01-01-2013, 07:21 AM
This is something I made for the wife several years ago. Keep meaning to post it, but 'tis the season, so here goes.
SWMBO got a set of crystal figurines of the nativity. Nice enough for the mantle, but somehow lacking any pizazz. Lighting them up made them sparkle, but how to get the light coming from inside?
Make a light box! I used an old in box from a school desk I pickup at roadside. Bottom was broken, but the finger joints looked nice, so I saved it. Sanded it down to remove all the discolored old finish. I replaced the bottom with a piece of the skin from a hollow core door. A thin coat of matte varnish gives it a little better finish than bare wood.
On the top, I traced the bases of the three figures. With a set of dividers, I traced another line about 1/4" inside the first. This gives a stable base for the figures, but opens up the entire inside to the lights. Drill holes and cut out using a coping saw. File the edges smooth.
Inside, I glued wooden blocks next to the openings. Drilling a hole in each, I jammed in a small light socket (from the local hardware store) and wired them together. Black to black, white to white, with a length of power cord tied in. I also decided to add a switch. Note that the sockets and switch have to be rated for line voltage. Bulbs are only a 12 watts or so.
Looks nice at night. Has the added bonus of being a perfect night light during the holiday season.
SWMBO got a set of crystal figurines of the nativity. Nice enough for the mantle, but somehow lacking any pizazz. Lighting them up made them sparkle, but how to get the light coming from inside?
Make a light box! I used an old in box from a school desk I pickup at roadside. Bottom was broken, but the finger joints looked nice, so I saved it. Sanded it down to remove all the discolored old finish. I replaced the bottom with a piece of the skin from a hollow core door. A thin coat of matte varnish gives it a little better finish than bare wood.
On the top, I traced the bases of the three figures. With a set of dividers, I traced another line about 1/4" inside the first. This gives a stable base for the figures, but opens up the entire inside to the lights. Drill holes and cut out using a coping saw. File the edges smooth.
Inside, I glued wooden blocks next to the openings. Drilling a hole in each, I jammed in a small light socket (from the local hardware store) and wired them together. Black to black, white to white, with a length of power cord tied in. I also decided to add a switch. Note that the sockets and switch have to be rated for line voltage. Bulbs are only a 12 watts or so.
Looks nice at night. Has the added bonus of being a perfect night light during the holiday season.
Full of ideas, but slow to produce parts