LED’s for violin makers – four applications

I recently set up a new workshop and in selecting the lighting I decided to try the new LED shop lights that my local hardware store was offering.  I initially bought them thinking only about long term running and maintenance costs but found that  they also offered other advantages.  This got me thinking about other LED  applications for violin makers, I've been playing around with LED strip or tape lights which can be cut or joined and come in a variety of wavelengths. Here are a few ideas

 1. Violin shop LED worklights

These are pricier than the fluorescents but they give: brighter light, low running cost, great spectrum for varnish  work,  allegedly very long bulb life, NO IRRITATING HUM

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2. UV LED  light box for drying violin varnish

Covered in this earlier post

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3. LED Lighting for violin photography

1. 

   LED Photo lights in action , photographing a cello. Because of the continuos lighting there are less lighting hot spots on the fiddle. Violin photo tip: for a more even lighting of the instrument, move the lights further away from the subject

   

   I attached natural white (4000K) LED strips  to two six foot wooden battens. A short length of PVC pipe was taped to the back of the batten  and this unit can then be slipped onto a regular photo flood stand. When not in use as a photo flood I hang the light strip above the work bench as additional lighting

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4. LED Violin inspection light

This is a little bonus, made from the some left over from the plastic encased LED strip from my kitchen lighting