Light Boxes Pt. 2
Back Again .
If you remember , I stopped where you are measuring the inside distance , side to side and top to bottom on this disassembled bunch of grooved wood . Placed temporarily together on edge .you should have enough room for the plastic and the Wood panel .
When you are satisfied with your measurements you have to do something Weird .Take one edge piece that will be the side facing you when it is sitting on the table being used . Now take the Slot for the Plexiglass and on that side , cut the Top edge of that piece off , even with the top of the slot . This is so that - - -
#1 you can clean the inside .
# 2 so you can change light bulbs
# 3 so you can change to a frosted piece of Plexi later if you wish .
Now take some cabinet brads 3/4 inch long and get ready . At this time , If you wish you can put a 45 degree corner on the pieces so they join together like a picture frame .. It looks more proffessional that way .Now take the bottom plywood which should be cut to the right side and using some Gorilla Glue glue it in the first groove .( doesn't matter which .) Do this till all four sides are standing up with the bottom on and the cutout on the edge facing you .
Now take those cabinet brads ( or fine wood screws , that you did pilot holes for ) And Gorilla Glue the sides together at the corner and fasten snug ( don't overdo here ! ) . Set aside and let dry for a day or two .
Now here's wheer it gets easy .Do you have a rattle can of Rust - O - Leum - Appliance White Paint ? If not , get one , and after sanding the inside lightly and getting rid of the dust , Spray it with at least four light coats . Let dry .
Why light coats ? Well this is a semi - gloss paint and it will soak in some . Now sand it lightly and give it four heavier coats . If you cannot see wood color under the paint It's done . I don't believe in saturating anything .
Here is some fun for you .Do you like the look of fine furniture ? Natural oiled wood or a nice organic stain , or just plain paint ? Now take the outside after it's had time to dry good , and sand till it's smoother than the Wing on that plane you just built . If you are going to paint then apply a sealer and sand again when dry .
Stain or oil to your liking if that's your thing .Leave the outside of the bottom naked of anything but a coat or clear flat sealer ! You should now have before you a fine looking box with the finish of your choice on the outside and the Semi- Gloss White on the inside !
Now slide the Plexi in place .It may bind a little . If so sand the Plexi edge NOT the box . If it fits okay and you didn't have to tweak the box square then this next step will be a breeze .Take a package of velcro strips and tak out two strips .Each one should be 12 " by 1/2 " inch . Now glue the fuzzy strip to the bottom in paralell rows about 10 " apart . Glue the other part to the back of your under counter lights .
No , I didn't forget about the wiring .Take both plugs and measure them side by side .Now Cut a hole in the side of the bottom side area near , the plywood and where the cords will extend out with no intereferrence . There's a method here .Now when that,s done put the lights in .Oh , If you can , I failed to mention it , See if you can get those lights with Line switches on the wire .
Put all this together and clean the plexiglass surface and turn on the lights and " Viola " you have a useable light box .Will you be at the dining table with it ?Was it mom's or grand-mom's table ? If so you can get little clear silicon discs made as feet for stacking stuff on furniture without scratching .
Well there you have it .I hope the instructions were clear enough to help you get through this .Good luck and enjoy your hand made creation ! Tanker - Builder Also , another thought , You can take this light box any-where you wish in the house , shop or R.V. and drat ! even the office .