DIY Light Box

[Photo Dave]

Anyone build their own Light Box? If so would appreciate thoughts on component selection.

When I moved I got rid of my 2’ x 2’ behemoth so now just need simple 10” x 11” to view a sheet of 4 x 5’s in protectors. Not so concerned (currently) about color correction as I’d be viewing B&W negs but hopefully will come a day when viewing color transparencies too! Or, is it better to purchase for 50 -$100?

Thanks… Dave

[Mark MacKenzie]

Someone gave me an old X Ray film viewer. I think its 11x14 or maybe larger. It was simply one of those Circline fluorescent bulbs with a plexiglass "opal" diffuser. If you make one, I bet you could get the bulb and a ballast, switch etc all from Big Box stores very inexpensively.

[bobwysiwyg]

I found and use a tracing box I found at an art supply store. It was not expensive as I recall.

[C. D. Keth]

I made one with a plywood body. It held 2 12 inch fluorescent tubes. The negatives sat on a piece of milkglass and, as I remember, I added an additional piece of lighting diffusion (probably 250) halfway between the tubes and the milkglass to further hide the shape of the tubes from the eye.

[Dan Henderson]

When I built my new darkroom I built a light box into one of the counter tops. Like the above, a simple plywood box with a plastic diffuser covered with plate glass flush with the counter. I used spiral CFL bulbs but wish I had opted for a circular florescent due to hot spots.

[C. D. Keth]

When I built my new darkroom I built a light box into one of the counter tops. Like the above, a simple plywood box with a plastic diffuser covered with plate glass flush with the counter. I used spiral CFL bulbs but wish I had opted for a circular florescent due to hot spots.

I found that 2 diffusing surfaces were needed for acceptable evenness. One in the middle of the space between light source and negatives and one immediately under the negatives.