Building your own pool table light

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was thinking of buying Diamond's 9' table light as it covers the whole table in even light. It is a little pricey, but if it works as advertised, I'm OK with the price. Then I got to thinking of building my own. I think I could make something pretty nice, but I don't know if it will provide as good a light as the Diamond. I'd rather spend $1100 for something perfect rather than $350 or something in materials for something I build that doesn't light the whole table properly. Anybody have any experience with construction of Diamond-type lighting (reflectors, ballasts that don't buzz, etc.)?

Also, I'm not interested in throwing two sets of 8' shop lights in the ceiling. I want something nicer than that.

Dan
 

JZMechanix

Active member
Silver Member
This can be done painlessly if you have a little bit of woodshop experience under your belt. Go to HD or Lowes and buy some 10" Select pine boards and 2 or 3 8' flourescent fixtures.

(They have nice oak boards there too but they are obviously a lot more $$$)

Build a simple box and use some 1/4" plywood for the top. Mount the fixtures to the plywood top. You can buy the 2'x4' chrome diffusers there too or order directly from Diamond. Then you can add some nice decorative trim pieces around the edges, stain and varnish and you're all set.

There's a lot of folks on here that have done this sort of thing, I'm sure there will be many examples to follow... :thumbup:

Snipershot made himself a nice home-made light that also doubles as a tanning bed/plant grower. :yeah:
 

ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
here are a few that I have built.

You have to design the light, then build it.
 

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STICKBNDER

Cajun Transplant
Silver Member
I have a diamond light. All it is are some hardwood, made a frame, added 2 cheap homedepot 8 foot lights. There are the chrome reflective grills under them sitting in a frame at the bottom of the hardwood. Thats it. I could build the exact light for under 300 easily.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was thinking of buying Diamond's 9' table light as it covers the whole table in even light. It is a little pricey, but if it works as advertised, I'm OK with the price. Then I got to thinking of building my own. I think I could make something pretty nice, but I don't know if it will provide as good a light as the Diamond. I'd rather spend $1100 for something perfect rather than $350 or something in materials for something I build that doesn't light the whole table properly. Anybody have any experience with construction of Diamond-type lighting (reflectors, ballasts that don't buzz, etc.)?

Also, I'm not interested in throwing two sets of 8' shop lights in the ceiling. I want something nicer than that.

Dan

Deleted may item no longer be available
 
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racefornine

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Diamond Lights

I have 2 diamond lights for sale 400 ea or 700 for both . I am in Newburgh NY 845 565 1994 . Ask for Dave .
 

CamposCues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Light

If you have compound miter saw it is pretty much cake. If you just make it square you don't even need that. I bought all the stuff at Menards and made this one in a few hours. I just used the measurements from Diamond's assemble instructions, so it was kind of a cheap knock off. I used all oak but I'd use oak veneer to save on weight and money if I did it again.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=98627&highlight=gabriels

Table is sold by the way...
 

Bumpa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Dan -

I'm just an old wood butcher with a table saw. Our kids bought a pool table and installed it in their out-building/garage. The table needed a light. I bought a used recessed kitchen light with four 4' flourescent tubes from a family redecorating their kitchen, 1" x 8" #2 Common pine boards from HD, screwed and glued them together to make a box, painted the interior white, stained and varnished the exterior, and it now hangs in our kids' garage 31" above the pool table.

Total cost was $35 +/-. I would be embarrassed to compare it with any of the fine lights that others have made. But it works well, family is happy, and we enjoy it.

POOLTABLELIGHT-5-11.jpg


Bumpa
 

snipershot

Go ahead.....run for it.
Silver Member
heres my light i built. I used some 12" pine boards that looked like hardwood flooring for the sides, and framed it with 2x4's. i used 7 dual bulb t8 light fixtures, and some chrome plated diffusers from menards. it cost me around $300 for the materials. the light is bright and even. its beautiful man.

Joe
 

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Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a diamond light. All it is are some hardwood, made a frame, added 2 cheap homedepot 8 foot lights. There are the chrome reflective grills under them sitting in a frame at the bottom of the hardwood. Thats it. I could build the exact light for under 300 easily.

Hey Stickbnder -- the fixture that the fluorescent lamps sit in - are they white like a shop light, or is there a chrome reflective surface behind the lamps? This is the kind of thing I was wondering about the Diamond lights. Also, do you like it? Does it cover the whole table (I have a 9' table)?

Thanks,
Dan
PS check your PM's.
 

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sorry to say, I disagree with this in it's entirety.

That all sounds like good advice, esp the part about using plywood for the frame. I've done a bit of millwork here and there and I know I could build something solid... I just don't have the dimensions and light output specs to be sure I'm building something that will work as well as the Diamond light.

Dan
 

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you have compound miter saw it is pretty much cake. If you just make it square you don't even need that. I bought all the stuff at Menards and made this one in a few hours. I just used the measurements from Diamond's assemble instructions, so it was kind of a cheap knock off. I used all oak but I'd use oak veneer to save on weight and money if I did it again.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=98627&highlight=gabriels

Table is sold by the way...

I hadn't thought that I could find the Diamond measurements at their website. I'm gonna look for that. It came out nice, BTW. I thought the lights were wider than that, but I guess not if you used the exact dimensions. Also, my basement ceiling is lower than yours, so I might have to change the dimensions a little. I'm sure Diamond has height recommendations.

Dan
 
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Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
heres my light i built. I used some 12" pine boards that looked like hardwood flooring for the sides, and framed it with 2x4's. i used 7 dual bulb t8 light fixtures, and some chrome plated diffusers from menards. it cost me around $300 for the materials. the light is bright and even. its beautiful man.

Joe

Very cool, Joe. Do you have any problem with the balls melting? :D

Dan
 

snipershot

Go ahead.....run for it.
Silver Member
Very cool, Joe. Do you have any problem with the balls melting? :D

Dan

Not yet man, lol. Its amazing what good lighting will do for a table though. I can see the edge of the ball so much better on my table than other tables ive played on. The bad part is, now every other table I see looks dim, lol.

Joe
 

JZMechanix

Active member
Silver Member
Not yet man, lol. Its amazing what good lighting will do for a table though. I can see the edge of the ball so much better on my table than other tables ive played on. The bad part is, now every other table I see looks dim, lol.

Joe

Shame on you for using PINE boards. That light should be warping and splitting any day now. LOL :rolleyes:
 

ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You can always go see a Diamond light... get the bulb numbers & look it up on the internet. That will give you the specs you need. A BULB IS A BULB... no science there.

After saying that, you can double the lighting without adding another light...

Adding some louvers & placing the light at a certain height will direct the light onto the table & not on the floor

Good Luck Guys
 

STICKBNDER

Cajun Transplant
Silver Member
Hey Stickbnder -- the fixture that the fluorescent lamps sit in - are they white like a shop light, or is there a chrome reflective surface behind the lamps? This is the kind of thing I was wondering about the Diamond lights. Also, do you like it? Does it cover the whole table (I have a 9' table)?

Thanks,
Dan
PS check your PM's.

it is the plain white cheap homedepot fixtures. only thing chrome is the 2' x 4' plastic below the light. not sure what the name is difusers or something ill take some pics and upload. but i really like the light. i have it above a 9' also. i also have mine mounted to the ceiling so its alittle higher than it should be but still plenty of light.
 
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