I'm about to build a new work shop for rod building and a little wood working. As for lighting over the area in which I will do all of the wrapping what type bulbs do you perfer? I was thinking the "daylight" bulbs would be the best. I'm also talking here about the hanging 4 or 8 foot shop lights. I would think that's what most folks are using.

I have noticed that regular indoor lighting is not good at all at finding flaws in a wrap. I usually see them after I take it outside in the daylight.

Thanks,
Steve

Steve - imo, brighter is better. I have 2 8' double shop lights, I think 75 watt bulbs (I will check when I get home). Pretty cheap, $40 at home Depot. Over my wood lathe on teh other side of my room, I've got 2 4' shop lights. I have regular Flourescent bulbs in mine, I think.

Make sure when you instal them, they are diretly above where your lathe will be. You'll be able to line up butt wraps, and otehr stuff with teh glare from teh light bulbs above.

Just in case you want to delve deeper into the issue of lighting, the volume 1 #5 issue of RodMaker had an article on shop lighting, bulb color (degrees Kelvin) and ballast types. It might be more than you want to know, but it's all in there.



.........

I wouln't bother with the inexpensive shop lights. They don't put out much light. I have 8' high output flourecent lights in my work area for general lighting. They are more than likely the same thing that Billy mentioned. Got them at HD or Lowes for $40 a piece. I did hang them on chains so that I could lower them to where I wanted them.

My other great find...since I work in my garage. I found 8' fly strips for barns, etc. at agri supply that I hang above the light. Catches almost all of the flying critters that seem to end up in my epoxy.

I was wrong. The fixtures were $65 a piece. The bulbs (2 per strip) are 110 watts each.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/2005 06:59PM by Bob Sale.

What Bob said reminded me - I have the same bulbs in my 2 sets of fixtures...but since I purchased the fixtures at different times, one was an Industrial model, the other was....something else. The industrial one puts more light out, no question, the cheaper one the blubs haev that pulsing look to them - yes I have switched the bulbs on both fixtures - I got waht I paid for, sort of.

I screwed mine right into teh ceiling, then put a ghetto electrical socket on teh ceiling and plug the lights in that way. I missed the shop class on light siwtches, lol.

I like 2 banks of 4/4ft flourescants over a 12 foot space...bright!! ...a total of 8 -40watt bulbs.....One of the lights I want to invest in is an "Ott light". I accidentally borrowed one temporarily from my folks while they were away (she quilts) and couldn't beleive the difference it made. I gotta get an Ott !!!

One word that comes to my mind "halogen", a little more pricey but they tend to be very bright.

.....and really HOT!!!!

I think it would be a given that anything that gives off intense bright light would give off a good amount of heat. I wouldn't light the whole room with them, just over my wrapping area.

I use Halogen 25W bulbs in my drying box, pumps up the temps 30 degrees.

The Flourescent bulbs I use are 60W, I already forgot exactly which one. ARGH!

Thanks for all the info guys. Lot's of good ideas!

Thanks,
Steve

I use a halogen lamp for room lighting. I have several swing arm lamps with GE Reveal light bulbs in them for my actual lighting wherever I happen to be working at.

Putter
Williston, ND

Steve,
I recently converted my garage (20*10*8) into a rodbuilding shop, for illumination I used T8 Fluorescent Lighting (smaller diameter tubes)
I purchased two twin tube assemblies, an 8' and 4' respectively, at the local Home Depot store.
The illumination in the garage is bright white and good to the eyes.
Below is a link to more information on T8
[www.bchydro.com]
Ricardo Font
Puerto Rico Rods