Light Box Build

rocky1

Creator of Shavings and Sawdust!
Full Member
Messages
8,996
Reaction score
16,555
Location
Way North Florida
First name
Rocky
I built a light box awhile back for photographing calls, small, light, portable, but durable. Used an LED light kit for light source, scrap lumber that was in the loft in the shop. Has it's good points and bad points. Wish it were bigger, by the same respect it's too big. All of my light is in the top and it really does need a light source lower in the box. I have to raise the object I'm photographing about 1/3 the height of the box to light it properly, were light added from both sides it would fill much better.

LED kit was purchased here... http://www.barlighting.com/Rigid-LED-Strip-Lighting/ - These kits come complete with everything you need, simply plug and play if anyone ever needs such for a project of any nature. Installed one in a lawyer's cabinet for lighting my game call collection, 6 - 7 years ago, stays on 24/7, and not a single LED is out. Great product for the money!!

Construction was 1x4 Fir ripped down, and some 1/4" mahogany plywood. Simple 1'x1'x1' box.

DSCF4027_W.webp

Kit comes with little tiny phillips head screws which are a pain in the @$$, found it much easier to use the ice pick and zip ties to fix the light bars.

DSCF4029_W.webp


DSCF4028_W.webp



Had one strip left over from my call cabinet project and I added it at the front trying to get more light in front of the calls.

DSCF4030_W.webp

Interior was painted with Rustoleum Textured Paint in Stone...

DSCF4025_W.webp

DSCF4026_W.webp

Does take some decent pictures when you get it right, but cell phone will NOT take a picture in it. Either comes out too dark if you don't fire the flash, or it gets way too bright and washes everything out with light if you do fire flash.

DSCF4074_W.webp

Have maybe 2 hours invested sawing all of this out and slapping it together. Took longer for the paint to dry than it did to build it.
 
Last edited:
Rocky, can you add the pictures in? If you have trouble, I can do it later tonight.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
Are you seeing them now rip? Was having problems trying to move that from Allan's thread here.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
ok... Think I got that all fixed... Moved it over it wouldn't delete in the original thread without deleting the attached pictures back there, which made them go away here, except on my computer, so I reloaded them and changed things, then it reverted back to pictures you couldn't see, so I added new pictures over it and the old deleted pictures moved to the bottom of the thread and wouldn't go away again. Good Lord that was a pain in the @$$ just to try and not clutter up Allan's thread!!!

Oh well... If anyone else has any pictures of a light box, or your light box build, by all means attach them here. I'm looking for better ideas!
 
Last edited:
I built a light box awhile back for photographing calls, small, light, portable, but durable. Used an LED light kit for light source, scrap lumber that was in the loft in the shop. Has it's good points and bad points. Wish it were bigger, by the same respect it's too big. All of my light is in the top and it really does need a light source lower in the box. I have to raise the object I'm photographing about 1/3 the height of the box to light it properly, were light added from both sides it would fill much better.

LED kit was purchased here... http://www.barlighting.com/Rigid-LED-Strip-Lighting/ - These kits come complete with everything you need, simply plug and play if anyone ever needs such for a project of any nature. Installed one in a lawyer's cabinet for lighting my game call collection, 6 - 7 years ago, stays on 24/7, and not a single LED is out. Great product for the money!!

Construction was 1x4 Fir ripped down, and some 1/4" mahogany plywood. Simple 1'x1'x1' box.

View attachment 105788

Kit comes with little tiny phillips head screws which are a pain in the @$$, found it much easier to use the ice pick and zip ties to fix the light bars.

View attachment 105790


View attachment 105789



Had one strip left over from my call cabinet project and I added it at the front trying to get more light in front of the calls.

View attachment 105791

Interior was painted with Rustoleum Textured Paint in Stone...

View attachment 105786

View attachment 105787

Does take some decent pictures when you get it right, but cell phone will NOT take a picture in it. Either comes out too dark if you don't fire the flash, or it gets way too bright and washes everything out with light if you do fire flash.

View attachment 105792

Have maybe 2 hours invested sawing all of this out and slapping it together. Took longer for the paint to dry than it did to build it.
Is that call palm wood? really looks cool!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8
That is some of the Bamboo Laminate I bought from Colin awhile back Barry. Cut 4 pieces 1 1/4" wide, stacked them, and laminated, then turned it on the end grain. You get 2 sides that look like that, and 2 sides that make your pictures look blurry, when they're dead on accurate. Fuzzy looking strip down the middle looks just like that on the call.

DSCF4078_W.webp


Seam Ripper from the same stuff...

NCM_0622_W.webp

Same stuff turned the other way.

DSCF4031_W.webp

It's really cool to work with. Turning the grain lengthwise it turns like butter, cuts easy and clean, really easy to turn. Turning on the end grain, it tends to want to chip out until you get it rounded, then back to turning like butter. Have to be a little careful when turning it honestly, it cuts really easy.

Would probably make for some really interesting segmented bowls, turned either direction.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top