Fiber optic cable comes in a variety of colors.
A fiber optic star field has small points of light that shine like the stars in the night sky, giving a touch of wonder to your room. You can go to the trouble of arranging the lights so they actually map out a small section of the sky, but this can be time-consuming process. Instead of going for accuracy, you can instead take creative license and make the star field into any shape you desire.
Instructions
1. Measure the section of ceiling where you will put the star field and run a stud detector across that section. Stick a piece of blue painter's tape on the ceiling to mark the locations of the stud for future reference. Run a piece of painter's tape along the length of the stud in the area for the star field.
2. Run painter's tape across the existing tape so the strips intersect to create a graph. Space the new strips of painter's tape at equal distances of 16 inches from each other. Divide the graphs into quadrants so they are easier to handle.
3. Cut four pieces of plywood into sections large enough to cover the quadrants on the field. If the quadrants you need are larger than a 3-foot square, add more 3-foot squares until you completely fill the area devoted to the star field.
4. Cut one 2-by-4 for every ceiling stud in the area of your star field. Leave them long enough to completely span the length of the field. If your field exceeds the length of any reasonably sized 2-by-4, lay two or more 2-by-4s end to end to span the distance.
5. Lay your plywood pieces in the order you will attach them to the ceiling. Lay the 2-by-4s on top of them in a way that lines up with the studs on the ceiling --- if you were to lift the plywood, the 2-by-4s should match up with the ceiling studs. Drill 1/2 inch wide holes through the 2-by-4s and the plywood at 6-inch intervals.
6. Lift the 2-by-4s off the plywood boards. Slip a 6-inch long bolt through each hole in the wood. Hold the 2-by-4s against the wall studs so the heads of the bolts touch the ceiling and screw them in place --- place one screw between each set of bolts.
7. Drill an equal number of holes into each plywood board. Use a 1/64-inch drill bit and create one hole for each star in the field. Keep 1 inch of space between the edges of the plywood pieces and the holes for the stars.
8. Thread a fiber optic cable through each hole in the plywood. Thread enough cable through the hole to leave 2 inches of slack on the front side of the plywood segments. Place a drop of super glue on each hole to secure the cable in place.
9. Set the power supply for the fiber optic cables on top of the plywood. Lift the plywood pieces --- with the help of one assistant for each board --- and position them so the dangling ends of the bolts poke through the 1/2-inch holes in the plywood.
10. Thread two nuts onto the loose ends of all the bolts to secure them. Paint the downward facing plywood to match the color of the ceiling. Allow it to dry and clip the excess fiber optic cables so they sit level with the plywood.
11. Secure the power supply's power cable to the wall using a staple gun --- staple around the cord, not through it. Plug it in to the closest outlet to start the lights.
Tags: painter tape, , each hole, plywood pieces, star field