The Framers Forum

Today one of our 8ft flourescent tubes went in the shop, at one time most of our tubes were 8ft ones, but there's only 3 left now, the rest have been replaced with double 4 or 5 ft fittings. Swapped the starter with one from a working tube to make sure it actually was the tube; it was.

I had a spare near the workshop roller shutter (hooray) but at some time it must have got too near and one end was missing (boooo)! Had to replace it quick - dark and gloomy area.

Did a bit of googling for electrical suppliers and found an electrical factor .... whatever a 'factor' is, in Worthing. Phone call "Yup, we got plenty, about twenty quid each"

Postcode, satnav ... go!

Got there ... "8ft flourescent tubes, two please ..... plus, while I'm at it, a compatible starter for each" (So's I can put them in that place I put starters that I can never find again ... ever)

£50.89 - thought that was a bit steep, but OK, had prob been quoted ex VAT ... can claim that back, took receipt print-out, stuffed it in my back pocket without checking it, as you do.

Just checked it, it reads thus ....

Description - 125w 2 pin starter. Price per - 8.17 each. Discount - 80%. £Goods - 3,27.

Description - 100w T12 8ft white tube 3500k. Price per - 489.29 each. Discount - 96%. £Goods - 39.14.

What a bargain!

WTF?

I think I pay about a fiver each for 5ft tubes and the cheapo warehouse over the road has starters at two for a pound.

I have found the biggest problem is getting rid of the dead ones until I spotted and ad. in a free sheet telling me the local recycling center accepted them. Bloke was a bit surprised when I pitched up with twenty one of them but at 30p a go I was glad to see the back of them.

Talking of lights I bought a new 11W energy savng bulb at the weekend from Sainsburys which said it would give me 10,000 hours of light. Packed up after two hours! and no it was not connected to a dimmer switch.

By the way it is Fluorescent not Flourescent! Flour is something you make bread and cakes with!

3500k is also well away from daylight (approx 5500k) so not good conditions for looking at artwork in. Some of the newer fluorescnt lighting is better but only still in the 4400k range.

Not for artwork - just for area, saves customers from having to carry torches. We have spots too.

Now off to rip in to your spelling on another thread

(Edit) Too much - brodering on my bedtime now

Apologies for the spelling thing.

Just when I was a student radiographer I had to write Fluoroscopy, Fluoroscopic, Fluorescence etc. in essays and assessments and I always spelt it the wrong way now it jumps off the page at me.

cray type or cancer treatment type?

I had a girl friend that was the cancer treatment type, I remember her on about cyclotronic this and isotopic that please don't correct the spelling cos I don't know what I'm on about.

The two types are Diagnostic (imaging) or Therapeutic (radiotherapy) I was diagnostic.