Old scanner = light table

Old scanner = light table

Img 0203
Matt writes – “Well, my wife recently asked me to build her a small light table for her to use to copy the paper patterns that she uses for quilting. I started to design one in my head, and then decided that if I just pull all of the guts out of the old scanner and replace them with a fluorescent light bulb (so as to not generate too much heat), I’d have light table. I also put a translucent piece of plastic under the glass top of the scanner bed to diffuse the light from the light bulb a bit.”Link.

Matt’s blog has a few other interesting Maker projects (garden railroading, o-gauge railroading, home-built CNC machine, woodworking, PC and home electronics projects, etc) check’em out – Link.

12 thoughts on “Old scanner = light table

  1. Shadyman says:

    How about a sheet of that light diffuser stuff they use for fluorescent lighting in office buildings?

  2. NateMC says:

    You can get varying degrees of diffusion sheets from theatrical lighting stores.

    I’ve also seen light tables built out of old backlit beer signs.

  3. jmassaglia says:

    Great idea. My wife just sets the desktop color to white on her computer and uses that. I’ve got a scanner or two in my basement not being used. Maybe I’ll try building one of these.

  4. MikeCat says:

    You can get the diffuser stuff right at home depot, with the related fixtures. They come in sheets that you can cut to fit. Its a little brittle however, so cut slowly and cleanly.

  5. spongebathe says:

    I was thinking about doing something just like this the other day ago.
    Kudos for beating me to it.

  6. iBub says:

    Don’t (as in DO NOT) buy plastics at Home Depot. Lowes or other big stores. If you live near a big orange or blue store, chances are there’s a plastics distributor close by as well. Find the nearest plastics distributor where you can buy what you need sold at about $2 per pound for smaller stuff and $4 per pound for larger pieces.

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

current: @adafruit - previous: MAKE, popular science, hackaday, engadget, fallon, braincraft ... howtoons, 2600...

View more articles by Phillip Torrone

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK