How To Make A Light Table for Drawing

[@DoingWhatever]

I know it's been a while since I've made this light table but I just wanted to let anyone who is interested know - I FINALLY HAVE PLANS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD! Long story that basically comes down to "I barely know what I'm doing when it comes to building a website" lol. If you're interested, there is a link in the video description. PDF plans as well as the sketchup model!

[@luminariel3765]

Dude, this is awesome! I might try to do something a bit cheaty with cardboard and LED tap lights

[@DoingWhatever]

Lumi Nariel hey, whatever works! Hope it turns out well for you!

[@DoingWhatever]

Great to hear that! good luck!

[@prim4681]

I love this guys narration, it's like he's not trying to be funny but still comes off as funny

[@DoingWhatever]

Haha, awesome! I'm glad I was entertaining :)

[@ExtremelyRightWing]

Cool video. I saw that it was 7 years old, and then seen how you reply to almost every comment still to this day. To me that shows real appreciation. Thumbs up

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! Yup, I try to at least! I appreciate it for sure!

[@jelee5240]

Great instructions - clear, concise and not a load of fancy equipment needed. Thank you.

[@DoingWhatever]

Jane E Lee Thanks! Sometimes simple is best!

[@reneev1010]

Thank you so much! Nothing more amazing than seeing a man go to work

[@DoingWhatever]

You’re welcome! Haha thank you!

[@bradleyrollins63]

Omg!!!!! You are the biggest art/engineering geek I’ve ever seen!!!!! And you’re my new favourite person in the whole world!!!!!! You my friend.... are awesome!!!!!

[@DoingWhatever]

Haha well I appreciate it bud!!

[@rxndini]

As an architecture student, I was very excited to see the flimsy being used at the end 🥰

[@DoingWhatever]

I built this right after graduating with my undergrad in arch so I had plenty laying around 😁😁 good luck with your studies, it’s a great career to get into!

[@israelperez-sg8er]

The final product turned out to be pretty nice one!

[@mathewkuzmik1153]

the "CHECK IT" at the end is my favorite part. thanks!

[@DoingWhatever]

Haha! No problem!

[@tiffanyzinman6519]

I was so excited to see this post. I watched it and was heartbroken to find I have none of your skills, materials, tools, or space to make this Light table. Your creation is amazing. Just what I have always wanted. If I watch this video another 100 times perhaps I will be able to come up with a close form of your LB table. Wish Me Luck!!!

[@DoingWhatever]

Wow, what a really nice comment to read ☺️ thanks! I'm sure you'd be able to learn the skills needed to make a light table like this, it just takes time and practice! Good luck!

[@arizonaphoenix5312]

Wow awsome job. If only i had all the awsome tools i would make one for my oldest one, as i got some woodworking skills from back in the good old high school years, enjoy ur table u did an awsome job.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! Just start slowly acquiring the tools you need as you make different projects - I definitely didn't buy these all at once! lol honestly, I find some pretty good deals on Facebook marketplace. Thanks for watching and leaving a nice comment! 😁

[@arizonaphoenix5312]

@@DoingWhatever your welcome and yes marketplace ain't a bad idea, thank u

[@DoingWhatever]

Hope you find some awesome tools! It’s a fun hobby!

[@bjornkennethholmstrom7224]

Learned a lot from this and got inspired, thank you! In the apartment I moved into recently, the previous residents left a box-like sofa table. The tabletop extends upwards like a platform when opening the desk. Since I don't do the sofa-TV-thing, I have placed it in my office and use it for my laptop, phone and tablet and added a simple keyboard support to raise the keyboard up from the inside of the box. Your idea of placing the power extender inside the box is a great idea, I will add it to the table to get rid of some cable-clutter. And I hope to build a light table as soon as I get my hands on the right tools and materials!

[@DoingWhatever]

Björn Kenneth Holmström Great idea! It's fun taking a piece of furniture and tweaking it just a little bit to better suit your uses. Good luck with the light table and send pictures when you're finished!

[@juliapodesta]

Great video. Good detail and doesn't lag. Does make me think this project is beyond my skills or patience. Thank you for posting.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you, I really appreciate the kind words! Not beyond your skill if you work at it, just one step at a time and eventually you have a completed project! Thanks for watching!

[@polymavin5280]

Awesome Video... Need to build a large one for my stained glass work..

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! That sounds pretty interesting! Send some pics of it my way when you're done

[@sandrawillman5451]

Well done, and great video! Glad to see you added some plans, I’m sure people will want to make one just like yours. If I had the space, I’d definitely be one of them.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you so much! Maybe in the future you’ll be able to!

[@michaelcaudle6908]

Excellent production quality. You have put a lot of thought and effort into making this video. I will be using this to make my own light box. I will be using it for both my artwork and for my leather shop. Thank you!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks Michael!! I appreciate you watching and taking the time to leave a comment! I should have plans for this table available for download on my website within the week.

[@michaelcaudle6908]

Thank you for the response. I appreciate you sharing the plans for this table.

[@EIIjot]

Very cool and useful build. I like that you included a power strip and a groove to pop out the plexy.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@benkay1026]

looks awesome. You definitely made me open my eyes to some things I hadn't considered for my project. Thanks a lot.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! Glad to hear it!

[@Trinkafi]

[@DoingWhatever]

I'll take that as a compliment, thank you! Lol

[@spacedust4931]

wow!! you're a pro at this

[@DoingWhatever]

I wouldn't say pro but I do enjoy making things lol. I appreciate the kind words nonetheless!!

[@spacedust4931]

I only said the truth. I clicked the video expecting something DIY, but really! you did a really marvelous job! Even though I know I can't do it, I watched the video till the end!

[@DoingWhatever]

Well I really appreciate the nice comments! If you want to be able to make stuff, it just takes practice - like everything else in life. No one is great at anything when they come into the world. Just try making stuff and I'm sure over time you will develop the skills to make anything!

[@DoingWhatever]

Fatabelly right on!

[@tounsydesamas]

Man, you're lire à super hero to me now xD Once i'll have my own house, i hope I'll have a garage so I could stock in it as much tool as you got 👏👏👏

[@DoingWhatever]

haha well thank you for the kind words! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video! Just start saving some money here and there and you will be able to buy some tools. Believe me, I have pretty basic tools and you can make a lot of stuff with just a few tools. Thanks again!

[@yahmanml]

I don't know how I got here but I really enjoyed this video. Well done! The table looks amazing!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! I'm glad you stumbled upon this video!

[@keysersoze5633]

Excellent presentation, not only I like it a lot, but if you were closer to DC I would buy the table from you. I will look at the plans and I subscribed!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! Aww shoot, yea we are a bit far from each other... plus, I sold it about a year ago lol. Thanks for your support!

[@abrahamaraneta4662]

You have a magic touch. perfect.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@rehabmax]

I have an old 2 film X-ray view box that I am confident I can re-purpose into a light box table. I will use some of your ideas. Thanks.

[@DoingWhatever]

That sounds pretty awesome! I’m sure that will work really well, good luck!

[@ms22401gal]

Great video. Gave me lots of ideas for the one I'm building to hold a gorgeous stained glass panel I had custom made.

[@DoingWhatever]

Great! I'm glad you could take something away from this video!

[@rlr067]

Great job building the table... Thanks for the video!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@depressoexpresso7047]

Bro this is f***ing AMAZING! LIKE HOLY COW I WANT ONE

[@DoingWhatever]

Rachel Sumrall Lol thank you! I appreciate it!

[@TheFith]

Wow, man, this is just great! I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you for sharing this with everyone.

[@DoingWhatever]

TheFith I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@johnskunk609]

Great video. . . well made and informative. I came across this video looking for help to make a 4' x6' dimmable ceiling LED light for my bathroom. I've been told there is a calculation for spacing the lights so there are no "hot spots" coming through the lens. I really like the idea of using the foam board as a light defuser. It is also much cheaper than finding special plexiglass for the job. Thanks. I'm looking forward to watching more of your productions.

[@DoingWhatever]

John Skunk I really appreciate all the kind words and the time you took to leave a comment! The bathroom light sounds really cool, you should snap some pics or take a video!

[@johndn9238]

Very well thought out and explained; excellent video, many thanks

[@DoingWhatever]

Awesome, glad to hear that! Thanks for the nice comment 😃

[@greenkitty6482]

Awesome!! I wanted to build a light table for a long time ever since my student days in graphic art but never got to it. You greatly inspired me. Thanks for sharing : )

[@DoingWhatever]

That's awesome to hear! I'd love to see how yours turns out, send pictures when you're done!

[@TonyWheeler60]

I have no need for one of these but your video makes me want to make one! Very well made and entertaining (why I watched all of it:)). Great stuff

[@DoingWhatever]

Tony Wheeler Well I appreciate the kind words nonetheless! Thanks for watching, glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@noureddinecheboub2372]

i like the savoye house at the end 😉

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!!

[@justinsomerset5587]

Dude, you're hired. LOL. That's pretty awesome. I will have to build something like this, maybe a bit simpler, for photography. Thanks for the vid.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! Im glad you found it useful! I should have plans for it on my website soon.

[@DoingWhatever]

I realize this is over a year ago, but I wanted to follow up and let you know that I FINALLY have plans available for download. Check the vid description if you're interested.

[@cmpremlap]

Nice job!👍🏻

[@larrypierce9189]

This is the one I think I can make. Thanks dude.

[@DoingWhatever]

Great! Glad I could help! Thanks for watching!

[@SheldonSFCA]

Thanks for adding your ideas to youtube.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you for watching!

[@luconway]

This is really great

[@stacygerlich5807]

Great video. Very well done and explanations clear

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@ericprout]

So sick, great job man

[@DoingWhatever]

Eric Prout Thank you!

[@mathieugariepy2948]

I wanted to make my own table. Thanks for the tips.

[@DoingWhatever]

Not a problem, glad you found this video helpful! I've got a link to downloadable plans in the vid description if you need any further instruction.

[@pnewcombx]

Very nicely done.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@asktheraccoon]

Amazing, this is almost exactly what I wanted to do for my next desk…

[@DoingWhatever]

Awesome to hear!

[@kema9527]

This is beautiful.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@freeangie11]

Very cool. I want one🥰

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@braddo1972]

That is amazing man

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@CXMXBXR]

love your video making this my summer project amongst other things.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! And that's awesome to hear!

[@irishdixie77]

Killer job! Bit of a perfectionist huh? Well done

[@DoingWhatever]

It’s definitely not perfect but I appreciate it! Thank you!

[@Best-Intention]

Great vid. I am saving it to make one for myself. Thanks.

[@DoingWhatever]

Awesome to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@oganrafaeldeode5733]

Awesome skills sir !

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!!

[@finickityreader5274]

This was awesome! I'm hoping to make something to make tracing big sewing patterns a lot easier and you and other youtubers have shown me exactly how I can do it. :-)

[@DoingWhatever]

Great I’m glad to hear that 😃 good luck with the build!

[@lilpogchamp4904]

Thanks man I really appreciate it. I've been looking toturial for this thanks!

[@DoingWhatever]

Glad I could help!

[@aloochops]

Really cool and helpful

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Nice job!

[@DoingWhatever]

+I Like To Make Stuff Thanks Bob! Means a lot coming from you

[@The_Golem_78]

Have you thought about adding reflective material to the inside of the box for better light refraction?

[@DoingWhatever]

Yup! I added some tin foil to the inside and it worked pretty well!

[@TejasPrabhune]

I can use this for just casual animation. Thank you so much!

[@DoingWhatever]

That's great! Glad the video was helpful!

[@nesrynaref]

Awesome I just loved it

[@DoingWhatever]

Awesome! Thank you so much!

[@hueybui]

Well done! Thanks for sharing the experience.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@joeyb5182]

Dude this video is great! Editing was really well done

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words!

[@r.mercado9737]

Smart! Many thanks!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks 😃

[@joanbarrette620]

Great ideas, thanks for your help!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! Glad I could help in some way!

[@90sguyaimingskyhigh]

great project!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@adrianvanderbecker2890]

Great job bro....!!!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!!

[@قلبفضلاللهوبرحمتهفبذلكفليفرحوا]

Amazing ..perfect work..thanks for sharing

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@chronicfish]

great video!!!! How thick to you suggest the plexiglass be?

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!! I used 1/4" thick plexi and it seems pretty rigid.

[@chronicfish]

thank you!

[@DoingWhatever]

Not a problem!

[@ShadesOfTech]

Pretty good job! So to be clear for the transparent part you used a frosty spray on the plaxiglass and then added a foil, but which material was that foil?

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! Yea that frosty spray didn't work as well as I was hoping it would. The paper that I put on the back is trace paper. You can get it at any art supply store.

[@Snaffer01]

Do you think adding more coats of the spray would diffuse the light better?

[@DoingWhatever]

Snaffer01 I believe I sprayed on like 4-5 coats and I thought that would be plenty. It does diffuse the light a bit, but not as much as I was anticipating..

[@LeyahCheney]

That's so cool looking

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@hailingtides6123]

So cool!! Really enjoyable video!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@nataliesykes142]

Hey, this is helpful for the near future and probably my favourite so far! Subscribed!

[@DoingWhatever]

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words and for taking the time to comment and subscribe! That means a lot! Glad you liked the video!

[@NovaaGrind]

Well done

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@macpakinga1271]

Cool man 👍😎💡

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!!

[@anita189]

I love it :) I been enjoying building things myself too :) You are so creative and talented. :)

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you so much! That's awesome to hear you are building things too! It's a great hobby to have!

[@ME.5]

Very well done! May I ask which kind of led you have chosen? I'm talking about temperature of light. Maybe it's just a silly rumors but lately I've been told blu led frequencies, because of the very its high temperature, could be harmful at the eyes. Looking for tips.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! Check the description of the video, I have a link to the LEDs I used. If I remember correctly, I believe they were a "warm white". Hope that helps!

[@christinemyhre8023]

@@DoingWhatever hi, i'm building this desk to your plans. one problem is that the link for led's goes to a dc power transformer not led lights...so not sure if i can just buy any led light strips and your connectors will work or if there is a specific type of light strip i need to buy?

[@DoingWhatever]

Christine Myhre Thanks for catching that...I’m not sure what happened with that link. Anyways, I’ve updated the link and it should be working again. I’ve linked to the latest set of LED strip lights I’ve used on a recent desk project and they seem to be working very well. About the connectors - I’ve updated that link as well. Basically, you have 2-pin connectors and 4-pin connectors. 2-pin is used for the white LEDs as its only one color and the 4-pin is used for the multiple colored LEDs (RGB). All that to say - you can use basically any LED strip you want, just make sure the connectors work with it. Make sense? Thanks for checking out my video! And I hope the build goes well!

[@christinemyhre8023]

@@DoingWhatever thanks for the info....the build looks really good, waiting for the acrylic so i can finish....i'll send a pic when done, i love your work.

[@DoingWhatever]

Christine Myhre awesome, cant wait to see it! What will you be using it for? Drawing? Thanks for the kind words!

[@sheilafeldkamp6227]

Omg I love it I do diamond painting that would be awesome to have u did a great job

[@DoingWhatever]

Sheila Feldkamp I don’t know what that is but it sounds really cool! Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it! 😁

[@Inkulabi]

That is great! now i need to find a chippy!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@Davearmstrong42]

Perfect! I need to make this. Where in Wi are you? We may be neighbors lol. Wis Rapids here

[@DoingWhatever]

Give it a try, it’s nice to have a light table! I’m in the Green Bay Area - go pack go!

[@hassandawoud7260]

good job man its very cool

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@ronwhittaker6317]

im not, though i wanted to mention tattoo artists use this sort of thing all the time when spec's need to be met not all are all that good at freehand most, in fact, this is a have to thing for them. or at least as I've noticed its all so one hell of a good way to reverse engineer things or draw out floor plans, not of your own it's an all-around good tool i plan to build one soon. really an awesome idea. one other thing an afterthought its a good tool to see what something looks like superimposed over scenes.

[@DoingWhatever]

Never thought of that but it makes a lot of sense! Thanks for watching and good luck making one!

[@cribeli]

Is it suitable to use an adhesive opaque film instead of the glass paint and, which transformer is used for the LED strip ? Thank's

[@DoingWhatever]

The adhesive opaque film would probably work better than the glass paint, great idea! The LED transformer should be a part of the package with the LED strip, check the links for what I used. Thanks!

[@toonmenowcom6959]

Great video, thanks for sharing

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@jus10m0]

Great video!

[@DoingWhatever]

Justin Moeller Thank you!

[@jasonzachary7691]

Amazing project!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@andquocato]

Good work, Keep doing more@!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!! I plan on it!

[@TomBombadil33]

Great video! Wish I had seen this before i started making my own lol

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!!

[@ernestineglass9749]

NICE BUDDY REAL NICE I Need a Travel Size erosion

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you! Yea that would be really handy!

[@annettekoekman4633]

I just watched this whole video

[@DoingWhatever]

Awesome!

[@Ozzyjuli]

Great job! Thank you for the tutorial.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful - thanks for watching!

[@belahomes6894]

Very nice!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@Landphoo]

Love it ...thank you very much.

[@DoingWhatever]

Sarin ya Thank you! I appreciate the kind words!

[@alexandreballard2938]

wow thanks man you're a life saver!! I'm hitting that subscribe button;)

[@DoingWhatever]

Alexandre Ballard Thanks! I really appreciate it! I'm glad you found this vid useful

[@LGNDRYme]

This was amazing dawg. Im fasho about to make one of my own

[@DoingWhatever]

LGNDRYme Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@DoingWhatever]

Check the description for downloadable plans!

[@varunbansal4086]

awsm is it just an ordinary glass or something else

[@DoingWhatever]

Varun Bansal Thanks! I don't know what it technically is but I refer to it as plexi glass. It's some sort of clear plastic, not actual glass. You can find it online or at a Home Depot or other stores like that

[@varunbansal4086]

thank you so much brother

[@DoingWhatever]

Varun Bansal Not a problem man, happy to help!

[@munirasart]

Good job !

[@DoingWhatever]

Thank you!

[@dianasclafani8946]

LOVE THIS DESIGN :)

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@AKI111]

How is the plexi holding up? Does it bend and flex a lot? That was my concern, I was working a design myself and that was my concern.

[@DoingWhatever]

I haven't had an issue with the plexiglass so far. You'd have to press down on it pretty firmly for it to flex much, so if you're just drawing normally, you shouldn't have an issue. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelrudolfsen2135]

well done, nice video.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks!

[@jackfran2188]

Great vid man.

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[@WilliamLutesMaker]

Very well done Ryan !

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks Bill! Appreciate you taking the time to check it out!

[@debbievidal9536]

amazing....well done!

[@DoingWhatever]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!!