# Shop Lighting



## joejmunro (Dec 27, 2008)

This is a two fold question, maybe one fold really.

What kind of lighting do you have in your shop? Is is fluorescent tubes or bulbs, how many, what wattage, etc. Do not leave any details out.

I am currently looking for better lighting for work and safety. The garage has 3 incandescent bulbs (unknown wattage) and the local HD has some 300W fluorescent bulbs that are supposed to be superior to the 64W we might get out of the tubes.

Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance.


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

I have a ceiling fan with four 100w compact florescent.

Above my long, 12', work bench I have two 48"
florescent, two tubers, 40w each. They are under
a shelf only about 18" above the bench.

Above my short bench. 4', I have six 100w compact
florescent. They are about 4' above the bench

I have a 100w compact florescent for the drill press and
one on the bench grinder. The band saw has a built
in LED.

The shop is only 12'X16' with a 10' ceiling.

I have more light than I really need. Unless I am
doing something critical I don't have all the ones
above the short bench on.

We have florescent lights *only,* in the whole house.


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## lucas.j.dunton (Feb 27, 2008)

you should go with fluorescent tubes, if you are going to put up new, check the color rating and get bulbs similar to the high color fluorescent grow bulbs, the light quality is so much better, if your shop is colder than 50 degrees i would get the outdoor rated ballasts, so they work well in the cold


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I have one set(2) of the 8' long tubes in the middle. Do not remember the wattage. There are two other sets of 4' long tubes. One set directly over my workbench. I would like one more set of 4' tubes directly over the area where I generally put my table saw, but there is other stuff on the ceiling there and the garage door would block the light anyway when it was open.

G


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## Vin55 (Dec 18, 2008)

Currently have flourescent lighting in the shop, but I'm thinking of switching to bulb lights. The new curly ones. They don't use as much power and they are bright. They installed them in my garage when they built it and it really lights the place up. Yeah, they take a little time to warm up, but when they do........:thumbsup:


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## rag (Dec 23, 2008)

I saved flouresent fixtures from the scrap pile where I worked ..... a pair of 8' long 4 tube lamps. Plus 2 cases of replacement tubes.


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## steve mackay (Oct 5, 2008)

One double tube on the ceiling and one bulb desk lamp at each end of the bench. Most important . . . big window at the center of the bench. I think bulbs offer more natural light (of course the big window is best.) for working with something (wood) with different contrasts. The tubes don't give off as wide a spectrum. The bulbs at each end of the bench not only give better contrasts but tend to cancel each other's shadows and show depth better. For working on the machines the tubes give wide even light. For up close and personal, bulbs show the detail. And God's light run'n down the middle gives everything a warm hug.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Vin55 said:


> Currently have flourescent lighting in the shop, but I'm thinking of switching to bulb lights. The new curly ones. They don't use as much power and they are bright. They installed them in my garage when they built it and it really lights the place up. Yeah, they take a little time to warm up, but when they do........:thumbsup:


I am glad that you had luck with those.

I tried some for my kitchen to replace the standard can lights. We were 
VERY disappointed and I immediately removed them and returned them to SAMS. The light output was poor and the color was poor.

George


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I have two 400w HPS lamps on my 26' tall ceiling [hate the color]. I also have 2 - 8', 2 tube 75w fluorescent tubes above the catch all bench and 2 - 4', 2 40w tube fluorescent lights above my work bench. In my spray room I have 4 - 8', 2 tube 75w fluorescent tubes and another 2 sets in my drying room. I also have some 300w halogen spots for point source lights for lighting detailed projects. They are hot.

The HPS lamps are very bright and light up the room way more than 400w of fluorescent tubes could ever do. 50,000 lumens but with a CRI of 22 it is not nice light to work by.


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## johnjf0622 (Feb 8, 2008)

Call me crazy, but I tried one of the screw in type fluorescent bulbs in place of a regular bulb in my garage. It is the one that is equal to an 150 watt bulb and uses only 40 watts. I tried this to just see what kind of light it gave off. I did want to install the 8 foot lights. I was surprised and impressed to see how bright that one bulb made that corner of the garage. And being it is 26x30 you can really see the difference compared to the other corners.The cold doesn't really affect it at all, in a few mins it is at full brightness.. And it gets cold in NEPA. I go out there turn on the lights, start the heater, go back in the house for a cup of coffee and it is fully lit.For the price compared to the tubes, I am going to add a couple more and see how it lights it up then. If it turns out not to work then i use the bulbs for the attic and basement. But the one alone is showing promise.


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## Vin55 (Dec 18, 2008)

johnjf0622 said:


> Call me crazy, but I tried one of the screw in type fluorescent bulbs in place of a regular bulb in my garage. It is the one that is equal to an 150 watt bulb and uses only 40 watts. I tried this to just see what kind of light it gave off. I did want to install the 8 foot lights. I was surprised and impressed to see how bright that one bulb made that corner of the garage. And being it is 26x30 you can really see the difference compared to the other corners.The cold doesn't really affect it at all, in a few mins it is at full brightness.. And it gets cold in NEPA. I go out there turn on the lights, start the heater, go back in the house for a cup of coffee and it is fully lit.For the price compared to the tubes, I am going to add a couple more and see how it lights it up then. If it turns out not to work then i use the bulbs for the attic and basement. But the one alone is showing promise.


They put around 12 in my garage when they built it. They really light the place up.


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## johnjf0622 (Feb 8, 2008)

ok good I'm not crazy. lol. what size is you garage and what watt rating are your bulbs?


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

GeorgeC said:


> I am glad that you had luck with those.
> 
> I tried some for my kitchen to replace the standard can lights. We were
> VERY disappointed and I immediately removed them and returned them to SAMS. The light output was poor and the color was poor.
> ...


George;

They come in several "colors", I use the daylite.

They need to warm up for a few minutes and
you need one step bigger that reg bulbs.,,
As, a 100w where you had a 75w reg.
They still use 1/4 of the electricity of the regs.

They also produce almost no heat compared to
a reg bulb.

On top of that, most have a five year warranty!


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## AZ Termite (Dec 20, 2008)

I have 8 4' double tube fluorescent fixtures. They are equally spaced front to back side to side. I use the daylight tubes, unsure what wattage. The shop is 20'x35'. The way I have the tools and tables I don't get shadows, it makes it nice. When I built the shop I didn't install any windows because I didn't want anyone to see what I have in there. I had to make sure I had plenty of light for that reason. It has been a little over 3 months since I finished const. and so far so good.


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## Rob (Oct 31, 2006)

Basement shop...30 x 30, 14 double 4' fluorescent fixtures. 
I used to have a double fixture hung parallel with the table saw. I saw a tip a few years ago that said to mount it diagonally above the table. This has worked much better as far as shadows and lighting the whole area.


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## rocklobster (Jun 18, 2008)

I have an outside shop with one window. Three double tube 4' flourescent ballasts span the 24 X 32 shop, but it's not quite enough. Not long ago I couldn't see the cut line clearly enough when I was using the bandsaw.

I was wondering what I was going to do about it, but I think this thread has convinced me to try a couple of the compact flourescent bulbs. I'm thinking a few of those in the right places ought to do it.

Rob


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## sawduststeve (Jan 11, 2009)

I have a 20 X 80 woodshop and we light it all with 4 ft. flourescents. one row down the center and another row on each side above the workbenches. Still not overally bright. Not bright enought to do finish work at night.


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## lucas.j.dunton (Feb 27, 2008)

if you set up your fluorescent strips in a herring bone pattern instead of straigth rows it helps a lot with shadows. kinda like this /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ only more elongated


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## Vin55 (Dec 18, 2008)

johnjf0622 said:


> ok good I'm not crazy. lol. what size is you garage and what watt rating are your bulbs?


Can't remember the exact size. It's a 2 1/2 car garage and I think they put in 100 watt bulbs. Have to look. But if I had these in my small shop, I think I would have enough light. I really need to triple the size of my shop and re-do all the electric in it.


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## CVGCOM (Jan 7, 2009)

i have found that the flourescent are the best but i would go with rapid start bulbs unless your shop is climate controlled...the standard bulbs dont like really cold of damp days


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## johnjf0622 (Feb 8, 2008)

Funny you say that about not seeing the line when you were cutting on the band saw. That is the bulb I changed with the compact fluorescent bulb. I have no troubles seeing anything I am cutting there.

John




rocklobster said:


> I have an outside shop with one window. Three double tube 4' flourescent ballasts span the 24 X 32 shop, but it's not quite enough. Not long ago I couldn't see the cut line clearly enough when I was using the bandsaw.
> 
> I was wondering what I was going to do about it, but I think this thread has convinced me to try a couple of the compact flourescent bulbs. I'm thinking a few of those in the right places ought to do it.
> 
> Rob


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