Fluorescent light best in garage ?

**mpmiller37** · 10-21-2005, 06:22 AM

To see how a detail job is going in my garage, I think i read that fluorescent lighting is best. Is this true ? I have a black car and its hard to see how things are going until i get the car out in the sun.

**imported_rfinkle2** · 10-21-2005, 07:05 AM

i have a black car too, and find that halogen shows the defects well, however, all lighting sources show different defects.

i would definitely recommend a halogen over flourescent although halogens get very hot...

**Malekreza11** · 10-21-2005, 08:34 AM

no matter what you do, your car will look under par with a halogen light... Use the flourecent light as its more realistic...

**imported_Neothin** · 10-21-2005, 09:40 AM

I use two 1000w 2 light per tower halogen light stands in combination with the garages built in flourescents. In total there are 8 tubes over where the car is parked. I rarely miss anything with that combo.

**Accumulator** · 10-21-2005, 10:16 AM

This one`s worth a search as we`ve really talked it to death a few times.

I have fluorescent tubes (dozens of 8` tubes plus hand held), high-wattage incandescents (both ceiling mounted and hand held), halogens, and a window that lets in sunlight at an unforgiving angle late in the day. I`ve spent a *lot* of time and effort determining what lighting shows what.

Fluorescent doesn`t show the kind of marring I deal with; I sometimes joke that if I can see marring under fluorescents it must not be my car

Bill D finds it good for spotting marring on white, but I only see really awful stuff on black/silver/other colors. Even with magnification, other lighting shows a lot more.

Halogen is good for general swirl-spotting while you polish, but the most unforgiving illumination I`ve found is to turn out all the lights and use an old-fashioned incandescent light bulb. I use a 2-300 watt one in a hand held trouble light, varying both the illumination and viewing angles. It`s the only way I can spot the sort of micromarring that drives me nuts under odd lighting conditions at night (parking lots, gas stations, etc.).

All a matter of how particular you want to be.

**Bill D** · 10-21-2005, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Bill D finds it good for spotting marring on white....

Yes, peculiar enough, fluorescent seems to be best for me to spot marring on white. The shine just bounces back the light with other lighting

but the nature of the fluorescents seems to show what they can`t. Often I work with one individual fluorescent garage light turned on or with my hand held fluorescent trouble light, inspecting an area of a panel at a time. It`s a lot more work that spotting marring on the black car where I can just throw on my halogens or high watt incandescents and I`ll know if anything is present immediately.

**uzj100** · 11-03-2005, 09:41 AM

Anybody try metal halide fixtures in thier garage?

**Bill D** · 11-03-2005, 12:18 PM

I would add them to the "lighting arsenal". It can be another lighting condition to scrutinize the paint over in.

**pontman43** · 11-03-2005, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by Malekreza11

no matter what you do, your car will look under par with a halogen light... Use the flourecent light as its more realistic...

haha, this is a halogen light.

**Accumulator** · 11-03-2005, 04:23 PM

For me, it`s *fluorescent* lighting that`s unrealistic. I usually see my vehicles illuminated by other types of light sources.

Pontman- Heh heh, and when you get everything perfect under halogens- turn out all the lights and illuminate it from various angles with the high-wattage incandescents...and prepare to polish some more

No, I don`t do this on most of our vehicles, why torture myself?