Materials

Living in a Material World

Below is the list of materials that I used in constructing the prototype lightbox. This same list can also be used to acquire materials for the construction of the modified lightbox that is covered in this guide.

As for the choice of materials, for the most part, I had to purchase them outright. But there were a few instances where some of the materials I required were already laying around the house just screaming to be involved in a project. So for those materials that were purchased, you will find the costs associated them. For the others, you’ll find that I didn’t research the costs at this point.

Probably the most reassuring part about all of these materials is that they can be found at any home improvement warehouse. I can’t count how many trips I made to Lowe’s and Home Depot, but I also can’t remember having to launch an extensive search elsewhere for any thing that I needed. Even the materials I didn’t purchase (ballast, lamp holders, etc) can easily be found at either establishment. No, I didn’t do an in-depth comparison of Lowe’s and Home Depot’s prices. For this project, I’m not sure if the cost differences would be that dramatic. But as always, you’re more than welcome to add another layer of complexity to this project. I’m sure you could save a few bucks if you tried. I don’t plan on looking into it though.

Personal Preference

With any project, we’re free to add our own personal touch. There is room within this lightbox solution to incorporate your own ideas, especially with regard to trim style, color and accenting. Indulge your creative instincts and feel free to substitute your own materials if you choose. I’d be flattered to see a whole slew of my lightbox designs hanging everywhere, but let’s face it: it would get old.

Well, now that we’ve seen the materials we’ll be dealing with, let’s look at constructing the lightbox’s framework or “hull” as I like to call it.