LED Light Fixture | DIY Garage/Workbench Lighting Fixtures from 4-ft to 8-ft 12-Volt or 110-Volt

Описание: Finding the best 𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 for your kitchen, garage, laundry room, closet, or bathroom application between 4 foot and 8 foot in length at Home Depot, Lowe's, or Amazon can be challenging. However, if you are looking for an led light fixture to replace fluorescent, that may not be a big deal since it seems that they follow the same size specs, two feet, three feet, four feet, and so on!

In my particular case, I was not only looking for a specific size but also light frequency. People don't understand how important is light frequency or temperature. As we all know, white or visible light is composed of seven colors, often referred to as rainbow colors. Those colors represent different light frequencies. For example, violet has the most energy and highest frequency.

In contrast, red has the lowest frequency of visible light and the least energy, although related, not as crucial as the kelvin color temperature, spec. In lighting (k), Kelvin is used to measuring the color temperature. Note that I said temperature! Kelvin is defined as "the SI base unit of thermodynamic temperature, equal in magnitude to the degree Celsius in scientific jargon." Popular retail light bulbs and LED light fixtures Kelvin rating range from 1500 to 6500.

Those with a Kelvin rating of 3000K and under are an excellent choice for your living room or bedroom since they mimic the end of the day to stimulate relaxation. Light bulbs in this range emit a yellow-orange color. If you want your space to feel intimate, calm, or cozy, this is the ideal Kelvin spec. For the kitchen, bathroom, and workspaces, where you need to see a more neutral white color or a Kelvin rating of 3100K-4500K is better. On the other hand, if you want crisp light, consider a 4600K-6500K range. This frequency range produces a more blueish white light, and it is often dubbed "daylight." That is my preferred choice for a garage or any fabrication facility.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐃𝐈𝐘 𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Now that you know a little more about lighting, you may understand why so many in the DIY movement are custom-making LED light fixtures. For one, it is not very complicated, and number two, it gives you the flexibility to build an LED Light Fixture the suits your specific needs and requirements.
Except for SDM and the NEW COB modules, today, most LED light fixtures you find at retail stores are nothing more than an LED strip light mounted on one shape or another of aluminum extrusion. The aluminum is almost a requirement. LED light fixtures, especially those with high luminance, generate a lot of heat! You even find aluminum heat sinks on high-wattage replacement bulbs. When building a DIY LED light fixture, these are things you need to take into consideration.

As far as my application is concerned, I have a short, but nevertheless, a list of things I need my LED light fixtures to fulfill. As I said in the video, my biggest regret about the 6 watts LED spotlights I use to replace the OEM fluorescent lights that came with my Harbor Freight workbench is the narrow coverage. In my opinion, LED lights with a flood pattern are much better suited for workbenches or even garages, laundry rooms, and kitchen lights. So, having a flood illumination pattern is a must!

The other thing is light temperature. Several publications claim that working under 5000-5500K lights is stressful to the eyes! I don't know about you, but for me, I find it to be the reversal. Working under 3500-4500K lights, I feel like my pupils have dilated more and that I need to focus more to see details! The third is size. My workbench, although spec at 48 inches, is indeed 47! Believe it or not, finding a 4 foot LED light fixture at Home Depot or Lowe's that meets these requirements is impossible or way out of my budget. That was the trigger point for building a custom 𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

Outsourcing the raw material to build a DIY LED light fixture is not very difficult. I found some 12 volt - 3 meters / 5000K LED strips on eBay for $5. I chose 12 volts because I plan to connect these to my underutilized 200 watts solar panel, but they are also available in 110 and 220 volts. Not only that, but you can get them with an RGB controller, allowing you to choose any color and temperature. That is ideal for photography studios and things like that where give light frequency is desired.

For the heat sinks, I found a 1-inch u-channel at Home Depot that would have been a great choice, but the $16 cost turned me, which was a good thing since that made me go to Lowe's, where I found a Screen Enclosure Frame Connector for less than $12 bringing my build cost per LED light fixture of about $11. I don't know about you, but I have never seen a 4-foot 5000K LED light fixture that cheap anywhere, especially not at Lowe's or Home Depot! So, know that you can make these to whatever size you want 8 Foot, 10 foot, the choice is yours!

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