Okay, I tried again, and got one bulb in rather easily this time. The other was a PITA but after doing a little filing down of the long points on the end, it went right in. I tried one of the old ones first and just copied what worked, remembered which side the logo on bulb was.
Anyway, I now have all 6 light fixtures working after replacing the two tubes. Thank you!!!
Ahhh, on to the next crisis du jour. 
Lucky Dog
Ahhh, on to the next crisis du jour.
That would be properly disposing of the two old 8 foot tubes, which are hazardous waste. Around here I have to wait for a town (a group of towns here) to have a hazardous waste disposal day - once or twice a year, always a Saturday, and usually long lines.
Around here I have to wait for a town (a group of towns here) to have a hazardous waste disposal day
Many Home Depots have been taking them near me.
And there are some other stores by me that take them as well.
Our local hardware store’s Information counter takes all sorts of batteries, bulbs… Just awkward handling 8’ tubes without breaking them…
I’ll check the big box stores to get rid of them. I’d rather not expose myself or anyone else to mercury poisoning.
LD
From our history of gold, silver, mercury mining, mercury is pretty common all over the area here in Northern California. Feldspar! My guess is that all our rivers, streams, and SF Bay have maybe even pools of Hg down under the mud… Striped Bass fishermen are advised not to make it a habit to eat their catches too often… So it’s still good to control the mercury gas in fluorescent disposal, odds are here it’s a lot less than what is out in our natural landscape…
There is also a hazardous drop-off day at our dumpsite, Fridays, so old paints, propane tanks fluorescents can go there, too, and are handled the right way, too…
Good job sorting out replacing 'em!
weco
I have started switching the old fluorescent tubes out with LED. Has anyone else done this. it’s pretty simple. The LED will light up from 110v ac and requires no ballast so you get rid of the ballast and run 110 to the LED tombstone. I can’t tell you how easy this was, but here is a video…doc
Single-end LED tombstone conversion shunted to non-shunted - YouTube