Fly vise lamp question McKenzi Lamp + magnifier (3M Scientific Anglers)

[Griswald]

I broke my old school magnifier/florescent lamp this morning at the base...It was pretty old. I may try to fix it but I am thinking about a new light and or magnifier...

I found 2 that seem pretty interesting due to their small size (I like to tie away from home alot)

Can anyone tell me if they have any of the models below from 3M or anyting like the one on ebay?

http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/scianglers/fly_tying_tools_lights.jhtml

I am really interested in the ebay one for camping, etc...but can not seem to find anything like in online? Can anyone tell me if they have one if they like it or where to buy one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/FLY-TYING-LAMP-PORTABLE-CORDLESS-LIGHT-EMITTING-DIODES_W0QQitemZ7183972557QQcategoryZ44916QQssPage NameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks for all the help!
Matthew

[flytire]

I like and use this kind

http://store1.yimg.com/I/bevfabriccrafts_1858_39788284

[FT]

The Ott-Lite table lamp and magnifier flytire put up the photo link to is one of the best, although it is around $100.00 give or take. Hareline Dubbing also is marketing a very good table lamp and magnifier for around $55.00 give or take. Both of these feature "full spectrum" or "natural daylight" florescent 18 watt bulbs that produce light that is nearly identical to natural daylight at noon, which means colors are bright and clear with no distortion.

There are others made by a the Lumenlight company and Natural Lighting that also use the 18 watt full spectrum bulbs. Ott-Lites can be found in craft stores and the Hareline light can be found in fly shops or ordered by a fly shop.

The small, compact ones like you found on ebay are not the best for tying because they have no adjustment for height and only have a very limited field of view.

[flytire]

Thats a "Daylight" brand not an "Ott". Cant afford an Ott. :):)

[Mike Etgen]

I went to Staples and purchased the lamp illustrated in this link. I know it's listed at a higher price than you're looking for, but I'm sure it was WAY cheaper at the store - maybe I found it on sale.

Anyway, it works well for me - flexible arm allows you to get the light right where you need it and the magnifier is handy for the smaller flies. I'm well pleased. And, I'm sure Staples doesn't have a corner on the market; any of the big box office supply places should have something like it. Only diadvantage, if you're a really discriminating tier, is that it uses incandescent light, which I guess doesn't yield "true" colors.

I guess I'm not that discriminating yet... :o

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?prodCatType=2&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=24417

[Kent Lufkin]

You can save a bunch of money by not buying any of the purpose-designed light-magnifier combinations sold in fly shops.

Several friends and I meet monthly during the winter to tie flies and tell lies. Last January, one brought the McKenzie light-magnifier combination his wife gave him for Christmas - the kind that mounts on the stem of your vice. He uses a Renzetti Traveler base model and the combination of the weight of the light-magnifier and its long arms made it exceptionally top heavy and easy to tip over if one brushed either the lamp or the mangnifier by accident.

I've also had a chance to use a Giraffe system which costs considerably more, which with its steel plate base, is nearly impossible to tip. Sadly, it was way too big for the very small fly-tying desk I use.

So I ended up buying the same magnifier as the Giraffe on a flex arm and heavy steel base for about $25 from an online crafts store. Check your local lighting store for a halogen 'task' light available on a flexible or articulated arm for about $25 - $35.

K

[Mike Etgen]

You know, after I thought about it, I wondered why I hadn't tried one of the flourescent bulbs in my fixture; one of those designed to go into an incandescent fixture. I picked one up today and will give it a try to see if it makes a difference in the colors, or for that matter, the overall quality of the light.

Hmmm...

[Griswald]

Kent,
Thanks for the insights! I was really looking to the McKenzi for my base renzetti traveler. I will try what you and Mike E. are proposing! I have a small area for tying too, and I also like to tie on the road (camping/fishing trips)

I will probably not get the McKenzi! THanks for saving me a ton of $$$..

Best regards,
Matthew

[Kent Lufkin]

Here's a link to the magnifier I bought: http://store.yahoo.com/bevfabriccrafts/flexmagonbas.html

Here's another for a magnifier and lamp combo: http://store.yahoo.com/bevfabriccrafts/daysim18watb.html

Notice how much cheaper they are when they don't have the term 'fly tying' in their titles!

K