AdventuresInDIY Thanks Chris! The LEDs help are super bright but not at all warm...my brother melted his last box which had a regular incandescent bulb! Thanks for watching.
Excellent! I'm going to make one for my son. Only things I might add is a handle and something to wrap the cord on so he can carry to school. I really enjoy your builds.....please keep up the great videos.
Danz favorite stuff That mean a ton to me Danz! You know, I don't know why I didn't think of a handle and cord wrap! Will have to add that next time I visit my brother!. Thanks for watching.
David Hughes Always better! Thanks for watching David, there are free plans on my website if you are interested. Any questions while building feel free to ask.
the led lights are nice you can buy dimmers for them, i put a strip going up my hallway stairs because i have a black carpet and theres no light at nighttime. i turn them on at night so its easier to walk up and down the stairs
Super design n info. Do you know if the box works well for tracing thru heavy weight (200 gms) paper? I’m looking to use box to trace onto very thick watercolor-like paper.
Great project with some cool ideas.If you didn't want to paint the plexi glass you can buy OPAl Acrylic which is the same as what the boxes you can buy use. It will mean you don't have as patchy light, however your method works very well. Thanks
18 months later, how is the adhesive holding up on the back of the LED strips? I've been considering building one of these for my grandkids, but I'd hate to ship it across the country and then learn that the strips had popped off the electrical board. Itr is a really awesome build and you have kept it simple. A really greag job.
Have not had any complaints about it! If you do make one you can make it much shorter, I was not sure how much heat would be generated but its very little.
Nice job Tyler. It looks like it would make a great viewing table for slides. I know your probably saying what are those but I still have a bunch that I need to reconvert with a higher resolution camera since the first time I did it the technology was about 2 mp.
I just did a build inspired by this one, except I sourced the LEDs and power supply from elsewhere. Any idea what might be causing my controllers to burn out? The strip says it's 18W (5m) and I'm using about 7.5m worth of LEDs with a 24W(12V-2A) PS and a 12V-3A controller. Any ideas on what might be going on are welcome!! :(
+PeopleCanFly23 9.6W is not quite half of what I had....would have to say it might be a little bit dim for your needs. You may want some way to make yours dimmable though, that way you have control over the light for each different picture.
This is awesome! I recently started a 24x30 array for a light box, and quickly found that a series circuit is not the correct method. What thickness and type of wire do you suggest for us busbar? Also, do you have any suggestions for a beginner to learn about circuitry and these kind of electrical components?
Bob over at I Like To Make Stuff has a few videos about simple circuitry, that will be a good start. I don't remember what gauge I used but it won't have to be too big, the LEDs don't draw a ton of power. Maybe 14-16 gauge, but it does need to larger if you have more LEDs. Thanks for watching.
That project turned out awesome Tyler!! Really like how the finger joint jig looked so simple to make when you made the finger joints. Question tho - was there a switch on the power cord that came with the power supply? I did wonder why you hadn't wired a small switch n the box. Thanks for sharing !
Nicholas Gomez Well, video editing works magic! I failed on the first finger joint test but got it right the second time. Was going to install a switch but my mom thought it wasn't necessary. Thanks for watching and happy new Year.
Tyler, I want a light box to backlight a stained glass panel. Could the depth of the box be less? I know you mentioned in another comment that the volume of the box worked to dissipate any heat from the power supply. Could a decorative design of holes in the sides serve the same purpose? It would create an interesting lighting effect on the wall as well!
Absolutely! After having the light box for some time the height can definitely be less....was not sure when I originally built it but it doesn't great enough heat to be an issue. Thanks for watching!
Great job! Curious, how you decided on a height? It seems to me it could be shorter or slimmer, of course if its on someones lap your height choice may be perfect...Thanks!
One really easy way to make light tables without much in the way of tools (btw, you could use a basic drill and a coping hand saw to do everything he did. It’s not as easy, takes more time and effort, but the results are the same. Oops, sandpaper too...Soldering can be replaced with twisting wire together and electrical tape then a plastic cap. Again, not as professional looking inside but the results are the same). Back to the main point. Another way to make great drawing boards are old lcd TV’s. You literally only need to remove the lcd glass panel under the bezel and it is functional. I have no idea where you live, but most “dumps”, recycling places etc have an area for broken electronics. There are always a ton of TV’s with cracked screens. Ask the worker (if there is one) if you can grab a broken TV for parts and 99% of the time they laugh and say “Sure”. If no one is working and they just have bins or lockers you can just pick the size you want and again, once the lcd is removed, as long as the backlight works, you have a perfect drawing area that will normally see through photo paper, then 5-7 drawing sheets. They already have plugs, so no worries about soldering or power (old laptop screens also work well but require the same power and soldering, though to a lesser extent; they are much lighter and portable than old lcd or led TV’s though). At this point if it’s for yourself and cosmetics aren’t an issue you can just use plastic or wood to set it to the angle you prefer. If it’s to resell or gift then you will want to make some sort of frame. How simple or complex you want to get is up to you at that point.
Hello! Excellent work! I noticed that your light box is rather high (in my opinion). Does the height matter? Is it comfortable to use? I want to build a light box, but I prefer to make it flat like a tablet (3 or 4 sm high). That's why I' asking.
+Lidy Klimova Built it this high because I was not sure how much heat the LEDs/power supply would generate. Turns out not much can definitely make it much shorter. Good luck!
hey this is amazing work. one question, do you have to spray the glass white? i thought if its just as clear as it comes, the light will be brighter and giving the result more easier to trace?
+Afiqe Farid The light might be brighter but you will also see all the individual LEDs instead of a diffused light like you get with a painted glass. You can also get a white acrylic sheet but I was using what I had laying around. Thanks for watching!
thanks man been working on a project like this for about 2 weeks finding plexiglass the right color temperature, now your video to guide me through the process of the assembly ^^
Hey man! Can I make a little bit thinner box, about 2 inches ? If I do so, that would be even to the 2x2 inches woods where the plywood is nailed onto. Because I want the plexiglas to be level with the surface of my wall. In other words, I want to make this as a wall light box, and paint it with black, living an unpainted inverted E as in Eminem! Yes Im a Stan and I want to be creative somehow xD By the way, can I make a switch for this ? LED strips ? I just thought it would get rid of any hassle if it's possible. Thanks for the answer(Advance)
+Perr Pher Cernechez Yes to all your questions! I originally made it thicker cause I wasn't sure what the heat generation would be like but it's not bad. Switch is an easy addition. Good luck.
***** Thanks man for the tips in this awesome vid. Btw, How long will the LED lights last? And where can I buy Plexiglas ? Is that found in Glass or Plastic stores ? There are also translucent white plexiglases ryt ? I want those kind but I dont know where to buy. Are they also in hardware stores or home depot ?
ali çakıcı LEDs make no heat at all and the little that the power supply generates is easily transferred by the box volume and the wood. Would have been really cool to have some tiny fans in there though! Thanks for watching!
Rivash Naidoo Everybody has the skills deep inside somewhere! Just find a friend to has some tools and ask for a hand, we all like to share and help. Good Luck.
Did it like a pro, you can tell by the planning and execution you like to do it perfect. Best work i've seen.
Great light box Tyler! Using LEDs to evenly distribute the light is a nice touch. Thanks.
AdventuresInDIY Thanks Chris! The LEDs help are super bright but not at all warm...my brother melted his last box which had a regular incandescent bulb! Thanks for watching.
Nice work! That reverse miter deal is cool.
CMR Woodworks | Chris McDowell Thanks Chris...always a good feeling when stuff like that works out!
wow!...I love your demonstration of the process involved in making the light box...much appreciated!...excellent work!
Very cool project! Loved the finger joints! Those LED tape projects require so much soldering, but I think it was worth it! Well done!
Scrap wood City Thanks! Soldering is always a good time though. You have some great videos as well Sir, keep it up.
***** thanks for the nice words! Soldering is indeed awesome!
Excellent! I'm going to make one for my son. Only things I might add is a handle and something to wrap the cord on so he can carry to school.
I really enjoy your builds.....please keep up the great videos.
Danz favorite stuff That mean a ton to me Danz! You know, I don't know why I didn't think of a handle and cord wrap! Will have to add that next time I visit my brother!. Thanks for watching.
Well done Tyler!
Nick Ferry Thanks Nick, this was a fun, fun build. BTW, the flat black paint does cover REALLY well, was impressed. Thanks for that tip.
I was going to buy one! How much more satisfying to own one (a GOOD one) that I made myself. Thanks for the video tutorial.
David Hughes Always better! Thanks for watching David, there are free plans on my website if you are interested. Any questions while building feel free to ask.
Nice job!!! Love the light box!!!!!
the led lights are nice you can buy dimmers for them, i put a strip going up my hallway stairs because i have a black carpet and theres no light at nighttime. i turn them on at night so its easier to walk up and down the stairs
Super design n info. Do you know if the box works well for tracing thru heavy weight (200 gms) paper? I’m looking to use box to trace onto very thick watercolor-like paper.
Great project with some cool ideas.If you didn't want to paint the plexi glass you can buy OPAl Acrylic which is the same as what the boxes you can buy use. It will mean you don't have as patchy light, however your method works very well.
Thanks
Chad Griffiths I did look at the OPAI but I got this piece for free! The painting method seems to work great.
Very well done
Thank you, Tyler. Much appreciated. I'll give it a try per your instruction.
Nice job, Tyler. Keep up the good work, and thanks for the ideas!
Sig Guy Thank you Sir!
Tyler great job....love the finger jointing. How much did it cost you ? Would be great if you could make it more sleeker.....
18 months later, how is the adhesive holding up on the back of the LED strips? I've been considering building one of these for my grandkids, but I'd hate to ship it across the country and then learn that the strips had popped off the electrical board. Itr is a really awesome build and you have kept it simple. A really greag job.
Have not had any complaints about it! If you do make one you can make it much shorter, I was not sure how much heat would be generated but its very little.
6:17 Is there a reason you didn't just use white plexi ?
That great. End product looks good. I loved seeing that portable soldering iron. It looks Canadian. LoL
Suleiman Qandah Yea Louis should be proud!
Nice job Tyler. It looks like it would make a great viewing table for slides. I know your probably saying what are those but I still have a bunch that I need to reconvert with a higher resolution camera since the first time I did it the technology was about 2 mp.
WoodRodent I still remember slides but that was back in high school! Thanks for watching.
Wow it's amazing! I'm thinking of building a light box as well it's much cheaper than buying one
Cool! It sure is more satisfying to make your own. Good luck!
Red wing fan,good job.
+Manoftheworld Thanks man!
Great work man!
Joseph Louie Vicencio Thanks Joseph, appreciate you watching and subscribing!
this is very awesome work.. i understand every part of your tutorials.. very helpful (Y) thank you!!
pochaco de castro Awesome! Thanks man really appreciate the comment.
This was so helpful, thanks for sharing! Love that swag by the way. ;)
Great video, I just subscribed, I really like the way you edit all the cuts really fast and entertaining
***** That means a lot, thanks! Editing like I do is the only way to keep my attention!
Nice job!
Lazy watchsmith Thank you for watching!
This is great! Would love to try to make one. Awesome DIY vid!
Jessica Munoz Thanks Jessica...it is a great tool/toy to have!
I just did a build inspired by this one, except I sourced the LEDs and power supply from elsewhere. Any idea what might be causing my controllers to burn out? The strip says it's 18W (5m) and I'm using about 7.5m worth of LEDs with a 24W(12V-2A) PS and a 12V-3A controller.
Any ideas on what might be going on are welcome!! :(
Beautifully done. I really wish I had all those tools, I'm just gonna stick to buying one from a store lmao. Props for the creativity and ingenuity.
ThatsSoGiorgio Thanks man! I sure love my tools. Thanks for watching.
I want to use 9.6W led strip, will it be enough power? I would photograph old negative film with my dslr.
+PeopleCanFly23 9.6W is not quite half of what I had....would have to say it might be a little bit dim for your needs. You may want some way to make yours dimmable though, that way you have control over the light for each different picture.
Pretty cool!
Cool Tool Shed Woodworking Thank you sir.
This is awesome! I recently started a 24x30 array for a light box, and quickly found that a series circuit is not the correct method. What thickness and type of wire do you suggest for us busbar? Also, do you have any suggestions for a beginner to learn about circuitry and these kind of electrical components?
Bob over at I Like To Make Stuff has a few videos about simple circuitry, that will be a good start. I don't remember what gauge I used but it won't have to be too big, the LEDs don't draw a ton of power. Maybe 14-16 gauge, but it does need to larger if you have more LEDs. Thanks for watching.
Amazing!
That project turned out awesome Tyler!! Really like how the finger joint jig looked so simple to make when you made the finger joints. Question tho - was there a switch on the power cord that came with the power supply? I did wonder why you hadn't wired a small switch n the box. Thanks for sharing !
Nicholas Gomez Well, video editing works magic! I failed on the first finger joint test but got it right the second time. Was going to install a switch but my mom thought it wasn't necessary. Thanks for watching and happy new Year.
Tyler, I want a light box to backlight a stained glass panel. Could the depth of the box be less? I know you mentioned in another comment that the volume of the box worked to dissipate any heat from the power supply. Could a decorative design of holes in the sides serve the same purpose? It would create an interesting lighting effect on the wall as well!
Absolutely! After having the light box for some time the height can definitely be less....was not sure when I originally built it but it doesn't great enough heat to be an issue. Thanks for watching!
Really good video! Thank you!
Samantha Kowalewski Thanks for the kind comment Samantha, glad you liked it!
nice one
Nice man.
Compliments
Nice project....
John Turner Thank you sir!
Great job! Curious, how you decided on a height? It seems to me it could be shorter or slimmer, of course if its on someones lap your height choice may be perfect...Thanks!
Rob Shamel I just went what "seemed" to be proportional. It could certainly be shorter! Thanks for watching Rob.
great design tyler. unfortunately not everyone has all the tools you had. those were alot of them. but great idea.
One really easy way to make light tables without much in the way of tools (btw, you could use a basic drill and a coping hand saw to do everything he did. It’s not as easy, takes more time and effort, but the results are the same. Oops, sandpaper too...Soldering can be replaced with twisting wire together and electrical tape then a plastic cap. Again, not as professional looking inside but the results are the same).
Back to the main point. Another way to make great drawing boards are old lcd TV’s. You literally only need to remove the lcd glass panel under the bezel and it is functional.
I have no idea where you live, but most “dumps”, recycling places etc have an area for broken electronics. There are always a ton of TV’s with cracked screens. Ask the worker (if there is one) if you can grab a broken TV for parts and 99% of the time they laugh and say “Sure”. If no one is working and they just have bins or lockers you can just pick the size you want and again, once the lcd is removed, as long as the backlight works, you have a perfect drawing area that will normally see through photo paper, then 5-7 drawing sheets.
They already have plugs, so no worries about soldering or power (old laptop screens also work well but require the same power and soldering, though to a lesser extent; they are much lighter and portable than old lcd or led TV’s though).
At this point if it’s for yourself and cosmetics aren’t an issue you can just use plastic or wood to set it to the angle you prefer. If it’s to resell or gift then you will want to make some sort of frame. How simple or complex you want to get is up to you at that point.
Or.. you could just buy a shadow box that is about 2 inches deep.
Excelent tutorial, i envy your abilities :D
You can do it too man!!
Hello! Excellent work! I noticed that your light box is rather high (in my opinion). Does the height matter? Is it comfortable to use? I want to build a light box, but I prefer to make it flat like a tablet (3 or 4 sm high). That's why I' asking.
+Lidy Klimova Built it this high because I was not sure how much heat the LEDs/power supply would generate. Turns out not much can definitely make it much shorter. Good luck!
Thank you, Tyler
you may have already mentioned this...but, what kind of paint did you use on the plexiglass? Just regular spray paint? Paint for glass? Flat paint?
Just regular spray paint, nothing special.....I think it was a matt finish.
hey this is amazing work. one question, do you have to spray the glass white? i thought if its just as clear as it comes, the light will be brighter and giving the result more easier to trace?
+Afiqe Farid The light might be brighter but you will also see all the individual LEDs instead of a diffused light like you get with a painted glass. You can also get a white acrylic sheet but I was using what I had laying around. Thanks for watching!
oh i see. thank you for the info!
oh i see. thank you for the info!
Great project but did you know that they sell acrylic sheets that are white ? When the box turns on you could see that it was painted
David Ferrer Yup, but you can't beat the free sheet I got! Thanks for watching.
goog :)
How much you charge ?
DIY if you have a carpentry (and are a carpenter).
you think I could use this to lighten up items I want to display like replicas?
Sure you can! Can make it thinner if you wanted to as well. Good luck!
thanks man been working on a project like this for about 2 weeks finding plexiglass the right color temperature, now your video to guide me through the process of the assembly ^^
Hey man! Can I make a little bit thinner box, about 2 inches ? If I do so, that would be even to the 2x2 inches woods where the plywood is nailed onto. Because I want the plexiglas to be level with the surface of my wall. In other words, I want to make this as a wall light box, and paint it with black, living an unpainted inverted E as in Eminem! Yes Im a Stan and I want to be creative somehow xD
By the way, can I make a switch for this ? LED strips ? I just thought it would get rid of any hassle if it's possible. Thanks for the answer(Advance)
+Perr Pher Cernechez Yes to all your questions! I originally made it thicker cause I wasn't sure what the heat generation would be like but it's not bad. Switch is an easy addition. Good luck.
***** Thanks man for the tips in this awesome vid. Btw, How long will the LED lights last? And where can I buy Plexiglas ? Is that found in Glass or Plastic stores ? There are also translucent white plexiglases ryt ? I want those kind but I dont know where to buy. Are they also in hardware stores or home depot ?
+Perr Pher Cernechez Not sure about the LED life but have to assume it's a long, long time. Yea you can get white plexi at home depot or lowes.
***** ok thankyou
for the purpose of copying designs could you make it any shorter hight wise.
Joseph Lieber Absolutely, after building it I wish I made it shorter. Would be lighter and easier to store as well.
Ok thank you for the help.
red wings💪🐙🐙🐙 here are your french fans
YEA!
yeah sure...so easy
nice job, but the temperature is supposed to be evacuated
ali çakıcı LEDs make no heat at all and the little that the power supply generates is easily transferred by the box volume and the wood. Would have been really cool to have some tiny fans in there though! Thanks for watching!
I just use a piece of plex glass over my computer screen and ajust to fully bright and trace images off google lol.. gets the job done
+Nick M lol, that's awesome!
put a lamp under a glass table. light table
I would really love to make a box like this but unfortunately I don't have the skill nor the equipment needed to make it.
Rivash Naidoo Everybody has the skills deep inside somewhere! Just find a friend to has some tools and ask for a hand, we all like to share and help. Good Luck.
Instead of painting the plexiglass, why not just use white plexiglass?
box is great, but i should have like wood factory at home to make it ~.~ sad story.
Thank you Elen....I hope you get the shop you want someday.
Well... I don't have the material or the money to buy it
This reminded me of HowtoBasic...
Nice! Thanks for the comment!!
Woodglut has a lot of designs to choose from.
Jay Bates sent me here. Thanks Jay.
Michael Baker Thanks for checking it out Mike. Was very cool of Jay to share!
ko
:)
ok +10
Very uneven light