Let's talk lighting...mine is terrible.

[Lysus]

Ok, maybe not terrible, but currently I have a desk lamp made for normal office work and an overhead that is behind my work station. This creates a lot of fantastic shadows if I lean in--the desk lamp just isn't made to flood light. It does alright 70% of the time, but it's that other 30% that's killing me. I'd like to get something a little better suited to the task.



I've noticed some of you have these large-ish light bar thingies; can anyone shed some light on what they use? (nyuk-yuk-yuk) Thinking not too humongous and articulated.

Thanks!

[Coen]

I can't get the light bars that some of the fellas are using, but I use these things that I get from Lee Valley.
They sell them here in Canada so I'm sure the American stores do too.
I've had my four for years with no trouble. Only had the change one bulb so far and you can buy them for $10 at Home Depot.
Here is the link...
http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... 43349&ap=2

[digger303]

I use one of these and I don't think you will find better. They are wide enough to dispel any shadows and give realistic enough DAYLIGHT lighting.
Means your painted on colors look right under artificial light.

http://cpc.farnell.com/shesto/lc8015/ta ... 0000009563

However due to the differing voltages you will need a step power transformer such as this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Goldsource-STU- ... ansformer-
/391245198879?hash=item5b1807f61fmMfAW_Ln0yUrklENX22erVQ

'Yes , by the time it gets to your den it is expensive. But it was the only one I could find anywhere and now I have it I do not regret spending the coin. Cost of 3 kits.

[OneSmallStep1966]

I use one of these and I don't think you will find better. They are wide enough to dispel any shadows and give realistic enough DAYLIGHT lighting.
Means your painted on colors look right under artificial light.

http://cpc.farnell.com/shesto/lc8015/ta ... 0000009563

I have two of these and agree that they do provide a nice natural light over a wide area.
I use one over my build bench and the other over the spray booth area.

I highly recommend them too

[Svenne009]

I also have 1 of this and gives a clean and natural light and it stays put when positioned, not a given with cheaper models. Not cheap, but highly recommended.

http://uk.farnell.com/daylight/e32500/f ... dp/2008268

[digger303]

Not sure whether anyone has thought about it, but it does seem to be possible to act mount these lights to the wall OR to a wooden beam above the bench. This gives slightly more bench room, but more importantly clears the bench from obstructions. You don't have to work around the swing arms.
This would also with the cheaper lights which don't always hold position very well less of a problem as the lights just hang down.

[OneSmallStep1966]

Not sure whether anyone has thought about it, but it does seem to be possible to act mount these lights to the wall OR to a wooden beam above the bench. This gives slightly more bench room, but more importantly clears the bench from obstructions. You don't have to work around the swing arms.

I drilled two holes at the back of my workbench to mount the lights so the arms are out-of-the-way.

IMG_1456.jpg

[digger303]

yes but if you want to extend the racking, then they might not be

[OneSmallStep1966]

yes but if you want to extend the racking, then they might not be

Not sure that comments relevant? I was attempting to show an alternative way of mounting them other than on the bench/table edge. The location of the hole will be up to the individual and in my case I have no plans to put more paint shelves behind them (although it would fit).

[MajorTom2004]

From our old kitchen I had some spare lights that were mounted underneath the cupboard. These are modules, they can be plugged togehter, so I bought an aluminum profile, mounted three lamps in a row on this profile and with 4 wires I hung them just above the table to the ceiling.
If I really need more light, I have a table lamp





For a home brew solution i am more than happy

[ScaleArmorBuilder]

I use a mix of fluorescent and halogen lights.
I have a 4' four bulb T-8 in the ceiling just behind my bench, 2 small halogen spot lights above the bench that articulate and a single 45w CFL flood light above the bench as well.
I use 6500k bulbs for the CFL and tube lights, which is fairly close to natural daylight. The halogen spot lights are a much warmer color.

I find that 4' shop lights provide the most light for the money.

[digger303]

yes but if you want to extend the racking, then they might not be

Not sure that comments relevant? I was attempting to show an alternative way of mounting them other than on the bench/table edge.

That was my clumsy way of saying the same thing and of overcoming the weakness of some of the cheaper swing arm lights.
The over head beam idea could be modified to become part of a shelf. It would all be quiet high up.

[Lysus]

Thanks for the great responses. I have an additional limitation in that the window (visible in the pic in the OP) is where I have to vent the spray booth, and this requires I open the shutter. That shutter needs room to swing and thus makes it impossible to mount something on the right-hand edge of the table or hang anything over the space. Which means I can either pull the table out from the wall a bit (and this room is put together Tetris-piece tight) or bore a hole through the table to the left. I'm pretty sure the table, being a cheap Ikea grab, will be hollow core or foam core at best, making that a tricky proposition. Still, better than going blind or driven mad, I think.

Could always get a new table...hm, this is how home remodels start, I'd best be careful with that line of reasoning lest I end up buying a new kitchen somehow.

I can't get the light bars that some of the fellas are using, but I use these things that I get from Lee Valley.
They sell them here in Canada so I'm sure the American stores do too.
I've had my four for years with no trouble. Only had the change one bulb so far and you can buy them for $10 at Home Depot.
Here is the link...
http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... 43349&ap=2

These look to be adequate. I think if my space were a bit bigger the bar might be better, but it isn't bigger, so... Do they buzz? Just curious, little noises like that can really get to me pretty quickly.

[Coen]

These look to be adequate. I think if my space were a bit bigger the bar might be better, but it isn't bigger, so... Do they buzz? Just curious, little noises like that can really get to me pretty quickly.

Mine don't make a sound other than when you first turn them on.
After that they've as silent as you're sister's farts at thanksgiving dinner.