Creative ideas for shop lighting "on" a garage door?

[Matthew Hills]

Here is a low-voltage system that mounts to the door: https://garagedoorlighting.com

For something more temporary, how about a pole lamp bouncing off the underside of the garage door?​

Matt

[dennis thompson]

Not really...it's a very high quality, thick, insulated 16' door. I don't want to change it out and it would cost a fortune to do so. The current opener (a Craftsman from 1993 that has defective sensors) is being replaced this coming Thursday with a smart jack-shaft opener that eliminates the stuff overhead, other than the door, itself.

If I'm not mistaken, that brand of LED stuff is what Lee Valley sells, but I'm only going by memory. Thanks for the link. I may be able to embrace the UnuStrut and LED tape idea that Jamie mentioned and it might also assist with the overhead support for a dust collection hose to the CNC at the same time. I have to see what it will take for a 17' span of Unistrut when I can get to the electrical supply house and fondle the hardware.

When I was seeking to get more light into my garage shop I found out that I could have just replaced one row of the door with a new one with windows. I decided to get a new door because my old one was not insulated, so now I have widows and insulation. I will say that there is a lot of light coming in the garage when the door is closed

[Jim Becker]

Dennis, if this was a permanent situation, I'd investigate that simply because I do like natural light in a shop. But even then I'd have reservations financially because the existing doors are high-end, very thick insulated units that are in like-new condition. In fact, with the new jack-shaft opener and proper lubrication, they are nearly silent opening and closing. If I put a "garage" type door on the new shop building once that's a reality, I'd consider opting for a row of windows there for sure, however. I'm not sure I'll do that kind of door, however, for a couple of reasons...it may force the structure to be considered a "garage" which would potentially raise the ugly "sloped floor" thing and I really want a very energy efficient solution for a larger opening that's primarily just for moving materials and completed projects in/out of the space. I'm considering more of a heavy duty carriage/shed door solution that can have wall equivalent insulation and sealing.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here is a low-voltage system that mounts to the door: https://garagedoorlighting.com

Boy, is that an obscure web site. They mount lights to the garage door, and claim to have no dangling cords. That's quite a trick, but they have no explanation of how they do it.

[Alan Lightstone]

Boy, is that an obscure web site. They mount lights to the garage door, and claim to have no dangling cords. That's quite a trick, but they have no explanation of how they do it.

I've been going down the rabbit hole looking for how they do it. If someone is good with patent searches, looking for LINC or LIINC wireless power supply is, I think, what the patent should be under.

It looks to me like there is a wired group of power supplies that sit on brackets to the side of the garage door. When the door is fully open, they supply power to each light strand. Is it metal to metal contact, or through the air like a wireless phone charger I don't know.

Interesting, though. Started as a kickstarter campaign. Unique that they got a utility patent and hopefully isn't vaporware, like lots of kickstarter projects.

[Charlie Velasquez]

I've been going down the rabbit hole looking for how they do it. If someone is good with patent searches, looking for LINC or LIINC wireless power supply is, I think, what the patent should be under.

It looks to me like there is a wired group of power supplies that sit on brackets to the side of the garage door. When the door is fully open, they supply power to each light strand. Is it metal to metal contact, or through the air like a wireless phone charger I don't know.

Interesting, though. Started as a kickstarter campaign. Unique that the got a utility patent and hopefully isn't vaporware, like lots of kickstarter projects.

No, the concept is similar to my diagram above.
Regular LED undercabinet ribbon lighting daisy chained
Instead of a homemade contact power dock of plastic they have a couple of brass bolts in a plastic harness attached to a bracket that affixes to the top stabilizing channel of the top panel of the door
The transformer plugs into the opener receptacle and the line side cable is fished to a mating harness with its bolts captured by springs that is attached to the track.
When the door is opened the two sets of harness bolts make contact sending power to the lights and completing the circuit.

Low voltage, so not much of a safety issue....... however.... my design keeps the powered female contacts covered and clean... and doesn’t cost $300.

Additional edit: After looking at his setup I would probably attach my male docking strip onto the trolley arm and not the door.