How to Achieve the Right Lighting for Your Workshop

A proper workshop needs proper lighting. Before you even pick up a tool, you need to install the right lighting to ensure safety and accuracy while working. The most common way to light a workshop is with florescent lighting.  No matter what bulb you go with, however, it is the fixture that needs to be just right to get the level of brightness necessary for any woodworking project.

Your lighting fixture needs to focus the light exactly on the bench, not to be absorbed by the walls, ceiling or other objects. Do not opt for fixtures without reflectors; these are what bounce the light down onto your bench. To make sure your fixture is directly over your work space before installing, measure the distance from the bench to the fixture. Divide this measurement by 3, and this is the distance your fixture should be mounted from the wall. You will most likely need more than one fixture, so multiply the initial measurement by 1.5 to get the distance that should be left between fixtures.

Don’t let the light go out while you are working, and make sure to replace your bulbs when the ends start to turn black or the bulbs begin to flicker.

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Source: ShopNotes Magazine