yea I know. it’s in the archives but I am a veteran here and also a cranky old geezer so i ask the question. …I just built a new shaping room. It’s 8 feet wide and 16feet long. Last time I hung sidelights I use double bulb 8 foot fixtures with a 10" shelf on the top.
The lights in that room just seemed to be to bright. I was thinking about going to a single bulb fixture. Any ideas? All input apprciated. WHat about bulbs? Are some mo betta than others. Thanks RB
i run single bulbs on each side for that reason - double bulbs can be too bright especially in a narrow room. single bulb fixtures can be hard to find and/or more $$. i had a double bulb fixture and took it apart, mounted the components on my light shelves and rewired it. kind of a pain in the ass but thats how i did it…i know some people like to be able to turn off one side for more dramatic light so if you want that dont do it the way i did it…
light shelves are only 4" boards to keep some elbow room. deeper shelves and wider rooms the doubles are good but for a narrow room/small shelves i think you will like the single bulb better
The carpenter in me says don’t forget to tape and spackle at least one coat. It will help keep the shaping room and adjoining rooms cleaner and slow down the spread of fire. I’d also center the ceiling light over your shaping racks and put it on a seperate switch.
Going to tape the drywall as suggested… The room is also for sanding (thus the big suck fan in the wall) Going to cover it and put a shade on the window. I did the double ceiling lights for two reasons. I want a lot of light when sanding and I have a cable with a travel pulley that runs down the center of the ceiling. It is my vac hose track. I have a big dust collector in an adjacent room. When shaping I only use the overhead lights when templating or making fin marks.
I was planning on going 6" on the sidelight shelves. I have had at leat 12 shaping rooms in my 64 years but this is the smallest. it has central heat and air. The exhaust fan is almost scary when its going. Sucks dust out like a tornado. I have the time and money to make it really nice so I appreciate all of the feeback. The floor is wood and easy on the feet. May paint it white I worked in a Hawaiian factory that had the floors painted white and it was very pleasant for some reason. maybe it’s because it didn’t feel so dusty. I worked in another shaping room where the floor was white carpet. Those were the old barefoot days.
I’ve built quite a few shaping rooms. Each one I try to make the improvements I wish I had. The most important one I have done is put 12’ of lights. One 8’ and an extra 4’ end to end. I’ve found that on longboards or any board over 8’, is that the ends are in the dark. You have to push or pull the board back into the light.
The double bulb is a bit bright. So I have installed a plastic ceiling light cover into the front of my light box. It’s just a 1/2" square pattern.
I believe it channels the light out toward the board.
I’ve seen a louver system installed between the bulbs to control which direction the light goes. I’ve also seen one bulb painted or covered with blue tape.
I hope this picture helps.
Barry Snyder / Windigo Surfboards
I just untwist the bottom bulb a bit. unlit bulbs been sitting in my sidelights for years now
edit: oops I actually took a look and see that I removed one of the bulbs from each fixture. been a long time since I looked under there
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The fixtures I was gifted only work with both bulbs in - at least on simple test of trying to take one out… Ha! But I have them hung @ 60 degrees to the floor and the light works well… It sounds like if you can get ones that work on a single bulb, it’s be a good idea. Sounds like you got a great thing going…
I recently put up sidelights...... Bought the cheapest 8 foot double flourescent fixtures from Lowe's, using the "single point" (on each end) bulbs. I was stoked when I realized they worked with just one bulb! Plently of light in my 8 foot wide room with 8" shelves.
I prefer single bulb fixtures as well, and no shorter than 8 feet. An 8 footer and a 4 footer would be sweet. I like to switch them on and off independently, so you can cast shadows from one side at a time.
6" shelves have worked fine for me.
How bout a rheostat on that monster fan?
Single bulb is my favorite.
8 foot bulbs, sides and overhead. independent switches for all…
Bill is right. Single bulb is better. The reason guys use doubles is because the single bulb fixtures are harder to find, Whereas you can walk into any Home Depot or Lowes and buy a double fixture. I used singles originally but when I left Calif. and went to Maui I went to doubles because that was what was in the room I rented, Most rooms in factories around the OC are equipped with doubles. The “new generation” of shapers has gotten away from single bulb fixtures and it’s my personal opinion it is purely for convience. A single bulb is less light. When you are using shadows to see your highs and low, less light is a good thing. I’m going to go back to single in my new room. If I can’t make the adjustment back to single I can always change 'em.
my shop is approx. 10'wide X 12'long .
this is the gross area.
the displaced figure is more like 7.5'w x 10'L.
i use double 8 footers on the horizontal,and a 4 foot double overhead.
my shelves are 8".
the side lights are approx. 4" higher than my racks.
i also use this......area for glassing....so the lights are always covered in dust.........light defused!!!
plus....someone here mentioned the ceiling lights cutting the horzontals............he is absolutely correct !
plus+ ......with the doubles.....you can alt. single or double .......top or bottom.
i started with singles//////and shaped this way for many years..........
got three new boards built........and mass producing superchargers again...........
would love to go surfin' once and awhile...........gotta find some time .............but i am rollin'
got a new bug.................you know the fever........................as ben would say............stoked !
herb
Hey I appreciate all the input. Swaylocks is stiil the dawg.
Home Depot inexpensive 4' doubles have worked with only one bulb installed, and you can buy the bulbs by the box, buy a fixture to test, return if failed. Extension cord style wiring using power strips for the switches have worked real good to power right, left and overhead indenpendtly. Three 4' fixtures on each side is my next upgrade, 8' side lights don't seem to do well for longer shapes.
