Lighting question for Detailing pourpose

[ercapoccia]

I'm planning to tidy my box up.
And i really need a new lighting system to detail my car, but i'm complitely newbye on this topic.

This is my Garage.

Any suggestion?

 

[sledzz]

I'd uncover that back window and put in some flourescents couple down the middle couple down each side.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

If you are planning on getting REAL serious with detailing your car (including polishing) I would add a row of lights on the wall about 3 to 4 feet above the floor to better see the side panels and at least 2 if not three runs on the ceiling. I would also consider painting the walls and ceiling with a light colored paint.

You can't correct the swirls and defects in paint if you can't see them...

 

[sgrammel]

Try here for info on detailing

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/index.php

 

[ercapoccia]

Which kind of tubes would you suggest? Some Fluorescents T8? What about metal halide?

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I would use T8's along with the halogens that you have. Those two types of lights show paint defects differently and will help you spot them easier. The halogens (and halides) put off a LOT of heat and is the reason I would use the T8's. If I lived in Nome, Alaska that opinion might be a little different but I live in Georgia and it's hot here most of the time.

 

[ercapoccia]

Would be enough three pair on the ceiling and two couple for the walls (one each) of Osram 965 Lumilux tubes ( 5ft T8 versions)?

 

[ddawg16]

Most guys are most likely thinking...."wow, small garage"....looking at your license plate I'm thinking Italy....hence, pretty good size garage....by UK standards, it's a huge garage....

I would stick to T8's....it will be a lot cheaper on the electricity......but do like GeorgiaHybrid says....put some down lower.....but considering the width of your garage...maybe put them right at the corner of where the roof and wall is? Then maybe use a portable light for close work.

And, yes, paint those walls....a good coat of a semi-gloss white outdoor paint will do wonders....

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I think it would better to have the side lights at 3-4 feet (1-meter) above the floor but wait until the walls and ceiling are painted to make the final placement. Have some friends hold them at varying heights until the combination of Halogens and T8's give you the best view of the paint.

Another trick is to cover the shelves on the back wall with white sheets while you are detailing. A cheap set of sheets and small tacks to hold them in place can be a life saver at times. You would be surprised at how much those sheets will throw light on the end of the car.

Edit: Also check out autogeek.com and detailcity.com forums for some good detailer tips and tricks.

 

[ercapoccia]

Another trick is to cover the shelves on the back wall with white sheets while you are detailing. A cheap set of sheets and small tacks to hold them in place can be a life saver at times. You would be surprised at how much those sheets will throw light on the end of the car.

I'll replace it with something new, i'll clean up and throw away old stuff. I can't effort something cool as i see in your garages though.

Thanks for your advice guys. I really appreciate. My garage is small, you are right, but i'll try to get the best from it with your precious help.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

ercapoccia,

I have a friend in somewhat of the same situation that you have who could not modify his garage (small garage that was rented). He made a portable wooden frame that set on casters, tacked a white sheet to it and rolled it into position when needed. It worked similar to the light reflectors that you see photographers using.

Yours might be small but some of the coolest garages that I have seen on this site were older garages (one with wooden floors in the USA) and in Europe. There is an Italian garage shown on here that looks like it was built before the US existed as a country. That garage re-do was fun to watch and had lots of character. I like like the "feel" of an old, worked in garage that shows its battle scars proudly and that has a history over the sterile "show" garages.

Mine is neat and too clean but then again, it's only 8 years old. Come take a look at it in 40 or 50 years and it might look OK. I will be dead and gone but I hope that the guy working in it comes across a little something, picks it up and thinks to himself "I remember using one of these back when I was a kid."

 

[ercapoccia]

My grandfather hand built this garage around 50 years ago. If you look the wooden part of the floor on the left, you can see what mechanic used here in italy at that time instead of car lift to work under the car (a dig ).
My Father at that time had this car.

Tanks

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

If your grandfather built it, modify it a little bit to fit your needs and leave some of your "stamps" behind but try to preserve it as much as you can. Your kids and grandkids will look back at it 50 years from now and wonder about all of the cars that have been worked on, cussed over, modified and fixed in that garage. Try to add a few photos of your grandfather, dad and yourself in the garage and the cars that you have owned to the family album along the way.

Your future family will cherish the photos, I know that I love looking back at pictures of Grandpaws old Ford logging truck and dad's 38 Ford back when he was young (not to mention all of the cars he has owned since then). I just wish we still had the old family farm but that went away a LONG time ago.

 

[ercapoccia]

I've got some progress Take a look