[Leica] Light table Quick & cheap! :-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

This is a "KISS" LIGHT TABLE! ;-)  keep it simple stupid. ;-)

We needed a light table about 40+ years ago and there was no way I had the 
money to pop a few thousand for a factory built.

So we stood beside a factory one, felt where it was in relation to the belly 
button, that gave us how high it needed to be to work for hours comfortably.

Went to a commercial plastic shop to see what was the cheapest " opal 
plastic " size we could by for the size of the office and it was 50"X30" X 
1/4" and that determined the size of the light table.

Then we went to an electrical supply shop with all kinds of fluorescent 
bulbs, we got 4 daylight 48" long and a 4 tube used 4' fixture and that 
determined the final size of the table.

Bought a sheet of plywood cut to size, some lumber and made a table the 
right size to allow the light fixture to lie flat, obviously facing up. ;-) 
Then made a box kind of thing to fit over the table, we had also made legs 
to hold the plastic sheet at the right height according to our belly button, 
a previous measurement.

Then we painted the inside white!

The plastic sheet was set onto the box and held in place with some 3/4" 
moulding.

It was wired, plugged in and has worked like a dream since! And I don't 
think the whole thing cost us much more than $50.00 :-)  After Sandy Carter 
came to work with me 9 years ago I made her a 2 tube light box in similar 
fashion using a 48" fixture with daylight fluorescent tubes.

It's a no brainer, the secret is the height so you don't end up with a 
wrecked back after 8 - 10 hours leaning over it. Measure your belly button 
to the floor to the height of the plastic work sheet.! ;-) And as far as 
using plastic over expensive glass?  The plastic wont break if you drop a 
heavy loupe on it. :-) Besides it's a heck of lot cheaper and lasts forever.

There you go eh? ;-) Light box forever!

ted