question on lighting

[House of Wax]

I`m wondering what everyone is using for lighting in their garages.....more specifically for when you`re correcting paint. I`ve got a typical 3 car garage that I do my work in and I need to make some improvements in the lighting. I`ve currently got about 7 or 8 4` dual bulb t8 lights on the ceiling and a piece of crap craftsman dual halogen stand light that I need to replace. I`ve got a decent amount of light overall in the garage, but I feel like I waste way too much time looking at every panel at a million different angles only to pull it out in the sun and see i`ve missed areas. Basically I`d like to get some lighting that will help me see better while I`m working on getting paint defects out. I`ve got a few strip lights that I`m thinking about mounting to the walls. I know that might not necessarily show swirls, but it`d be nice for general work. So what`s everyone else using that helps? Thanks

[pwaug]

I only do my own cars and a few others from time to time so I use one single diode led flood on a photographic stand while polishing -- it really shows defects well. If you needed more light you can also get a photo stand that holds two single diode led floods. This thread has allot of good info and later in the thread shows the photo stands both single and dual Finally a comprehensive review of the best bulbs out there... - Autopia Forums - Auto Detailing & Car Care Discussion Forum (http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums/show-off-your-garage/40239-finally-comprehensive-review-best-bulbs-out-there.html)

[imported_WhyteWizard]

When I`m doing correction, I have some battery powered LEDs from superbrightleds.com



http://d114hh0cykhyb0.cloudfront.net/images/uploads/FLPB-CW120-10W-LED-WORK-LIGHT-7.jpg



They can be found here. (http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/portable-work-lights/)



I like not having power cords running around but I really liked the idea of the aluminum stand with the single bulb from the linked post for seeing the top of the car. I can see a few of those in my future. Since they will be put on the other side of the car, the power cords won`t be an issue. The little rechargeable lights are great for shining up at the side panels so I can see what`s down low. I also wear a headlamp with a single LED. I use a rechargeable Led Lenser.



http://www.ledlenser.com/images/ll/products/H14R.png



Working in a dark garage so only direct light hits the paint is what I like. I did cars for a guy who had an underground garage so when I did his cars I turned off all his lights so it was like I was in a cave with just my few LEDs and I could see everything. His cars came out amazing.



Robert

[yas]

Hope its not hijacking the thread, any advise on lighting for seeing swirls in clear plastics (e.g. headlights) and glass (wiper marks)?

[Accumulator]

On the fluorescent tubes, under those I can only see "texture" issues. That *can* included certain types of marring and sanding/prep scratches, but not "swirls" or micromarring or holograms etc. I`ve even experimented with specialized fluorescent tubes (used in jewelry/art galleries) with no change in how they work for me.



Don`t dismiss crappy/cheapie halogens! I have a few halogen setups, and the *best* one for spotting marring is a really awful old cheap thing from Damark that I got maybe 25 years ago for next to nothing. Total POS but it just works better than my fancy (and expensive) ones.



But I need all kinds of lights to see everything- fluorescents, halogens, incandescents, Xenon, natural sunlight, the SunGun, and now I`m also experimenting with LEDs.



Tip- turn out the fluorescents if using another type of light. And keep the shop dark, other than the light you`re using at that moment, when doing inspection.



And as for the time spent inspecting when doing correction, I honestly believe I spend at least as much time inspecting as I do working the polishers. Between changing the viewing angle and distance and the illumination type/angle/distance, it takes a long, long time for me to determine whether a given area is truly acceptable to me.

[C. Charles Hahn]

When I`m doing correction, I have some battery powered LEDs from superbrightleds.com



They can be found here. (http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/portable-work-lights/)



Robert, what kind of battery life do you get out of those units? They look really nice!

[imported_WhyteWizard]

Robert, what kind of battery life do you get out of those units? They look really nice!



I get about three and a half to four hours. I like that I can use them anywhere because they don`t heat up.



Robert

[Accumulator]

Robert... They look really nice!



Yeah, very appealing!



So they`re OK for swirl-spotting? I can see them being *great* for general-purpose illumination, wouldn`t have thought of them for correction inspecting though.

[bill57]

For me, I haven`t found anything better than good old fashioned incandescent light. I use about 200 watts for general lighting, inspection, etc.

[Accumulator]

For me, I haven`t found anything better than good old fashioned incandescent light. I use about 200 watts for general lighting, inspection, etc.



Those are still my standard for spotting most kinds of marring, especially the wash-induced variety :xyxthumbs



It`s funny about the wattage, sometimes my 60W ones make it easier to see flaws than my 320W ones.