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Presented in partnership YOUR SHOP
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LED there be light
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A trio of little flashlights with LED bulbs brighten the worksite at very low cost. Photo by Scott R. Nesbitt |
The LED can be a brilliant addition to your service shop, at a very low cost.
The three miniature lamps in the photo cost $1 each and have made shop life a lot easier and safer.
They throw little heat but lots of light and use low-current draw at low voltage (1.5 to 3 volts per bulb). There’s less risk of sparks from an LED than from a 120-volt “trouble light” when working around flammable liquids and vapors.
We’ve mounted LED lamps to magnets (scavenged from old car radio speakers), pasted them in dark toolbox drawers and under the hoods of vehicles. Tape one to a wire coat hanger, and you’ll bring light to tight spaces. One guy glued some on his ball cap to light up his world when crawling under vehicles.
The little silver gooseneck lamp was accidentally left on in a drawer and was still glowing away six weeks later, powered by two little “button batteries” in the base. This little silver beauty even has a built-in red laser pointer. And how cool is it to have a light that will fit down a spark plug hole or into a carburetor throat to check for plugged fuel ports?
LED stands for “light emitting diode.” Light is produced when direct electrical current runs through a silicon or germanium crystal “doped” with metallic impurities. Light erupts when electrons hit the impurities. Like most other diodes, LEDs only work when current flows in the proper direction. Installing the batteries backward produces no light and can ruin the LED bulb. Like other crystals, they can fracture from sudden temperature changes. But otherwise they are much less fragile than the standard flashlight bulb.
LED light was discovered in 1907. It was a science lab curiosity until the “transistor age” in the 1960s. The computer era has seen a race to make better, cheaper LED bulbs. Check your local “everything for a dollar” store. Search eBay and other online stores if you want to buy in bulk without breaking the bank.
LED units produce a softer, bluer light than normal flashlights. You may need to use several units to really light up the work. You might even invest a few extra bucks to get a fancier unit with focusing lenses.
Ensure your maintenance facility is up-to-date by using this checklist of shop amenities: |
