Adjustable Bench Light Bracket

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Locating light precisely where it’s needed at the bench makes doing detail work much easier, whether it’s laying out joints, cutting dovetails, or simply reading wood grain. This sliding bracket lets me position my articulating-arm lamp anywhere along the length of my workbench. The bracket was designed to grip the edge of a recessed tool tray, but it can be easily modified to suit other benches.

To size the bracket to fit your bench, make the vertical block a tad longer than the height of your bench’s back rail to ensure an easy, sliding fit. When rabbeting the top and bottom blocks on the tablesaw, initially work with stock that’s oversized in length for safety. Alternatively, create the lipped areas by gluing on separate strips of wood. Don’t glue the bottom block as you’ll want to remove the bracket when necessary, such as when laying large panels on your benchtop.

—Andy Rae, Asheville, North Carolina