How much light?

[Curly]

We're building house and the shop will be above the garage. Does anyone have information on what the recommended light intensities should be for woodworking? So far I've found that it should be 100 foot candles / lumens per square foot. Any links to some good reading on the subject would be appreciated.

 

[target64]

Try this:
Illuminance - Recommended Light Levels

 

[TonyL]

As my friend says when he enters my shop: "I (he) need sunglasses". The hanging LED shop lights are getting so cheap, I just keep adding them. I do wear multi-focal contacts which "stink" unless I am staring into the sun....so that may be my own issue.

 

[monophoto]

I think this can be a personal consideration

I have very limited vision in one eye, so depth perception at close distances is a problem. I find that having fairly bright lights that create distinct shadows help me see shapes and spatial relationships better.

And one other thing: in today's more complex world, we have a choice of both the illumination level (measured in lumens) and color temperature (measured in deg K). My experience suggests that lighting that has a stronger blue content gives a stronger sensation of brightness than lighting with exactly the same nominal lumen rating but a warmer color.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I'm not sure my answer will be of any value, my shop is a 12x24 shed out back... initially I had 6 4' fluorescent shop lights hung around, one directly over the lathe, one over each of the work benches and a couple for general lighting... I do have some dark corners that I need to add a couple of lights to...I say I had 6 initially, but a few months back the one over the lathe got knocked down when a bowl exploded and a projectile piece took out the fixture... ruined a perfectly good pair of shorts and left me ducking for cover.... I'm still even after several months picking up pieces of glass here and there.... I moved one of the other lights back over the lathe, hence the dark corners.... I also have a articulating desk light afixed to the wall that I can direct to my work piece and since my lathe sits in front of one side of the double doors to my shop, I can open both doors and have lots of natural light.

How much light is a subjective subject, that relates to your own personal preferences.

 

[corks58]

Never enough for me.

Dan

 

[dogcatcher]

I have the same eye problems that monophoto has plus a few others. I need light, plenty of it, but at the same time, I have had people comment that they can see what they need to see in my shop better than their own.

Even before I started with my eye problems, my lighting theory was you can never have too much light. Same goes for outlet boxes, I have 4 gang boxes every 4 feet all the way around my shop, plus a few extras at strategic locations. Sometimes I think I need more.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

I hate light - especially LED lights - they burn my eyes! I had to return my new tv, even after turning the backlights way down, because LED are too 'sharp' for my vision...

Mind you, I have 20/10 - so I see quite well!

 

[Curly]

Or you have some vampire in you!!!

 

[RobS]

I have had great success with the LED tube lights from Costco which replaced standard CFL 4' lights. I find one pair per work bench is perfect.

 

[Curly]

I've seen the Costco replacement bulbs and have found brighter ones for less money on Amazon. The issue I have with them is being a new build I need to buy new fixtures and I hate the idea of paying $25 or more for a florescent fixture and then tossing the ballast. Such a waste and thus far haven't found a source in Canada for fixtures without ballasts, only from China.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Turning the ceiling of your shop into the equivalent of the surface of the sun with a bazillion lights will make the place bright enough for detail work anywhere in the shop, but do you really need the entire shop that bright all the time? The answer for me was no.

I didn't want to spend the money to keep the entire shop super bright when I only work in one small area of the shop at a time? I also don't NEED super bright light everywhere. I average about 73 lumens per square foot, but I have a lot more over tools and much less over things like wood and clamp storage. I also use led task lights at machines to give me really bright light for detail work when and where it need it.

I found these type of led lights to be great task lights. I have a couple in the shop and can easily move them as needed.

Magnetic-Mount LED Work Light - Lee Valley Tools

Ed

 

[thewishman]

You should definitely have enough light for Marla to make some more amazing blanks. That's my recommendation -Whatever Marla Wants! And fast!

 

[Curly]

Ed I tend to use most of the shop when making furniture as I move around to each station or roll a machine to the wall and move another for more space. While some machines are generally stationary, like the lathe's, others like the table saw and planer/jointer get repositioned a lot. I haven't ruled out having the room "halved or quartered' with their own switches or use dimmers if the LED's can be dimmed.

Chris at the moment being in a position to make blanks is a bit premature. If the picture of the shop as it was a couple days ago attaches you'll understand.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Looks pretty bright in there to me.

Ed

 

[Curly]

Airy too!

 

[1080Wayne]

Looks all ready for that first September snowstorm .