Building a light table

death2twinkys · 06-01-2007, 10:01 PM

I am building my girlfriend a light table to use for art and such. I have a nice piece of tempered glass i stole from my old store when they closed it. I was thinking of using an old LCD back light or an LED light any ideas or suggestions. Also if anyone knows where i can find an LCD back light assembly or a LED light board for sale please let me know.

peterhuang913 · 06-01-2007, 10:03 PM

how big does the light table have to be? By light table, you mean a table with tampered glass and light coming from under it right?
also, lcd backlights are just two cold cathode tubes on a piece of plastic

death2twinkys · 06-01-2007, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterhuang913

how big does the light table have to be? By light table, you mean a table with tampered glass and light coming from under it right?
also, lcd backlights are just two cold cathode tubes on a piece of plastic

hmm... I didn't know that and i was thinking about 19x12

Mr. Switch · 06-01-2007, 11:32 PM

You've already got the wrong materials for a light table, You don't use glass, you use acrylic. The problem with glass is that it doesn't diffuse light, it reflects and refracts it. If you're thinking of using a textured glass, you're still in the wrong ballpark, because even though it will diffuse it a little it will give uneven results and the texture will give off inaccurate results similar to putting film negatives or transparencies on an LCD monitor--you don't see the detail on the film, you see the pixels. Using the back light of an LCD probably wouldn't be bright enough anyway, and since you're using glass, it won't be diffused and will give off uneven light, which is horrible for not only film, but drawing too.

You need Acrylic and flourecent light fixtures to put in the box. Anything else and it could give off way too much heat and it could cast colors that with mixed lighting, the eye may have a hard time balancing.

peterhuang913 · 06-01-2007, 11:36 PM

what he means is a box with a bright bulb in it with acrylic or plexiglass on top

Mr. Switch · 06-01-2007, 11:47 PM

No, I don't mean a box with a bright bulb in it with acrylic or plexiglass on top, I mean a box with flourecent lights as the light source and acrylic as the surface. period! Like I said above, glass won't work and any other lights are too hot. If her art is film photography, than you need to make sure that the table isn't too bright or too dark becuase than it will act exactly as an unprofiled monitor and give you inaccurate exposure information.

peterhuang913 · 06-01-2007, 11:49 PM

get over the photography aspect of a lightbox...

Mr. Switch · 06-02-2007, 12:05 AM

Have you even seen or used a lightbox? If you say you have, i don't buy it. Otherwise, you'd know what they are.

Metal Chaos · 06-02-2007, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Switch

Have you even seen or used a lightbox? If you say you have, i don't buy it. Otherwise, you'd know what they are.

Switch is king behind the lens, you best listen to him boy.

SYL\X/3K · 06-03-2007, 11:04 PM

"old LCD back light or an LED light" WTF!!
get some flourecent lights and a fogged up glass what switch mentioned acrylic glass.

your better off buying one then making one because from what you said doesn't seem like a light table
i fixed couple light tables in my media arts class that were laying around because there weren't enough for all of us to work on so i know how they work

06-01-2007, 10:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
death2twinkys Virgin Techie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Portland,Or Posts: 0	Building a light table I am building my girlfriend a light table to use for art and such. I have a nice piece of tempered glass i stole from my old store when they closed it. I was thinking of using an old LCD back light or an LED light any ideas or suggestions. Also if anyone knows where i can find an LCD back light assembly or a LED light board for sale please let me know.

06-01-2007, 11:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mr. Switch Monster Techie Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,638	Re: Building a light table You've already got the wrong materials for a light table, You don't use glass, you use acrylic. The problem with glass is that it doesn't diffuse light, it reflects and refracts it. If you're thinking of using a textured glass, you're still in the wrong ballpark, because even though it will diffuse it a little it will give uneven results and the texture will give off inaccurate results similar to putting film negatives or transparencies on an LCD monitor--you don't see the detail on the film, you see the pixels. Using the back light of an LCD probably wouldn't be bright enough anyway, and since you're using glass, it won't be diffused and will give off uneven light, which is horrible for not only film, but drawing too. You need Acrylic and flourecent light fixtures to put in the box. Anything else and it could give off way too much heat and it could cast colors that with mixed lighting, the eye may have a hard time balancing. __________________

06-01-2007, 11:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
Mr. Switch Monster Techie Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,638	Re: Building a light table No, I don't mean a box with a bright bulb in it with acrylic or plexiglass on top, I mean a box with flourecent lights as the light source and acrylic as the surface. period! Like I said above, glass won't work and any other lights are too hot. If her art is film photography, than you need to make sure that the table isn't too bright or too dark becuase than it will act exactly as an unprofiled monitor and give you inaccurate exposure information. __________________

06-02-2007, 12:05 AM	#8 (permalink)
Mr. Switch Monster Techie Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,638	Re: Building a light table Have you even seen or used a lightbox? If you say you have, i don't buy it. Otherwise, you'd know what they are. __________________

06-03-2007, 11:04 PM	#10 (permalink)
SYL\X/3K I know <html>, do you? $SYL\X/3K's Avatar$ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 127.0.0.1 Posts: 1,642 $Send a message via AIM to SYL\X/3K$ $Send a message via Yahoo to SYL\X/3K$ $Send a message via Skype™ to SYL\X/3K$	Re: Building a light table "old LCD back light or an LED light" WTF!! get some flourecent lights and a fogged up glass what switch mentioned acrylic glass. your better off buying one then making one because from what you said doesn't seem like a light table i fixed couple light tables in my media arts class that were laying around because there weren't enough for all of us to work on so i know how they work __________________ P3 Setup- Intel 1.0ghz , 512Mb SDRAM , ATI 9200 128MB, 2x 40GB HD, Asus CUSL-LV .....:::::POST Troubleshooting Steps.___.My Rig.___.Memory Test:::::..... Last edited by SYL\X/3K; 06-03-2007 at 11:08 PM.
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