Should i use a 5050 warm white or a pure white strip. Cant decide 100%

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/371305992754...49&var=640425017958&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
I want to use my clear acrylic i have laying around. I'll just scuff it up with course sandpaper to give it an etched effect so it shines/glows nicely.

 

Why don't you go into a local store that carries these and see first hand what the "color" looks like.
Personally, I think the warm white is more soothing and easy to look at. The "cold" white is
rather harsh and irritating ... my opinion. Good luck.

 

It depends on the application; scientific or aesthetic?

 

yeah ok, i'll go with the warm white. the straight white color might be too bright under the etch effect on acrylic.
thx.

 

BTW im making a light board to trace pictures with

 

For a light table, go with "neutral white" 4000K or close to that. This will give you the best color rendering.
Personally, I'd go with a piece of thin opaque white acrylic (or similar, even a piece of mylar foil may do) on top of the clear, or it will be nasty on the eyes.

 

oh, i just had a thought. Spray on the inside of the box/bottom of clear acrylic, with some light machine gray spray paint. I tried with a tiny scrap piece about 2" wide with the paint on one side only and it seemed/looked ok with my bright led flash light.
sorry for pic's, the piece had some acrylic glue on it.
The Second picture was with the flashlight sideways

 

oh, i just had a thought. Spray on the inside of the box/bottom of clear acrylic, with some light machine gray spray paint. I tried with a tiny scrap piece about 2" wide with the paint on one side only and it seemed/looked ok with my bright led flash light.
sorry for pic's, the piece had some acrylic glue on it.
The Second picture was with the flashlight sideways

For max reflectance, spraying the outside would be better and using white would reflect more than grey obviously

Another way is to glue tin foil (shiny side up) to the inside of the bottom and sides and if you crumble it a couple of times first, it will help diffuse the reflected light (I do this for photo reflectors, to get a well diffused light).


If you have a discarded flat screen (PC or TV), the light inside is good for a lightbox as well - very even light over the entire area - but put a 4..6mm glass plate on top of it.

 

For max reflectance, spraying the outside would be better and using white would reflect more than grey obviously

Yes ok white would be better. It's just that i dont have white on me to try it, i'd have to go buy some. But yes white would be better i agree.
Now you mentioned mylar paper... what is that, is it a non-clear sticky sheet or what. will it actually work for this on my clear acrylic/plexiglass

 

Now you mentioned mylar paper... what is that, is it a non-clear sticky sheet or what. will it actually work for this on my clear acrylic/plexiglass

Mylar is a trademark for a special type of plastic foil, not sticky at all, which is used a lot in electronics, due to it's high isolation characteristics, but any kind of thin white (-ish) plastic foil will do, just add glass to make it resistent to impressions (it also makes it easier to clean).

Back in time we used short fluorescent tubes and white opaque glass for light boxes and if I build one today, I'd get a bunch of 3mm CCFLs to make a lightweight version, rather than using LEDs, but that's just me wanting a light box really light - I'd still use white opaque glass for the top surface though

 

yeah ok so i'll see what kind of plastic foil i can find locally then. I have already bought the led strips, i just have to figure out a top.

 

Perhaps white shelf paper might do - probably only to be found in the self adhesive variety.

But do bring your flash light to test - I have some small pieces where I just needed the backing for a glue job and they appeared a bit on the yellow side, when a neutral white flashlight was shone through it, but it may be different from what you can get hold of.

 

well i do have and tried some backing from some mac-tac/friscut or whatever you want to call it, and was pretty close to what i need/want, one side is and the other is shiny/smooth. Yeah and my flashlight has about 10 white leds, so it's pretty good for brightness.

 

OK, I went and bought some white shelf liner from my local dollar store and I tried it on scrap piece of acrylic and looked good with the flashlight, I also tried doubling it up(two layers) and it seemed ok too. So i'm happy.

 

Great!

What kind of stuff do you intend to do on the light box (if it's OK to ask)?

 

just to trace/transfer, copy pictures to another paper.