Atomic Industry World HQ: Part 6 (Lighting)

Posted by 141drew Posted onMay 24, 2011 at 1:18 PM and filed under Projects


This will probably be one of the shortest posts of the build. From day one, I knew exactly what I wanted for lighting in and on this building… I wanted simple and functional – no thrills. As an example, I have two basic “tasks areas” in the building – the kitchen sink area and the bathroom sink area. To light each, I used basic porcelain fixtures with no shades. Add a 60-watt soft white bulb and I’m in business.





I also had two “casual” lighting areas to address – the kitchen bar and the main work space. For the bar, I again tuned to plain jane porcelain fixtures sans a shade of any kind. They are hung with cloth cords and feature some old Edison filament bulbs that I found online. The bulbs give off a golden glow that I love and they are mild enough not to blind from any angle. I’m pretty taken by these…



The main workspace area is lit by four vintage porcelain shaded and explosion proof lights. They were manufactured in 1943 and were salvaged from a machine shop in the Kansas City, MO area. I love them… No, I REALLY love them… I always justify the expense of vintage lighting because most of the industrial lights made before 1960 are just made so damn well. They will last multiple life times and make you wonder why folks don’t make ’em like this anymore.



Or maybe some folks actually do? For exterior lighting, I wanted something that looked natural to the building – clean and, of course, simple. I’ve used lights from Barn Light Electric for years throughout my house and work shop, so I figured I would look to their catalog. Some folks will complain about Barn Light Electric’s prices, but I think ya gotta really have experience with them before you can judge. In my opinion, there is no higher quality light on the market. All of the Barn Light Electric products that I have used feature the same build quality as found on vintage lighting – over engineered, high quality hardware, etc… If I have the means, I like to buy quality. So, that’s what I did. I used the 10″ gooseneck to the side of the front door and a 20″ job over the big bay door. Both are galvanized and fit the building in both style and substance. And they work as advertised.





And that’s it for lighting. Up next? Security.

………..










See Comments on the forum.

View thread (23 replies)
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toddmcdong

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The salvaged industrial fixtures are a nice touch. I've fallen backwards into collecting midcentury industrial task lighting because of the forms and build quality. I can see their potential reuse in my garage space someday.

The simple fixtures you selected work very well in the space, too often fixtures start to get fussy quickly. One thing that I have found to work well with the wall mounted sockets like you have over the sinks is a half mirror bulb - http://www.buylighting.com/Half-Mirror-and-Silver-Bowl-s/213.htm They just control the light a little bit more. Congrats on the move in.
 
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Tman

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So, are you going to start hoarding lightbulbs like I am doing? One of those curlyQ POS' is going to look like **** in those nice fixtures. Save the Earth, Harpoon a treehugger.
 
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Rolleiflex

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Have you read about the German Heat balls?:)

January 6, 2011
Officials in the U.S. and Europe are phasing out incandescent light bulbs to save energy. Siegfried Rotthauser is working around the new rules by calling his bulbs "heat balls." His website describes the products as "small heating devices. " He says they just look like light bulbs and happen to fit in light sockets.

And our last word in business today is about a new name for an old technology. The word is heat ball, and the old technology is incandescent light bulbs.

Officials in the U.S. and Europe are phasing out this old-fashioned lighting technology to save energy. But German businessman Siegfried Rotthauser is working around the new rules by calling his bulbs heat balls. On his website he describes his products as, quote, "small heating devices." He states they are not lamps. They just look like light bulbs and happen to fit in light sockets.

And this shows how much people love their incandescent light bulbs. According to one report, the heat balls are a hot item. The first batch of 4,000 sold out in three days.

That's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.
 
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-Brent-

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I'm with you, Ryan, with the sentiment that vintage industrial lighting has unrivalled quality.

Also, in pic 11 it's neat to see what it looks like to have the roll-up door down. It was a good choice in keeping that.
 
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Charles (in GA)

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You will probably, in short order, grow tired of bumbling around in the dark. From what I see, I cannot imagine that you have sufficient light to be able to see to do anything....

Charles
 
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Ryan

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Charles (in GA) said:
You will probably, in short order, grow tired of bumbling around in the dark. From what I see, I cannot imagine that you have sufficient light to be able to see to do anything....

Charles
Click to expand...

My uncle is a lighting designer. His main clients are conglomerate suits with huge factories... He did the layout for me and nailed it. Even at night when I don't have the benefit of all of the natural light from the windows, the lighting is perfect for me. I couldn't be happier.
 
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marty_p

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It's totally your space, it looks great, and those fixtures are all one really needs. :thumbup:

I love the quality of vintage pieces myself, and it unquestionably remains unmatched in the last two or three decades... at least.........
 
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-Brent-

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Charles (in GA) said:
You will probably, in short order, grow tired of bumbling around in the dark. From what I see, I cannot imagine that you have sufficient light to be able to see to do anything....

Charles
Click to expand...


I think the artsy-fartsy pics may be deceiving.
 
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Norcal

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Just a short note: I would not call those fixturess "Explosion Proof", from the looks of them they are vapor tight, a hazardous location fixture will have a UL label stating they are so.
 
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onewaydave

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My issue is with me, may not apply to you at all. I seem to forget that there are breakable things up there and, well, break them. Walking around with a heavy board sticking up in the air, just high enough to break the globe of a light that no one makes globes for anymore.

I guess the bulb is cheaper than the globe. I think the industrial wire cages would fit there though.

I like the industrial shades.

Dave.
 
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Ryan

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Norcal said:
Just a short note: I would not call those fixturess "Explosion Proof", from the looks of them they are vapor tight, a hazardous location fixture will have a UL label stating they are so.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you are right... These light fixtures had two sets of globes with them - explosion proof or vapor proof... I used the vapor proof globes as they were more light friendly... and three of the four explosion globes were cracked.

Good catch.

onewaydave said:
My issue is with me, may not apply to you at all. I seem to forget that there are breakable things up there and, well, break them. Walking around with a heavy board sticking up in the air, just high enough to break the globe of a light that no one makes globes for anymore.

I guess the bulb is cheaper than the globe. I think the industrial wire cages would fit there though.

I like the industrial shades.

Dave.
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought of that. As this is an office space, I won't be doing much with long stuff... but it's a good point!
 
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sodbuster

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Looking forward to the next post.......I'm in the same situation as you.......and with some "stuff" away from the house......I'm looking into security & the local PD via an alarm call may take an hour or two to check on the call and I'm only 26 minutes away, but I don't really want to drive out there in the middle of the night for a 'critter' that tripped the alarm.

Chris Nelson
Kansas
 
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sodbuster

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Wow! That was only my second post over here? Haha......number 3.....I read and dig thru this side daily, maybe I just need to say "neat" more often.

Chris
 
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KCMongo

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Lookin' good Ryan, I too am looking forward to the Security aspect, my storage lot has been broken into several times since I bought it and It *****. I just bought a building yesterday to put up there so hopefully having a perm. structure with Motion lights and camera's will deter would be thieves better.
Hey sodbuster, you do need to speak up more often.. O wait I'm only up to 14'ish quotes.. I guess I should too..
Mongo
 
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richtersrodz

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I was in Bone Daddy's in Austin, a couple of years ago, and they had converted 2
barrel carbs into hanging lights. Not sure of how much modifying they did to fit the
bulb in there, but they looked really cool. And surely destroyed the carbs..
 
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HOTFR8

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Ryan said:
Yeah, you are right... These light fixtures had two sets of globes with them - explosion proof or vapor proof... I used the vapor proof globes as they were more light friendly... and three of the four explosion globes were cracked.

Good catch.



I hadn't thought of that. As this is an office space, I won't be doing much with long stuff... but it's a good point!
Click to expand...

The Glass on a carpet floor is also a pain to clean up.:(
 
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29bowtie

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Everytime you post another "World Headquarters" update, you make me even more jealous. Great looking space, clean and simple, just like a "real hot rod". :bowdown: Thanks Ryan.
 
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danc1206

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I really like what you've done with these lighting examples. There are a couple of other options that you could look at such as led lighting within roof cladding panels if you want the stylish look. Alternatively there are other options such us under cabinet lighting below the Garage Cabinet. This can give a really comfortable light that can really help when carryign out work in the garage.
 
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