Can lights perfect circle

[jhaley24]

Does anyone have any ideas on hanging 18 can lights 6 feet apart in a perfect circle? Its for a restaurant. :-?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I believe you will have a circle with a circum. of 108 and a diameter of about 34' or a radius of 17.

C= pi * d

I would lay it out on the floor and shoot a laser plumb up to mark the lights.

 

[nakulak]

6' apart as measured on the arc or on the chord ?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

6' apart as measured on the arc or on the chord ?

Good question. I assumed on the arc

 

[480sparky]

I do it Dennis' way. Can you lay it out on the floor first, then laser-plumb the marks up?

 

[220/221]

Crap...new construction or remodel?



Start with some graph paper and a compass. Scale out the room/ joists/ductwork plumbing etc. Draw your circle and determine it's diameter with your high school gemetry (or google) Radius times something probably.

Once you have your clearance issues layed out find the diameter using your geometry of your circle (help me out here...radius times ???)) and divide by the number of cans.


You MAY have to change the number of cans to fit them in. I am thinking 16 would be better than 18. If it must be 18 you will have to rotate them till the all clear the obstacles.




On the site,find your center point, stake it with a screw or nail, slip a string on it the length of your radius and draw the appropriate sized circle. Use pencil if remodel or marker on the joists if new construction. Find the joists and lay all of them out.

If new construction and they have to be perfect, run a drywall screw at each joist, on your marks ad wrap the string around them. Crap...that still wont be perfect but darn close.

 

[infinity]

He did say that this is in a restaurant.

 

[nakulak]

I come up with 34'-6" diameter. this gives 6' chord. you could either use string or wire nailed at the center with a length of 17-3 and measure the chords to get each can, or rent a transit and layout the 20 degree lines from the center (then plumb up)

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I did this job a year ago. What a bear this one was with all the framing. Took about 5 hours to lay this out and wire them. The floor also was not even-- there was a step up for the theater seating.
But it came out beautifully- you'll see in the last picture

 

[wbalsam1]

Very nice looking job, Dennis. :smile:

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Very nice looking job, Dennis. :smile:

Thank you- I did a lot of cursing doing that job. :grin:

 

[480sparky]

Here's my recessed-lights-in-a-circle nightmare:

14 cans in an arc in the clouds over an auditorium. I never got a pix of them before the drywall went up, but each one had to be custom-framed in on a 87'-6" radius arc measured from a point spec'ed that was outside the building. The arc of the clouds were measured from another point, so we could not just follow the edge of the cloud.

Just after rock went up, you can see them here in the lower left.

Just after we got them lit up:

After the scaffold was taken down:

Finished product:

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Here's my recessed-lights-in-a-circle nightmare:

14 cans in an arc in the clouds over an auditorium. I never got a pix of them before the drywall went up, but each one had to be custom-framed in on a 87'-6" radius arc measured from a point spec'ed that was outside the building. The arc of the clouds were measured from another point, so we could not just follow the edge of the cloud.

You just had to show up my little residential job didn't you. :grin:

When you take the time to do it right the rewards are there afterwards. Nice job.

 

[480sparky]

You just had to show up my little residential job didn't you. :grin:

That was residential? Wow! Not too many homes get that complicated. Musta been a custom job? I just figured it was commercial, like a retail store or something.

But yes, that's one of the nicest parts of our profession..... standing back and soaking it all in when it's done, and done right, and thinking to yourself "Dang, that looks good!"

 

[jhaley24]

thanks

thanks

thanks for all the help. this is a tough one. i'll let you know how it goes. maybe i'll take a pic too.

 

[480sparky]

maybe i'll take a pic too.

At this point, we're gonna require it! :grin:

 

[jhaley24]

this looks like an idea. thanks

 

[Rampage_Rick]

Finished product:

Not sure if I approve of the light spillage on the side wall there... :grin:

Want to do my home theater?

 

[480sparky]

Not sure if I approve of the light spillage on the side wall there... :grin:

Twern't my design. They spent big bucks to have the lighting designed by someone who specialized in such matters.

 

[spsnyder]

I like the scalloping on the back wall and the design in general. The side wall scallopping I think you are refering to does look weird given it's lack of symetry but at those levels I think it would be very difficult to model. They are pretty dim scalloping.