Shoplight

For lighting in his new garage, he hung several rows of shoplights.

But the typical kitchen window does not get enough light to grow healthy tomato transplants. How, then, can you grow your own? With an ordinary shoplight. You don't even have to buy those expensive plant lights.

[…] how to keep this plant alive. Coincidentally, the following Sunday a local newspaper ran an article about a "new" method of growing plants indoors — placing them under fluorescent lights! Somewhat doubtful, I purchased a two-tube shoplight and suspended it over a bookcase upon which my one lonely violet stood. To my amazement and delight the plant not only survived, it thrived! […] If you build your stand or buy one, be sure you can raise or lower the trays or light fixtures. Shoplight fixtures are okay, but the tubes are too close to each other. People differ as to what light tubes are best.

Each shelf has two 4-foot 2-tube fixtures. I also have a 4-foot 2-tube shoplight at one end of a workbench where I take cuttings, do potting and make terrariums and wall hangings. I intend to build a 3 or 4-shelf unit along another wall because I've run out of space. The lights are on 12-13 hours a day. Fortunately, the plant room does not experience temperature and humidity swings.

To summarize, air is in practice proving to be a fairly cheap and most convenient transmitter of power, allowing fine sub-division and transportation to remote points with the crowning and unique quality of suffering no appreciable loss when held in storage. For intermittent service it is of great value, allowing widely varying speed of tools, dispensing with long lines of shafting and belts, giving free head room, and increasing the shoplight as well as lessening the first cost of roof frames when they have not to carry shafting. The pipes require no coating; they radiate no heat, and therefore can be put in close corners without increasing the fire risk; their direction is readily changed in any plane without risk of pocketing or water-hammer, and leaky joints (we all get them) are not a nuisance or risk.