Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT Mick's Thunderbird Garage

[oldironfarmer]

Yes, I am great, in all modesty. But I was referring to the good variety of people you have posting on your thread.

So, the wife gets her way at last, more shop space. A conniving woman.

Why no pictures of the shed layout in the back yard? We can't make fun of you if we don't see what you're doing.

 

[Toothaker]

Mick, you will love the shed. Mine is 18'x12' and I can still see some floor. It has been 22 years and I mentioned it might be time for a second shed to store the bikes we never ride, the emergency generator that sits under the workbench and a number of extremely useful tripping hazards. Try moving the stakes until your wife says "that looks awfully big" and then move the stakes in two feet.

Are you kidding me? She will never say that! That's the problem!

Ok, here's the real story. She wants me to build a second garage. Something on the order of 18 feet wide by 40 feet deep. One car, but with nice work area on both sides. Tall, with a lift. Room for tools. And a separate room for the garden and lawn tools. That way I leave all the woodworking tools in the attached garage, and all the grinding, welding, beating on metal activity would be in the new garage. We have a corner lot, and it would be easy to do. But I have this crazy idea of being out of debt a few years from now, and a garage like that will be $30K and up.

Get this: she wants me to buy a MIG welder so she can learn to weld, too.

All this and she can quote entire Monty Python scenes, word for word. I'm telling you man, she is one in a billion.

 

[Toothaker]

Yes, I am great, in all modesty. But I was referring to the good variety of people you have posting on your thread.

So, the wife gets her way at last, more shop space. A conniving woman.

Why no pictures of the shed layout in the back yard? We can't make fun of you if we don't see what you're doing.

You are great, Andy. I was just joshing with you.

Pictures will follow, definitely. Ordering the top soil and crushed rock Monday for a Thursday or Friday delivery. My yard - in flat Kansas - doesn't have a flat spot on it. I will be making the dirt pad for the crushed rock, and start building. I'm thinking Saturdays will be the day I work on the shed, and weeknights I will be working on the TBird.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Stop right there buster!

On one hand you tell me how wonderful your wife is, then in the next breath you admit you're denying her the workshop of her dreams, complete with a lift and a MIG welder? How can you be so cruel?

$30,000 is just the price of a pickup that won't last ten years.

Now, seriously, being out of debt if you are not retiring pales compared to a nice stand alone shop. With a lift. You really need to think this completely through.

You need to bring her by so we can talk. You can stay in the truck.

Man, what a build thread this is going to be!

 

[bj383ss]

Wow overnight a new shed is going up or possibly another garage. That wife is definitely a keeper! I vote for the garage but I understand the no debt. We have 22 payments left on the wife's new car and then our only debt will be a few small cards and the house. I can't wait.

You will love extra space you will have with the shed. And I am doing the same as your plan. Woodworking in the garage, metal and paintwork in the shed workshop. I built mine 12x18 with the front 10x12 as a workshop and the back 8x12 storage and lawn equip.

Need to see some pictures....


Bret

 

[oldironfarmer]

I have to admit I got out of debt as soon as I could. While it was a very nice feeling, I soon came to realize if I was going to work longer some reasonable debt in real estate made a lot of sense. but that was my situation.

All that being said I hope everyone understands it is all in fun, that each person's financial situation is different and it is critical they manage their finances, not internet friends.

 

[Toothaker]

Wow overnight a new shed is going up or possibly another garage. That wife is definitely a keeper! I vote for the garage but I understand the no debt. We have 22 payments left on the wife's new car and then our only debt will be a few small cards and the house. I can't wait.

You will love extra space you will have with the shed. And I am doing the same as your plan. Woodworking in the garage, metal and paintwork in the shed workshop. I built mine 12x18 with the front 10x12 as a workshop and the back 8x12 storage and lawn equip.

Need to see some pictures....


Bret

It's a shed I'll be building, not a garage. I think I worded that badly. Maybe I should have said "she wishes I would build a second garage in the back yard" or something like that. She and I are on the same page as regards finances, so that's why I'm surprised that she is so certain that a shed is needed. But the cost of a nice shed is just a fraction of the cost of the garage we have been talking about.

 

[Toothaker]

I have to admit I got out of debt as soon as I could. While it was a very nice feeling, I soon came to realize if I was going to work longer some reasonable debt in real estate made a lot of sense. but that was my situation.

All that being said I hope everyone understands it is all in fun, that each person's financial situation is different and it is critical they manage their finances, not internet friends.

What is the thing that sticks in my mind from your post, Andy? That we are friends, you and the others here. I'll take it, thanks. A man needs all the friends he can get.

Yes, of course I took your comments about debt, possible new (large) expenditures, etc. as humor. I would just as quickly tell you to get yet another hot rod, knowing as I do that you have plenty already. It's what friends do. In fact, you need a red one. Not my TBird, mind you, a red one of your own.

I'll be the first to admit my money management skills are second rate. But around the same time as I started decluttering my home, organizing my garage, etc. my wife and I came up with a 5 year plan to get out of debt, except for a home mortgage. We are on track, and for the first time in a very long time the numbers are starting to look right. There have been a few bumps along the way, and we keep adjusting the plan and our expectations. But that's actually the source of my surprise - Dondi (my wife) is a lot more disciplined moneywise, so things are always a lot more clear to her when it comes to "should we do this or not?" So the shed expenditure will be a minor adjustment to the debt timeline.

My wife's name is Dawn. Her dad was named Don. So it got confusing at home when she was growing up, so they added her middle initial. "Dawn D." became Dondi.

 

[Bob Heine]

Are you kidding me? She will never say that! That's the problem!

Ok, here's the real story. She wants me to build a second garage. Something on the order of 18 feet wide by 40 feet deep. One car, but with nice work area on both sides. Tall, with a lift. Room for tools. And a separate room for the garden and lawn tools. That way I leave all the woodworking tools in the attached garage, and all the grinding, welding, beating on metal activity would be in the new garage. We have a corner lot, and it would be easy to do. But I have this crazy idea of being out of debt a few years from now, and a garage like that will be $30K and up.

Get this: she wants me to buy a MIG welder so she can learn to weld, too.

All this and she can quote entire Monty Python scenes, word for word. I'm telling you man, she is one in a billion.

Mick, you really know how to hurt a guy.

(no copyright infringement is intended)

I completely understand the debt thing. We pay cash for our vehicles and paid off our mortgage when we were in our 40s. Even paid cash for the current house.

On the other hand, you will never regret going for bigger when it comes to shop/storage space. Is it possible to do the big structure in stages -- you can store the stuff you want in an unfinished building with just framing and dry-in. As you can afford it, do the electrical/plumbing and then interior finishing.

You wouldn't be the first one to put up a shed and then tear it down a few years later when it turns out to be too small. Haven't heard of anybody tearing down a shop with a lift.

With Christmas right around the corner, something red or blue would be a perfect gift for the one-in-a-billion wife.

EDIT: OK, everyone else had better ideas. How about building the 18'x12' shed on an 18'x40' slab and adding the garage portion later?

 

[Toothaker]

Mick, you really know how to hurt a guy.

(no copyright infringement is intended)

I completely understand the debt thing. We pay cash for our vehicles and paid off our mortgage when we were in our 40s. Even paid cash for the current house.

On the other hand, you will never regret going for bigger when it comes to shop/storage space. Is it possible to do the big structure in stages -- you can store the stuff you want in an unfinished building with just framing and dry-in. As you can afford it, do the electrical/plumbing and then interior finishing.

You wouldn't be the first one to put up a shed and then tear it down a few years later when it turns out to be too small. Haven't heard of anybody tearing down a shop with a lift.

With Christmas right around the corner, something red or blue would be a perfect gift for the one-in-a-billion wife.

EDIT: OK, everyone else had better ideas. How about building the 18'x12' shed on an 18'x40' slab and adding the garage portion later?

Dang it fellas. Asking you guys about what size shed/garage to build is like asking an alcoholic if I should cut back or not.



Edit: the second garage thing was to illustrate what a fine partner I have in life, not to cast doubts on the near term plans we have.

In reality, building a second garage wouldn't be the best plan financially. The house already has a 940 s.f. garage attached, so adding a 700 s.f. garage to the back yard isn't going to add value to it for the typical home buyer.

Long term, someday we will likely find a home with a small amount of land outside of town, one that hopefully already has outbuildings. But for now, we like where we are. And I like that our house isn't a project. The last one was most certainly a project, and we both were completely done with 'house projects' after that one.

 

[Toothaker]

Not much progress today. That 24 hour stomach bug really got me down.

I'd already soaked the second caliper while it was still assembled, so it didn't need to soak very long disassembled. Fresh from the vinegar.

Half brushed. It doesn't take much effort at all.

Then fully brushed.

Then a coat hanger and a nearby tree is used to paint it.

And then I put some new decorations on A's bedroom door.

Sample: Carpe dime. Seize the coin.

I wish I could take credit for writing that, but these can be found at tearablepuns.org.

 

[jbmatth]

You are still making great progress on the T-bird, just like eating an elephant taking it one bite at a time.

As far as the shed, shop, garage, and money debate. I'm with you, I want to get out of debt (Auto, house, and land only luckily) before I build a nicer shop that doesn't leak and hopefully insulated. Enjoy what you have and keep moving forward.

JB

 

[Toothaker]

Shed Progress

This is the corner where the shed is going. This corner is a low spot, with poor drainage. The only reason it's not a pond is the sandy soil we have around here.

Ordered 3 tons of top soil. It was delivered today.

With this weekend's time change, I figured I better get started. I cut the sod off and carted it away.

I started carrying the new top soil it to the back yard.

This indicates how much I got moved today.

I'll get the rest of the dirt moved this weekend.

Thanks for following along.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Toothaker that pile of top soil looks like a heap of work, all the best with it.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Now we're seeing real work!

Plans for compaction?

 

[Toothaker]

You are still making great progress on the T-bird, just like eating an elephant taking it one bite at a time.

As far as the shed, shop, garage, and money debate. I'm with you, I want to get out of debt (Auto, house, and land only luckily) before I build a nicer shop that doesn't leak and hopefully insulated. Enjoy what you have and keep moving forward.

JB

JB, your 'eating an elephant one bite at a time' is a perfect analogy. I was told that creating this thread would motivate me, and it has, to keep moving forward. Thanks for stopping by.

Toothaker that pile of top soil looks like a heap of work, all the best with it.

1/2 Cup, yes it is a lot of work. That 3 tons of dirt feels a lot more like 6000 pounds. I have to move the dirt about 150 feet (45 meters) from the driveway to the far corner of my property. I planned ahead and bought a cart that my lawn tractor can pull; that keeps me from using a wheelbarrow for all this dirt.

Thanks for following along.

Now we're seeing real work!

Plans for compaction?

Thanks, Andy. It sure feels like real work too. My arms and my chest are complaining today.

Oh, yes, I have plans for compaction. The new top soil has been shredded, so it is fluffy. So my plan is to get it moved Saturday, and the forecast rains on Saturday evening and Monday should help some. The sandy soil reacts well to water, which displaces the air, and then when the water drains away the voids are reduced or even eliminated.

Late next week I will get some 1" crushed rock delivered. Probably around 1.5 tons or so. I'll rent a compactor, and use it on the dirt first, move the rock to the build site and then compact the rock.

Thanks for following along Andy.

 

[Grumblebum]

Cool shed progress Mick

 

[dchance]

You are making progress and looks like the weather will cooperate with you.

Dwight

 

[Toothaker]

Cool shed progress Mick

Thanks, Grumblebum. The storage shed has been on my mind for 15 years, so it feels great to be actually building it.

You are making progress and looks like the weather will cooperate with you.

Dwight

Thank you, Dwight! I got all the dirt moved by 3:30 this afternoon, and the weather forecast said it would start raining at 4 PM. Well, it hasn't started raining yet.

 

[Toothaker]

I've never had an issue uploading a picture, but this one was problematic for some reason. It failed to upload several times, and only after I resized it, making it smaller, would it load. Ah, well. Bob Heine had mentioned his chiminea in his thread, so I thought I'd post an action shot of ours.

Still not compacted, but the dirt is all in place.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I'd like to move to Hawaii, and, if I do, I plan on getting a chiminea from Crimea for Waimea.

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Mick, that pile of soil on the driveway brings back lots of memories of aching muscles. [emoji20]

Are you doing a slab or some other flooring?



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[Toothaker]

I'd like to move to Hawaii, and, if I do, I plan on getting a chiminea from Crimea for Waimea.

Andy, your rhyming skills exceed mine, as all your other skills do, too. I tried to come up with something clever, but failed. I'm sure there's something that I do on a par with you, but I can't think of it at the moment.

Thanks for reading. And thanks for encouraging me to start this thread. It is just as you said, it motivates me to keep going.

Hey Mick, that pile of soil on the driveway brings back lots of memories of aching muscles. [emoji20]

Are you doing a slab or some other flooring?

Mark, In my case, my aching muscles aren't a memory at the moment.

I am actively pondering my floor options. I would prefer concrete, but I've never done a slab that big. I've poured the occasional sidewalk sized things, where I could reach across by hand and screed and smooth. But this is 10' x 12', or roughly 3 x 3.5 meters. I would need to rent some tools and get some rubber boots for my size 15 feet.

Add in I need at least 2 cubic yards of mud, which is over 8000 lbs (over 3600 kg) and it needs to be carted 110 feet (~33 meters) from the side street to the far corner of my lot.

An alternative would be to contract out the concrete flat work. I should get quotes at least. But I'm on a budget, and I have low expectations that a contractor can meet my cost expectations.

So it will likely be wood. The downside there is the vertical dimension; the wood floor is going to be several inches higher off the ground, which will require a ramp of some sort.

As you can see, I'm pondering.

Thanks for following along. It is much appreciated.

 

[xtremek]

I was thinking that doing it in several sections might work, but with cold weather pretty much here, I'd guess that's out of the question. Good luck, which ever direction you go.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Hey! What happened to Dorthea's tortillas? I thought that was great, touched my Seoul, just didn't have time to respond. I have no rhyming skills, that stuff just pops into my head and if I don't spit it out it pollutes my mind.

From your picture it looked like you are close to a side road, can't take down a fence section? With one more person you can screed ten ft across with a 12 ft 2x6. Still need rubber boots.

I suggest making soil cement, rototill 10% cement into the top 3" of your finished pad then rake and roll it smooth. That will make a firm bed to work on, then lay down plastic and put down something like concrete pavers with mortared joints. I think cap blocks would be too expensive. Should be good for garden storage but you'll get some expansion cracks through the joints.

 

[Toothaker]

I was thinking that doing it in several sections might work, but with cold weather pretty much here, I'd guess that's out of the question. Good luck, which ever direction you go.

This part of Kansas has hard winters, for a few weeks every year. The problem is, we never know in advance which weeks it will be. But in between these cold weeks, we have moderate weather. We've had snow accumulations as early as November, and as late as April. But it's equally likely we will have days in the 60's in the winter.

I figure I will get the shed finished before the really cold stuff hits.

Thanks for following along, Kirk.

Hey! What happened to Dorthea's tortillas? I thought that was great, touched my Seoul, just didn't have time to respond. I have no rhyming skills, that stuff just pops into my head and if I don't spit it out it pollutes my mind.

From your picture it looked like you are close to a side road, can't take down a fence section? With one more person you can screed ten ft across with a 12 ft 2x6. Still need rubber boots.

I suggest making soil cement, rototill 10% cement into the top 3" of your finished pad then rake and roll it smooth. That will make a firm bed to work on, then lay down plastic and put down something like concrete pavers with mortared joints. I think cap blocks would be too expensive. Should be good for garden storage but you'll get some expansion cracks through the joints.

I kept cringing when I read my weak rhymes. I try to not post things and then delete them, but that one was just embarrassing.

Actually, there's no fence in my back yard next to the side road toward the east. You can see that in the chiminea picture which was taken toward the side street. It's open that direction. My neighbors to the North and West have fences, and I have a small fence on the west side of the house to stop the kids from cutting through my back yard. So my back yard is fenced on three sides.

I know what a cement truck will do to my yard if I had them drive up to the site, so that's out.

I will get the 2 tons (or so) of 1" crushed rock delivered next week, and get it carted to the site. That will be a good base for either a wood or a concrete foundation and floor, so I don't have to decide right now.

I don't like the soil cement thing. I know it works, and I've even helped someone do that once. But I wasn't impressed with the results. It's just a personal preference, I guess.

I'm constantly surprised when people comment on my thread, since it's not nearly as interesting as yours, Andy, or any of dozens of others here. Thank you!

As an aside, why do Kansans call them 'cement trucks'? Cement is just one ingredient to concrete, but nobody around here calls them concrete trucks. Hmmm.

 

[Toothaker]

A couple of small bites of the elephant today. I got the bearings packed and rotor wheels installed today.

I don't know what's different with Ford grease as compared to all the other manufacturer's grease. For what it's worth, it complies with the same grease specifications as ordinary grease, NLGI GC-LB.

It may not be much, but it is progress.

Thanks for following along.

Does anyone want some new wheel bearing dust caps? DORMAN 618101 {#13975, 3206248, B5A1131A} It was cheaper to buy a box of 5 than is was to buy one, and I have 3 left over. Fits Ford, Lincoln and Mercury medium and full sized cars, 1965 to 1989. Drop me a note and I'll send them to you.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Nice bite of the elephant.

You overthink things too much. Dorthea's tortillas was a hoot.

 

[Toothaker]

Nice bite of the elephant.

You overthink things too much. Dorthea's tortillas was a hoot.

I'll work on underthinking things. Do you know how to do that?

I've been called a smart alec before, too.

Thanks for stopping by, Andy.

 

[Toothaker]

Not much progress to report. Work has kept me busy, and I had a run-in midweek with some undercooked food at a restaurant.

We've had a cold snap, with rain and snow here, so I've not worked on the shed. With the shorter daylight hours, and the cold weather, I decided to work on the garage.

I want to get the ceiling insulated, but I have some wires to pull first. So I installed a few more lights today.

The three light fixtures in the center, in a line going away from the camera, are the original lights. I tried florescent lights, which you can see to the left. And then I switched to LED lights in the original fixtures. I installed two bulb splitter fixtures with 1600 lumen LEDs and 3500k, roughly what two 100 watt incandescent lights produce. That was good, but I wanted more so I used three bulb splitters with 2600 lumen bulbs and 6500k.

Today I added three more 'medium base' fixtures, and installed the three bulb splitters and more of the 2600 lumen bulbs. The new fixtures have pull strings, so when I'm working in the garage I can switch them on, but the rest of the time, when we are coming and going, just the original fixtures are illuminated.

12 2600 lumen LEDs, 4 1600 lumen LED bulbs, two 4 foot T8 florescent fixtures - I can see to work in my garage.

A few more things to do above the ceiling and I can get the garage insulated. So, progress. It may no look like much, but I think I got a lot done today.

Edit: Going off in a wattage tangent here. For years I had 3 100 watt bulbs in the garage, which produced 4800 lumens of light. Now I have all these LEDs, which draw 396 watts of power and produce 37,600 lumens. Nearly 8 times the illumination for 96 additional watts of electricity consumed.

This doesn't take into consideration the power draw of the florescent lights, or the lumens they contribute. I believe they draw 32 - 34 watts per bulb and produce 1800 lumens per bulb, but don't quote me on that.

Thanks for following along.

 

[AldeanFan]

Lights look good, nothing beats a well lit work space.

Keep those wheel bearing dust capsX I lost several Dorman caps off my Country Squire, I don’t k now if it it was the caps or the rotors but something didn’t fit quite right


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[53PontiacSD]

Nice light setup. I was in Wichita a few months ago at a car show. Wish I'd seen this thread before then. Would have been nice to meet up with you.

Billy

 

[Toothaker]

Lights look good, nothing beats a well lit work space.

Keep those wheel bearing dust capsX I lost several Dorman caps off my Country Squire, I don’t k now if it it was the caps or the rotors but something didn’t fit quite right

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally when I replaced the double 1600 lumen bulbs with the triple 2600 bulbs, I was concerned I'd gone overboard on the brightness. Nope. It's great. So yesterday I just about doubled the lumens in the garage.

Yes, I thought about the dust cap thing - these new caps are China repops, so who knows if they got the dimensions right or not. They went on right; I had to really smack them with the rubber mallet, but then they seated just fine. But yes, I'm hanging on to the originals just in case.

For some reason I want to call you Jason. Thanks for following along.

Nice light setup. I was in Wichita a few months ago at a car show. Wish I'd seen this thread before then. Would have been nice to meet up with you.

Billy

Billy, I've been through your area many times. The Texas panhandle can be... plain. Maybe that's why they are called the plains. Sure thing, if you're planning to come this way in the future, send me a PM and we will meet up. I appreciate the interest in my thread.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Edit: Going off in a wattage tangent here. For years I had 3 100 watt bulbs in the garage, which produced 4800 lumens of light. Now I have all these LEDs, which draw 396 watts of power and produce 37,600 lumens. Nearly 8 times the illumination for 96 additional watts of electricity consumed.

This doesn't take into consideration the power draw of the florescent lights, or the lumens they contribute. I believe they draw 32 - 34 watts per bulb and produce 1800 lumens per bulb, but don't quote me on that.

Thanks for following along.

You can get up to 2,900 lumens on T-8's, but you can also get the same from LED T-8 replacements which are cold insensitive and fit right in your fixtures. You just have to cut out your ballasts and rewire for 120v to one tombstone, the other is then a dummy. We call them "Micks".

Most fluorescent T-8s are 32 watts and most LED replacements are 18 watts. Not a big savings but you can get back down toward your 300 watt legacy goal.

Sorry about quoting your request to not quote you but that was my primary incentive to post. I just had to make up some filler.

 

[drivesitfar]

Tooth: I can't say i've seen that style of lighting in a garage before. how do you like it?

also i'll be following along with your shed build cause i'm hoping to build a woodshop in my backyard something like this in 2020 after my deck and fence projects.

keep up the great work on your car too.

cheers

 

[Toothaker]

You can get up to 2,900 lumens on T-8's, but you can also get the same from LED T-8 replacements which are cold insensitive and fit right in your fixtures. You just have to cut out your ballasts and rewire for 120v to one tombstone, the other is then a dummy. We call them "Micks".

Most fluorescent T-8s are 32 watts and most LED replacements are 18 watts. Not a big savings but you can get back down toward your 300 watt legacy goal.

Sorry about quoting your request to not quote you but that was my primary incentive to post. I just had to make up some filler.

There you go, underthinking things again.

How did I know it would be Andy who brought up the T8 LED replacements?

Ok, so here goes. I was a holdout on the T12 fixtures, using two of them in my new garage that I'd had for years on a shelf. I even went out and bought extra T12 bulbs when they were going away. Then my T12 ballasts died, so there they hung, flickering pathetically, for years. Finally, late to the T8 bandwagon, I replaced them with T8s. Within days (or so it seemed) the T8s were overshadowed (ha! pun intended) by the LED long tube replacement bulbs.

Dang it. I want some value out of all that effort. So the T8s are staying until the bulbs die, and then we will talk about the LED revolution going on. Maybe by then we will have flux capacitor bulbs that produce 10,000 lumens using 2 watts. Dunno.

Thanks Andy. I tease you a lot, but only because I like you so much.

 

[Toothaker]

Tooth: I can't say i've seen that style of lighting in a garage before. how do you like it?

also i'll be following along with your shed build cause i'm hoping to build a woodshop in my backyard something like this in 2020 after my deck and fence projects.

keep up the great work on your car too.

cheers

Drives, I am frugal with my time and energy, as I have so little of both it seems. So I tried to get as much light as possible out of the existing fixtures. Doing it that way saves a lot of rework.

A couple of years ago I bought the double bulb splitters and put LED bulbs in that were basically the same bulb as the incandescent, same amount of light and the same color, but double bulbs produced double light. I think I got the splitters and bulbs from Ace Hardware. Since that worked so well, I started looking for triple splitters, and finally found them on Amazon. The bright 2600 lumen bulbs are roughly equivalent to what 150 to 200 watt incandescent bulbs produce, but with less heat and less power consumption.

The new lighting results in approximately 47 lumens per square foot; that's total light produced divided by garage area. And since the light is concentrated in certain areas - areas where I work - the light is better in the work areas. I've not measured the light, but each triple light fixture produces 7800 lumens, and I strategically placed them. So my seat of the pants calculation is that I have 150 to 200 lumens per square foot in the work areas. Much less squinting and straining to see something.

Thanks for keeping up. The shed build will resume quickly. We have periodic warmups now through mid-January, so I'm confident the shed will get done this year. Or at least, hopeful.

 

[xtremek]

I keep buying T-8s because they're super cheap. Eventually I'll start replacing them with LED bulbs.

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Mick, your lighting looks pretty impressive and I like the way that you can turn the extras on and off. [emoji106]

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[oldironfarmer]

I keep buying T-8s because they're super cheap. Eventually I'll start replacing them with LED bulbs.

Are you finding T-8 bulbs cheaper than LED T-8 strips? I'm seeing them about the same price so I buy T-8 fixtures, strip the ballast, and put in LED's.

Mick:

You still have your T-12 fixtures in the attic or somewhere? T-8 and T-12 fixtures have the same pin spacing so you can put T-8 LED's in T-12 fixtures. I'm digging some old T-12 fixtures out of the attic to do that. save landfill space.