Light for painting

[PoP]

I've been working all weekend and on both days have run into a problem when the daylight ran out. Due to the old/new paint surfaces being quite close in contrast I couldn't continue to work with a regular light bulb (so work ceased at 3pm-ish as the daylight fell away) as I couldn't distinguish where I'd painted and where I'd not.

Anyone got any ideas on whether a different type of electric lighting might have helped? Someone commented on this forum earlier about halogen giving a wide spectrum of light so I'm wondering whether to buy a Screwfix site light (14558).

Too late now, but could be useful for future reference :)

PoP

[Lee Blaver]

Was doing some painting as well this afternoon and it was quite surprising how much the halogen ceiling spots showed up the patchiness of the finish ;)

A halogen work light sounds like a good idea...

Lee

[Angela]

You can get a bulb that is equivalent to daylight.

problem

lighting

[Sparks]

When I last painted a room, I used a single version of the screwfix 14558

Worked a treat!

(I think the heat also helpt it dry faster too!)

Sparks...

[Dave Plowman]

For easy painting, you really want a 'soft' - or large source - for lighting, a spot or small bulb isn't ideal.

The best would be a twin fluorescent fitting with colour matching Northlight tubes. This is what you'll find in a car spray shop.

[fred]

In article , PoP writes

I use a 125W mercury lamp and inductive ballast I acquired some time ago. Hanging from the light pendant it is like having your own personal supernova in the room. Bulbs are 8-10quid from just about anywhere, but I can't see a source for ballasts on their own just now - sorry, but much better than a halogen.

[Mike Faithfull]

I use a 1 Kilowatt stage light salvaged from a skip (just call me Steptoe!) on a stand - it's a bit like a bigger and higher power version of those 500W garden/security lights or the Screwfix site lights. A bit cumbersome but it ain't arf bright !! I've subjectively compared it with two of the standard

500W jobbies and the colour temperature of the light is much closer to daylight and the smaller ones seem yellowish by comparison ... However, the 'site light' type will be brighter and whiter than a bank of 100W bulbs, so still useful. Being a cheapsk//////// er, thrifty, I would probably buy a 500W 'security' light for a fiver and mount it on a simple stand knocked up using offcuts from the woodstore, but for a man of your means, PoP, that would hardly be appropriate ...

[Witchy]

Yep, same here with the skirting boards in the bathroom. Unfortunately this means I have to do a second coat today :-/

-- cheers,

witchy/binarydinosaurs