Red SLR Posted November 19, 2001 Share Posted November 19, 2001 If you have 5 16W strip lights and a 100A/H battery you should get around 12 hrs use out of one charge. 16x5=80 80/12 = 6.6 100/6.6 = 15hours to full discharge. Simon. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Ratty Posted November 19, 2001 Share Posted November 19, 2001 As a simple rule of thumb for quantity of light: Recommended light level for a 'garage' (according to the interior lighing code) is 300 lux. Workbench should be 500 lux, An 'average' 4ft (or 1200mm) fluorescent tube @ 36W produces 2850 lumens. If your garage is 4m x 4m, this requires 4800 lumens to give you the suitable lux level (lux = lumens/metres sq.). Therefore, you need at least two 1200mm tubes to make your garage 'light enough'. Personally, I'd go for at least three, maybe four, as this then pushes you over an 'average' of 500lux, especially if you put one of them directly over any workbench you have. Paint the floor & walls a nice light colour, and you'll be quite happy. Add an inspection light on a wander lead, an anglepoise on the bench (or place to clip the worklight), and you should be fine. I wouldn't use halogens - too hot, to energy hungry - to get the same light level from four 36W fluoros, you need to use at least four 200W linear lamps - paying five times as much for the energy. Besides, they are guaranteed to go 'pop' just when you wanted to get the engine out of the car. This is a simple calc. - you can make it more complicated if you want for a particular fixture, but its a useful rule-of-thumb. Regards, Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simos Posted November 19, 2001 Share Posted November 19, 2001 Julians, how far is too far, I use 2*50m, 2*30m, 1*15 and 10m of cord to reach the bottom hedge where I run a 500w hedge trimmer. Runs fine. Make sure you have an RCD. The extensions were all £12.95 each from homebase/B&Q. Cheers, Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julians Posted November 19, 2001 Share Posted November 19, 2001 About half a mile away, plus I dont think the police would appreciate me running a cable across a couple of main roads/roundabouts. Unfortunately I dont have a garage with my house so I rent a lock up. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted November 19, 2001 Author Share Posted November 19, 2001 Thanks Jonathan, very helpful . I think that I shall go for the workbench spec as I want also to be able to spray body parts etc. and it is necessary to have a very good light to make sure the varnish is not "orange skinning...". May be add some infra red lamps too to help paint hardening.. . Any experience of those? Cheers, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted November 19, 2001 Share Posted November 19, 2001 Pierre, I have about 60 fluoresent tubes in my garage and that is 220m² good for 7 cars [:D ] with this lighting night turn in to day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morls Posted November 19, 2001 Share Posted November 19, 2001 I cannot believe something as boring as lighting calcs has become so busy, it shows that the early sunsets are here now, or do you all do nothing at work? Anyway, the Thorn design program says, for Pierre's 4x4x3 garage:- Four 5foot flourescent fittings(PP158, equally spaced will provide an average of 409 lux at floor level. Nett cost for these fittings is under 10UKP at Newey and Eyre or similar. Assuming a 5A fuse for the garage lighting circuit this leaves around 1000watts for workbench/undercar halogens. For garages with no mains supply I always fancied a windmill driving an alternator and car battery, someone must have tried this. Or for the chunky partnered, an alternator on her/his exercise bike cluttering up the garage should solve both problems. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simos Posted November 20, 2001 Share Posted November 20, 2001 Julians, ahhhh, yes that is quite a way... Guy in a squat round the corner when I lived in Lewisham used to tap into the street lighting... worth a try ? Cheers, Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted November 20, 2001 Share Posted November 20, 2001 well, all this luxurious talk of loomins and bulbs and strips and paint rather makes a mockery of the feeble glimmer from the aa maglite clenched between my teeth that lit my car as i worked on it last night. i bet all you woosies have a second car with a roof too !!!!! wink.gif j ps you know it's bad when you pull up next to a volvo on the motorway and think.. " mmmmm.... i'd luurvve to be in there.. all that space... all that warmth.... " !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I reply to every thread Posted November 20, 2001 Share Posted November 20, 2001 3 extra cars actually! - but I've done my years of scrabbling about in an unlit garage on a Sunday night like some trogledite, trying to replace the UJ's on my Midget so I can get to work in the morning. Eh lad, I can remember when my first 2nd car (1981 Mini) seemed like a Limo in the winter after chipping the ice of both sides of the Purple Peril's screen before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted November 20, 2001 Author Share Posted November 20, 2001 Thanks Mark. I just bought 4 OSRAM tubes 36W @34 FF/unit. Quite inexpensive for a well lighted garage! Elie, and even more single seaters I presume... Cheers, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted November 20, 2001 Share Posted November 20, 2001 Pierre, A Vauxhall Lotus is next on my wishing list but first i have to finish my Seven ( 3 year build blush.gif ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Dart Posted November 20, 2001 Share Posted November 20, 2001 Now if you really want to get a gold anorak lapel badge here's another handy tip from an ex Film technician: Position half your flourescent fittings at right angles to the rest. Why? A strip light is a line source: Obstruct its light ,say with your arm, at right angles and observe almost no shadow. Cross it on axis and it all goes dark. Putting fittings at right angles helps to minimise this effect. At the end of the day its not the total lux pouring out of your fittings that matters it's where it ends up with you working on the car. Anything you can do to minimise shadow, and thus contrast ratio between lit and unlit, is going to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Horan Posted November 20, 2001 Share Posted November 20, 2001 This thread is so, so worrying Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red SLR Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 It is winter time! We need something to do, I actually found myself reading a book the other day... whats worse it was full of maths. X777CAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Ratty Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 Simon - I wouldn't get hung up by arranging your fluor. tubes in geometric grids. Although there is some difference in the way the light comes out of the tube depending on axis, it's really just a big 'soft light' once you get a distance away from it. With four in a garage, with reasonably light walls, the reflections will get rid of most of the shadows. Your friend is probably concerned with tubes closer to subjects than they would be hung on a garage ceiling, when shadows would be a problem. Cameras also have far more of a problem with contrast than the eye, which is very accommodating. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Dart Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 Sorry Jonathan, I have to disagree. The "softness" of a light source, or any other wave, is directly proportional to its area at the point of the observer. The sun is a pretty soft source when you are close to it but 6 million miles away it casts a hard shadow. Okay, this effect holds less weight for a flourecent on a ceiling. But it still makes a big difference if you use more low power tubes at right angles than one blizkreig halogen casting hard shadows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Gillet Posted November 21, 2001 Author Share Posted November 21, 2001 Simon, You just gave me the answer to a question I had still not asked! I know now that I shall have one of the best engineered garage (in terms of lighting)! Thanks very much, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Perry Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 Simon, That is exactly why I have staggered my tubes across the roof so that the light source comes from as many directions at once and hence only soft shadows. As for those of us being wousses for having comfy garages, I had years of working outside at night in winter on heavy trucks. It had its good points though, you could knock an enormous lump out of your hand and not feel a thing coz you were so damn cold ! No, give me a warm bright workshop any time. Edited by - Graham Perry on 21 Nov 2001 16:05:03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 i wish someone *would* give me a nice big workshop !!!! wink.gif oh, envy... anyway, more work by torchlight tonight... good news though.. i found my little head-torch yesterday. and for all of you wondering why my rollbar is fitted back to front, NOW YOU KNOW !!! j ps. just kidding about the rollbar... hee hee. Edited by - jam mad on 21 Nov 2001 17:32:12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maccers Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 I have no electricity in my garage, whats best for light and heat? Was gonna get a gas powered space heater from Machine Mart and just trail a power lead as and when i need power from my nearby house. RM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rynicolson Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 sympathy for Julians... I bought a garage last year with same problem, painted walls ands roof white made drastic improvement, but no power = no tea, no 240v tools, no hoover, I am currently borrowing small Honda genny, (I noticed the guy who has next door garage has one, plumbed exhaust through wall and very little noise) so i'm trying it for a couple of months, so far excellent. I hope to persuade a nearby home owner that i can tap their supply... but another question for you intrepid power specialists... short of leaving the generator running the whole time how can I power my Carcoon over the winter months? Tricks Y57 CDS "Mutley" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Brother Posted November 21, 2001 Share Posted November 21, 2001 I'm currently using a 30 metre extension lead (running around the pavement)to get power to my garage! For heating I use a Calor gas heater (caravan type), does the job very well. I like the sound of a generatorsmile.gif Steve www.Se7en-Up.co.uk id=limegreen> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Ratty Posted November 22, 2001 Share Posted November 22, 2001 Simon - I don't think we ever disagreed. My only point was that there is very little need to arrange fluors in right angles, because of the inter-reflections in the room. It can't hurt to arrange the lamps in cross patterns, but in reality, you're unlikely to see much difference in practice, unless the garage is painted black, and the colour choice seemed to have been dealt with a while back... Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I reply to every thread Posted November 22, 2001 Share Posted November 22, 2001 This lot is unreal - but what makes this club great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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