Lighting

[Shirley]

Ok, I didn't mean to break the light fitting in the garage when I was tidying up, but I did. I'll just have to remember to watch the lawnmower handle next time I pick it up to put it on top of a cupboard

The question is, if I've got to replace the fitting anyway, what should I replace it with? At the moment it's a standard single bulb fitting that doesn't throw enough light to work by anyway. Should I go with a tube, spotlights, halogen? All advice gratefully received.

[Shirley]

Oh, forgot to say I'm working in the garage and the fitting is about 8feet up and 3 feet or so to the right of my chair.

[Caroline]

i work in my garage too, i have the normal light and a desk lamp that i can adjust while i'm working

[glassworks]

a "low bay" metal halid fitting with daylight bulb would give you the very best colour resolution, but it is quite white and harsh - these are the kind of thing you would find in a b&q or something like that but just for a lower ceiling.,.. i know loads of people flog them on ebay..

otherwise general tubes for overall lighting, and a small desk lamp with a daylight bulb would give you much better control of how much light etc you have at the work area?..

[silverlemon]

I have a florescent tube for general light and a normal bulb in my lamp by my workspace.
I have 2 types because I find it handy to check the colours of some of the shift tint glasses like neo lavender (which looks blue in florescent and pink in tungsten).

However, my florescent tube and starter are now interfering with my kiln controls. This is a new problem, but should be resolved with a new starter and tube......I hope.

[*rowanberry*]

I have a halogen lightbulb in mine as it shows true colours (so I am told) well more than tungsten. Am very happy with it. I just got a normal bayonet fitting one for it. I also got an ikea halogen spotlamp if i need more light in the working area (which i find i dont).

[beadysam]

I mainly use natural light (can't beat it!), as I work mostly through the day, but if I need extra light, I've got a cheapo halogen track from IKEA that works really well.  When I did the Torcher Chamber I bought extra spotlights, but I haven't needed them at all.

[*rowanberry*]

Yeh natural light is good, i have 2 windows, a glazed door and a bay window on my shed studio so I get lots of it :-) I still like the halogen light on instead though :-)

I do reccomend cheap ikea halogen lighting!

[Shirley]

No chance with the window - there isn't one, so the only natural light is through the door and I figured it could be a bit drafty if I put my workspace there  I think it will be a bit of a nose round Ikea next time I'm visiting my sister. Unfortunately there isn't one near Norwich

[ABCreations]

I use halogen light as well, it was only £6 from the market but the best investment I've ever made!
I would recommend it any day. 

[Shirley]

I still haven't replaced the fitting, although I did buy a new rose about 5 days ago. Think I will fit that anyway and then have a look around for a halogen bulb. Thanks for the ideas, guys

[CelticGlass]

Speaking from 23 years in lighting design / sales and a past Chairman of the Institution of Lighting Engineers...this is my advice...

Do not use halogen anywhere near your skin and especially near the back of your hand whilst torching...

The radiant heat and wave length UVA is far to strong and can accelerate melonoma's in your flesh. You need only key into Google the words ( Halogen and Cancer ) and you'll see many articles alluding to this fact.

Light your studio general area with good colour rendering fluorescent tubes with a CRI 82 or better with a colour temperature around 4,000 degrees kelvin or better.. Tri phosphor lamps, either the long 4 to 5 foot tubes that will go in your existing ceiling mounted battens can be obtained from B&Q or good Electrical wholesalers.

For your local task lighting, right where you need to see things close up, you should consider replacing any GLS tungsten filament lamps, perhaps in your angle poise fittings, with a biaxial compact fluorescent, maybe 20 to 23 watts only. Try a GE Biax lamp radiating a colour temperature as high as 6500 degrees Kelvin. Also known as a 6K lamp. Available in B22 standard bayonet and E27 screw in types. Check your angle poise fixture first.

These lamps are very white across the spectrum and give around 65 lumen's of light per watt of energy..very efficient indeed. A standard tungsten lamp gives you only 12 lumen's per watt and a Halogen only 15 lumen's per watt of energy and cancers to consider, plus the radiant heat burning your face and hands. Have you heard of halogen heating ? Also high on infrared as used to cook with.

Next to my work space I use Biax lamps in angle poise fixtures that are 23 watts and colour temp of 6.2k as used also in Easycube studio-lighting for Ebay and web site photography. 

If your not sure about the best lighting solution... ask an expert 

[Shirley]

Wow, Ray! Thank you. A lot of food for thought there.