Movable overhead shop light

[Ridgerunner]

Did this a while ago and I did not originate the idea. I made a bracket to bolt to a wall and made a post that would slip inside it. There is a 8 foot fluorescent light and regular light mounted to this post and wired with flexible conduit. Each light has a separate switch for on off. I can swing the light a little over 180 degrees using a brass rod that hangs down out near the end to pull it around.

[Ridgerunner]

Other pictures.

[BCRider]

I'm not sure of the "why" for this. Why not install local specific light units over each of the work areas which this movable one serves?

[reggie_obe]

I'm not sure of the "why" for this. Why not install local specific light units over each of the work areas which this movable one serves?

Maybe several reasons: 8' shop lights aren't cheap; cheap 4' shop light's aren't good, small reflectors, cheap ballasts, waste light on the ceiling; etc.; money; maybe some areas ( storage) aren't often used and don't need dedicated lighting; because it's HSM and he can.

[BCRider]

"...because it's HSM and he can." is as fine an answer as any. And one I've thrown out there myself in other threads. So... touché to you sir

I'm not sure that 4ft lights not being good is valid these days. Not just LED tube replacements. Actual LED light units. A couple of weeks ago I saw a buddy's buddy's shop that was done with some newly introduced 4ft light bars. Not tubes in old type units but actual dedicated LED fixtures. I don't recall what he paid for the pieces to light up the whole shop but it was cheap enough to be an eyebrow raising moment. And despite the 16ft ceiling (with mezzanine for the wife's art area) it was lit up like daylight in there from only 6 or 8 of the 4ft bars.

Ridgerunner, while the arm is neatly done I still think there's a good argument to be made for additional lights over your main bench or the work areas this boom covers. The fact that you felt the need to add an extra light to the end of the florescent arm supports the idea that your old 8ft'ers simply are not getting the job done well enough. Shall I ask about the brand and model of the lights that the buddy's buddy used?

[gellfex]

Hah, the one advantage of a low ceiling basement shop is I can put clamp lamps to the overhead joists wherever I like!

[reggie_obe]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a buddy's buddy's shop that was done with some newly introduced 4ft light bars. Not tubes in old type units but actual dedicated LED fixtures. I don't recall what he paid for the pieces to light up the whole shop but it was cheap enough to be an eyebrow raising moment.

The fixtures with the cob ribbon LEDS are fine. The two issues: flimsy construction, small reflectors to save raw materials and reduce shipping weight; power supplies that will crap out well before the LEDs degrade. Then what do you do? Buy another POS? Replacing the power supply/driver is not everyone's cup of tea.

[jmm03]

I would not think that changing out a driver module that involves removing 2 or 4 screws and disconnecting 3 wires would be very challenging. Especially since the cost has come down to very low level, but then again, I am pretty cheap myself... Jim

[BCRider]

The fixtures with the cob ribbon LEDS are fine. The two issues: flimsy construction, small reflectors to save raw materials and reduce shipping weight; power supplies that will crap out well before the LEDs degrade. Then what do you do? Buy another POS? Replacing the power supply/driver is not everyone's cup of tea.

That's true. And for sure I've tossed out my share of LED screw in bulbs where the LED array is just fine and it was the lousy power unit in the base that failed. And I do find that to be highly annoying.

On the other hand I'll counter this with all the threads I've seen here on HSM over the past few years extolling the great gains in lighting by many members that made even the basic switch from old florescent tubes over to snap in LED tube replacements and how much better they worked out. And how if my own experience in my previous shop is anything to go by how the 8ft units with the old large diameter tubes running off basic transformer style ballasts are by far the worst light producers out there.

Despite my thoughts on the lighting fixtures though I do find the arm is an imaginative solution. I just think it would be even better if it had a couple of the newer and brighter LED fixtures on it instead of the old and presumably tired 8ft'er that runs so dimly that it needed an auxiliary light unit added to the far end. I'm guessing that Ridgerunner used them because it was what he had on hand. But when the time rolls around for upgrading this would likely be a good place to start.

[chipmaker4130]

I'm not sure of the "why" for this. Why not install local specific light units over each of the work areas which this movable one serves?

Yer, just not thinkin'. I made an 8-tube T-5HO setup that can be moved to any point in my shop. I use it primarily for welding or detail work elsewhere when a dedicated bright light isn't warranted. My setup was facilitated by the fact that I already had a shop-length bridge crane so I ran the light along the beam on rollers above the trolley. Anywhere the crane can go, the light can go but they need not be together as far as 'Y' travel is concerned!