Tracing, animation, x-ray, light box under $20

My Girlfriend is a Fashion design major working on her MFA, and she often needs to trace her sketches. She uses my animation table but it is a bit too large for her to work with, and she can’t move it around. So I decided to make her a light box. Once I had everything together, it took me less than a day to build. In fact, I made it today.  This is my first Instructable, it will not be my last.

Step 1: Materials

1 piece of translucent white plastic, from the San Francisco Tap plastics scrap bin, 5 bucks,

1 clip board clip from tap plastics 1 buck

1 1x3 from home depot 3 bucks

1 sheet of back board from home depot, 2 bucks

1 light from home depot 7 bucks,

4 brackets form home depot 1 buck

Some aluminum foil, wood glue, 3m spay mount staples and rivets, already had. durham wood putty.

Total $19.00

Comments

[bluefly1215]

I made one in 1998 for a college project, Its not much larger and the light source is a plug in light (wish they had leds back then) I also used aluminum foil for reflector. I also noticed at that time the light sorce got pretty warm and needed a vent. Anyway, my sister stole it not long after I made it so she could do some stuff. Funny thing she still has it. Nice idea like your box.

[Sunnedaez]

What type of saw did you use to cut the mitre?

[ihoppoet]

a miter saw

[Miskui]

Yeah, for me I bought a Light Pad that has equal lighting over the entire pad which I need for traditional animation. But is it possible to line the bottom with those clickable lights? Where you push them and they turn on - there are the really huge ones that you'd probably only have to put 2 in there. I dunno I'm thinking outloud because I'd like another home-made, lightweight lightbox as a backup.

[Saidye]

Yes, it's possible to line the bottom with clickable lights. That's actually quite a brilliant idea I'd like to use.

[flyingpuppy]

Great idea. Looks like it would be even better if you have a light on the other side as well.

[ihoppoet]

I thought about that, but, it works really well as is, and it would add weight to it, my Girlfriend is 5 foot tall and 95 pounds, so I tried to keep it as lightweight as possible. That is why I used pine. Also why I used foil instead of sheet metal. I'm thinking about making one for myself, it will be brighter but heavier.