My lighting fixture. Your thoughts???

Bob 14:1

Bob 14:1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been having a difficult time finding an 8 foot, hooded fluorescent light fixture to hang above my 9 foot table.

Yesterday I located this fixture at Lowe's: http://www.lowes.com/pd_283285-1390...rrentURL=?Ntt=Utilitech%2Blighting&facetInfo=

I plan on hanging two of these fixtures end to end; each containing four F48/T8 cool white 4100 Kelvin lamps.

I visited the job site yesterday and asked the master electrician to convert my junction box to a double outlet so that the installation is merely a matter of hanging them with some chains, eye bolts, etc. I asked his opinion as far as the plug in connection versus a hard wired fixture, and he assured me it wouldn't pose any fire or safety issues.

My rationale is that with essentially now eight feet of hooded fixtures, the light will fire down directly and uniformly onto all the table, thus eliminating any possibility of shadows.

I'm in an unfinished basement, so appearance is strictly secondary to proper and sufficient illumination. I simply cannot justify spending hundreds of dollars for a fixture, and I'm thinking even the four light incandescent fixtures are still not going to provide me with sufficient, nor even coverage. Total investment including lamps was $127 American.

Whatcha guys think? Too much light?
 
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I don't think it's too much,,,,,,,,I hate playing on dark tables,,,,,,or tables with dark spots. You can always go to lower wattage bulbs if it's too bright. I like these lights, and you can easily frame them to suit your decor if that's important.
 
Jodacus said:
Search for lighting threads. There have
been several.
Click to expand...

Here's an idea. Why not just compile a set of links to articles past, and forgo the forum altogether.

I'm an expert on several other forums, and I go out of my way to help the new guy. Others just post to hear themselves talk. Others just to mock.
 
I'm using 4- 8' tubes. The light is perfect. My only mistake was hanging the fixture too low. I'm killing my head on it. But I had no choice. The ceiling is low. I had the light made before considering the ceiling height.
If you use an open fixture please be sure to use transparent bulb covers on each tube.
 
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lighting

hi

4 - 3 footers with 2 bulbs i think would be a little better.
just a opinion.

Your basement walls painted would help in light reflection .

You want soft lighting with good coverage without casting shadows.

MMike
 
You want light not to be blinded!

You need a light with diffusers ( to direct the light down) in a box so it doesn't kill your eyes standing next to the table when your not shooting, that light in your example will be murder on your eyes. You want a light that will light the table only not the whole space around it.
Look for something in a box it doesn't have to be huge, only wide enough for say two T5 bulbs (I think those are the real small, but bright florescents) they are long but not big around like the old style.
Any more than two of these bulbs will be to bright.
I think their called T5 the guys in the stores will know for sure.
They use those in a pool room I go to they work fine plenty of light, with diffusers though.
Good Luck PS. Stay away from shop lights.
 
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A simple box

I built a simple box to hold two light fixtures and made sure I used the t-8 lamps. It was simply TOO much light without diffusers installed . I used two types of diffusers ,one of the cheaper white plastic looking ones to cut down the glow and the checker board mirror type over that to make the light go down to the table level .Its about 48"-50" off the playing surface . I STILL need to stain it but for less than $150 in materials it gets alot of compliments.I used cedar ,after it's stained you will see why ,also it's light weight .

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=260724&page=2

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=238840
 
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I had a finished basement and I choae a similar light. Looks are secondary to function and that light rocks.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
Bob 14:1 said:
I've been having a difficult time finding an 8 foot, hooded fluorescent light fixture to hang above my 9 foot table.

Yesterday I located this fixture at Lowe's: http://www.lowes.com/pd_283285-1390...rrentURL=?Ntt=Utilitech%2Blighting&facetInfo=

I plan on hanging two of these fixtures end to end; each containing four F48/T8 cool white 4100 Kelvin lamps.

I visited the job site yesterday and asked the master electrician to convert my junction box to a double outlet so that the installation is merely a matter of hanging them with some chains, eye bolts, etc. I asked his opinion as far as the plug in connection versus a hard wired fixture, and he assured me it wouldn't pose any fire or safety issues.

My rationale is that with essentially now eight feet of hooded fixtures, the light will fire down directly and uniformly onto all the table, thus eliminating any possibility of shadows.

I'm in an unfinished basement, so appearance is strictly secondary to proper and sufficient illumination. I simply cannot justify spending hundreds of dollars for a fixture, and I'm thinking even the four light incandescent fixtures are still not going to provide me with sufficient, nor even coverage. Total investment including lamps was $127 American.

Whatcha guys think? Too much light?
Click to expand...

I used two 4 foot (2) tube shop lights strung end to end. The tubes are T8 daylight and work fine. Appearance is not a consideration when using shoplights, but they work fine for me.
 
Bob 14:1 said:
After reading several shop light reviews, I see they have a nasty habit of falling apart and even falling down due to shoddy construction.
Click to expand...
Buy a good quality fixture. My stained glass light was built around an open ceiling fixture. It is 14 years old. Do not use a hanging shop light. They are junk.
 
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