Layout Room Lighting

[rockislandmike]

So my wife and I are in the process of buying a house, and it looks like I'll have a pretty good-sized layout room. The ceiling is a drop type, so it would be pretty easy to install lighting as I see fit.

I'm looking for recommendations for types of lights, as well as placement - i.e., standard grid, or overtop of where the layout will be, etc.

I'm quite excited - my 7 x 12 layout in the garage will be dismantled soon, but I'll be saving most of the pieces for inclusion in the new layout.

 

[shamus]

Use Daylight Fluorescent Tubes spaced at 18" intervals on the ceiling. Just use one in the middle of the room for normal work, for photos, switch um all on.
Shamus

 

[scottg28]

sorry to horn in on your thread Mike, but I think this will apply to both of us, and just never got around to posting in my question thread

Shamus and/or anyone,

Are these a specific bulb type that work in any housing. In other words can I buy and install the regular hard wire flourescent housings and just use these bulbs?
Should the bulbs be in pairs in the housings?
In a 13 x 19 room how many do I really need?
If I used 2 switches for control, how many would I need to be general work lighting?

One issue I have is that an 8 inch heating duct runs lengthwise about half down the middle of the room, and as I have only 8 ft ceilings, I was planning to mount lighting directly below the floor joists to maximize the height, thus if I install a drop ceiling it would be only about 6 inches down if possible.

thanks for help,

scott

 

[Woodie]

I think you can get dimmers for flouro lights now. Not sure. But have you thought about using dimmers as well, Mike? For that romantic moon lit night effect? You know... the honeymoon express? Or a good smokey car with that card game going on in that compartment?

 

[Pitchwife]

I did some quick research and there is dimmable florescent lighting available, however is seems to require special balasts and bulbs. I'm not sure that the daylight bulbs that everyone is refering to falls under that catagory.
I'd be more than happy if someone could prove me wrong though. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[shamus]

My Daylight Fluorescents are not Bulb's they are TUBES and are 5 feet long each one, and I have 9 on the ceiling. I have them wired so just one comes on for normal working when I need photography, a further 2 switches will bring in the others.
Here's what they look like.
Shamus

 

[jim currie]

Mike
on my old layout i use indirect lighting for normal operation with hi output 8 ft fluorescents for work lights which i will use on new layout

 

[fifer]

Paul , I have not been able to find such a bulb here and you say they are 5'. we seem to have 4' and 8' . My lighting is set up in nearly your same fashion , but I must be using an improper tube as my pictures do not come out with the proper tones.
Mike

 

[shamus]

Hi Fifer, my tubes are Philips TL'D 58watt 950 You should be able to get these tunes as they are quite common over here in the UK. 4' tubes will work just as well.
Shamus

 

[Gary Pfeil]

Mike, I do pretty much as Shamus suggested, I space mine 2 feet apart. Drop celing panela are 2x4 so this works well. I find the lighting nice and even. Don't have the drop ceiling in place on this side of the layout so you can see their spacing.

 

[fifer]

Thanks Guys , I'll look again more thuroughly for those bulbs and add fixtures in between each of the existing ones.
Mike

 

[Catt]

Mike any large home improvement store should carry these bulbs.

 

[fifer]

Thanks John , I'll look at Lowes again but I didn't see them there or at Home Depot.
I'll keep trying.
Thanks , Mike