Lighting question

[detailbytravis]

i recently bought a work light to detail with. The specs are 2 bulbs that are 130v 500watts. and 2 bulbs that are 130v 200 watt with a combine total of 1400 watts. i recently read that 120v bulbs produce higher lumens. is this true? what are some specs on lights you guys are using? and will this difference greatly effect the ability to see defects?

[Accumulator]

detailbytravis- Welcome to Autopia!



IME it`s not so much about brightness as it is about a specific type of *contrast*. I do best with "point source illumination" in an otherwise dark environment.



Halogens lights are OK, incandescents usually work better for me. Stuff that`s invisible under all kinds of "fancy detailing lights" will show up clearly under a plain old bare, ceiling mounted, 60w bulb!



Many people like Brinkman Dual Xenon lights, but I find the 3M SunGun works a lot better for me.



Don`t get too wrapped up in the lumens/etc. There`s more to it than that. Even fluorescent tubes, which are generally lousy for spotting swirls, can be helpful as certain types of flaws (usually "texture issues" and varying levels of gloss) really show up under them.

[StadiumDetail]

To elaborate on what Accumulator said, it is also important to use all sources of light and not just your halogens. A car can look perfect under incandecents and the halogens tell a whole new story, then you can make that perfect and the sun shows new defects.



Learning to polish "blind" is the true skill that needs to be mastered here, I`d bet money Accum. can do a complete three stage with just that 60W bulb :) . And always remember that the sun is the true test, a customer isn`t going to place 1400W of halogens a foot from the car to see that last 2% you couldn`t correct, If it looks great in direct sun you`re good to go.

[Accumulator]

..Learning to polish "blind" is the true skill that needs to be mastered here, I`d bet money Accum. can do a complete three stage with just that 60W bulb :)



Well, I *am* partial to incandescents :D If I could only have *one* type of lighting that`d probably be it (well, metal halides come to mind, but I don`t have any of those). But it`d mean avoiding certain products/processes; no rotary work or [certain polishes] for me unless I have the right lighting to check for residual issues.



Somebody who`s better at this stuff than I am would probably choose differently and there are plenty of pros here who`d fly blind a lot better than yours truly.



But yeah, I use all the lighting at my disposal: halogens, then incandescents, with the Brinkman on/off now and then too. Then I check under fluorescents for oddball issues that sometimes slip past me. Then sunlight if that`s feasible (weather, etc.). Then finally the SunGun, so carefully that I have to stop and recharge it. But hey, I only do all that when I *really* care, which isn`t every time I do this stuff.



But IMO the biggie is to have all the other lights off, other than what you`re inspecting with. That dark environment makes a huge difference.




.. And always remember that the sun is the true test...If it looks great in direct sun you`re good to go.



I`d modify that *just* a little bit: IME the 3M SunGun can be *more* demanding than natural sunlight, if (big "if") you use it right. Maybe not "better", but a little different in a generally more demanding way. I`ve discussed this with Mike Phillips, and he agrees...to the point that he thinks I`m kinda goofy for using the SunGun so much :o

[keefer]

The OP brought up a good question, as I was wondering similar things.



I work in a large pharmacy, and today I noticed that the pharmacists have a very cool "lamp" that they use that has a totally flexible head.

it`s somewhat like this Bell & Howell Sunlight Desk Lamp - 7649E (http://www.csnstores.com/Bell-and-Howell-by-Emson-7649E-BAH1010.html) as it has a flexible head, but it is adjustable and is a floor lamp. The bulb to it is really odd. (Looks like 4 long thin halogen tubes next to each other.) Anyhow, the light it puts off is awesome. I was thinking about seeing if the company has an old one that I could borrow and try out..



The 3M SunGun is pretty expensive.. I think I`d rather roll the car outside to inspect and save the money. :o

[StadiumDetail]

The OP brought up a good question, as I was wondering similar things.



I work in a large pharmacy, and today I noticed that the pharmacists have a very cool "lamp" that they use that has a totally flexible head.

it`s somewhat like this Bell & Howell Sunlight Desk Lamp - 7649E (http://www.csnstores.com/Bell-and-Howell-by-Emson-7649E-BAH1010.html) as it has a flexible head, but it is adjustable and is a floor lamp. The bulb to it is really odd. (Looks like 4 long thin halogen tubes next to each other.) Anyhow, the light it puts off is awesome. I was thinking about seeing if the company has an old one that I could borrow and try out..



The 3M SunGun is pretty expensive.. I think I`d rather roll the car outside to inspect and save the money. :o



Apollo_Auto has been playing around with a headlamp, like those used in underground mines, and commented recently in one of his click n brag posts that he is really starting to love it. I would say if you are looking for portable/flexable light this is also an option to play around with, especially for only $20. The light is minimal vs halogens and similar, but it always give a direct spot of light where you are working, I`m sure it`s similar to Accumulator`s 60W incandecent.

[Accumulator]

The 3M SunGun is pretty expensive.. I think I`d rather roll the car outside to inspect and save the money. :o



Heh heh, yeah...it sure is! And there`s a real learning curve when it comes to using it for this kind of thing (I was ready to pitch it after the first dozen or two tries).



When the weather/time-of-day cooperates, sunlight is a nice cheap alternative, even if it`s not quite as demanding in some respects (heh heh, how good do you want that paint to be....guess being reasonable has it`s points).



See how that floor lamp works. It can be funny what does/doesn`t show whatever you`re trying to spot and it might be perfect for you.



I simply *LOVE* my cheap incandescent trouble lights from Lowe`s, but that`s just me.

[vberch]

Accumulator,



Is this an incandescent light you like: Lowe`s Light (http://www.lowes.com/pd_203219-1373-FL-302NPDQ8_4294857041_4294937087?productId=3122295&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_Work%2B_4294857041_4294937087_?rpp=60$Ns=p_prod uct_price|0#prod-tabs)?




Heh heh, yeah...it sure is! And there`s a real learning curve when it comes to using it for this kind of thing (I was ready to pitch it after the first dozen or two tries).



When the weather/time-of-day cooperates, sunlight is a nice cheap alternative, even if it`s not quite as demanding in some respects (heh heh, how good do you want that paint to be....guess being reasonable has it`s points).



See how that floor lamp works. It can be funny what does/doesn`t show whatever you`re trying to spot and it might be perfect for you.



I simply *LOVE* my cheap incandescent trouble lights from Lowe`s, but that`s just me.

[Accumulator]

vberch- Yeah, that`s it exactly (you even found the high-wattage one)!



I don`t use the safety guard on the front because it seems to cause minor shadowing/etc. issues.



Note that it`s not a miracle worker; you still have to mess around with the illumination/viewing angles and it works best in an othewise dark environment. But *I* like it well enough that I have two of them.



[Freakin`] hassle using it though, what with no on/off switch and the clamp sometimes lets go at the worst possible moment (remember that the shade gets hot ;) ).



Keep it back from the work a bit, don`t overkill the brightness aspect of using it. I can`t overemphasize the need to, well, figure out how to do this stuff, no matter *which* light you`re using. I wasn`t kidding about needing *dozens* of sessions with my SunGun before I got the hang of that one, and any (other) light might be the same way for somebody else.

[vberch]

Thank you very much!!




vberch- Yeah, that`s it exactly (you even found the high-wattage one)!



I don`t use the safety guard on the front because it seems to cause minor shadowing/etc. issues.



Note that it`s not a miracle worker; you still have to mess around with the illumination/viewing angles and it works best in an othewise dark environment. But *I* like it well enough that I have two of them.



[Freakin`] hassle using it though, what with no on/off switch and the clamp sometimes lets go at the worst possible moment (remember that the shade gets hot ;) ).



Keep it back from the work a bit, don`t overkill the brightness aspect of using it. I can`t overemphasize the need to, well, figure out how to do this stuff, no matter *which* light you`re using. I wasn`t kidding about needing *dozens* of sessions with my SunGun before I got the hang of that one, and any (other) light might be the same way for somebody else.

[Accumulator]

vberch- Well, don`t thank me yet ;) It might not work as well for you as it does for me, or it might work *so* well that you`ll see marring you wish you never knew about!