Homemade LED Shop Fixtures?

[bottom feeder]

I'm in the process of completing the rewiring of the 20 year old 4ft T12 fixtures in my attached garage to run LED tubes instead. Pretty straightforward process, and I'm pleased with the results. Because the LEDs don't emit light around the entire circumference of the tube like the old florescents, I bought a couple of LED tubes that can be rotated a bit in the fixture to point them where the light needs to go.

It got me thinking that since there is so little required to make an LED tube work, has anyone just bought some florescent "tombstone" end connectors and fabricated their own fixtures rather than purchase new fixtures? That way you could have as many tubes as you want, with the tubes positioned at different rotations, etc. if desired to work best with your space. Has anybody done it? Pros and cons?

 

[Dagny]

A local dairy supply store has all the parts to make up just about anything you would want. however no UL listing.

 

[Gmonkee]

Somebody posted doing just that.

If you stay within limits of stuff like good connections and a good grade of wire safety wonKt be an issue.

I am halfway through rebuilding an old flourecent into a dual voltage hybred with LED inside and the 110vac side is impressive so far. But for over a workbench and not general lighting.

Go for it, just keep it safe using good materials.

 

[cybrdyke]

If you're capable at metal work, it shouldn't be a big deal. Some hurdles that you might encounter:
Sockets are made to slide into slots in the steel. You'd need the right gauge steel with pretty precise slots cut into them.
You'd need a wiring compartment, and/or an attachment point to an electrical box.
You'd have to be pretty precise in your cuts from end to end so the tubes aren't loose in the sockets.

With un-ballasted fixtures being so inexpensive, it seems like a bunch of work for no reason, unless you just dig doing this kind of thing.
Good luck,
CD

 

[dogdog]

when you buy led tubes from amazon, they usually have the recommend also buy is the tomb stones.... it's not as uncommon as you think... especially for people that that don't want to change their fixtures but still want to convert, it's a lot of work to re-fit fixture some times, paint, new fixture fitments physically etc... not just rewiring.... saying that, I haven't have the needed to... don't think it is that hard. unless you have to cut out some sheet metal to fit the new tombstone than anything else .... if you don't have a punch that is....

 

[bottom feeder]

With un-ballasted fixtures being so inexpensive...

Actually that's what prompted my original question - I didn't see a lot of fixtures (ok, I didn't see any) being offered for sale that didn't at least include the ballast, and most include the florescent tube(s) as well. So you're paying for things that you aren't going to use. You can of course buy LED specific fixtures that come with LED tubes, but that doesn't help if you don't want that brand or type of LED tube.

I agree it wouldn't be worth it to make a custom fixture if you could get a pre-manufactured one with just the parts and features you want, unless you wanted to do it anyway.