JeremyB mlehman Sounds like you're on a budget, so this may not work for you. However, my wife loves me for, among other things, buying her an Ott Lite for Xmass a couple of years back. Best to find them on sale, which is usually only around Xmass. I believe they now have bulbs only that fit standard fixtures or some other less expensive options than their stand-alone lights. In any case, great light that renders colors well and is easy on teh eyes. Not really a budget. I just find the energy efficient bulbs cooler then a incandescent bulb. Especially in the swing arm light right next to me
mlehman Sounds like you're on a budget, so this may not work for you. However, my wife loves me for, among other things, buying her an Ott Lite for Xmass a couple of years back. Best to find them on sale, which is usually only around Xmass. I believe they now have bulbs only that fit standard fixtures or some other less expensive options than their stand-alone lights. In any case, great light that renders colors well and is easy on teh eyes.
Sounds like you're on a budget, so this may not work for you. However, my wife loves me for, among other things, buying her an Ott Lite for Xmass a couple of years back. Best to find them on sale, which is usually only around Xmass. I believe they now have bulbs only that fit standard fixtures or some other less expensive options than their stand-alone lights. In any case, great light that renders colors well and is easy on teh eyes.
Not really a budget. I just find the energy efficient bulbs cooler then a incandescent bulb. Especially in the swing arm light right next to me
The Ott Lite runs much cooler than an incandescent bulb fixture does. It's sorta like a sophisticated fluorescent fixture in terms of heat.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Use the same color temperature at the workbench that you use on the layout. Weathering, hue, and intensity can be greatly affected by the light color temperature. Pick one temperature and use it everywhere for best results. I have had to repaint items that were painted under different lights inside and looked terrible on the layout.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
As above, try an OTT light, artists use for their colour clarity, they cost a few bucks but are the closest thing to natural (healthy) light, do NOT use fluorescent bulbs or tubes, bad colour, dim, and they constantly flicker and disturb your eye, I belive CFL's are just a smaller fluorescent bulb and concept, ask an eye doctor what you should use.
trainboyH16-44but that's because I like things to be closer to daylight. You can find CFLs in the 2000-3000K range quite easily, which is a lovely warm glow.
Daylight is more blue than yellow.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Noon daylight is around 5,000 K
Incandescent bulbs are around 2,600 K
Most people seem to prefer light in the range of 2,700K to 3600 K
My train room used to be my photo studio, so all the lights are in the 5,000 K range. It results in more accurate colors.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
CFLs come in a great, great variety, I know there is an option that will suit you! Up until I finished putting in permanent lighting last night, my workbench (and surrounding area) was lit with a gigantic 45W CFL. I've been using cool white lamps, but that's because I like things to be closer to daylight. You can find CFLs in the 2000-3000K range quite easily, which is a lovely warm glow.
Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296
Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
I was in Home Depot a couple years ago and found a CFL that screwed into my swing arm lamp that was printed as a grow lamp that gave out light like sun light. Works great and very little heat.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
I have seen CFL's at Wal-mart and Home Depot in warm white, sometimes called sunlight, and Wattage up to an equivalent of 150.
I use a 23w CFL in my desk lamp.. I also have a second small desk lamp that uses a small incandescent bulb.
One thing to remember about CFL's is that they usually aren't full brightness when first turned on. You can get a dual bulb that looks like an incandescent but is actually a CFL combined with Halogen. They both go on initially to give a bright light and then after the CFL warms up the Halogen goes off. They cost more so I don't use them for the workbench - just wait a few seconds and the CFL is fully bright.
Good luck
Paul
In our bathroom mirror/light cabinet my wife uses bulbs that are CFL's, but they look like a regular incandescent bulb. When they are on you can see the coil bulb inside, but they seem much brighter than the corkscrew bulbs used elsewhere.
Good luck,
Richard
LION has train tracks over the top of his work bench. He has four regular CFL bulbs up there it is plenty bright.
More expensive are the new LED strips. They offer plenty of very good light. I bought some to light up a backdrop. I'll show pictures of them once they are installed.
ROAR
I have a 15W 'cool white in my light. I also have a 22W circular fluorescent lamp and three 13W cool whites in an overhead paddle fan fixture. Both of the desk lamps are on moveable arms and shine directly on my work space. Having two 'arm' lamps gets rid of the shadow issue and being moveable, they can be adjusted to focus light directly on my modeling project. All of the CFL type fixtures have 5000 kelvin lamps for lots of light.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I like the CFL bulbs just cant find one that is bright enough for me.
Not all CFL's are created equal. You can get different color temperatiures, much like tube fluorescents. Try a warm white one instead of cool white.
My main workbench light is a large magnifying mirror, it has two small fluorescent tubes in it, one on either side of the mirror. They aren't corkscrew CFLs, they are actual tubes, not sure what else these sort of things are used in other than some battery powered portable lights I've seen. They are quite bright and not a harsh color.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I use the CFLs that you apparently don't like. If price is less important than heat, you could try an LED. They are available in stores like Lowes or Home Depot.
Hi Guys,
I have one of these swing arm lights attached to my bench that I have picked up recently and its great but haven't quite found a bulb that works for me. I tried using a normal incandescent 100w and a 60w but found they gave off to much heat ( which is not comfy in the summer heat for sure ) and a yellow hue. I then tried one of the energy efficient 60W ones which only uses 13w but didn't like the light it gave, but it was alot cooler for sure
Would anybody be able to recommend a energy efficient bulb that will give a bright soft light, maybe a switch to a 100W?
Thanks for any help
Jeremy