Need suggestions for table light

J

JoeW

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here is a photo of my current table light.

PoolTableII001.jpg



It consists of two four foot lamps with four natural daylight 40 watt florescent bulbs in each lamp.

I have half inch 4 X 8 oak plywood to use for a frame and I am thinking about a faux stained glass inserts along one long rail.

However I just saw SJB avatar in the New Gold Crown V thread and he has a beautiful table light. It looks like he has four sets of four florescent lamps (16 bulbs) that run the opposite way that mine are placed.


So now I am looking for other ideas that will use the 40 watt natural daylight system. Is it worth it to have 16 of these bulbs? Is that much additinal light useful?

One of the things I am considering is having a drop extension to the table light so that the lights are on the table only. This will make the rest of the room darker and more like an old time pool room.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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JoeW said:
Here is a photo of my current table light.

PoolTableII001.jpg



It consists of two four foot lamps with four natural daylight 40 watt florescent bulbs in each lamp.

I have half inch 4 X 8 oak plywood to use for a frame and I am thinking about a faux stained glass inserts along one long rail.

However I just saw SJB avatar in the New Gold Crown V thread and he has a beautiful table light. It looks like he has four sets of four florescent lamps (16 bulbs) that run the opposite way that mine are placed.


So now I am looking for other ideas that will use the 40 watt natural daylight system. Is it worth it to have 16 of these bulbs? Is that much additinal light useful?

One of the things I am considering is having a drop extension to the table light so that the lights are on the table only. This will make the rest of the room darker and more like an old time pool room.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Put silver duct tape along the sides of those lights and drop them down about eighteen inches to two feet closer to the table. You have a good light there!
 
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i think the standard is 400 watts for a 9 foot table. I have 6 75 watt flood lights on my table and love it, being too bright doesnt hurt a thing in my opinion. The only downside is some places i play arent as well lit as my table, so i almost feel like im playin in the dark sometimes.
 
A new & innovative Pool Table Light has been born.

They are installing them in Magoo's II in Tulsa. They will revolutionize the Pool Table Light Industry. These are retrofit Diamond Lights, but a new cabinet has been designed for new lights to be sold to the public and/or Pool Rooms.

They are efficient, they will pay for them self. They produce no heat & they last for an estimated 80,000 hours. (yes, I said 80 thousand hours).

You can call Tom Carmichael at 918-230-1177
 

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Thanks Jay, My wife thinks I am the duct tape wizard but I never thought of this one. :D How far off the table do you think the light should be. Currently the light is 42 inches off the table.

Scottycoyote. I currently have 320 watts so I guess the addition of another row would make mine similar to yours. These old eyes like lots of light - on the table but not in the room. I close those blinds that can be seen in the background when I am playing.

Ceebee can you describe these lights or give me a link? Sounds like they are using the Ott lights which are the same type of lights I am using now. The frame I intend to make is similar to the one shown in the photo you posted.
 
JoeW said:
Thanks Jay, My wife thinks I am the duct tape wizard but I never thought of this one. :D How far off the table do you think the light should be. Currently the light is 42 inches off the table.

Scottycoyote. I currently have 320 watts so I guess the addition of another row would make mine similar to yours. These old eyes like lots of light - on the table but not in the room. I close those blinds that can be seen in the background when I am playing.

Ceebee can you describe these lights or give me a link? Sounds like they are using the Ott lights which are the same type of lights I am using now. The frame I intend to make is similar to the one shown in the photo you posted.
Click to expand...

That light sure looks higher than that (I would have guessed 48"). I would drop it down to 36" or even 30". Yes, the same height above the table as the table height itself, which is 30". That will give you maximum lighting, but you have to watch your head when you lean over if you're tall. Try dropping it to 36" and use the duct tape. It will direct more light downward and be easier on your eyes.
 
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Thanks Jay -- will do. At 5' 7" I am OK but some of my buddies will get nailed. More than one way to win -- right? And now I have it on good authority.
 
Currently the light is 42 inches off the table.
Click to expand...

Unless you have a really tall table, that would put your light 6'-0" off the floor - it looks like it's a foot higher than that.

pj
chgo
 
These are not Ott lights. They are not incandescent or fluorescent lights. The new cabinets will have the light panels recessed, so that light glare will not become a problem in a large Pool Room.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
my situation is somewhat unique, so i am having this light wired up today in my renovation project. saw one of these a couple weeks ago, it pretty much lit up the entire kitchen, so it shouldnt be a problem as far as having enough light. as long as it gives me enough light thats all that matters to me.

i know, i know, but dont laugh, k?
DCP

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=79187-76221-LP2208P&lpage=none
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Ok, Im sorry I laughed.:) Two problems, 1) Starring into the bright light on the approach can be blinding and 2) shadows on the outside of the balls from the center light location. :D :D
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
Unless you have a really tall table, that would put your light 6'-0" off the floor - it looks like it's a foot higher than that.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

Yep, It is nearly six feet off the floor, 30 inches to the table bed and 42 to the light. But that will be changing soon per Jay's neat suggestion. It looks taller than that because there are 4 X 6 oak ceiling beams and a 12" center beam suspended from a King post.

Hey DCP, if you can, go to Home Depot and buy 40 watt daylight fixture and lamps. Cost about $50.00 for one set (lamp and bulbs) if I remember correctly. Of Course two of these lights suspended from two 2X4s are better.

As noted there is a glare problem with the light you posted. In addition, the daylight lights are color corrected and much easier on the eyes. This means you can play for longer periods wihout eye strain and or getting tired.

I believe there is less flicker with these 40 watt lights. Currently, something like this is recommended by Brunswick (for $1,500.00) and others so $100.00 isn't all that bad.

One of my son-in-laws who was a fairly serious player does't play much at all any more. He bought a cheap table, cheap cloth, and poor lighting. Now he finds he just doesn't care for the game as much. But his house looks good!
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
Unless you have a really tall table, that would put your light 6'-0" off the floor - it looks like it's a foot higher than that.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

I saw the same thing. That light is more than 42" above the table Joe. Better measure that again. Thanks for pointing this out Patrick.

One other thing Joe. There are special very narrow diameter flourescent tubes available. They give off about 30% more light. I used them in my last poolroom and they last forever.
 
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Here's a picture of another Pool table Light I made. It works great.
 

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ceebee said:
A new & innovative Pool Table Light has been born.

They are installing them in Magoo's II in Tulsa. They will revolutionize the Pool Table Light Industry. These are retrofit Diamond Lights, but a new cabinet has been designed for new lights to be sold to the public and/or Pool Rooms.

They are efficient, they will pay for them self. They produce no heat & they last for an estimated 80,000 hours. (yes, I said 80 thousand hours).

You can call Tom Carmichael at 918-230-1177
Click to expand...

Must be LED's. Definitely efficient but a bit too cool (color temperature wise) for my liking. They are the future for sure though.
 
JoeW,

Thanks for the compliment on the table and the light. I made the light myself. It has two tandem 8 foot fixtures in it -- a total of 8 four-foot bulbs. I don't remember the wattage, but it provides plenty of light. I have it hung really high, because the frame of the light is 4 X 8 feet, it's heavy, and I don't want anybody whackin' their noggin' on it.
 

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Lights

I built mine, kind of a Diamond knock off so to speek. If you have a compound miter saw it's not too bad. It lights the table up pretty good.
Gabriels.jpg
 
I love mine - but I was going for a little more modern look to go with the room. Whatever you do, put it on a dimmer.

gameroom003.jpg


Looking back the other way:

gameroom004.jpg
 
Light Height

Try to get the bulbs somewhere close to 63" inches from the ground (+/- 2") . . . good rule of thumb and I believe 65" is actually spelled out in some tournament guideline I've seen. I've got mine (bottom of bulb - 4 x 75 watt GE Reveal Daylight bulbs on an 8 1/2 footer) at 62" and it works great.
 
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