The $15 Upgrade That EVEY Saw Needs!

How has nobody else done this?! Adding a shadow cut line to my woodworking saws is something ive been doing for years and it just occured to me that adding it to my metal cutting saws would save me time. Perfectly accurate and almost instantly calibrated. $15 is a no brainer to add this to your tool! See below for where to get the light and the saws I use. As an amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchses:
UPDATE, the $15 light I used in this video seems to have vanished of amazon... this $30 looks like it would do fine...
$30 version of the Magnetic base light
amzn.to/41qIxnC
$15 LED Magnetic Based Light: ( might be gone for good...)
amzn.to/4004F7N
3' Extension Cords:
amzn.to/3TqeRUE
Wen Benchtop Mitering Bandsaw:
amzn.to/42m4JQZ
Baileigh Dual Mitering Bandsaw
amzn.to/3JSUfl3
Check out the Lincoln Electric Power Mig 140MP, great for the home shop, Mig, TIG, and Stick in 1 machine!
→ bit.ly/MakeEverything140
→ Lincoln 215MPI Welder: lered.info/215MPi_Zeppieri
→ Mig Welding Pliers - amzn.to/3VQ8KtR
→ Welding Hood - amzn.to/3yVMox9
Thank you to Pferd abrasives for supporting my shop and my channel. For links to some of the grinding discs I use most see below:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
→ Flap disc:
amzn.to/2Myxozi
→ Inside corner disc (AMAZING):
amzn.to/2WoYM2q
→ Wire Wheel:
amzn.to/31k15rx
Thanks for watching! Be careful, know the limits of your skills and your tools! Don't try this stuff at home!
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/ makeeverythingshop
To help support Make Everything and this channel become a Patron:
/ makeeverything
For Make Everything T-shirts, hats and other products check out our website:
makeeverythingshop.com/store/
For PDFs of some of our project check out our profile on Instructables:
www.instructables.com/member/...
Below are some links to tools I use in the shop on a daily basis.
Starbond CA Glue:
bit.ly/2H2eQmn
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
→ Bosch Miter Saw ( My Favorite miter saw)
amzn.to/2BeBulk
→ Sawstop Table Saw:
amzn.to/2DuAYVy
→ Wen Tabletop Metalcutting Bandsaw
amzn.to/2DrS7zf
→ Articulated Vise:
amzn.to/2FXKw9V
→ Bosch Portable Bandsaw ( 18V)
amzn.to/2mQdUq4
→ Porter Cable Restorer:
amzn.to/2BeWrfU
→ Lincoln 120V Welder ( good for a home shop)
amzn.to/2Dly6qV
→ The Camera I use:
amzn.to/3WB3R8k
→ The Tripod I use:
amzn.to/3h4iHnm

[@MakeEverything]

Thanks for watching everyone! The $15 light I used in this video seems to have vanished of amazon... this $30 looks like it would do fine... $30 version of the Magnetic base light amzn.to/41qIxnC You could really use any LED task light for this application, good luck and leave a comment if you find another good alternative!

[@HangarQueen]

Great idea! FYI, the $14.99 link is working again. I just ordered two. :-)

[@marioligata5024]

The author does like to kzbin.infoUgkxkNYRBJuiJ6EwD-tQSAlxg0eFKsnR2cgz from scratch, shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don't have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won't be able to practice the full stack project, is still great.

[@fordfan3179]

I worked in a door factory years ago. The company bought logs and used a shadow line rip saw to rough cut the logs into boards. It's been around long before the 70s when I first got to see it work.

[@i_might_be_lying]

Wow, so simple, yet so functional! Thanks for the tip!

[@tuttebelleke]

Good idea!!! From optical point of view this method does work best if you have a point or a line source of light. By covering most of the lamp face (just let a 3 mm central line uncovered), this should give a sharper projected shadow line.

[@ctrlaltdebug]

That's why the line gets sharper the farther away the light is. It approximates a point source.

[@CraigHollabaugh]

Winner, I've used those sewing machine lights for many lighting challenges. I get the three packs, they come with steel 'stickers' to mount on non-magnetic surfaces. I have several on my electronics workbench for soldering surface mount components.

[@funone8716]

Yes, very handy and bright!

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Very interesting and very useful information video Chris. Thanks. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend.

[@ksgjlg]

This is excellent and also an easy way to align the fence

[@richardbennett6053]

Brilliant I'll be adding this to both my saws thanks for the tip

[@simonchetwynd]

Fantastic! So simple and so effective. Thank you

[@mossknives]

Just ordered thanks for the link and video!

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

I've been using magnetic sewing machine lights on all my table machines for a year or so- game changers!

[@jeremyspecce]

I will say that most sewing machine lights have many LEDs in them. For this shadowline to work you need one with a single lights source or you will either have lots of overlapping shadows or no shadow at all.

[@colinstu]

I did this mod for the miter saw that you showed and love it. even all this time later.

[@nlo114]

👏Careful placement of the light also shows the set of the blade teeth, enabling greater accuracy. I have been in the habit of clamping, lower the moving blade on to the workpiece, then moving the workpiece to suit where I want the cut.

[@joewhitney4097]

Great idea and demonstration video. Thanks for sharing.

[@ypaulbrown]

wonderful.....thank you for sharing, Paul in Florida

[@EngineerMikeF]

Sweet little productivity enhancement. Thanks for the tip

[@AerialLensVideo]

Simple and very effective idea -- Thanks!

[@funone8716]

Funny, I'm older and need more light to see in the shop. I discovered the LED "Sewing machine" lights not long ago and got several from EBAY. They are great, have a built in switch and plug directly into an outlet. I was looking for more a couple weeks ago and found this light you have here. I really liked the longer goose neck. But, it has a 120v plug and all the EBAY ads say 250 volt. I asked the sellers if it's 120 since it has a 120v plug.....useless. No answer. So I took a chance and got one. Works fine on 120v. I intend to purchase more of these and will probably have one on every machine in the shop. This idea with the shadow line is just a great extra bonus for all my band saws! Thanks for this neat trick! I will try it on my metal shear to see if it will shadow the blade on that as well.

[@elevatemetalcraft2546]

This is nice to have. I have been measuring off the blade to the edge of the steel for 18 years now. its very precise but at times this would be ideal when you have to cut miters and measuring to the edge just doesn't work. Nice tip

[@grumpyone5963]

Me too. So easy.🇬🇧

[@danielarney9729]

Learn something new every decade.

[@michaelplays2449]

Great idea !!

[@bradleytuckwell4881]

I use the same on my drop saw it makes life a lot easier

[@DK-vx1zc]

CLever, thanks for sharing

[@tamurlane6]

Looks like the Amazon seller made an "adjustment"! Your link is showing one for 49.99 now. Definitely a great idea though!

[@MakeEverything]

Wtf!! I’ll look for a replacement! That’s dirty!!

[@tamurlane6]

​@@MakeEverything kudos to even responding to this! It's impressive that you're following videos from 2 weeks ago. I know it's a lot to put time into this gig on top of all the other stuff. I'm really impressed!

[@glenn5077]

Nice tip but if you have to rule a line on the job to start with just do the sizing in the saw ruler against the blade job done once and no guess work

[@michaeleaston547]

Cool. Simple. Thank you.

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Awesome tip. Thanks.

[@vstrom9586]

a true genius

[@jondavidmcnabb]

BRILLIANT!!!!

[@anthonymarino4260]

thanks for sharing

[@OldSneelock]

Love it. 😁😎

[@Goalsplus]

Yes, it's a wonder the manufacturers don't incorporate a light. Maybe it would get in the way occasionally if it was fixed but a goose neck and an ability to remove it would take care of those rare situations.

[@MrTooTechnical]

Cool trick. Fuking awesome

[@76Starship]

good video :)

[@nelsonglass6]

This was a great idea… very affordable

[@porthose2002]

It seems like the key is getting the light directly over the blade. The narrower the shadow is, the more accurate the shadow. Reasonable?

[@waterskier91]

My dewalt porta band saw has a built in LED light that does just this.

[@mkegadgets4380]

I’m gonna have to get one for my drill press.

[@danharold3087]

You will not regret it. Have not used them for for the shadow line but have several that I use on many tool including metal lathes.

[@funone8716]

@@danharold3087 Great on the Bridgeports as well

[@jeremyspecce]

That will work for light but not a shadowline because you are trying to find a single point, not a line.

[@grumpyone5963]

Yes so good. I have a rechargeable one on a goose neck. So good when using a mag drill on steels in situ or machines in the workshop.🇬🇧

[@achmatabsalom8947]

Was that cut made in "real time"?

[@markchilluffo9638]

👍👍

[@elevatemetalcraft2546]

I've got a question! How can I make something like this work on my 15" evolution dry saw?

[@MakeEverything]

Stay tuned! Im working on this for an evolution saw too!

[@grumpyone5963]

I find it easier to just use a tape measure off the blades teeth to the end of the tube. 🇬🇧

[@heavymetalworks6375]

Your 15 dollars light is now 69 dollhairs. Just a heads up.

[@wgenerotzky]

The only bummer is that I work outside and would need a carbon-ark lamp to see anything.

[@jerryodell1168]

Minor warning: We ran into a problem today. We had a electronic device that just quit working right after we added a LED light near it. The light's internal electronics conflicted with our other electronic device causing it to heat up and stop. We removed the light, let everything cool, and now our original electronic device is working perfectly again. The LED light is going to be used elsewhere.

[@ahodamahingan1698]

I have heard of similar issues with adding led bulbs in certain garage door openers.

[@joshua43214]

Yes, LED lighting is crap because of these issues. You can't even count on brand name stuff being good since the Chinese companies just forge the certifications.

[@aaroncarvell7320]

That light is $49 now.

[@waytospergtherebro]

What's an EVEY saw?

[@MrMikeEdie]

EVEY?

[@phild5317]

Not so fast grasshopper... The link goes to a $69 light, not $15... Great idea though...

[@DuckyHunter812]

Well, in 2 weeks it's more than quadrupled in price to $68.99 That's super disappointing.

[@gorak9000]

I don't think the word "telegraph" means what you think it means. The word you're looking for is "project" - the shadow is projected to the work piece, not "telegraphed"

[@thisiscristian]

good catch about "telegraph" but I don't think you can ever project a shadow. You can project a light onto an object and in turn the object will cast a shadow. I think that's what you meant, casting a shadow.

[@gorak9000]

@@thisiscristian You can totally project a shadow. In mathematics, "project" is used to mean pretty much exactly that if you think about light and shadows, and projecting lines or curves or surfaces in 3d space onto planes in 2d space or lines in 1d space (or more generally projecting anything in m-dimensional space to an n-dimensional space, where m>n).

[@jeffpitzer8521]

Sorry to burst your bubble but shears have ben using shadow line "technology" for decades...nevertheless its great that you are bringing it to the maker community and to hundreds, thousands, millions of aspiring makers that are unaware of this simple solution..

[@tiouip]

Yeah, it ain’t 15$… it’s 50$. 👎🏼

[@MakeEverything]

Unfortunately it looks like the seller took the $15 light I used off their page! I just added a new link to another one that look like it would work and is a bit cheaper...

[@cameraman2505]

Having the power adaptor closer to a plug, not withing the magnetic base of the light, would be much safer. A cut cable for whatever reason could bring mains voltage to the saw. A battery powered torch would be even better. Just a thought. Great videos in general, thanks.

[@colinstu]

his mitersaw vid involved running the wire inside the saw and tapping off the mains power the powers the saw. If one wanted a more permanent (and safer, I guess) install, find a way to do that. But every saw is different it would be kinda pointless to try to cover it.

[@dave_ecclectic]

It is in the plug. _【Safety Power Plug】You can insert the plug into a 120V household socket. The plug contains a converter that can convert the 120V high voltage into a safe low voltage. (Please don't change the plug)_

[@grumpyone5963]

I have a nice rechargeable one with a strong magnetic base and 2 foot goose neck.🇬🇧

[@frankishrebellion9479]

EVEY