Custom Light Box Designs - Opal Glass Panels with back lighting
Opal panels when back lighted can be truly beautiful. When no window is available or when
you desire the panel to be viewed at night then a light box may be the answer. Since I also do woodworking I construct
my own light boxes to the size of the panel desired from a variety of hardwoods. While other sizes are possible,
the photographs show opal panels 16" wide and 24" high. The light box is 20" wide by 28" high by 3 1/4" in depth.
Four T5 micro fluorescent fixtures supply the interior light. The vertical sides have 14 Watt 22" units
while the top and bottom have 8 Watt 12" units. This yields a well light space without any "hot" spots.
The lights are available in 2 wire polarized or 3 wire grounded, for commercial use.
The photo on the left shows one of a set of 6 boxes that feature the Lighthouses of the Outer Banks. This panel shows the most famous Outer Banks
Lighthouse, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, technically called a Light Station by the USCG. The photo was taken with the interior light off. Try as I could I couldn't get a good image with the lights on.
My camera, at least in my hands, couldn't capture the beauty and depth of the multi-layer opal glasses. When I got one section looking as the human
eye sees it, some other area was either over or under exposed.
The photo on the right shows the upper right corner of the light box. It shows the attached hanging hooks as well as some the detail of the
box's construction. This light box is made from red oak box. It is stained with MinWax "Golden Oak" stain and protected with three coats of
MinWax clear satin Wipe-On ® polyurethane.
The Outer Banks Light Station (aka Lighthouse) series includes the following, going from South to North along the Outer Banks in North Carolina and Virginia:
The photo on the left shows one of a set of 6 boxes that feature the Lighthouses of the Outer Banks. This panel shows the most famous Outer Banks
Lighthouse, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, technically called a Light Station by the USCG. The photo was taken with the interior light off. Try as I could I couldn't get a good image with the lights on.
My camera, at least in my hands, couldn't capture the beauty and depth of the multi-layer opal glasses. When I got one section looking as the human
eye sees it, some other area was either over or under exposed.
