DIY reloading light

[Irving]

I've been planning this little project for a while and threw it together tonight when I had some time. I'll clean it up later if it is determined to be safe. IS THIS SAFE TO USE ON A RELOADING PRESS? Please let me know.

I've felt the need to have better lighting around my press. My garage lights are great, but the actual case is still in a shadow from either my body, or the press turret itself. I once bought an LED strip and it came with a small section and a battery pack as a sample that you could try in the store. I measured the voltage of the supplied battery pack and found it close enough to a 9v battery that I just substituted a 9v. Pretty much everything was sourced from what I had laying around the house, so it's pretty ugly.
I took the 9v battery connector from an electronic pistol safe that broke years ago. I took the switch from one of several broken coffee pots I've had over the years. The rest is just speaker wire and wire connectors. I spent ten minutes trying to connect the light to the press with zip ties, but they were so old and cold that I broke ten in a row before I gave up and just used wire. The photos aren't great, but in person, the light is enough to clearly see if there is powder in the case without having to hold my head at awkward angles. It's about as bright as a sewing machine light. Pretty simple project, I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

**My press is not in operating condition right now, so there is a little time for us to discuss if this is a dumb idea to mix electricity with gun powder or not.**




There are three lights on this strip, but I covered two with electrical tape or else they'd just blind me in the face. I may try and use longer strips of tape to make a sort of hood for those lights.


Installed the switch into the bench. The battery can just sit on that shelf for now, but I can always get a holder and secure it to the leg or something.




The camera phone can't really pick up the lighting and makes the shadow look much deeper than it is.


I'm limited on mounting options. This is about as much of a downward angle as I can get without the light interfering with the travel of the ram.


Like I said, about as bright as the light on my sewing machine.

[Great-Kazoo]

I replied in the pwt to your inquiry
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnetic-...hine/180072345

[DenverGP]

I replied in the pwt to your inquiry
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnetic-...hine/180072345

Looks like the same one I'm using. I did try hacking something together from my electronic parts bin, but had problems making something that would fit with my turret press.

[Irving]

I've got an LED desk lamp that I was using, but it gets in the way in any position that actually puts the light where I need.

[Irving]

I took some better photos today. Overall I'm pretty happy with it.

EDIT: Looking at these photos, I'm wondering if I'd get better results by sticking that light into the primer catcher. I probably would, but I don't like the primer catcher and I take it off whenever I can.