Need help with a craft lightbox build.

Calv · Post by **Calv** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:50 pm

My girlfriend is into crafts and would love an A3 lightbox, one of these.....

A3 lightbox

At £50, i thought i could easily make one, and it would probably look better too......however i have come across a stmbling block, i have'nt a clue where to start!

Has anyone any basic ideas of how to knock up a basic box like this?

I have a light attatchment to go inside, so one side would have a hole in it to take the cable for this. Bearing this in mind it has to be accesible so that she could change the bulb.

The surface is white plexiglass i believe, so i'm guessing i could slide plastic sheet up into the box along runners of some sort, then i could block it off at the top and bottom ends to seal it in?

I'll have an area for pencils and stuff at the top like in the pic, i'll just drill holes for these.

It's stupid is'nt it, it seems the most basic project in the world, but i've gone blank on this one.

Thanks for any advice.

Calv.

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:07 pm

It looks prett easy to make really-

You can cut the shapes like the ones in the diagram attached and then use a small piece of wood, something like 1cm square and nail this where the red line is, leave this wood so that the plixiglas or perspex finishes flush with the edges of the light box.

screw the back of the box onto the two sides and then you can unscrew the back to replace the lamp.

If you use perspex you will need something like 040 or 050, or perhaps one of the other opal colours. Opals are normally available in 3mm-10mm thicknesses.

You can silicone the perspex/plexi in place

Calv · Post by **Calv** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:43 pm

Thanks ever so much for that explanation and diagram, that will get me started.

Calv.

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:46 pm

dont make it too small [in depth table top to plastic ]

you will need 2 bulbs to cover the area either 30w filliment tubes
or 11w L/energy bulbs
they need to be positioned approximatly 2/5 and 4/5 centraly across the widest part parralell to the short ends
make shure the bulbs are around 2 inches away from the screne

you will also need air flow to stop overheating as the bulbs including L/E get hot

Wood Magnet · Post by **Wood Magnet** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:49 pm

Hope this is'nt too late Calv.

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:26 pm

I see you have been brushing up on your drawing skills pitbull

Wood Magnet · Post by **Wood Magnet** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:47 pm

Well my missus calls me an "artist"

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:33 pm

pitbull wrote:Well my missus calls me an "artist"

psssssss artist

Wood Magnet · Post by **Wood Magnet** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:40 pm

Thats the one

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:32 pm

pitbull wrote:Thats the one

join the club

carhartt kid · Post by **carhartt kid** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:31 pm

When I was at Uni, we made our own using an old drawer from a chest of drawers. Then used aluminium angle to hold a sheet of opaque perspex on the top. Paint the inside white and pop in circular florescent ligh, available from B&Q.