DIY Light Box

This project started as I was wondering what to do with an old, and partially damaged monitor that had a red strip down the centre, making it annoying to use. I did attempt to fix it, but was unsuccessful so I took it apart and was looking for interesting projects to do with it. I then realized since it had a backlight which illuminated the pixeled screen, I could use it as a custom light box to be used when making templates for my stained glass projects.

For this DIY light box I first needed to find datasheet for the panel which would include the wiring schematic for the LEDs, and how many volts/ amps they require. I was then able to wire it roughly together using a breadboard and a variable power supply and turn it on. After I made sure it all works, I soldered together a PCB to be able to quickly and easily plug it into my power suply and use it how I need it.

Image Gallery