Workshop Lighting

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absolute

Grumbler in Training
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Dublin, Ireland
Hi all,

I'm about to start building a new workshop in the new year.
The specifications for everything is pretty much sorted except fot the light fittings.

I was considering fitting it with standard double tube flourescent units.
I will have 3 large velux windows on top of regular windows.

Just wondering what you all find works best in your workshops?
This will be a workshop, rather than a gallery.
Any tips and advice would be much welcomed.....

Thanking you in advance

Stephen
 
and what about those 100w floods on either side of the saw blades? or the 100w'ers on along the front(where you DONT stand) of the manual mat cutter? of on each side of the multimedia wallcutter? or on at least 3 of the 4 sides of your work tables
???? I dont think you can hardly get ENOUGH light onto your working spaces!!!!! cardboard mockps of where things go(and put them as hi as the real things) and see what that does for you for a day or 2(as far as 'needing' lites during the entire day period)

what you don't want is shadows when youre trying to see where lines are or that 'you' cast a giant shadow on the work area because of the one over your shoulder..............hence the part about 'living' with it for a couple of days(BEFORE you make it 'permanent')
 
track lighting (floods)..lots of them so you can adjust angles to prevent shadows on close up work....we have 4 rows of floods with 8 fixtures per track..all on seperate switches so you can conserve elect when not needing all of them...
 
BILL WARD said:
... I dont think you can hardly get ENOUGH light onto your working spaces!!!!! ...
Click to expand...

Bill should know ...he's old ...check out his avatar!

:party:

Seriously though ...in a workshop you can not have too much light. Florescents will give you good over all lighting but consider some swing arm task lighting and/or lighting magnifiers.

I use these:

http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do...c=TLShopping-_-Shopzilla-_-Furniture-_-665631

I have one at my vise and one at my fit up bench.

I also have a magnetic one on top of my saw.

The older I get the more I need brighter lighting directed at my work area.

I've found that the closer the lighting source the more effective it is.
These types of lamps can be directed right to the area you are working to augment the overall efficient florescent lights.
​

 
More lighting is always better. I have several kinds, but in the shop area I have fixtures that hold four T8 bulbs each. There are six fixtures with about 3' between them. I also added two two-bulb flourescents - one over each fitting table. I would still be happy with more. I've considered adding mirrors to the walls to reflect and angle more of the light too, I just haven't gotten to it yet!

Right now three of the big fixtures are out - I need to go get new ballasts and rewire them - and it feels DARK back here.

(I also have two desk lights on my desk with 100w daylight flourescents.)
 
I got some magnetic LEDs for tight spots. They SUCK! The light is a funky off white bluish and it destroys my depth perception. Use good lighting.
 
It is worth considering having one sets of lights:task lighting, for work and some track light, which will show what the finished frame will look like, in proper low UV ligth, so framer and client can make good choices about color issues.



Hugh
 
In some strategic places go fancy with the more expensive warm florescent tubes. Our eyes get weary after hours of looking at the white backs of mats loaded into the computerized matcutter. The warm tubes make a difference, the white doesn't "glow" starkly back at you after umpteen hours in the backroom. This work is hard enough without bleary eyes to boot.
 
This can be a major decision and costly if not well thought out.

Consider that our omniscient Federal Congress has mandated virtually all screw-in lights must be energy saving in a few years and the only current suppliers are in China. There are florescent 'twisty' flood bulbs available to replace conventional floods, but just the fact that what you install now could change dramatically would cause me think twice right now.

Anticipate the mandated change and choose accordingly. Florescent tubes are available in many colors and 8 ft tubes can be had in hi-brightness. That said, florescent lights, because they turn on-off rapidly like fast strobe lamps, are known stressful and give some people headaches. Also look at bulb life as well as lumens and wattage.
 
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