How to Make a Homemade Light Table Using a Portable Tracing Table

A portable tracing table consists of a usually plastic box with a light inside and at least one clear or opaque surface. The user places an image on the opaque surface and covers that with a piece of blank paper. With a flip of the switch, the light in the box shines through the paper, providing a clear view of the image for tracing. If you'd like to make that portable tracing table into a permanent fixture, use a lift-top desk or a drafting table as a base. Either gives you a solid foundation for the finished table and requires less cutting and measuring than making a table from scratch. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Measure the top of the portable light table for the width and length of the piece. A portable light table looks like a large plastic or metal box with an electric cord at one end. Write down the measurements and subtract a half-inch from all sides.

2

Raise the top on the lift-top desk or table. Find the hinges inside the table and remove the hinges with a screwdriver. Draw a large square or rectangle in the center of the desktop, making the square the same size as the dimensions from the last step.

3

Set the desktop on a pair of sawhorses. Place a circular saw on the top of the desk, placing the blade flat against one of your lines from Step 2. Turn on the saw and carefully cut the lines to remove the center of the desktop.

4

Lightly sand the edges of the cutout area on the desk. Fold the sandpaper over the edges and rub back and forth, removing any rough spots. Screw the hinges onto the desk and desktop, connecting the two pieces together.

5

Drill a hole through one side of the desk, making the hole large enough for the power cord on the portable light table. Set the light table on top of the desk and push down. The light table should slip into the desk while the edges hold it upright. Push the power cord through the drilled hole on the side.