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The most common home woodworking shop light fixture is the tube fluorescent lighting. They are energy efficient, low cost and easy to install.
When designing the lighting for the woodshop, first determine where all of the woodworking tools will be positioned in the workshop. This can be done to scale on paper or physically placing each tool it its designated location. Once this has been done, you can now begin to determine your lighting needs. Where lights need to be placed and how much light you will need. This will help you to properly illuminate your workshop.
The type of tool and the tool's working area will help determine how much light is needed. Table saws need to have at least their table top well illuminated. The out feed table needs some light but not as much. For a table saw a four foot fluorescent tube light over the table saw table will provide plenty of light.
A drill press needs much less light, but it needs to be more focused onto the drill press table.
Garage workshop
Garage workshops have a unique need of being multipurpose serving as both workshop and parking the family car(s). All of the tools need to be mobile and be quickly and easily moved out of the way. The lighting needs to be flexible and be out of the way of the garage door. For a standard two car garage that measures approximately 22 x 24 feet, two to four two tube fluorescent fixtures will provide ample lighting of the work space.
Basement workshop
Having a woodworking shop in the basement is nice and allows for a more permanent setup of the shop tools. A basement shop does present some interesting challenges. Most basements have a low ceiling height. The typical basement ceiling height is seven feet. This makes lighting a challenge since hanging lights from the joists leads to potential head banging and being struck when moving material around the woodshop.
Most basement's are not air conditioned spaces, so heat from the lights becomes an issue during the summer months.
Hang fluorescent light fixtures in between the joists. Attach a light weight chain to the sides of the adjacent joists and suspend the fluorescent light from the chain. Hang the fluorescent light fixture so that it is flush with the bottom of the joists. This will help keep it out of the way and still provide ample light. It might be necessary to use an additional light or two because of the shading caused by recessing the light.
Freestanding shed
The typical barn style shed design creates a large open space. Fluorescent light fixtures are the simplest and cost efficient choice in illuminating the work space.
For a 12 x 14 foot shed two four foot fluorescent lights illuminate the space very well. Mount a four foot fluorescent light fixture to the underside of the overhead storage to light up the space.
Task lighting
Task lighting gives you the light you need right where you need it. Work lights make a convenient task light. They come in different models and wattages. Typically the compact fluorescent light bulb is either 10 or 13 watts. Most all of the models have a hook to hang them up by. The amount of light is fixed and cannot be increased without purchasing a new work light. Clamp on reflectors are very effective task light. Use compact fluorescent light bulb in the clamp on reflector. You can use bulbs ranging from thirteen watts to twenty four watts. This yields an illumination from sixty watts to one hundred fifty watts, with very little heat from the bulb.
Workshop lighting is an integral part of the overall plan of laying out a woodworking shop. Depending on the space for the workshop there are different things to consider and keep in mind when laying out the lighting. The most important thing to keep in mind is to not create shadows on the work surfaces of the tools.
