Author Topic: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting  (Read 4037 times)
Datsunsrule
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Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « on: January 12, 2020, 10:40:51 PM » Author: Datsunsrule
Hello,

I'm new to lighting gallery, so nice to meet you all. I enjoy vintage lighting and I'm still learning alot so bare with me :)

We recently purchased a 100 year old home and these shop lights were in the basement. I'm looking for some assistance identifying the make, and decade of manufacture. Thank you!

Chase

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Mr. Orthosilicate
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #1 on: January 12, 2020, 10:50:01 PM » Author: Mr. Orthosilicate
I don’t know the exact year or model of these, but I would estimate they date from WWII to shortly after the war. Since the ballasts are on top of the channel, and there is only a small channel to protect the wiring, I would expect they were made during the steel shortage of WWII. The materials shortages seemed to persist until 1947 in the lighting industry, as there were certain lamps which were announced during WWII but were not released for the commercial market until 1947, such as the 12 inch circline (FC12T10, later changed to FC12T9).

Is the reflector made from metal or from some form of paperboard, wood fiber, or cardboard? Also, who made the ballasts?

It’s definitely from the 1940s.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2020, 10:56:05 PM by Mr. Orthosilicate » Logged
Datsunsrule
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #2 on: January 12, 2020, 11:19:49 PM » Author: Datsunsrule
Thank you! It's all metal, and they are heavy. The ballests are GE.

Chase
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wide-lite 1000
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #3 on: January 12, 2020, 11:47:37 PM » Author: wide-lite 1000
Are these T-17 fixtures ?
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #4 on: January 13, 2020, 12:03:00 AM » Author: Rommie
Hi Chase,

welcome to LG from a very cold North-East Scotland  ;D
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #5 on: January 13, 2020, 01:41:13 PM » Author: Miles
Very nice fixtures! Interesting how the top is very clean and the underside (white) of the reflector is rusty, it's usually the opposite side that takes the beating over the years, haha!

You got the toggle/click pull chain switch which are super nice, and looks like the original hanging chains too and the nylon cord with a porcelain bushing.

If you like them, I'd give them a good clean up and put them back in service, they will last a long time since the ballast is in the open, and is well aerated. I'd simply change the cord on it to be safe. They make reproduction nylon round cord styles like this.

Lastly: On the top of the fixtures, opposite side of the cords and starters, there is what looks like a black ink stamp. Could that be something to help identify?
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Datsunsrule
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #6 on: January 14, 2020, 04:29:20 PM » Author: Datsunsrule
Thank you for the info!
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Bottled lightning
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #7 on: January 15, 2020, 12:50:10 AM » Author: Bottled lightning
Its a good idea to ad a  1 to 1.2a slow blow fuse for safety in case of ballast failure, also if the starters have wax paper capacitors in them it would be a good idea to replace those.
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #8 on: January 15, 2020, 03:31:50 AM » Author: joseph_125
Seconded on adding fusing for the ballasts. It's something I add all of my vintage fluorescent fixtures. Might also be good practice to change all the fluorescent starters with NOS FS-40 manual reset starters too. The old ones might be worn out and close to getting stuck. The FS-40 starters have a manual reset on them that trips when the lamp reaches EOL instead of trying to start it endlessly.
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vintagefluorescent
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #9 on: January 15, 2020, 11:06:58 PM » Author: vintagefluorescent
Wow those are nice 👍These are definitely war time fluorescent light fixtures  I’m guessing early to mid 1940s ,

If the bulbs are laying around and they are old enough- They might be collectible especially if the etch on them read General Electric- Mazda , If You do find the bulbs chances are they may be old and worth saving ,

A lot of these old fixtures were brought home from buildings either being remodeled or torn down  back in the 60s as people were looking forward to updating to the jet age ,

If You plan to use them I might suggest replacing the old starters with new ones and if a You are like me and You like to keep things original You can always put the old starters in a jar somewhere,

Also A word of warning when buying new bulbs - Avoid the 34 watt bulbs and make sure ayou are buying 40 watt bulbs as the so called energy saving  34 watt tubes will destroy you’re ballasts,

Anyways congratulations- These are beautiful .

One of our collectors here - Miles has one of these exact same fixtures- I personally love these fixtures-

Man these are nice 👍Enjoy and welcome to L&G !

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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #10 on: January 16, 2020, 03:55:35 PM » Author: Miles
Wow those are nice 👍These are definitely war time fluorescent light fixtures  I’m guessing early to mid 1940s ,
One of our collectors here - Miles has one of these exact same fixtures- I personally love these fixtures-

I found another a year ago that has the cardboard / material fiber reflector. Really puts in perspective how bad they needed steel during WWII.
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vintagefluorescent
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #11 on: January 16, 2020, 07:39:41 PM » Author: vintagefluorescent
I found another a year ago that has the cardboard / material fiber reflector. Really puts in perspective how bad they needed steel during WWII.

I agree - when it gets to the point where General Electric temporary started
Using Bakelite end caps on there fluorescent light bulbs
That’s a clear indication of major metal rationing,

I’ve never seen Bakelite end caps  on a General Electric Fluorescent Light Bulb until recently ( I now own a pair - I believe 1945 was the only Year they did this )


« Last Edit: January 16, 2020, 07:45:34 PM by vintagefluorescent » Logged
HomeBrewLamps
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #12 on: January 17, 2020, 09:29:04 PM » Author: HomeBrewLamps
I have one of these that I saved from an abandoned factory a while back! Mine is made of some sort of woody material. It has a ballast that instant starts lamps. It was made by R&W WILEY.

https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=5137&pos=60&pid=154173


Here's a picture of where it was when I found it in the abandoned factory.

https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-137270

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vintagefluorescent
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #13 on: January 17, 2020, 10:40:49 PM » Author: vintagefluorescent
I have one of these that I saved from an abandoned factory a while back! Mine is made of some sort of woody material. It has a ballast that instant starts lamps. It was made by R&W WILEY.

https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=5137&pos=60&pid=154173


Here's a picture of where it was when I found it in the abandoned factory.

https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-137270



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🍾🎉👍!!!

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Toiyabeshawn
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Re: Vintage fluorescent shop lighting « Reply #14 on: April 05, 2020, 03:36:38 PM » Author: Toiyabeshawn
I love the old fluorescents. Last week, I was looking around craigslist and in the “free stuff” section was a pic of a 50’s-60’s 2lamp 4foot  turret industrial with porcelain reflector in really nice shape. It appears it was rapid start from the factory, no starters and 70’s ballast installed. It has most factory cloth wire still intact, very cool find and great price....FREE. The guy said that someone else was wanting it too but kept blowing him off so I scored!
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