Overhead lighting

[Sulzer]

My 8ft x 2ft layout is in a poorly lit bedroom under a sloping ceiling, and as the nights draw in it's becoming more awkward and difficult to see what I'm doing when working on it in the evenings. I can't fix anything to the ceiling as it will probably collapse if I do, and want to avoid having any sort of substantial or noticeable overhead structure above the layout. What solutions are available for this?

 

I don't plan to ever exhibit the layout.

[KingEdwardII]

LED strips.

 

You can attach those to the ceiling since they are very lightweight.* The cabling for them is fairly lightweight as well since it is typically low voltage driven by a transformer.

 

You just need to check the overall light output and the colour temperature, as with any LED lamp. There are many alternative versions available.

 

Yours,  Mike.

 

* If the ceiling can't handle the weight of LED strips, I would not want to stand under it at any price - it means it would probably collapse all on its own.

[peterfgf]

This sounds to be exactly what I want to do. 

Early stages at the moment: working out height above baseboard, length of strips, a way of supporting the lighting strips (possibly aluminium flat bar bent over from the outer edge of the baseboard), but the great unknown is what is a reasonable light output in terms of lumens/metre.

Peterfgf

[mikeg]

Peter you’re best off using plastic 20mm cable trunking without the cover and support from your layout facia with lightweight angle Ali or plastic which several modellers have used, a search for lightweight lighting should find several items of interest.

Regards mike 

[Sulzer]

A couple if rows of LED strip looks like it will do the job nicely, as long as the height on the slope above the layout isn’t too high. A solution is forming, watch this space…

[Gilbert]

Thinking laterally would a cheap LED head torch help with seeing jobs?

Chris

[KingEdwardII]

1 hour ago, Gilbert said:

would a cheap LED head torch help with seeing jobs

That is something I use when doing modelling work, especially under the baseboards. However, I don't find that useful when I'm operating the layout - for which there is a need for good lighting all across the top of the baseboards. Something like LED strip is good for that general broad lighting - avoiding hard shadows is a good idea and strips can address that.

 

Yours,  Mike.

[The Johnster]

Try to place the lighting in front of the layout but not behind you, so as to avoid casting your shadow on the layout (you could always say you were a human shaped cloud...), and to diffuse the light as much as possible so that strongly shaded areas are avoided.  Painting the sloping roof and walls a very light grey colour will help; avoid light blue as it gives too cool a cast, grey is pretty neutral.  My layout, also in a poorly lit bedroom, is lit by led anglepoise lamps that I bought from Maplin's, now defunct but I believe similar lamps are available from Hobbycraft or various Amazon sources. 

 

They have 3 white led strips each, 2 cool and a central warm strip, and one can have either cool, warm, or mixed lighting. with 3 power level settings.  This enables me to reproduce a good variety of lighting conditions, useful as a Welsh mining valley layout needs alternatives to bright summer day...  They are of course in between me and the layout, but one sort of mentally tunes them out and is unaware of them in operating sessions.  I prefer my models to be lit from the side, not directly above, as the sun is never directly overhead in the UK even in midsummer.

 

I use an led torch with a wire hook attached as a shunting pole, but find the anglepoises at full power with all the leds lit generally ok for working on the layout.  I have a clip on spotlight and a rechargeable portable led anglepoise should extra illumination be needed.

 

The anglepoises were originally intended to be a temporary measure prior to building a high level fascia which would house the main layout lighting, and I'd even considered a layer of backlit cotton wool to suggest clouds down on the mountainside, but in the event the anglepoises have proved entirely satisfactory and I doubt the fascia and clouds will ever be build now. 

 

Basically, get the lighting between the layout and the operating postition, as low as you can, and as diffused as you can.  Lighting directly over the models is a major no-no IMHO unless you are modelling something in the tropics.

[peterfgf]

On 16/10/2021 at 17:31, mikeg said:

Peter you’re best off using plastic 20mm cable trunking without the cover and support from your layout facia with lightweight angle Ali or plastic which several modellers have used, a search for lightweight lighting should find several items of interest.

Regards mike 

Many thanks, a good idea.  I like the stuff - releatively rigid and lightweight.

Peterfgf

[brossard]

I have three of these (I think) in my gloomy basement, they make a huge difference:

 

https://www.costco.ca/koda-116-cm-(45.6-in.)-led-linkable-shop-light-with-motion-sensor-and-remote.product.100537804.html?langId=-24

 

Don't know if you have Costco but they should be available in a DIY store.

 

John

[dasatcopthorne]

Our Club Layout 'Harton Gill' has LED strips under up-side-down plastic rain gutter. Not very heavy and cheap.

 

Could be supported at the ends and with light chain or string in the middle

 

Dave