Fiber optic filaments are thin enough to sew through your ceiling tiles.
Making your own star-field fiber optic ceiling tiles is a creative alternative to mood lighting and night lights. In addition to giving a room a soft glow, you can further customize the look of your ceiling by choosing lights in a color other than white. Use illuminated ceiling tiles to light up a hallway or media room. Alternatively, create an accurate night sky effect with constellations if you have a child who is an aspiring astronomer. To create fiber optic ceiling tiles, you need to have suspended ceiling in place.
Instructions
Make the Plan
1. Measure the dimensions of the room and sketch a scale drawing onto graph paper.
2. Draw squares that represent your ceiling tiles on your sketch. In addition, include the placement of your illuminator on your drawing. The fiber optics will span from the illuminator to each opening in the tiles.
3. Determine and sketch your star ratio on your drawing. For example, if you want four-to-one star ratio, you will have four fiber optic openings -- or stars -- per foot of ceiling tile, or eight stars per square foot.
4. Calculate the amount of fiber optic cables you'll need, plus the length. When determining the length of the cable, measure from the planned location of the illuminator to the furthest point you will install a fiber optic light.
Install the Lights
5. Remove the protective cover from the fiber optic cable using a utility knife to expose the filaments. Only remove 1.5 feet of the cover to begin.
6. Mark the placement of the stars, where the fiber optics will shine, on the back of ceiling tiles using a marker.
7. Secure the fiber optic cable to the back of the ceiling tile in a location that won't have stars, using duct tape. The ends of the filaments should extend past the furthest corner on the tile.
8. Pre-poke a hole in the ceiling tile in a location that you marked.
9. Thread a fiber optic filament through a sewing needle. Slowly pass the threaded needle through the hole you previously created.
10. Tape the filament in place. Carefully pull the filament taut you just passed through the tile. Secure it in place with masking tape. Place the tape on the back of the tile.
11. Cut the fiber optic filaments so they protrude 2 inches from the front of the ceiling tile.
12. Test the fiber optic filaments by placing the end of the cable into the fiber optic illuminator. Repeat this process for each ceiling panel.
13. Place the ceiling tiles on the ceiling. Cut the ends of the filaments so they are close to the tiles. A fingernail clipper works well for cutting filaments.
14. Tie the ends of the fiber optic cables together using electric tape. Ensure the ends are flush. You might need to remove one of the ceiling tiles to complete this step.
15. Slip the bound ends of the fiber optic cable into the illuminator and mount the illuminator where you please. If the illuminator is heavy, it may be best to mount it on a wall.
Tags: fiber optic, ceiling tile, , ceiling tiles, fiber optic cable, optic cable