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Thread: My shop built florescent light reflectors

  1. #1
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    My shop built florescent light reflectors

    I've shown some finished pictures of these in my shop rehab thread, but I don't think I ever showed the skeleton. The ones in my main shop were 2 X 6s because the ceiling joists were 2 X 4s. The assembly/finishing room roof was added to the structure when the house was built in '85, so the ceiling joists are 2 X 6s here, and therefore the skeleton's ribs had to be cut out of 2 X 8s. I cut the shop ones with a jig saw, but used the bandsaw on these. Much faster, much easier, and a lot better cut. I took a piece of flexible plastic that was 24" wide and put up between the joists (24" on center). This created the arch, I copied that and cut out a template out of 1/2" plywood. Each rib is 24" long, so that gives a notch that sits on top of the joists. DSCN2231.jpg This keeps the arch a consistent spacing from the bottom of the joists. I screw the skeleton pieces into place from the sides of the joists, 2 screws per side. I use a couple pieces of the 2 X that was cut for the arch to make the deadmen helpers. This allows me to do this by myself, though it is still a struggle to keep a flopping piece of Glassliner, you can get it at Home Depot in 4 X 8 sheets, that is cut to 24 X 96, in place to get a deadman started. DSCN2234.jpg The Glassliner is textured and shiny. It also conforms to the shape of the arch very easily, yet being a fiberglass material, is fairly strong. I attach it with 5 #10 1" long pan head screws at each rib, starting with the center one first, the moving to the middle ones on each side, then the bottom ones, in that order. DSCN2232.jpg Helps the Glassliner conform to the skeleton better. I had just enough material for the basic reflector. Should have cut it about 10" shorter so I could have cut out my end caps but it would have been a little shorter than the ones in the shop. I'll have to get something else that will work now, cause I don't think I'm going to spend 30 bucks on another 4 X 8 sheet of this stuff!! Not just for the end caps. I'll probably get some 1/4" plywood and paint it bright white. I'll show how this is done in the coming weeks.
    This idea was born out of a short ceiling height in this shop building. About 7' 8" in the main shop, 1 1/2" shorter up at the bench and cyclone closet because the floor in this section is raised about 1 1/2". (The building was originally a car port, and this section was the enclosed storage closet area.) I had to do something so that the lighting did not make a bad situation worse. I thought some of you building shops in you basements might be able to adapt this idea to help you if you also have a lower than desired ceiling height. Jim.
    Coolmeadow Setters...Exclusively Irish! When Irish Eyes are smiling....They're usually up to something!!
    Home of Irish Setter Rescue of North Texas.
    No, I'm not an electrician. Any information I share is purely what I would do myself. If in doubt, hire an electrician!
    Member of the G0691 fan club!
    At a minimum, I'm Pentatoxic...Most likely I'm a Pentaholic. There seems to be no known cure. Pentatonix, winners of The Sing Off, s3.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim O'Dell View Post
    I've shown some finished pictures of these in my shop rehab thread,
    Do you have a link to that thread? Now I'm curious what these look like finished.

  3. #3
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    Thomas, check here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...t=14427&page=4 Just scroll down the page and you will see some pictures of them. Probably nothing up close. If you need something better, let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate. The end caps consist of a quarter moon cut piece, then two of the cut offs glued together, and part cut off at an angle so that the end cap slants about 35 degrees IIRC. Could be as much as 45. Then some white caulk to fill the edges where it all meets. I guess some of the 2 light troffers would have worked too, but the expense of them made me look for another idea. I figure these two reflectors will cost me about $45.00 (plus the light fixtures) to buy the parts and supplies to make them. That is for 2 of the 8' four bulb lights. It does not include any type of bulb protectors/diffusers. I have a plan that will allow me to do that, but I may just get some of the plastic tube protectors to put on the bulbs. BUT, I haven't broken a bulb in the over 2 years I've had them up in the shop (Knock on wood ). Jim.
    Coolmeadow Setters...Exclusively Irish! When Irish Eyes are smiling....They're usually up to something!!
    Home of Irish Setter Rescue of North Texas.
    No, I'm not an electrician. Any information I share is purely what I would do myself. If in doubt, hire an electrician!
    Member of the G0691 fan club!
    At a minimum, I'm Pentatoxic...Most likely I'm a Pentaholic. There seems to be no known cure. Pentatonix, winners of The Sing Off, s3.

  4. #4
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    Installment 2.
    I had a few minutes after work while LOML was teaching to head out to the shop. This is how I cut the bracing for the end caps. And I checked, they are at a 45 degree angle.
    The first picture shows the pieces that were cut out of the ribs for the skeleton that the reflector material attached to. DSCN2235.jpg I need part of the round end that is cut at a 45 angle. To do that safely, I needed something flat for it to ride on the TS to be cut so that it didn't wobble or rotate. A scrap piece of 2 X 4 works great. I used the fence as a way to align the 2 X 4 to the curved side and put 3 screws in what will be the waste part of the cut so the blade doesn't hit the screws.DSCN2238.jpg Then the 2 X 4 rides on the TS top, and against the fence. After cutting, this is the scrap part. DSCN2237.jpg (Of course, this is upside down to the way it is cut on the saw.)
    And the part I keep is this. DSCN2239.jpg Now, I need those 4 pieces of plywood to cut and paint for the reflective part that mounts to these. That may take a few days. Jim.
    Coolmeadow Setters...Exclusively Irish! When Irish Eyes are smiling....They're usually up to something!!
    Home of Irish Setter Rescue of North Texas.
    No, I'm not an electrician. Any information I share is purely what I would do myself. If in doubt, hire an electrician!
    Member of the G0691 fan club!
    At a minimum, I'm Pentatoxic...Most likely I'm a Pentaholic. There seems to be no known cure. Pentatonix, winners of The Sing Off, s3.

  5. #5
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    Well, I had a little time to poke around the shop after work and before LOML got home, and I found a scrap piece of the Glassliner material. Just enough to get 4 end caps cut out of!!! So this weekend, I'll show how they are made. I went ahead and cut them out, so it won't take much time to finish them. Sure am glad, because I was not coming up with any ideas of what else to use that I had. Jim.
    Coolmeadow Setters...Exclusively Irish! When Irish Eyes are smiling....They're usually up to something!!
    Home of Irish Setter Rescue of North Texas.
    No, I'm not an electrician. Any information I share is purely what I would do myself. If in doubt, hire an electrician!
    Member of the G0691 fan club!
    At a minimum, I'm Pentatoxic...Most likely I'm a Pentaholic. There seems to be no known cure. Pentatonix, winners of The Sing Off, s3.

  6. #6
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    Well, I couldn't stand it any more...so I went to the shop after work and busted it on out. So here is the final installment of the reflectors. It will be in 2 parts because of the number of pictures.
    So all of the parts are cut out for the end caps and they just need to be assembled. DSCN2243.jpg The first one to install is a full half moon piece that the yet to be assembled end cap will mount to. In this one I drilled 5 holes for screws to sink into...it was over kill. The other three I only used 3 screws.DSCN2240.jpg Next I took one of the 45 degree cutoffs I did last time, and screwed it to the back of one of the white Glassliner caps. I leave about 3/16" gap at the top of the arch so the cap will meet the reflector better. DSCN2244.jpgDSCN2245.jpg

    (continued in next post)
    Coolmeadow Setters...Exclusively Irish! When Irish Eyes are smiling....They're usually up to something!!
    Home of Irish Setter Rescue of North Texas.
    No, I'm not an electrician. Any information I share is purely what I would do myself. If in doubt, hire an electrician!
    Member of the G0691 fan club!
    At a minimum, I'm Pentatoxic...Most likely I'm a Pentaholic. There seems to be no known cure. Pentatonix, winners of The Sing Off, s3.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Location
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    (continued)

    The next step is to screw them on at the bottom with 3 screws spaced across the piece. At this step, you will need to trim the cap to fit as well as possible. I used left turn tin snips for this. Just be careful if you use the Glassliner material, 'cause when you slip, it cuts!!! Line up the bottom edge with the bottom of the 2X4 arch piece you just installed, and screw in the 3 screws. DSCN2248.jpg I didn't try to take a picture of this, but I did drill in from the top and put one screw into the 45 degree cut piece to hold it in place. Next is to caulk the edge. DSCN2249.jpg Then smooth out the caulk. DSCN2250.jpg Notice how the cut edge disappears? And you are done. DSCN2251.jpg
    Now I need to talk the LOML into a hundred bucks worth of light fixtures to mount on these! Wish me luck!! Jim.
    Coolmeadow Setters...Exclusively Irish! When Irish Eyes are smiling....They're usually up to something!!
    Home of Irish Setter Rescue of North Texas.
    No, I'm not an electrician. Any information I share is purely what I would do myself. If in doubt, hire an electrician!
    Member of the G0691 fan club!
    At a minimum, I'm Pentatoxic...Most likely I'm a Pentaholic. There seems to be no known cure. Pentatonix, winners of The Sing Off, s3.

  8. I’m exhausted just looking at the pictures. If you ever move you can rip it down and turn it into a canoe. And those reflectors are just crying out for a smiley face to be drawn on them.

    Really though, very cool Jim, nice design and nicely executed.

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