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Building A Cheap Shop Light

2K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  RamTech 
#1 · (Edited)
A good shop light is a valuable tool for anyone working under the hood of their car or truck. Good shop lights can also be fairly pricey - generally $100-150 for a good one that will span the width of the hood. So naturally, I did what any cheapskate would do. I built my own. What I came up with cost about $50 and is much brighter than anything available from most stores or off a tool truck.

The list of materials is fairly short: A plain old 4 foot two tube fluorescent light, light tubes, a romex connector, 3 wire extension cord, 2 feet of chain, S hooks, lamp guard (optional) and rubber bungee cord.



The wiring is straightforward. Cut the female end off the cord and match up black to black, white to white, and attach the green wire to the light itself and secure the cord with a romex connector on the end.



Cut the chain into equal lengths and use the S hooks to attach it to either end of the light. You may need to drill a couple of holes to do this. place the other hooks several inches apart for some adjustibility when hanging the light under the hood. I also use a rubber bungee for cars with more rounded hoods where using the chain isn't practical.



For those who are wondering, a romex connector is the silver clamp to the left of the bungee. Once that's all done, install the light tubes and guard if you're prone to breaking things (like me) and you now have a bright, inexpensive shop light.
 
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#2 ·
A good shop light is a valuable tool for anyone working unther the hood of their car or truck. Good shop lights can also be fairly pricey - generally $100-150 for a good one that will span the width of the hood. So naturally, I did what any cheapskate would do. I built my own. What I came up with cost about $50 and is much brighter than anything available from most stores or off a tool truck.

Very nice!!!! for a durable portable light I took and 12 volt 4 inch bulb and a round rubber boot housing for the 4 inch light..... Like the 18 wheelers use for side lights or on garbage trucks have on the rear of the hopper to light up the work area. These lights have a metal hinge made into the rubber. I attached this to a 12" long X 1" wide bar and taped the handle for grip.
To power the light I took a 25 Ft extention cord that someone was tossing out due to a bad end. I connected it to the light and put alligator clamps on the other end. A 12 volt battery powers it up. Rain and snow does not pop the light. It can take a drop or hard wack with out breaking. its not bulkie at all. The hinge allows the light to sit on the ground and pivot, lighting what I need light on. Takes up very little space under a seat. a god send when a light is needed and your on the side of the road... or camping. It didnt cost more than $15.00 ten years ago for me to make this light.:smileup:
 
#3 ·
That's a great idea too. I'm familiar with those lights because I had a set mounted to the rear of a Chevy 4X4 I used to have and used them for auxillary backups. They're extremely durable. If you really wanted to get creative, one could be attached to a retractable cord reel and installed in a toolbox with an on-off switch.
 
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