A Mini Lightbox for Tricky Bezels.

When making rub down settings for irregular or carved stones it is helpful to check your progress by lighting them from underneath using a lightbox. However lightboxes are expensive and of a size unwelcome on the bench, so I have devised a mini version as follows:

(1) A 24 LED Multilight (about £5 from Robert Dyas, or Ryness) which is battery operated and about 70mm in diameter.

(2) Two layers of white tape to reduce the glare.

(3) The top of the Multilight is domed, so for a flat working surface I cut off the bottom 45mm of an acrylic pen pot (about £2 from Muji). I then inverted it, and made a hole in the side to access the on/off button. The light can
be pushed up into this quite snugly. Alternatively Muji sell a small rectangular box with a lid, which requires no work at all.

This mini lightbox can also be used for tracing or reversing small images.

Illustrations: the finished lightbox and a pendant made from an irregularly shaped Chrysoprase using this method.

That looks like a really good idea.

Love the pendant you've made! Great idea, thanks

Wow - that's a fabulous idea (also loving the pendant)
nic x

Loving the pendant and have a few irregular shaped cabs, but am being a bit dense about how you actually use this? Do you mean when you are wrapping the bezel wire around the stone - to see if it is snug?

Yes, you can really see how you are getting on both before and after soldering.It beats trying to hold it up to a lamp. Kind regards to all of you, Dennis.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Yes, you can really see how you are getting on both before and after soldering.It beats trying to hold it up to a lamp. Kind regards to all of you, Dennis.

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What a good idea - and a new use for the now defunct small light box I used to use for sorting slides and negatives (anyone still remember the days of film?)

:ta:

Film?? Oh yes I remember it well and the cool little storage pots that came with it!
nic x

I have a small lightbox somewhere from when I made cards (paper embossing with brass templates) so may try using that.