On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:51:01 -0400, Bill wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote:

WAITAMINUTEHERE. If you didn't yet know how many light fixtures you
wanted on the ceiling, how could you run wiring at all?


Well, from my new but currently unactivated sub-panel, I have installed
a 15 amp circuit breaker and 12-2 Romex to a new wall switch, and from

Why only 15?


there 12-2 Romex up into the attic where at least 30' of it is now
sitting in a neat coil. From there it will easily thread around the
perimeter of the attic where other romex cables currently also live.
This route also traverses my new running board but allow me to keep my
story simple.




Installing 2, or possibly 3, duplex outlets on this perimeter of the
attic would make it easy to power 4 new fixtures.

In answer to your question, I think I'm prepared to install almost as
many light fixtures as I want, as long as their cords are not further
than 5 feet from my walls.

Are your rafters running the short length, door to the benches? If
so, run a piece of romex down into the space and install a quad outlet
for every row, centered in the ceiling. Plug 3 fixtures into each one
and have a spare for extension cord drops to the center of the shop.
(I use the hell out of my duplex outlet that way. Running to a power
strip, I have the little HF drill press, my Shop Fox mortiser, and the
Delta 1" belt/6" disk sander plugged into it.) Choose how you power
them (should you wish to go to a second circuit.


I need to take accurate measurements of some details so I can "commit"
to a diagram, then I may be almost good to do.

Butcha just can't commit, can ya? Bwahahahahaha!


I went to Lowes today, and they had lots of fixtures, but not many like
I wanted, and I couldn't tell the features they had (only one with an
"enclosure"/reflector for instance). Perhaps all of the fixtures were of
the same brand. I stood there for 15 minutes to see if someone would
offer to help me, but they didn't, and I left thinking it probably
wasn't a quality brand anyway. They did have a stack of 4' 2-bulb T-12
fixtures on sale for 9.97--of the same brand too! Putting two and two
together, it made me wonder how good any of those fixtures is.

RUN AWAY! In what city do yo live, again?

--
Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come
alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs
is people who have come alive. -- Howard Thurman