Fixated

On fixtures. As in let there be light. What a difference. My brother, Tiny, came up yesterday and we spent a couple of hours solving all the problems on the planet and installing fluorescent lighting in the shop. Hopefully today will see all the fixtures installed and I will move on to getting all the outlets wired up.

Using the drywall lift to install the ceiling O.S.B. worked so well that we twigged on the idea of using it to install fixtures on the shop ceiling. An easy way to make an arm busting job a pleasant task.

This shows the lighting with a little less than half the fixtures installed. I have another row the same as this to go up on the other side .

As there will not be any natural lighting in the shop I have decided to make the fluorescent lighting levels fairly high. With one or two incandescent lights, just in case it inadvertently ( power outage) gets really cold in there. That's one good thing about incandescent lights. They don't care if it's 40 below. They still come on. The whole shop is heated by a 1000 watt, in wall electric heater. Yesterday it was -20c (-4f) outside and the heater had no trouble keeping it a balmy +20c (68f) inside. And that's without the insulated overhead door installed - just a double layer of house wrap and a plastic tarp.

Nothing like good light for wood working. I want to do some relief carving and that will demand great lighting. When budget allows I will put in a couple of skylight tubes.

I am still trying to figure out the best layout for benches, shelving and placement of a table saw, planer, drill press, grinder, chop saw, compound miter saws, air compressor, welder, and an edger. Basically one side will be for wood working, the other for mechanical repairs, the end for storage.

And, of course, a shop cat, Boose, who has now taken up residence on an insulated work shirt I left on an improvised work table.

I am reminded that progress works better than perfection.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Boy, the shop project is sure taking shape. The room to move around all your work stations will be handy.

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