As far as DIY FRIDAY posts go, this may be the most practical (and therefore least exciting). Everybody needs a light table, right? And building one is basically a low-tech operation. Looking around for tips on building one, I found a few good resources to share.
My favorite was one on Makezine.com. The thing that’s nice about this light table is that you can recycle old technology… you basically take an old scanner, gut the insides, and rewire with fluorescent bulbs and frosted plexi- instant (though somewhat small) light box. The drawback in Matt’s post is that he doesn’t really get into the details about wiring the lights.
Tom Richmond has a really thorough post on his blog about a light table he built in 2007. The pictures are great and he goes into detail about the process and his decision-making. His total cost was around $100 but this doesn’t seem to factor in the cost of a drafting table and a shop light (both of which he had readily available at the start of the project).
Another well-written post can be found on squidsicle. He goes into a lot of detail about etching glass yourself. I’m not sure this is really necessary as their probably easier alternatives but informative none the less.
And the last link (which isn’t even DIY) is Matt Nuzzaco’s light table on a swissmiss post. Watch the video for the table’s surprise feature. There isn’t a Pimp My Light Table, is there?
Like
yummmm—mmmm!!
Dork City, but I love it. With the proliferation of cable/Direct/Satellite TV channels, eventually there will be PrintTV. Can Pimp My Light Table be far behind?
PrintTV sounds like the subject of a future post. I look forward to reading it.
This Light Table post is actually an open call/challenge for the most gratuitous and over-the-top light table feature. Please send pics and/or video to my hotmail account.