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Does anyone have any ideas on making my own pool table light out of plastic and wood?
Sparky, I love that idea. I will do all you have said but to make it more decorative I am wondering if I cut out the sides of the wooden pieces to make framed openings then get some plexaglass and maybe simulate stained glass? with paint or decals or something. thanks for any and all suggestions!
3 Answers
Yes make the base out of plastic you know where you put the balls. Just like a normal pool table make the edge wood. The legs as wood get some net and put the underneath the edge with a hole in so the balls can slip in perfectly. You will have to buy your own pool balls o else the wont work.
I think Ellie must have misunderstood your question. ;-)
What you can do is take a piece of wood and cut to the required length. you will need to attatch a chain to both ends or you could use some heavy duty nylon string. then you put some hooks in the ceiling above the table so you can hang your lighting rack. ok so you have your wood, all you need then is 2 ordinary household table lamps. dismantle the lamps so you can attatch them to your piece of wood, drill holes in the wood so you can trail the wires out of the way. I would recommend using 2 lamps so you will be able to light the whole of the table. You will probably need to extend the wiring for the lights so you can plug them in.
What you can do is take a piece of wood and cut to the required length. you will need to attatch a chain to both ends or you could use some heavy duty nylon string. then you put some hooks in the ceiling above the table so you can hang your lighting rack. ok so you have your wood, all you need then is 2 ordinary household table lamps. dismantle the lamps so you can attatch them to your piece of wood, drill holes in the wood so you can trail the wires out of the way. I would recommend using 2 lamps so you will be able to light the whole of the table. You will probably need to extend the wiring for the lights so you can plug them in.
Use something like 6mm. plywood. You will need a rectangular piece for the top, and four trapezium shapes for the sides -- short edges matching the top, long sides as long as you want the bottom aperture to be, all the same height. (Do a scale drawing on graph paper first, just to get all the angles right.) Use two fluorescent fittings (you can get these ready-built with ballast and starter) or several CFLs -- filament bulbs will get too hot, and it's difficult to arrange proper ventilation without light spillage. Suspend your light from the ceiling using chains. Wire up the lamps in parallel using 3-core, 0.5mm² flex and connect to a ceiling rose (it's usual to weave the flex in and out of some of the links of one of the chains, so it doesn't slop about).
NB. If you use metal-bodied fluorescent fittings, MAKE SURE that the Earth (green and yellow) wire is connected properly; cut it longer at the ceiling rose end than the live (brown) and neutral (blue) wires, so it will be the last to pull out if the chains give way.
( ** EDIT ** )
You can certainly make cutouts in the sides; clear perspex painted with transparent paint will give a good stained-glass effect. (Attach using hot-melt adhesive, or put bolts through with the nuts on the inside -- M4 size will be fine.) Use a jigsaw; practice on a spare piece of wood if you have never used one before.
Forgot to mention above, should be obvious but: you should paint the inside white so as to reflect as much light as possible onto the table.
NB. If you use metal-bodied fluorescent fittings, MAKE SURE that the Earth (green and yellow) wire is connected properly; cut it longer at the ceiling rose end than the live (brown) and neutral (blue) wires, so it will be the last to pull out if the chains give way.
( ** EDIT ** )
You can certainly make cutouts in the sides; clear perspex painted with transparent paint will give a good stained-glass effect. (Attach using hot-melt adhesive, or put bolts through with the nuts on the inside -- M4 size will be fine.) Use a jigsaw; practice on a spare piece of wood if you have never used one before.
Forgot to mention above, should be obvious but: you should paint the inside white so as to reflect as much light as possible onto the table.
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