Selecting the lighting fixtures and layout of the lights in the woodworking shop is a task that requires a significant amount of time and planning. It is necessary to determine where all of the stationary tools, work bench(s), mobile tools will be positioned to determine how much and where the lights need to be placed. It is never desirable to place a light such that you are casting a shadow when using a power tool.
The most common home woodworking shop light fixture is the tube fluorescent lighting. They are energy efficient, low cost and easy to install.
When designing the lighting for the woodshop, first determine where all of the woodworking tools will be positioned in the workshop. This can be done to scale on paper or physically placing each tool it its designated location. Once this has been done, you can now begin to determine your lighting needs. Where lights need to be placed and how much light you will need. This will help you to properly illuminate your workshop.
The type of tool and the tool’s working area will help determine how much light is needed. For example a table saw needs at least one 4′ tube fluorescent light fixture hung over the table saw’s table.
A drill press needs to have its drill press table well illuminated. Task lighting such as a work light will a flexible neck and clamp base will be ideal.
Garage workshop
Garage workshops have a unique need of being multipurpose serving as both workshop and parking the family car(s). All of the tools need to be mobile and be quickly and easily moved out of the way. The lighting needs to be flexible and be out of the way of the garage door. For a average two car garage that measures around 22 x 24 feet, two to four two tube fluorescent fixtures will provide ample lighting of the work space.
Celler workshop
Having a woodworking shop in the basement is nice and allows for a more permanent setup of the shop tools. A basement shop does present some interesting challenges. Most basements have a low ceiling height. The typical basement ceiling height is 7 feet. This makes lighting a challenge since suspending lights from the joists leads to potential head banging and being struck when moving material around the woodshop.
Basement ventilation is typically poor at best where heat from the lighting fixtures can make it uncomfortable to work in.
There are a couple of lighting options to consider when illuminating a basement workshop:
1) Suspend tube fluorescent fixtures in between the joists so that the bottom most edge of the light fixture is flush with the bottom of the joist.
2) Screw fluorescent lights to the underside of the joist. In areas where there is enough clearance to allow safe passage of your head.
Freestanding shed
They are nice to have. Typically large and open free from obstructions in the work area. It makes illuminating the much easier. Hang a set of fluorescent light fixtures and the whole space is fairly well lighted.
For a twelve by fourteen foot shed two 4′ fluorescent lights illuminate the space very well. Mount a 4′ fluorescent light fixture to the underside of the overhead storage to light up the space.
Task lighting
Task lighting gives you the light you need right where you need it. A work light with a built in ten or thirteen watt light bulb is a popular choice. These lights require a hook, nail or something else to hang on. The amount of light is fixed and cannot be increased without purchasing a new work light. Another good task light is the clamp on reflector. Most wood working tools have places where you can clamp on the reflector to light up the work space. With the clamp on reflector you can choose how much light you want by the wattage of the light bulb you install. Using a compact fluorescent light bulb gives you energy efficiency and reduces the heat given off by the light bulb.
Workshop lighting is an integral part of the overall plan of laying out a woodworking shop. Depending on the space for the workshop there are different things to consider and keep in mind when laying out the lighting. The most important thing to keep in mind is to not create shadows on the work surfaces of the tools.
July 7th, 2007 at 7:50 am
We’re built a 30′ X 30′ work shop/motorcycle shop. How much lighting and how many (main thing) lights do we need? thank u for your help.
July 9th, 2007 at 6:05 am
For such a space, I would go with tube fluorescent lighting fixtures for general illumination of the shop and task based lighting for work benches and stationary power tools.
For the general purpose lighting use six eight foot long tube fluorescent light fixtures. Arrange them into three rows with each row consisting of two fixtures. Two rows next to the outside opposite walls and the third row going down the middle of the building.
The first row the long side of the fixture will be five feet from the wall. The end of the fixture will be four and a half feet from the wall. The second fixture in the row will be four and a half feet from the first fixture (inline). Do this for both of the outside rows. Center the middle row down the middle of the building. There should be about ten feet of space between either of the outside rows of fixtures.
Another way to increase the lighting in a workspace without hanging additional lights is to paint the walls and ceiling white. Yeah, it can look a bit boring, however, white or light colored paint reflects light very well and will make the space look brighter with fewer lights.
Most wood framed garages and free standing utility buildings have a layer of black tar paper, or black felt paper, nailed over the studs before the outside sheathing is applied as a moister barrier. If the shop walls are left unfinished, the black walls will make the space look very dark. Even with a lot of lighting the workshop will still appear dark and cave like. Either finish out the walls in sheet rock or quarter inch plywood. And then paint it a light color.