Advice for Light Cycle Display

'm thinking of painting an Ikea LACK table to display my HT light cycle when it finally shows. Just wondering if anyone has any painting advice for making it look somewhat grid like and translucent. I was thinking of painting it and then covering it with a lacquer or polyurethane finish.

Just looked at a pic of the table. You could put a glass top on the table then use something like glow in the dark paint to paint grid lines on the table (under the glass). Just an idea.

Of course if you wanted to get real crazy you could cut out deep grid lines in the table and down the legs. Hollow out the bottom "feet" of each of the legs and mount blue LED's in each of them. Then run thin clear tubes up the legs and across the table. When you turn on the LED's in the legs the light should travel through the tubes. This is just an idea that popped in my head. I've never done something like that and don't know if it would work 100%, but someone else here may or (i am sure) will have a better idea. I tend to go over board when I start thinking of displays and my ideas don't always match up with what is possible. Custom made lightsabers is what made me think of this.

btw, I did a Google search and found this thin tubing. https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/49108.html

I don't know if the tubing should be hollow or solid.

Either way I hope that helps or gives you other ideas

Good Luck!

Oscar_the_Gungan said:

'm thinking of painting an Ikea LACK table to display my HT light cycle when it finally shows. Just wondering if anyone has any painting advice for making it look somewhat grid like and translucent. I was thinking of painting it and then covering it with a lacquer or polyurethane finish.

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Here is a MUCH easier way from a even cooler look.

Paint your table high gloss black, lay out your grind on the tabletop and decide on your preferred width of EL Wire.

Use a router to cut channels in your grid pattern deep/wide enough to hold your EL Wire in place. Note: you can run your channels over the edge and under the table or have them stop an inch from the edge, drilling a hole to thread the EL Wire through to the underside of the table.

Flip the table over and secure the loose EL Wire using tape, cord clips or any other handy items hanging around to the bottom of the table.

Connect the EL Wire to the AC-DC adaptor and secure the pack to the under the table and run the cord down a leg.

Turn the table over, place glass on top and display LightCycle.

The great thing about this setup is that it is simple, all the works are hidden and by leaving the excess EL Wire intact you make things easier for you while casting a cool blue glow under the table.