DIY Fluorescent Light Bank Part 1

This is my latest DIY project. I have seen the price of the ready made items of fluorescent light banks and was staggered by the cost of them, and being as though i know a fair bit about lighting i thought i would make my own. trust me the cost of the specialist items are enormous compared to making YOUR OWN AND SOURCING THE PARTS!.

Iguzzini Light fitting modified with extra lamp holders.

It just so happens i had the perfect Donner components in the garage, i am using some iguzzini light fittings that was made for metal pan ceilings and equipped with capacity for two 80W COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS, i have added another two to each unit to make a total of four. ( 4 x 80 = 320w) each lamp is 6000 lumen's!. The fittings themselves are a shaped pan which are elliptical and meet in the middle so should be able to throw light out in a uniform manner. Plus being iguzzini they will have been designed to death to give even light distribution, i might look up the photometric data for this fitting and post it in part two.

Rear of fitting showing additional control gear

This is phase one where i have adapted the units to accept the additional control gear and lamp holders. i have marked out the slots ready to be cut for the two extra lamps as they slightly overlap the unit to keep them in position. The lamps i have to use are Philips master PL-L4P they are an 80w lamp with output of 6000lm (lumen's for all you commoners lol ) and colour 840 which is a cool white with a tri phosphor coating. this gives a colour temperature of 4000 kelvin!.

The Philips master lamps!

I need to do some searching and find the best materials to encase the unit but I'm thinking of perforated sheet metal as it will aid ventilation plus keep the weight down. I'm planning on spraying the inside a nice silver chrome to help reflect the light round and will probably paint the exterior a charcoal grey colour. I think i will attache the metal barn doors which I'm also going to manufacture with piano hinges riveted or bonded to the frame and then need to come up with mounting options to allow tilt and swivel on a light stand!

Stay Tuned :)