To make this light box I used 3/4" pine which happens to be the cheapest wood in my area. The bottom is 1/4" plywood. Basically I cut the pine boards to make a display unit that was 24" wide, 2" tall for the first "step", 5" tall for the second "step" for a total of 7" tall. Inside each layer I mounted an ultra thin 21" fluorescent fixture with "linkable" capability (i.e. can plug one into the other). The whole thing is screwed together with #6 phillips 1.5" wood screws. The top surface where the insulators sit is some custom cut #2447 white translucent acrylic Plexiglas, .177" thick. Obviously, better grades of wood can be used depending on how much you are willing to spend. Access to the fluorescent lamps for maintenance is via a hinged bottom. I got the Plexiglas from http://www.jbcplastic.com and it was $9 for the custom cut pieces. I used my Dremel to sand the entire surface ultra smooth - it could easily be painted or stained. The ultra-thin fluorescent fixtures produce very little heat even after being turned on for 6 hours. A larger box could easily be made as any home store carries these fluorescent light strips in sizes ranging from 12" to 48".