Need Opinions on Garage Lighting for Polishing

[BJClarke001]

I thought about what was the best place to post this and concluded it should go here since it is related to Using the "DA" and "taking out swirls" from the paint.

BTW: I don't have a DA (Yet) but my B-Day is coming up and I drop hints almost daily to my family for the last month. I will be pretty hacked off if I get a Tie for a present. LOL.

So, my plan is to practice using the DA in my garage. I have some neighbors whom have "Winter Cars" for me to practice on. And in doing so, what garage lighting is best for seeing most of the swirls in the paint and what is the best placement of these lights for working on the hood and on the fenders/doors and so on? I ask because it seems to be counter productive to polish in the garage and then have to pull it out in the sun to see if your doing a good job. Besides, I may want to do it on cloudy days or at night.

I know Sun Light is the best method, but what is second best?

BTW again: I have a Two-Car Garage with 10 foot ceilings, just in case someone wanted to know. And, I do my own electrical installation work too, so mounting stuff on the wall/ceiling is not an issue. Expensive lighting may be something that stops me but lets see what comes of this thread.

[rusty bumper]

I'm no lighting expert, but maybe a lot of 4' fluorescent tubes would be in order?

Maybe something like a "daylight" bulb would be the closest thing to real daylight?

I have seen some of the guys use the portable halogen lights on a tripod, in order to see the sides of a car in a garage.

Hope I helped some.

[BJClarke001]

Rusty,

Anything helps IMO.

I think you posted a Thread in the Break Room section talking about a site you came across;

garagejunkies.net

I went there this morning and there is alot of stuff there on the very subject.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Brad

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by BJClarke001
Rusty,

Anything helps IMO.

I think you posted a Thread in the Break Room section talking about a site you came across;

garagejunkies.net

I went there this morning and there is alot of stuff there on the very subject.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Brad

You're welcome Brad.

Good thing I ran into that site.

[TKDDAD]

Re: Need Opinions on Garage Lighting for Polishing

Originally posted by BJClarke001
I thought about what was the best place to post this and concluded it should go here since it is related to Using the "DA" and "taking out swirls" from the paint.

BTW: I don't have a DA (Yet) but my B-Day is coming up and I drop hints almost daily to my family for the last month. I will be pretty hacked off if I get a Tie for a present. LOL.

So, my plan is to practice using the DA in my garage. I have some neighbors whom have "Winter Cars" for me to practice on. And in doing so, what garage lighting is best for seeing most of the swirls in the paint and what is the best placement of these lights for working on the hood and on the fenders/doors and so on? I ask because it seems to be counter productive to polish in the garage and then have to pull it out in the sun to see if your doing a good job. Besides, I may want to do it on cloudy days or at night.

I know Sun Light is the best method, but what is second best?

BTW again: I have a Two-Car Garage with 10 foot ceilings, just in case someone wanted to know. And, I do my own electrical installation work too, so mounting stuff on the wall/ceiling is not an issue. Expensive lighting may be something that stops me but lets see what comes of this thread.

Brad, I have 3 lights in my two car garage, two 4' fluorescent and one 150 watt incandesent....to me, it's still not enough....I wax my cars in the garage since there's no shade (and it's too dark at 5:00 a.m. )....I'm going to add two more fluorescent lights and evenly space them....the problem I have is getting enough light on the sides of the car....good luck !!

[BJClarke001]

Re: Re: Need Opinions on Garage Lighting for Polishing

Originally posted by TKDDAD
Brad, I have 3 lights in my two car garage, two 4' fluorescent and one 150 watt incandesent....to me, it's still not enough....I wax my cars in the garage since there's no shade (and it's too dark at 5:00 a.m. )....I'm going to add two more fluorescent lights and evenly space them....the problem I have is getting enough light on the sides of the car....good luck !!

TKDDAD,

Yeah, my normal reaction thoughts would be to do it just as you have in your garage. Can you see swirls somewhat?
I was thinking putting the 2 fluorescents on the ceiling and maybe 1 on the walls, on either side of where the vehicle sits. Thinking though to mount it on the walls near the ceiling cuz if it is too low, you would block it standing there causing shadows.

I have a new home and no (big) trees for shade to hide under. I wash and wax in the garage all the time. This has double advantages to it because the kids don't track in so much dust into the house because the garage floor is getting washed/rinsed from the car washing at leat twice a week.

After cracking this nut on the lighting, I am moving to heating to keep the vehicles clean in the dead of winter too.

BTW: I see your in Buffalo, NY. I am originally from Rochester, NY. Born and raised there all my life and moved to Easton, PA, 4 years ago. Still have family up there still too.

[karll]

I just did 'lighting' in my two car garage.
I ended up using six 4 foot flourescent fixtures. I got the better quality, workshop,low temp ones. ( a bit more money).

I also used T8 tubes that were "daylight" temperature...actually they are same light temperature as high noon sun.

I like the warmer look with these tubes as opposed to the unnatural bluey look of the normal flourescents.

and i'm very pleased with result and get lotsa comments!!

cheers.

[TKDDAD]

Re: Re: Re: Need Opinions on Garage Lighting for Polishing

Originally posted by BJClarke001
TKDDAD,

Yeah, my normal reaction thoughts would be to do it just as you have in your garage. Can you see swirls somewhat?
I was thinking putting the 2 fluorescents on the ceiling and maybe 1 on the walls, on either side of where the vehicle sits. Thinking though to mount it on the walls near the ceiling cuz if it is too low, you would block it standing there causing shadows.

I have a new home and no (big) trees for shade to hide under. I wash and wax in the garage all the time. This has double advantages to it because the kids don't track in so much dust into the house because the garage floor is getting washed/rinsed from the car washing at leat twice a week.

After cracking this nut on the lighting, I am moving to heating to keep the vehicles clean in the dead of winter too.

BTW: I see your in Buffalo, NY. I am originally from Rochester, NY. Born and raised there all my life and moved to Easton, PA, 4 years ago. Still have family up there still too.

Cool Someone from my neck of the woods !...can I see swirls ?...absolutely, but only on the hood, roof and trunk lid...that's one reason I'd like more light....I too am looking into heat for the garage...what have you considered ?...

[TKDDAD]

Originally posted by karll
I just did 'lighting' in my two car garage.
I ended up using six 4 foot flourescent fixtures. I got the better quality, workshop,low temp ones. ( a bit more money).

I also used T8 tubes that were "daylight" temperature...actually they are same light temperature as high noon sun.

I like the warmer look with these tubes as opposed to the unnatural bluey look of the normal flourescents.

and i'm very pleased with result and get lotsa comments!!

cheers.

My issue will be the two garage door openers make it difficult to mount the lights where I think they'd do the most good....
And I like the idea of the T8 tubes...would be a good upgrade...thanks for the ideas !

[Accumulator]

I have literally dozens of 8' tubes in my shop, but I see *far* more marring if I turn them off and use the high-wattage incandescents. In my experience, cars that look perfect under fluorescents can really look marred up (or at least full of micromarring) under more harsh lighting. I see stuff under the incandescents that I don't even see under halogens. I find that to truly evaluate the paint, I have to use different lighting sources (currently using five) and multiple viewing angles. Otherwise I can have unpleasant surprises in weird situations, such as at night under certain types of lighting. And I only see holograms under natural sunlight.

[Bill D]

Accumulator,

You taught me that and I am very thankful I got the incandescents. If you really want to challenge yourself use the multiple lighting sources at multiple angles. There's nothing like a finish that can pass the "lighting test".

[BJClarke001]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Need Opinions on Garage Lighting for Polishing

Originally posted by TKDDAD
Cool Someone from my neck of the woods !...can I see swirls ?...absolutely, but only on the hood, roof and trunk lid...that's one reason I'd like more light....I too am looking into heat for the garage...what have you considered ?...

TKDDAD,

I have been lookking at Natural Gas Units called Blue Flame. I think the Home Depot sells them. My neighbor put a 30,000 BTU unit in and it seems to work good. It would be great to pull the car in in the winter, let it defrost and all that dirty black snow that builds up in the wheel wells would fall right off. I just wish I had a drain in the garage floor. But, the good news is that floor was poured with a slight angle towords the Garage door. So, the water really runs out into the driveway. I suppose if I do this this winter, I will have to use a lot of Ice Melt on the water running into the driveway and freezing up. Or, let the kids go Ice Scating on it

[BJClarke001]

Originally posted by Accumulator
I have literally dozens of 8' tubes in my shop, but I see *far* more marring if I turn them off and use the high-wattage incandescents. In my experience, cars that look perfect under fluorescents can really look marred up (or at least full of micromarring) under more harsh lighting. I see stuff under the incandescents that I don't even see under halogens. I find that to truly evaluate the paint, I have to use different lighting sources (currently using five) and multiple viewing angles. Otherwise I can have unpleasant surprises in weird situations, such as at night under certain types of lighting. And I only see holograms under natural sunlight.

Accumulator,

Thanks for that info. and it really helped.

High Wattage incandescents (Floods) are something I did not think of (gotta think outsie the box sometimes ).

[TKDDAD]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Need Opinions on Garage Lighting for Polishing

Originally posted by BJClarke001
TKDDAD,

I have been lookking at Natural Gas Units called Blue Flame. I think the Home Depot sells them. My neighbor put a 30,000 BTU unit in and it seems to work good. It would be great to pull the car in in the winter, let it defrost and all that dirty black snow that builds up in the wheel wells would fall right off. I just wish I had a drain in the garage floor. But, the good news is that floor was poured with a slight angle towords the Garage door. So, the water really runs out into the driveway. I suppose if I do this this winter, I will have to use a lot of Ice Melt on the water running into the driveway and freezing up. Or, let the kids go Ice Scating on it

Thanks BJClarke001.....I also do not have a floor drain but when I get the floor repoured someday I will have a drain installed...until then, the only option is deal with the run off as you suggested using an ice melt product...

[TKDDAD]

Originally posted by BJClarke001
Accumulator,

Thanks for that info. and it really helped.

High Wattage incandescents (Floods) are something I did not think of (gotta think outsie the box sometimes ).

Don't the high watt floods use a lot more electricity that the T8 flourecents ?...I'd have to install more outlets to use the floods...do any of you have pictures of your garage lighting that you might share so I could get some idea of how you set it up ?...