my workroom, about 9 x 12, has an ceiling mounted 4 fot flourescent fixture, one wall has a 200w halogen bulb near the ceiling and I have two cheap gooseneck lights mounted on the workbench with 100w GE Reveal bulbs in each. I use the same type of magnifier that Bob Crook uses.