SHOP GLOW-UP

Step out of the dark ages and transform your shop with modern, better lighting. It’s easier than you think.

- VINCE ANCONA

For finishing tasks, a low-angle raking light highlights imperfections or brushstrokes that need attention.

Even though we tend not to give it much thought, it’s hard to imagine anything more important to a shop than lighting. Not only is a dark, poorly lit shop an unpleasant place to work, it’s also dangerous if you can’t see what you’re doing. The good news is that many inexpensive plug-and-play solutions exist today, making it easy to upgrade your shop lighting without having to pawn your favorite tools. The biggest challenge is selecting the right lighting for your needs. To help you out, we’ll break the subject into four distinct types you’ll need and present options for each.

Plug-and-play LED fixtures are inexpensive and easy to install. The tubes in this fixture are advertised to last up to 50,000 hours, which is the equivalent of 17 years if used 8 hours per day.

A receptacle on the end of the fixture allows you to link up to six fixtures.

Each fixture has its own switch, or add a switching device to the outlet to control all the fixtures at once.

AMBIENT LIGHTING

Ambient lighting is the workhorse of any shop. For decades, 4’ fluorescent fixtures were the mainstay in most shops and garages. And while you’ll still find fluorescent tubes buzzing and flickering away in some shops, they’re being rapidly phased out in favor of LEDs as more and more states ban the sale of fluorescent tubes and bulbs. Although they cost more initially, LED tubes offer several benefits over fluorescents, including lower energy cost and longer life.