Ok, I was hoping to be able to make a couple of portable stands for 8’ flourescents, but for various logistical reasons ($ and a lack of welding skills to start with), it doesn’t look like that is going to happen. So what is the next best thing I can do for lighting?
I’m also not going to be able to get the dark blue backgound around my garage. What have some people done to outfit their shaping booths? Pics would be sweet as well. Show us your shop!
Thanks.
hang the lighting with fixture chain & “S” hooks(so its adj.)on their side,most whse. lighting is from chains anyway. You can get a couple of 8’ pull-down shades and paint them the color of choice. But no matter how you disguise the clandestine operation…the foam dust will still be there. i moved mine from the bedroom(the dust feels abrasive,I thought it might wear it down to a nub)to the living room(built-in adjustable lighting)3 years ago and i still find evidence of the dust.you’re not looking for bright light,but for the shadows on the foam.
I went to the local hardware store and purchased the thick black plastic sheeting used for ground cover / weed barrier. I then stapled the plastic to wood trim and nailed the product plastic curtain up to the ceiling. Overlap plastic for an entry area and you have a pretty good backdrop for contrast / dust containment. The main key is to clean as you go. The black plastic provides for a good contrast and reflection is minimal… feels like you’re shaping in a cave though…
As for lights I attached them to my work bench…
here’s a pic of my setup.
Howzit Slow, Instead of 8 footers but 4 foot fixtures and bulbs. 4 foot fixtures are cheap and work fine and 4 foot bulbs are a lot cheaper than 8 footers. Wal-Mart sell the fixture for $8. and the bulbs for $2.00 (40 watt). 4 fixtures = $32.00, 8 bulbs = $16.00 for a total of $ 48.00… You would pay that much for 4 8 foot bulbs alone. Aloha, Kokua
Hey Slow. It really depends on what you are doing. If you’re just trying to build a board for the first time, then don’t even worry about it, just get your blank and a few tools and head to your garage and start chopping away. That will be fine for your first few boards, you don’t really need the side lights to make a functional surfboard. After you get a few under your belt, and your still stoked on it, then you’ll probably want to get a couple 4’ florescents from your local hardware store. They’re cheap, and you can nail them to some makeshift stands out of 2x4 or other suitable lumber, the stands don’t have to be metal… you just want the light coming from the sides it doesn’t have to be professional or anything. That will make a big difference, and then after that you can move up to 2 4’ers on each side when you have the money and space. Or 2 8’ers. As for the blue room, just go buy yourself some blue tarps and hang them up around the area you want to shape. Turn out all the lights, fire up your impromptu side lights and, presto! Shaping room. It’s more about the ability and drive inside you, then what your tools and room look like any ways! -Carl
here’s my setup, and my boards kick ass!
Which way do you want the lights pointed?
Up towards the cealing?
180 degrees to the board?
hanging down?
All?
Thanks.
I shape mine in my garage, with the garage door open. Perfect side-lighting, any time of day… Just have to spin the blank around to see the other side.
Works for me!
About that lighting. Real lighting makes a world of difference. However, I also shaped and glassed many a board with Christmas lights stapled to the walls of my trailer. You can string them at whatever height you want and they are free if you take them from cardboard box in your garage. Since then I have found that many people are stoked to get rid of their old flourescents. It turns out long flourescent light bulbs are signifigantly more desireable in shaping bays than homes nowadays. Dumpsters from kitchen remodels and associated trash piles often have nice flourescent lights in them too. Darren
They’re cheap, and you can nail them to some makeshift stands out of 2x4 or other suitable lumber, the stands don’t have to be metal… you just want the light coming from the sides it doesn’t have to be professional or anything.
Do you have any pictures or drawings of these stands?
…and they are free if you take them from cardboard box in your garage.
Classic!!!
Ok, I was hoping to be able to make a couple of portable stands for 8' flourescents, but for various logistical reasons ($ and a lack of welding skills to start with), it doesn't look like that is going to happen. So what is the next best thing I can do for lighting?I’m also not going to be able to get the dark blue backgound around my garage. What have some people done to outfit their shaping booths? Pics would be sweet as well. Show us your shop!
Thanks.
My situation was similar and here’s what I did within my garage - 4’ flourescent shop lights hanging on collapsible walls. Throws nice shadows on the shortboard blanks I’ve hacked so far
Hey Slow,
Check these babies out: Craftsman 500W Tripod Light w/ portable stand
They’re not flourescents but they’re 10 bux a pop with a stand already included. Any of you guys know if these lights would work for shaping? Are they too bright?
Cheers,
Rio
Here is what I put together out of 1x6’s, 2x4’s, and plywood. I toyed with hanging them from the ceiling on chains too, but decided I wanted them more stable. Plus, they make shelves for tools while I’m working. As for dust bariers, I just put tarps over the junk areas in the garage. It seems 90+% of all the dust ends up on the floor for easy sweeping. One of my tarps is the cheap plastic for painting, and it seems to repel foam dust, never seems to be much on it. I just try to have the garage as free of “stuff” as possible so I have less to dust off. Sure wish I could find a real shaping bay to borrow…
