Just as the name implies, a light table is a "table" or box that is lit from beneath. Light tables have a number of applications. Photographers who shoot film and slides may use them to view their negatives and slides, artists can use them to quickly make tracings, and architects may use them to efficiently transfer their drafting work from one sheet of paper to another. If the cost of purchasing a light table is prohibitive for your budget, you can easily make one.
Parts and Materials
The parts for a light table are simple to identify. You need a light source from beneath the table, a box to house the light source and a clear, flat side for the top part of the table. If you desire, you can construct your table as a large workstation, or you can make it compact as a portable light box. Materials for your table would include a light source, such as a fluorescent or tungsten light fixture and bulb, 2"x4" boards and a sheet of plywood (to build a box around the light fixture), a hammer, screws, tape measure, carpenter's pencil, and saw, and an opaque sheet of plastic suitable for the working surface of the light table.
Process
To construct your table, start with the light box. Measure out the size of the workstation using your carpenter's pencil and tape measure. Then cut the plywood bottom and the plastic top to be the same size. Construct sides out of your 2" X 4" board by nailing four boards in place to form a box and then mounting the bottom to the sides with screws. Cut a hole in the side for electrical wiring, and then install the light source in the bottom of the box. Run the electrical wiring out of the box through the hole. Attach the plastic top to the box with screws. Only tighten the screws hand-tight. Should your light source need maintenance, you will remove the plastic cover to access the light source. If your box is so large that the plastic bows in the middle, reinforce the center by installing a piece of clear plastic in the center. Cut the plastic 4 inches wide, and glue it on the edges to the 2"x4" boards and the plywood bottom. At this point, if you want to create a table instead of a portable work station, you can add legs to your box by screwing 2"x2" boards to the bottom corners of the box.
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