Layout lighting

[belstone]

I'm starting to think about giving my layout some overhead lighting, partly with exhibitions in mind but mainly because it's in a dark corner of the spare bedroom and it would be nice to see what I am doing.  I would be interested to hear what others have used - spotlights, fluorescent tubes, whatever.  I've noticed that colours can look very different depending on the lighting - ideally I want a nice even daylight effect which doesn't cast too many shadows.  Any suggestions?

[Geoff]

Bright White fluorescent tube should do the trick.

[Ray Haddad]

Most ceilings being white I suggest that you want nice, even bright white lighting so try a fluorescent fixture pointed at the ceiling from around 10 inches below the ceiling. It softends the glare and makes the light more even if you do that. Less harsh at the same time. Fluorescent lighting can be quite glaring otherwise. You can also tent colored cellophane sheets over the light that way to change the mood or intensity.

[Luke Piewalker]

Presumably one of them full spectrum SAD type tubes would be the one to have.

[Malc]

The SAD tubes are quite bright, a daylight one is cheaper and probably what you need. Or buy a cheap LED strip, cut to length, stick it to a bit of 2x1, plug it in and away you go. The rolls of LEDs are pretty cheap on eBay.

[Luke Piewalker]

Yeah, I should have said a full spectrum daylight one, someone in an office near me has an SAD light and I can't imagine being one of the other poor folk who have to share a confined space with it...

[belstone]

Most ceilings being white I suggest that you want nice, even bright white lighting so try a fluorescent fixture pointed at the ceiling from around 10 inches below the ceiling. It softens the glare and makes the light more even if you do that. Less harsh at the same time. Fluorescent lighting can be quite glaring otherwise. You can also tent colored cellophane sheets over the light that way to change the mood or intensity.

Ideally I want the lighting to be attached to the layout rather than the house, but I like the idea of bouncing fluorescent light off a white painted surface to soften and diffuse it.  I may have to experiment with this.

[Sipat]

I used Ledberg lighting strips from ikea for £11 each...

[Geoff]

We have a defuser on our Bright white fluorescent light in the kitchen and it does not glare, I have to say though it lights up the full kitchen, it would be quite easy to get the light to hang off some conduit or a wood goal frame over the layout.

[Sprintex]

You can also tent colored cellophane sheets over the light that way to change the mood or intensity.

This is what I've done on mine. It's lit by two standard 5' fluorescent tubes, but the plan is to do the scenery as if it has just rained so I've covered the tubes in car window tinting film - gives a good even 'dull' light


Paul