Veritas - Innovation in Tools
Articles Forums Gallery Marketplace Videos

WoodCentral Forums

Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

A55 Smoothing Plane

Building LED Shop Chandeliers

Posts

Building LED Shop Chandeliers

#1

Building LED Shop Chandeliers

John Foster

Currently my shop is lighted with 300W incandescent bulbs, which are power hungry, short lived and becoming hard to find . I am going to convert to LED lighting.

My shop is lined with pine boards and is very rustic with buzz saw blades, cattle skulls, old farm tools on the walls etc. Periodically it gets cleaned out ( big equipment pushed against the walls and covered with quilts ) for engagement parties, weddings , reunions etc. in the family.

I have the hardware from an old threshing machine, and I was considering making chandeliers with the larger diameter belt pulleys with the curved spokes. The pulleys would be suspended horizontally with welded wire cages ( which we have built before ) and Edison style LED bulbs hanging from them.

My question is : The 300 watt incandescent bulbs put out about 4500 lumens, the chandeliers will have more bulbs of lower output naturally. When replacing one large bulb with many small ones, do I just go for the same lumen total, do I need a higher total, or will a lower total give the same light? I am guessing that there is some advantage to multiple point light sources, but I don't know.

Thanks

Re: Building LED Shop Chandeliers

#2

Re: Building LED Shop Chandeliers

John McGaw

Are the current 300W bulbs in directional fixtures i.e. with reflectors? If you build some sort of chandelier with multiple small bulbs and it is non-directional then it would appear that you'd need much higher light output to match the downward light of the old reflectors. I'd guess that you'd need at least two times the light output if the multiple bulbs were close to a clean white low ceiling and maybe four or five times if they were hung lower and the ceiling is high and not a decent reflector.

Sorry, but this sounds like a daft idea for a shop if the replacements are meant to be more than decorative. Why not compromise? Build your decorations for special occasions but install large 2X2 or 2X4 flat LED fixtures. These are made mostly for lighting anything from office space to warehouses and aren't too expensive if bought wholesale in case lots. They are quite thin and should be fairly inconspicuous if they are mounted up tight to the ceiling.

Oh, and don't forget that 'busy' lighting fixtures are going to be dust and cobweb magnets and will be a PITA to clean when you decide to pretty up the shop.

Re: Building LED Shop Chandeliers

#3

Re: Building LED Shop Chandeliers

John Foster

300 watt bulbs are plain with no shielding or reflectors.

Daft? That is my life story! You have good points though, maybe we will find a hybrid solution between form and function.

Re: Building LED Shop Chandeliers

#4

Re: Building LED Shop Chandeliers

John Veerkamp

some LED bulbs have built in shielding to direct the light down.

👍 This page answered my questions

Your vote helps other woodworkers quickly find the answers and techniques that actually work in the shop.