Another lighting question

[Chris152]

We put together a light workbench with storage on top today. We're looking to put a plug-in batten light above the bench, on the underside of the storage shelf. It's about 1.7m long, so the light could be up to near that length, tho about 4' would probably be plenty. We want about 6500k, but I'm struggling with how many lumens I can expect with a plug-in light. We had a quick look in B&Q when we got the wood cut, but about 1500L seemed to be the limit, and looking at Amazon makes my head spin (there are rather a lot and I really don't know what I'm looking for).

My eyesight's not what it was, so bright light is good - what would count as bright light (the kind that allows an old duffer to see small parts/ details) in this situation?

Thanks for any thoughts, C

 

[Chris152]

Could I just wire a regular three-pin plug to this and use it?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-reev...0v/476pp#product_additional_details_container

 

[Jake]

Yes, stick a small fuse in the plug though - 1A more than enough but 3A are easier to find.

Personally would go for 'cool white' rather than 'daylight'.

 

[Chris152]

Thanks Jake.

 

[Sideways]

In that length, you could probably get an LED batten up around 8,000 lumens even at 4000 Kelvin neutral white. (You get the highest outputs from cool white LEDs like your 6800K but personally I find them unpleasant). This would be a ferocious amount of light but if you divide the lumens by however many square metres it's shining on, still not as much as full sun.

2000 lumens per square metre would be considered very bright light for doing fiddly tasks on small, hard to see parts, but full sunlight is still much brighter than that.

My first impression is that 1500 lumens from a batten that size is low. 4,000 shouldn't be hard to get but you may need to buy something proper, not an amazon no-name.

 

[Fitzroy]

I installed these panels in my workshop 2 years ago and they have been great. There is a little wiring required to the driver and on to the fixture but it's very simple. I think a panel would have less shadows than a batten in the layout you show.

https://www.any-lamp.co.uk/noxion-l...-ugr-22-philips-xitanium-driver-8719157032339

 

[Chris152]

Thanks both - I went ahead and ordered the one from Screwfix last night, collecting today. We'll see. (Well, we're report back on whether not that's the case...)

 

[flying haggis]

Everybody seems to say that LEDs give out a lot less than normal bulbs/tubes but I think the opposite. Every tube/bulb I have used seems brighter than the old one yet a 2w led bulb in my eyes gives out more light than the previous 25w bulbs so I think it's down to the individuals preference.

 

[Chris152]

Fitted, it's just about perfect tbh, it's 3300lm. Not sure about shadows though Sideways (we'll know when we do some work there), but there are two bulbs and it seems to throw the light around pretty well. £31 including a plug and pack of 3 amp fuses, and it makes a real difference.

Thanks all.

 

[Sideways]

That looks excellent to me.
I agree that panels make a good, maybe even better alternative but now you know and if one isn't bright enough, just get a second batten and install it parallel to but forwards of the first one.
Thanks for showing us how it worked out.

 

[Chris152]

Couldn't resist sharing this one, in the half-light just now. Nothing to say, just a pretty pic



I probably need to get out more...

 

[meccarroll]

There a quite a lot of calculations regarding lighting but the distance from the work surface to the light fitting and the angle affect the amount of actual lighting you get along with other things. There are actual calculations you can do if you want to be precise. I did an NVQ2 in electrical installation a long time ago and did the calculations, might be time to re-visit my old working. Nice light under your bench, looks just right.

 

[Fitzroy]

Couldn't resist sharing this one, in the half-light just now. Nothing to say, just a pretty pic

View attachment 192874

I probably need to get out more...

IT's calling to you to come and make something!