need some direction for lighting and workbench countertop...

[DarrenD]

for my garage and shop space I need qty:23, 4 foor flourescent lights.
the Home Depot had some 4 footers with two T-8 bulbs for @ 30 bucks a light.
bulbs NOT included. About the same price at Lowes.
Anyone know where to shop/look for some good 4 foot shop lights?

Second I want to cover my workbench in 16 or 18 gauge stainless.
Depth is 30" with a 4 inch backsplash. I need about 30 feet of it.
A local guy here in Texas quoted me $428 for 10 feet of it, as described above, installed.
A day before he quoted me $396, but after he saw my house I have a feeling he thinks I have deep pockets and bumped it.
Anyone know someone in Houston Texas, or anywhere else that offers a 16 or so gauge workbench top as described above?

Thanks

 

[elsensei]

i just bought 13 of those home depot lights for my garage. i shopped around quite a bit and those with the t9 ballast are the best deal i could find. I did go to the pro desk at HD and asked them for a better price since i was buying so many, and they gave me 10% off the whole order which was nice. Fifty bucks is fifty bucks!

 

[snorvet]

I want to do my top in stainless also. I talked with a fabricator who told me to buy my own stainless and bring it to a HVAC guy to cut and bend it. He said thats the best way to get a good price. I'm going to check this out within the next month.

 

[IDASHO]

for my garage and shop space I need qty:23, 4 foor flourescent lights.
the Home Depot had some 4 footers with two T-8 bulbs for @ 30 bucks a light.
bulbs NOT included.

I work at a Do-it-Best building supply outfit.

I just checked prices on unloaded (no-bulbs) 2-bulb 4 foot T-8 fixtures.

Under $20

Ill have to check prices on the bulbs today, I couldnt find them online doing a quick search.

Hope it helps

 

[timc]

A local scrap/surplus store here had a bunch of 4 x 8 sheets of 14 guage stainless that I bought for my countertop. The sheets were straight with some very light scratches (from handling it). I paid $160/sheet and the metal shops wanted about $400/sheet for 16 guage. Check around and you might find something like that

 

[DarrenD]

thanks for the info guys....

 

[burnout]

Check out this thread if you want to see a great work bench a with a stainless top:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5873

 

[197044RT]

Do your best to get the stainless quick, no matter which way you decide to go. We do a lot with manufactured stainless and all the manufactures have seen a 40% to 60% cost increase in sheet in the last 12 months. No expected leveling off in sight, just more increases...

Just a heads up.

 

[DarrenD]

Do your best to get the stainless quick, no matter which way you decide to go. We do a lot with manufactured stainless and all the manufactures have seen a 40% to 60% cost increase in sheet in the last 12 months. No expected leveling off in sight, just more increases...

Just a heads up.

Your absolutly right,... I met with the same stainless countertop guy today because the other two places I called never called me back with a quote. He met me at my place, took measurements, and came back an hour later with a test piece formed to my countertop. that 2 foot piece looked awesome,.... the whole countertop is supposed to be done next weekend, in 14 gauge.
I can't wait, by then the lights should be in as well.

 

[DarrenD]

update,... got my workbench painted, 14 gauge stainless countertops scheduled to go in this Saturday, today, the electrician wired in 23, 4 footer shop lights (Home Depot gave me 10% off my total purchase because I bought so many lights, bulbs, house lights, etc. etc.)
I missed one light turns out I have 24 flourescent lights, that are 4 footers in my garage and shop area.
Can't wait to finish the garage to move all my stuff in!!!

 

[rocco]

You should go to a local electrical distributor, you will pay roughly the same price, but you'll get commercial grade ballasts in the fixture instead of the el-cheapo offshore residential grade ones.