Old scanner becomes light table

From intheworkshop.info

Our old flatbed scanner for the computer recently died and we replaced it with a new multi-function printer. Of course, I saved the old scanner in the basement for some reason.

Well, my wife recently asked me to build her a small light table for her to use to copy the paper patterns that she uses for quilting. I started to design one in my head, and then decided that if I just pull all of the guts out of the old scanner and replace them with a fluorescent light bulb (so as to not generate too much heat), I'd have light table. I also put a translucent piece of plastic under the glass top of the scanner bed to diffuse the light from the light bulb a bit. More...