Lighting the lower deck

[seanm]

I goofed around long enough trying to decide how to light the lower deck of my new layout. I am using 1x3 and did not have a lot of room for lights. Didn't like the idea of shop lights.... so I went to the hardware store and found these!

They clip on to the wire by unscrewing the back, placing the wire above the pins and screwing the back plate back on.

They were $1.79 each... romex was about $7 bucks... and then some 15w and 20w bulbs. I suppose I could use screw in flourescent if I wanted to... we shall see.

I guess I will do something similar on the upper deck.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

You may want to use screw in flourescents, or at least drop the wattage down to 25-40 on those bulbs. I think you have potential for a lot of heat there.

 

[seanm]

You are right! I would not put a 40w in there!!

I am using either 15w or 25w bulbs. They don't get too hot. I can hold the bulbs anyplace but directly on top with no burn to the fingers.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Oops! My mistake, I thought you were running 60-75 watt bulbs! I learn to read one of these days!

 

[TinGoat]

Heat shields

Even thought the light bulbs don't get hot enough to cause a fire...

You might want to put a piece of thin sheet metal above each bulb. This will prevent the heat from the bulb from drying out any wood too much.

You can use metal from large juice cans, or sheet metal that is used for heating/cooling ducts.

The metal will act as a heat sink so that the heat is dissapated more evenly, and it will also act as a light reflector to give your layout a more even light dispersal.

 

[seanm]

Good point TinGoat. I was thinking along the same lines. Thanks for reinforcing that for me. Now, where are those snips?