Looking for Woodshop lighting advice.

[Jabella]

I just moved into a new home where I can finally build out my woodshop. This home has a separate area in the basement with a wall seperating it from the rest of the home. There are double doors that goto the outside only. My plan is to upgrade the lighting first so I can see as I repaint a darkly painted cement wall and epoxy the floor before I start configuring it. Currently there are 7 60watt incandescent bulbs on the same circuit that do not provide adequate lighting (see the top of crude drawing).

I am leaning towards replacing them with 7 2-light 48" T8 fixtures and was considering the following configuration (see bottom of drawing). Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

I was also wondering about the ceiling mounted gas heater and since I will have a light very close to it if the heat will cause special issues with the fluorescent bulbs?

 

[pattenp]

I would be inclined to mount the lights all in the same direction. Why are you thinking of placing the two middle ones perpendicular to the others?

 

[Jabella]

I was thinking since the table saw/router table would be in the middle of the room it would give me more direct overhead light to those machines. i was debating it though.

 

[Angelfire]

This might prove helpful:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/content.php?146-Lighting-the-Small-Workshop-by-Jack-Lindsey

 

[Jeff]

Save your money on fixtures. I have a similar set up. I put in high lumen CFL's. I used a couple of Y-adapters where I wanted more light. You can save some money on the CFL's by buying in bulk. I think I found 2 dozen on Amazon for around $37.

The only thing left is to make some reflectors to bounce the light down. I tried foil cake tins but they weren't quite wide enough.

 

[68rustang]

^

I did something similar to Jeff in the attached garage at the new house. When we moved in all that was there was two incadescent bulbs and the garage door openers. I was just trying to get a decent amount of light quickly so I could get some work done elsewhere. I replaced the two existing bulbs with 120W CFLs and added two more fixtures also with 120W CFLs. It isn't the perfect amount of light but it has allowed me to work out there when needed and keep moving on other more important projects inside. Now that I am looking for lights for the detached garage/workshop the cheap side of me is really trying to convince the rest of me that I should just use CFLs instead of T8 tube fixtures.

Not trying to hijack the thread but I am also looking for advice. What are the pros vs cons of CFL vs tubes?

Comparing the old house/garage (8 2 lamp T8, 512W, 480 sqft) to the new one (4 120W CFL, 480W, 830sqft):

1. the CFLs don't start quite as quickly, though not terrible by any means.
2. less fixtures for a given wattage
3. pretty even light output for either one
4. CFLs are cheaper

 

[kbs2244]

I have a phobia of the combination of florescent lights and rotating tools.
I have seen table spinning table saw blades look like they were standing still due to the strobe effect of the bulbs.
If you use ear protection this can be real bad.

Add you fluorescents, but keep the incandescent in the circuit so they come on together.
That is how mine is set up.
The incandescents seem to cancel out the strobe effect.

 

[Jabella]

Thanks guys, over the weekend I ended up replacing with 7 dual bulb t8's. The lighting coverage is so much better but I may take your kbs2244 and maybe do another light of sorts that is non florescent for extra task lighting. Today/tonight I am working on repainting those dark maroon walls and nice sterile white. I also picked up a couple of testing dricore panels for my flooring.

James