Strobe Light Question

[Russ Hewitt]

I have an interest in setting up a strobe light on my lathe. I have read the pros and cons and would like to try it on a limited basis on some winged bowls.

I know just enough about electricity and electronics to be dangerous to myself. Can anyone recommend a fairly easy to make a set-up and where to get the components for this kind of project. I have a variety of magnets and reed switches to use as a trigger. All of the strobes that I found are lacking any type of an input for a trigger. All have some type of built-in flash generator.

I have tried using LEDs. They do function, but are way too dim and directional to be of any real use.

PS. I did a search of this site and found a lot of information about strobes, but nothing about the actual components or where to get them.

 

[magpens]

So, do you want to trigger the flash every time your lathe chuck rotates ?

If you are running at 1000 rpm, there would be 1000 flashes per minute ? . Or would you incorporate an electronic counter and flash only once for every 10 rotations, say ?

Remember the automotive timing lights ? What mechanism did they use to trigger the light to flash ?

Here's a search I did that turned up some circuit diagrams:

https://www.google.ca/search?newwin....14.0....0...1c.1.64.hp..18.5.977._omR0-FM0Zk

 

[Russ Hewitt]

So, do you want to trigger the flash every time your lathe chuck rotates ?

If you are running at 1000 rpm, there would be 1000 flashes per minute ? . Or would you incorporate an electronic counter and flash only once for every 10 rotations, say ?

Remember the automotive timing lights ? What mechanism did they use to trigger the light to flash ?

Here's a search I did that turned up some circuit diagrams:

https://www.google.ca/search?newwin....14.0....0...1c.1.64.hp..18.5.977._omR0-FM0Zk

It would not have to be the exact count, just some divisor of the RPM total to freeze the action. I don't know how to design a circuit/algorithm to flash at less than the actual RPM, that I can trigger with a magnet and reed switch. That is if they will even cycle fast enough.

 

[Jack Parker]

So, do you want to trigger the flash every time your lathe chuck rotates ?

If you are running at 1000 rpm, there would be 1000 flashes per minute ? . Or would you incorporate an electronic counter and flash only once for every 10 rotations, say ?

Remember the automotive timing lights ? What mechanism did they use to trigger the light to flash ?

Here's a search I did that turned up some circuit diagrams:

https://www.google.ca/search?newwin....14.0....0...1c.1.64.hp..18.5.977._omR0-FM0Zk

Most of the automotive timing lights that I am familiar with used an inductive pickup that was clamped over one of the spark plug wires (usually #1) that triggered a xenon flash.

 

[KenV]

Russell -- the easiest way to use this in a "limited manner" is to use the simple way of getting a low cost strobe with a knob that controls the rate of flash.

In use the strobe is adjusted to "stop" the wing where you want it - as you turn the know the appearance can advance or drop back as you wish --

Used to do this with stuff in physics class --

If the idea works for you, then head to the more elaborate controls -- but you will likely still need a knob for fine tuning.

 

[wyone]

Wondering if something like this might work. It has an added bonus of colors, which might help to see the hazard so to speak. Adjustable speed, so should be able to match some variable of the lathe. http://www.amazon.com/WOWTOU-Projector-Controller-Adjustable-Sound-activated/dp/B00P63ZY2U

 

[magpens]

Ken ... I had forgotten about the strobe lights we used in Physics labs ... adjustable flash rate ... thanks for mentioning !!

Russ ... for component purchasing ... I would google for an online electronic components supply company. I don't know of one but they must exist.

I just did a google search for - electronic components pasadena -

https://www.google.ca/search?newwin...25.0....0...1c.1.64.hp..0.32.2557.BRB-2beTLJ8

 

[Russ Hewitt]

I had thought about using a simple strobe with an adjustable flash rate, but I don't think it would work. If you set the rate with the lathe spinning free, as soon as you put a tool to wood, the speed is likely to change and then it would fall out of synchronization. They aren't too expensive, so I may try anyway.