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How to Build a Light Box for Viewing Slides

You need a light box to view slides. You can place your slides on the top of the light box, examine them with a loupe, and select your best images. The top of the light box should be lit with lights from below so that your slides will look like they would if a projector light passed through them. Light boxes can cost several hundred dollars. You can build your own light box by using a few simple materials.

Things You'll Need

Drawer from a desk or chest
Fluorescent light fixture
1/8-inch screws
Screwdriver
Fluorescent light bulbs (daylight balanced)
Drill
Sheet of translucent poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)
Hacksaw

Instructions

- 1
  Select a drawer from an old desk or chest of drawers. It should be at least 18 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep. Make sure all four sides and the bottom are intact. This will be the box for your light box.
- 2
  Place a fluorescent light fixture inside the drawer. The fixture should be long enough to run the entire width of your drawer. Screw it to the bottom of the drawer by placing one-eighth-inch screws through the holes in the bottom of the fixture. Tighten the screws into the wood. The fixture should hold two bulbs. Install the bulbs after you have secured the fixture.
- 3
  Drill a hole through the side of the drawer. This hole will allow the electrical cord from the light fixture to exit the box. Make the hole approximately 2 inches in diameter. This will allow the plug that is attached to the cord to go through the hole. Run the cord through the hole you have drilled.
- 4
  Cut a piece of translucent PMMA to the size of your drawer top. PMMA is known under brand names such as Lucite, Plexiglas and Perspex. It will look like frosted plastic. Use a hacksaw to cut the PMMA gently. Make it large enough to lie on top of the drawer.
- 5
  Stretch a bungee cord across the top edge of the PMMA and hook both ends of the bungee cord to the bottom of the drawer. Repeat this process for the bottom edge of the PMMA. These cords will hold the PMMA down while you view slides.

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