Ever had a power failure at night while in the shop?  'Round here we get "monsoon" storms, and the occasional power failure.  Caught me at the far end of the shop area:  had to negotiate the DC duct, step down/over obstructions, bump past work table, table saw.  All the while remembering how many sharp things I'd left laying about....   Bought a 6-pack at Amazon for less than the average tool.  Put two in  the shop spaces ('cause I don't never never never want THAT again!).  

31 minutes ago, PeteM said:

Bought a 6-pack at Amazon for less than the average tool.

6 pack of what Pete? Thanks

24 minutes ago, John Morris said:

6 pack of what Pete? Thanks

I'm betting on flashlights. 

 

 

1 hour ago, PeteM said:

had to negotiate the DC duct, step down/over obstructions, bump past work table, table saw.  All the while remembering how many sharp things I'd left laying about....   Bought a 6-pack

I would have bought 2. ...

42 minutes ago, John Morris said:

6 pack of what Pete?

You were thinking the same thing I was...

If I had the 6 pack I wouldn't have been in the shop.....still solves the problem I guess.

A 6 pack at each end might also solve the problem.

One for waiting for the lights to come back on,...

the other for after they come back on, and you leave and shut them back off!!!

Coors?  Bud?  Schlitz?  Guiness?  

 

A couple of these turned on while in the shop will continue with light when the electricity goes off.  These are affordable.  When we had our house rewired, code said we could not have a light in our closet.  Guess what?  One of these hanging near the door bypasses code.  

 

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200707891_200707891?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Lighting > Portable Work Lights&utm_campaign=iZoom&utm_content=66500&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuMLzmaH54wIVGI7ICh0KeAbREAYYAyABEgJ5iPD_BwE

Edited August 10, 20197 yr by FlGatorwood
additonal thoughts

55 minutes ago, FlGatorwood said:

Coors?  Bud?  Schlitz?  Guiness?

What time do I show up and what do I need to wear??  Formal attire or jeans and a shirt?

I may have bought the same 6 pack. Bout two months ago we had some serious weather coming through, and I was working in the basement. It dawned on me that if I was working with a rapidly moving object, and the lights went out, there was a possibility for a less than desirable end result. On Amazon I found these plug in lights. You plug them into a standard house receptacle, and they charge up. In emergency light mode they only come on when the power source is removed. Unplug them and they come on, lose power they come on. There is also a flashlight mode, you switch it to this the light comes on, and there is an off mode. It will charge up but nothing else happens till you move the switch. They are LED (of course) and have a light on the front side, and top. Front side is emergency lighting, top is flashlight. Bought a 6 pack, three in the basement, 2 in the shop, 1 by the washer and dryer. No windows in the basement (that let light in anyways), other 3 spread through the house.

1 hour ago, Artie said:

On Amazon I found these plug in lights. 

WE HAVE A WINNER!  I go away for a few hours and you guys all go get drunk.  <sigh>  Just like in Scouting.

Artie, thanks for the clarification.  I've been using the same little plug-ins in the house, but didn't take long in the lightless Shop Dungeon to make me regret not putting them in the shop too.  

9 minutes ago, PeteM said:

I go away for a few hours and you guys all go get drunk.

Teach you to leave us alone!

Even though one of Amazons distribution centers is only about 10 miles from me, I don't shop Amazon.

12 hours ago, PeteM said:

I go away for a few hours and you guys all go get drunk.

On Folgers. 

12 minutes ago, Larry Buskirk said:

On Folgers. 

Folgers makes great Irish coffee. 

2 hours ago, Larry Buskirk said:

Even though one of Amazons distribution centers is only about 10 miles from me, I don't shop Amazon.

I try to "shop local", but increasingly places like HD and Lowes don't stock things, offering to ship it in to the store (or for a premium, to my house).  Or I buy something not as good that they have in stock. And of course, going to the BB store, searching the aisles, discovering that they inventory is wrong (again) and it's not there....increasingly I'm letting my fingers do the walking.  For better or ill, Amazon has changed the metric.  It doesn't hurt that the Phoenix area has 6 or 7 A-warehouses (and my company built 5 of them...so my retirement was partially funded by Jeff's Gang).  I swim upstream just so long.

Same here, I got so tired of running all over the place to find something I know just click on the 'zon. That said, I'm not a true devotee of the "shop local" way of thinking.

There's one Ace near me and one lumber yard...construction timbers only. About 30 miles further, (around here, 30 miles is local) we have a Lowes and HD. But that's really not keeping money local. For decent lumber, its 3 hrs to Phoenix or 5 hrs to Tucson. THAT'S NOT LOCAL. Most hardware that I use, Ace carries. But, for speciality stuff and, most tools, it Amazon or, some other online merchant. 

I have a large group of friends, they all work in various sectors of industry.  You would be amazed at what is thrown away that can be had for free or  a meager barter of time or talent leaving more $$ in my pocket.  Of course I can also produce some interesting items for sale with minimal effort and a pretty decent profit.  Whatever gets me the supplies works, barter, or pay for it local or otherwise.

 

My philosophy anyway....