Studio lighting?

[Mand]

Hi all,

Can I pick your brains please? I want to put some electricity in my shed (6 x , so I can have lights to work in there in the dark evenings.  What sort of lights would you folks recommend - what sort do you have in your workspaces?  I really detest strip lights so any other sugestions please. 
Thanks,

Mand

[Dragonfire Glass]

I have a stand alone halogen lamp, plus I've recently bought some small white LED lights but have yet to try them 

[Carol]

I have a normal light overhead and an angle-poise lamp to the side, but use daylight bulbs in them both, find they work pretty well & show the true colours of the glass better than ordinary bulbs.

[Forester18]

Hi Mand,
I have just replied but I think it got lost out there somehow. So I'll try again. In my new studio I have installed fluorescents, but I see that you don't like these. Don't forget that under a European directive incandescent lamps will be phased out between this Sept and 2012, so that leaves halogen, fluorescents and low energy consumption lamps which are infact compacted fluorescents. I have in my house changed over to low energy beacause they are cheaper to run but I don't like the way they start off dim and gradually brighten. In my studio I have installed an extraction hood over my bench and am thinking of installing lighting in it -I will probably go for halogen. If I were you I would put in a bigger supply to your studio than you think you will need. You'll probably decide to put in a socket outlet at some stage and might want to run a annealer. Are you running the supply overhead from your house or underground things you might want to think about. If I can be of any help please email me.
Frederick

[Dragonfire Glass]

Fluorescent light can chamge the colour of some glass - check out the colour change lavenders under daylight and fluorescent 

[Mary]

I've got a couple of types of lighting. I have halogen spots built into my hood, but I find they are quite a small "spot" IYKWIM, good light but in a small area. So I also have an ordinary lamp for a more general light.

It also means I can check colours under both types of light without moving.

[Mand]

Currently, I don't have a hood or any extractor, I have an open door and a carbon monoxide alarm (- which has never gone off.  ) I do have a small kiln which I run a long heavy duty extension lead from the house to  when I need to anneal.

Yes Frederik, I think I will get more sockets put in than I think I'll need.  Do you reckon 2 or 3 double sockets?  We plan to run the main supply cable from the RCD box close by under the patio to the shed. (Well, an electrician will.  DH is not too advanced on electricity, and I'd rather get it done properly and safely.

I will have a kiln, lights, sockets and maybe I should get a small bathroom type extraction fan fitted so I can close the door, overhead light - either daylight bulbs or halogen I reckon from all your helpful notes. Say if I got a small track and spotlights  - doesn't that get quite hot? Also what about the shadow they throw? I will also need small heater.   I would also like in the near future to get a big girls torch and oxycon ... God I don't know where to begin....

[Forester18]

You can never have too many socket outlets. I have 5 doubles in my studio and even then find I wish I had one somewhere else. In the area where 'she who must be obeyed' works there are 3 doubles. I waited a few weeks before installing an extract fan, I put in one of those Air Forces units which were discussed on FH a couple of weeks ago, and boy it made one hell of a difference. Most lights get hot and if the light is directly over work area I don't think shadow is a problem. Regarding fluorescents altering colour - I have to confess that I am colour blind - I can still see and differentiate colour but not quite the same as other people, so that might work to my advantage.
Frederick

[Linz]

I have a cheap angle-poise clamp lamp from Machine Mart and an energy-saving daylight bulb from Cheap Energy Saving Lightbulbs (online) plus an overhead light with the same bulb as in the lamp. This is useful for when I get up from the torch and need to find something when it's got dark. I'm really happy with the white light of the bulbs - helps the colours stay true to daylight - and they stay cooler so don't add to the heat given off by the set-up. 

[Mand]

Great Linz, thanks for that, I'm now thinking along the lines of a daylight bulb overhead and my halogen angle poise desk lamp. 

Frederick -  out of interest how much was your Air Forces fan and where did you get it from?

[Steampunkglass]

You can never have too many socket outlets.

So very true! Don't forget about all the sockets you might want for those extra 'luxury' items like radio/cd player, kettle even if you are too far from house and it's raining  !!! Some bits like electric dremal thingies for bead cleaning may not need a dedicated socket but it does save rummaging around and swaping plugs around if they do. I don't thinks they advise putting another extension lead on an extension supply like this Iunderstand, although a proper qualified electrician can confirm or deny that.

[Mand]

I've got sparky coming to give me an esimate this arvo. I'll ask him.

[Forester18]

Air Force fan came from Progrow. www,progrow.co.uk they are based near Exeter. Cost was about £130 inc vat & p&p.
Frederick

[Redkite]

Hi!

I am in the process of converting my shed. I am putting in one of those lighting bars with 3 halogen spots that can be pointed in any direction (£35 from Homebase). Plus, there is a light in the cooker hood, plus I have one of those anglepoise daylight lights with a magnifier in it that clamps to the bench.

I have had one electrician in to quote last Friday and another electrician has just left. The "proper" approach is to add a circuit to the main fuse board of the house next to the front door. Armoured cable all around the outside of the house to the shed, then a mini fuse board in the shed. I am having the cooker hood and light wired in, plus 4 double sockets. There are also fuses/rccd circuit breakers at various points. The first quote was £900 - I hope the second will be cheaper, because he's going to do the "good enough" approach, which is a fused spur from the ring main circuit in the conservatory at the back of the hose, then a shorter length of armoured cable and shed fittings as before.

I will let you know...

[Mand]

The first quote was £900

OMG!!!!    I've got one quote coming and two more to turn up and discuss.