Be Safe! Work Light Screen



Last week I posted a video about modifying your hardware store work lights to run cooler and be more compact. That mod involved removing the glass from the work light so heat could escape. A viewer pointed out that the glass functions as a protection against an exploding bulb, and what I had now was very unsafe. I had no intention of making something dangerous, so I am quickly responding with this video that details how to insert a safety screen where the glass once was.

Now your light will still run cooler, but you have the added precaution of a barrier between you and any bulb popping that might occur. Safety is very important on any set and I would never want anyone to be hurt by anything they learned to do on this blog.

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Comments

Josh said…
Im pretty sure the glass also protects you from UV which the light produces. wanna check that?
February 24, 2011 at 8:16:00 AM PST
Scott Eggleston said…
I can't find any evidence that the glass offers UV protection. Even if it does, the screen offers the same protection as the aforementioned Lowel Tota and Omni lights or any other open-faced lamp.
February 24, 2011 at 11:11:00 AM PST
James King said…
The glass IS meant to offer UV protection Josh is correct, exploding bulbs not so much. I use several in my shop (carpenter/inventor/photographer) and all the glass panels in mine have a warning about the UV radiation put off by the lamps. However; the screen you put in your lamps ALSO offers some degree of protection from UV, so replacing the glass with aluminum screening is safe (As long as they are not used in a dusty environment) the likelihood of a bulb bursting is rather unlikely in any case. the only reason a bulb would burst is if it were jarred during use or cooled suddenly. As a frugal inventor myself I've built my own lamps and never had one burst randomly. But have had one set the area I was working in to flames due to dust combustion which is what the owners manual of my store bought lamps warns about.
April 21, 2011 at 8:34:00 AM PDT
Ted M said…
These halogen work lamps are used by DIY screen printers because they emit UV light which cures photographic emulsion.

These definitely crank out the UV when the UV-blocking glass is removed.
August 5, 2011 at 7:29:00 AM PDT
DIYFilmSchool.net said…
Very nice tip! Super easy. This is making me want to buy work lights.
January 28, 2013 at 6:47:00 AM PST
Peter Pumpkineater said…
Hello, Scott.
What do you think about converting the unused glass of those work lights into a conversion filters? By tint-dying them to blue (e.g. soft tint of a color spray)?
November 30, 2013 at 4:07:00 PM PST
Rick from Sanatorium said…
Hi Scott,
Just out of curiosity I went through my 500W work lights manual and found several security issues involved with this kind of lights, like:
* minimal distance from the wall - 4' (front), 9" (back)
* minimal tilt - 90° (meaning it must not be faced downwards - probably because of accumulation of heated air); even such a thing like a maximal lateral tilt of 4° (for some reasong) is mentioned there
* it must be always plugged with an PE (protecting/earthing) conductor
* halogen bulb not to be touched by bare hands
* (of course) caution from looking directly into the light

I didn't find anything about UV radiation.
I suppose it cools a bit quicker if upon turning it off You tilt it upwards.
November 30, 2013 at 4:37:00 PM PST
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