Light viewing boxDarkroomSource

Skip to: [content] [navigation]


If this page takes more than a minute to load, you might want to refresh your browser

Darkroom Accessories: Light box

Basically, this is a box with a light inside, a frosted glass top, and a lid. The box is made from 1x6 lumber, the bottom is 1/2" plywood, the lid is 1/4" plywood, and the frosted glass is like the stuff that is used for shower doors. The light inside is a fluorescent bulb, because they don't generate much heat, and so won't require a fan for cooling. Tools
Materials
Construction
Use

Top

Tools

Top

Materials

Top

Construction

  1. Decide how you want to make the corners of your box, you could choose to miter them, or to dovetail them, or rabet them, or butt join them, it will make a difference as to the length you cut them. I chose to miter them, because I have a power saw and it is the easiest joint besides the butt joint to make, and it looks better than a butt joint.
  2. Cut the 1x6's to length, so that the finished box will overlap the glass by 1/4" on all sides.
  3. Rabet the top edges of all four sides so the glass will fit flush with the top of the wood, or slightly below, and there is a 1/4" strip of wood around the outside of the glass.
  4. In one of the sides, cut a hole 1/4" in diameter - this will be for the power cord to enter the box
  5. Join, glue, nail, and clamp the sides together to make a box.
  6. Cut the bottom to fit the sides
  7. Glue and nail the bottom to the sides (the rabet is at the top of the box, not the bottom)
  8. Attach the hinges to the lid and one side (or the back, if you know where the back is) so that the lid sets square and fairly close to the sides
  9. Paint the outside of the box and top of the lid whatever color you want
  10. Paint the underside of the lid flat black
  11. Paint the insides of the box white, to reflect light
  12. Attach the foam weather strip around the edges of the lid to contact the sides when the lid is down
  13. Run the power cord through the hole in the side, and wire the light fixture, make sure the rocker switch is outside the box!
  14. Put in the fluorescent bulb and test the wiring, no bare wires
  15. Cut of a little bit of the foam weather-strip, and stuff it into the hole where the wire goes through, to prevent light leaks
  16. Set the glass into the recesses in the sides, smooth side up
  17. Test it for light leaks.
    1. Turn on the light
    2. Close the lid
    3. Turn off the room lights
    4. When your eyes have adjusted, 3-5 minutes, look for light leaks
    5. At seams, use some foam, or some caulk
    6. at the edges where the top meets the sides, try pressing on the lid first, if the light leaks stop, Try adjusting the hinge so the edge where the hinge is further away from the side (the foam here is pushing the lid away from the box), or thinning out the foam on that edge

Top

Use

Plug it in and you are ready to use it!

When you are finished using this, be sure to put the lid down, since fluorescent bulbs emit UV for some time after they are turned off, film and paper are sensitive to UV.

Have fun!

Visitor Comments

The comments stated below are not necessarily the opinions of Andy Hughes or DarkroomSource

Elihu Carranza wrote:

Andy, I don't know if you authored instructions for LightBox which I really appreciate. Clear, brief and to the point! I need some info on kind of lamp to purchase and what I need to make electrical connection safe and effective???? Can you help? Thanks. Elihu Carranza, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus SJSU

Elihu,

Yes, that was me. The light will depend on the purpose of the lightbox. If it's to review negatives in the darkroom, then any old light will do - you'll get used to whatever warmth or color shift the light gives off, and develop the ability to judge negatives based on that light source. If it's to review slides for presentation work, then you'll need a light balanced for the display - usually daylight.

You can get bulbs in several shapes/styles. The simplest, for me, was to get a circular flourescent tube that screws into a standard light bulb socket. The tube is a circle about 6 inches in diameter, with a cross member and the balast is in the center, below the ballast is the screw in piece. This is about 3 inches high.

You can get a regular old porcelain light bulb socket at most home stores (Home Depot, Home Base, or other hardware store), while you're there, pick up a do-it-yourself electricity book. In the book you'll find instructions for connecting a lamp. These are the same instruction you'll use to hook up the light bulb socket to a power cord - it's very simple, but the book will be a great help in understanding concepts, and in any other projects you decide to do.
Contributed by   on 2000-06-07 00:00:00

Text Size –+R