When working wood, task lighting is indispensable for really seeing what you’re doing, especially with older eyes. Strong, well-positioned light is critical for peering into a router base opening, seeing cutlines, and taking accurate measurements, among other things. I also find that a strong light raking across a work surface in a dimmed shop makes defects really pop out for effective smoothing. To allow perfect positioning of a lamp, I use a simple free-standing post to which I can fix a clamp light at any height. It’s just a 2×2 with a base made of scrap plywood panels. I also outfitted it with cup hooks and plywood brackets to support cords and dust collection hoses.
—Paul Anthony, senior editor
This article is from Issue 80 of Woodcraft Magazine.
