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Just another Lightbox

6K views 97 replies 30 participants last post by  bugman72 
#1 ·
Well here is my version of the light-box, mine is made of mdf and cost about $80 to build. I got tired of shoveling snow here in denver so I decided to put together a quick web page to show the light-box. I'll put together a full tutorial and set of plans once I figure out how to use cad or viso. Take a look: http://home.attbi.com/~astrd4506/

I'm in the process of building 7 more so I will have pictures from the first cut to last drop of paint.
 
#6 ·
The seven will be for the matrix reloaded teaser set, which I now have two sets, one to show and one to sell.


I'm not opposed to selling anything if someone is willing to pay the right price for it, that's why I usually try to get more than one movie poster (wholesale) if I think it can sell and the lightboxes help to sell posters. I have sold a couple of them (lightboxes) so far but I was hesitant because of the exposed wiring doesn't meet code and could cause a fire, and the reason I'm waiting on my shipment of low profile strip-lights to finish the current box.


I've been approached by two of the poster shops I buy from and some of the custom installers I used to do financing for to make lightboxes for them.


My whole reason for making this style of lightbox was poster rotation with minimal effort and to me minimal effort is handling just the poster and believe me it took four good tries to get to this design, the first was the old fashion sandwich the poster between to pieces of acrylic (ruined a saving private poster), the second two (exercises in design) involved the use of magnets, and finally the this one.


Second I wanted a light box that look like something that belonged in a home theater environment and not a movie theater, personally I do not like the "now showing" and "coming soon" signs within the lightbox and those marque lights around the frame make me crazy.


Third was price, to buy these things at retail prices can cost as much as some HT gear and I would rather put that money toward HT gear or a new MV Agusta and KTM.
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally posted by Octagon



I'm not opposed to selling anything if someone is willing to pay the right price for it, that's why I usually try to get more than one movie poster (wholesale) if I think it can sell and the lightboxes help to sell posters. I have sold a couple of them (lightboxes) so far but I was hesitant because of the exposed wiring doesn't meet code and could cause a fire, and the reason I'm waiting on my shipment of low profile strip-lights to finish the current box.
So what's the right price??
 
#10 ·
The right price for me would be anywhere from $150 to $180, but if you were a close friend this year you got one for your birthday. The two I sold I was offered $200 and $250 but I would take a some posters in a trade for a lightbox.


Plans and tutorial are coming but I haven't use a cad program since autocad's release 10. It will be about week or week and half until my hand is strong enough to do some wood working. I think the only real power tool needed is a router/table. I will be using pre-primed 1X mdf trim so those without a table saw won't worry about having to rip down a 4 X 8 sheet. also I think a rotozip saw works pretty well for cutting acrylic if you don't have table saw, so make that two power tools.
 
#12 ·
What watt bulb is everyone using? I plan on using 4 bulbs.
 
#14 ·
Octagon,


Would you be interested in making me a lightbox that measures

36" X 48" ?


Let me know,

Troy
 
#17 ·
Sorry for delays the box is almost finished so I will be writing the plan soon (I hope to have it by Wed.), it's just with hockey playoffs and all I kind of getting short on time, It will be more of a step by step building process enhanced with working drawings, sorry it's taking so long but my hand only has about %75 of it's normal stength and dexterity is only half there so it's kind of a chore to even type, chalk it reiters syndrome, thank god the episodes are getting less severe.


On another note can anyone recommend a good free web host, it's seems that comcast is moving attbi domains and my personal web page is gone.
 
#19 ·
Excellent work. I built one a while back but I'm unhappy with the loading of the poster. Your' is great. I would love to see the detail on how the door is done and how the plexi mount on the door.


Can't wait for the plans.


Jeff
 
#20 ·
OK here is a sample diagram of the frame although the dimension of the rabbet is suppose to be 1" wide instead of 3/4" and a depth of roughly 3/16".


The dado is 3/4" wide and its depth is the same the thinest acrylic you can buy a home depot which is something 0.0938", I'd guess somewhere in between a 1/16" and a 1/8". The box sits in the dado to help prevent light leakage. plunge any deeper for the dado and the frame won't open far enough to change posters.


I figure out how to make a sidemound light out of standard shop light which gives a low porfile light so you can now cut the depth of the box from 4.5" to 4"

For a box that I would sell though I would use these:
http://pegasusassociates.com/BLsideT12.jsp


prices aren't bad but you have to buy 5+ at time but a huge time saver if you building 3 or more lightboxes at a time.

 

frame.pdf 30.353515625k . file
 

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#22 ·
All the lights I looked at were too deep. I ended buying a ballast and the sockets for the lights. That allowed me to create a low profile box as well. You may want to consider that. A 4 light Ballast was about $25.00 and the sockets where around $3 for 4.
 
#23 ·
Yea, I was going to go the ballast and socket route too, until I saw a shop light a home depot for $7 so I cut it down with a pair of tin snips and mounted the sockets to the side of the chassis with small nut and bolt combo. It's kind of hard to ground a ballast to wood.


For those of you want to build it, the step by step process will be written over the next couple of days I hope to have it up by Wednesday.
 
#24 ·
No need to ground the ballast if it is mounted to wood.(To my knowledge anyway)


Anyway, will you be putting a step by step plan for building this box? I can't wait!
 
#25 ·
Yeah you probably don't have to ground the ballast if its mounted on wood I would just be afraid that it could short out and start a fire, but it would be most unlikely it would happen. I'm working on the web pages now and talking longer than I thought.



trpham, if you looking for the white acrylic it should be available at you local plastics dealer you should be able to find them in the phone book.
 
#26 ·
If you are looking for white plastic...brace yourself. It is twice what a clear piece is ($40.00). I bought clear plastic from Lowes ($16.00 per piece ) and sprayed "Window Frosting" paint on it. You can find it in the spray paint area at Lowes. It worked great. It prolly isn't UV protective but I didn't want to mortgage the house to buy UV protecting plastic.


As far as grounding. You MUST ground the BALLAST (follow the directions on the ballast, ground wire with washers on ballast). I used old computer A/C power cords for both of my boxes which looked about like #14 wire. Worked perfect.
 
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