Lighting and Sanding/Tool Marks

[Heath Brandenburg]

I'm in the process of figuring out the lighting system for my shop. There's not much room for natural light to make it's way in and most of my work will be done during the evening hours.

In the past I've worked in a shop lit with purely incandescent bulbs and one that was strictly fluorescent. While the fluorescents were brighter, they seemingly masked a lot of fine tooling and sanding marks in my work. So far, I've concluded that this is due to the diffused nature of the fluorescent tubes and lack of raked task light to bring those marks out of hiding.

Now, I'm sure that my new space will have fluorescents overhead but I am not certain what to use for a raked task light.

Will the CFL bulbs be just as diffused as their tube counterparts?
Should I stock up on 100W incandescents before they go out of style?
Are any of the LED options feasible?
Any particular fixture that you'd recommend?

Or maybe I'm missing something else altogether?

Thanks.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Heath, I use standard T8 fluorescent lamps in my shop for general lighting, however I have an incandescent desk lamp that I use to provide spot illumination when sanding.

After I think a piece is properly sanded, I inspect it with the desk lamp, holding it at the best angle for viewing the faults.

Seems to work well for me.

Regards, Rod.

[Prashun Patel]

"Nerd lamps" work best for me for raked or task lighting. You know, the kind that clips onto a shelf edge and has an articulating arm...

[Mitchell Andrus]

Just a quick aside.

I put extra task lamps on a timer switch (at the Borg). Decora makes one with 10, 20, 30... minute run-out times. Saves running the light all day and turns it off without having to run around the shop at quitting time.

[Jamie Buxton]

Will the CFL bulbs be just as diffused as their tube counterparts?

They're more of a point source, like incandescents, than the long tubes, so that's good. However, they're still up at the ceiling. I have an old floor lamp I rescued from a dumpster. It can sit at the side of whatever I'm working on to give good raking light.

Should I stock up on 100W incandescents before they go out of style?

Media fervor notwithstanding, it is going to be a looong time before incandescents disappear. They're so inexpensive that they can't easily be outlawed, and there are too many fixtures which cannot accept other bulbs.

Are any of the LED options feasible?

LEDs are muy expensive to buy, and they have the same color issues as fluorescents. And considering how few hours that home shop lighting is actually on, it'll take about a zillion years to recoup the purchase cost in operating savings.

[Thom Sturgill]

Should I stock up on 100W incandescents before they go out of style?

Media fervor notwithstanding, it is going to be a looong time before incandescents disappear. They're so inexpensive that they can't easily be outlawed, and there are too many fixtures which cannot accept other bulbs.

AFAIK, they are already outlawed in Europe and can not be sold in the US after 2012.

[Jamie Buxton]

..can not be sold in the US after 2012...

My prediction is that it ain't gonna happen.

[glenn bradley]

The world will end in 2012 so, what's the problem? Like Rod, I use T-8's all over the shop specifically to eliminate shadows. I use a point source (anything will do really) for detecting sanding marks.

[Heath Brandenburg]

Thanks for the responses so far. It sounds like everyone is still using an incandescent source of some sort.

I have a couple shop versions of those "nerd lamps"...the ones with the metal reflectors that I always seem to burn myself with. I'm wondering if a CFL in there will work just as well for casting the needed shadows. While it would still be clunky, I'd imagine it wouldn't get quite as hot.

For the LEDs I was thinking of something more like the little 1-3 LED spot lights on flexible arms might work well mounted on/near the lathe. Yes, the screw in LED bulbs are still quite spendy; $50+ last time I checked, which is not a price I'm willing to pay without a very compelling reason. Either way, I'd like to know if any LED source has sufficient output.

As far as incandescents being outlawed, I'm under the impression that it will be a gradual thing based on efficiency and only apply to standard bulbs. So, in 2012 we won't be able to find 100W bulbs on the shelves and then a couple years later it will be 60W and so forth. Any specialty lights such as floods, candelabra, automotive, and appliance applications will still be available. Of course, this could very well end up being just like the digital TV transition: plagued by numerous delays.

[Jamie Buxton]

... Either way, I'd like to know if any LED source has sufficient output.....

It is possible to build LED lights that are extremely bright. You just put lots of diodes in them. However, each diode costs money, so bright lights cost a lot more than dim ones.

[Andrew Joiner]

Hi Heath,

I'm about an hour east of Portland. I use 250 watt incandescent heat lamps for heating and lighting. I have some fluorescents too for warm days (I hope we get some soon!)

Yes, with the heat lamps above my benches the sanding marks are easier to see than when the fluorescents alone are on.

All the specialty bulbs like heat lamps will not be banned soon. An added plus is the heat lamps last much longer than standard incandescents.

[Jack Lindsey]

Sanding marks are simply scratches in the surface. Since they have depth they can easily be visually enhanced by shining a grazing light across the surface thus highlighting the ridges and shadowing the depressions. The light source should be directional so it can be shined across the surface at a low, grazing angle. An incandescent lamp in a reflector works well.