Steps to make Light Box for Tracing

A light box can easily be made at home which will make any tracing project easier. Let us have a look at the making of the same.

A light box helps in creating special projects that involve drawing or tracing a picture. A light box easily simplifies work that involves drawing pictures. With the help of a light box, one can illuminate the original picture from behind so the image can be traced onto an overlying page.

Let us have a look at the procedure of preparing the light box for tracing:

Things Needed:

• Glue for sticking wood
• Any paint
• Paint brush
• Wood, 1 by 2 inches, 5 feet long
• Wood, 1 by 4 inches, 2 feet long
• Jigsaw
• Nails or wood screws
• Sandpaper
• Polycarbonate plastic sheet, 18 by 24 inches
• Fluorescent light and fixture - 23 inches long
• Drill
• Screwdriver

Make the Frame

• For making the frame of light box, we need to cut pieces of wood into 18-inch pieces, using the short side of the plastic sheet to measure. Repeat this process with the long end of the plastic sheet. This will give you three 1-by-2 boards to use for the frame.
• Now, cut 4-inch piece of wood from the 1-by-4 to use for the frame header.
• Place a 1-by-2 side piece on its end on top of the 1-by-4 header. A line must be traced Use a pencil to trace the outline of the smaller board on the top edge of the header. Remove this piece with a jigsaw.
• We need to stick the side pieces into the head. Make sure that the nails are reinforced into the joint when the glue is totally dry. When the glue is completely dry, reinforce this joint with nails or wood screws.
• Stick the remaining 1-by-2 in place between the side pieces, at the opposite end from the header.
• Now smoothen out all surfaces and corners using a sandpaper
• Make the frame of the light box cloudy using one side of the plastic sheet and diffusing the light. Sand down the sharp edges of the corners of the sheet.
• Wipe down the frame to remove any dust
• Paint the frame using any paint color and keep it for drying.
• Place plastic over the frame and once the plastic is in position, fix it in place with glue.

The light box is perfectly ready to be used for tracing.

To Continue Reading about: - Photography lighting.