Indeed. I look forward to reading about the experiences you both have. Keep us posted!
The infrabed
- Thread starter Pierre
- Start date
Indeed. I look forward to reading about the experiences you both have. Keep us posted!
I ordered this unit, which is similar to what some others have ordered.
https://www.amazon.com/CMVision-IR100-Outdoor-200-300ft-Illuminator/dp/B001BC52W2
CMVision IR100 - 98 LED Indoor/Outdoor Long Range 200-300ft IR Illuminator With Free 2A 12VDC Adaptor
Wave length 850nm
https://www.amazon.com/CMVision-IR100-Outdoor-200-300ft-Illuminator/dp/B001BC52W2
CMVision IR100 - 98 LED Indoor/Outdoor Long Range 200-300ft IR Illuminator With Free 2A 12VDC Adaptor
Wave length 850nm
Just be sure to use it through a timer in case you fall asleep.
Yes, that was quite the lesson from worldbridger.
Caesarea now has an infrabed!
We built it based on the same plans detailed earlier in the thread. The most challenging part was building the frames. We don't have a domino joiner so we used large dowels for the corners:
This was made using a jig (a small block of wood with a predrilled 45 degree hole) that was clamped to the sides to help drill at the angle and height needed. The reason the frames were difficult is largely because we used construction pine and they tend to warp. Even a very mild warp can cause a headache when you are dealing with precise cuts. Fortunately, pine is soft so we were able to get everything to line up with some strong clamps, angled cuts, and a few harsh words.
The bottom frame was a bit more intensive because of the thickness of the frame. The top frame was a bit of a mixed bag. I used the wrong measurements and made it quite a bit thinner than the bottom frame. This was good in terms of reducing the weight, but it also required additional supports. The warping really wasn't much of an issue for the top frame. We used smaller dowels for the corner joints, plus metal brackets were added after attaching the panel:
We also added a brace with a half lap cross joint in the center for extra support for the top panel. You can see a groove on the top right section of the brace; that was for the wiring that goes to the control box with the timer switch. Grooves were cut on the underside of the right side pieces for the wiring. These extra supports along with securing the frame to the plywood panel made the whole thing pretty strong.
Here's some work on soldering the top panel connections. @A Jay was a big help throughout the project. Sometimes he just slept out in the garage when we worked long hours. Kidding!
You'll notice in the above picture there is a lone set of wires running across the panel from the right side. The contact points for the led light strips are fragile and one of the strip's contact points ended up breaking so we had to go in on the other side.
The wiring for the bottom panel was flipped on the other side. This made testing the connections a lot easier.
We also used just one super-duper power supply that runs the whole bed:
It was surprisingly difficult to find a timer relay switch for AC power with a reasonable cost in the US. But there was an alternative that has presets that could serve our purpose. The control box was made so the front face could easily come off in case we do find a better relay timer.
All the lights work! Yea!
We used little rubber washers to secure the plexiglass to the bed. Only four were needed for the bottom panel corners, but more were used for the top panel. Pre-drilled holes are important because otherwise the plexiglass would crack. Actually we used pre-drilled holes for all the screws in the bed. It's not worth trying to save time if you end up cracking the wood and have to start over.
And the final product:
There were some challenges in making the bed, but nothing that couldn't be overcome. It was an enjoyable project and I picked up some new skills along the way. There are some additional pictures on another card that is missing at the moment, but if I find them I may post some more pics when it turns up. Thanks to all those who helped, and thanks to Pierre and Scottie for their expertise!
We built it based on the same plans detailed earlier in the thread. The most challenging part was building the frames. We don't have a domino joiner so we used large dowels for the corners:
This was made using a jig (a small block of wood with a predrilled 45 degree hole) that was clamped to the sides to help drill at the angle and height needed. The reason the frames were difficult is largely because we used construction pine and they tend to warp. Even a very mild warp can cause a headache when you are dealing with precise cuts. Fortunately, pine is soft so we were able to get everything to line up with some strong clamps, angled cuts, and a few harsh words.
The bottom frame was a bit more intensive because of the thickness of the frame. The top frame was a bit of a mixed bag. I used the wrong measurements and made it quite a bit thinner than the bottom frame. This was good in terms of reducing the weight, but it also required additional supports. The warping really wasn't much of an issue for the top frame. We used smaller dowels for the corner joints, plus metal brackets were added after attaching the panel:
We also added a brace with a half lap cross joint in the center for extra support for the top panel. You can see a groove on the top right section of the brace; that was for the wiring that goes to the control box with the timer switch. Grooves were cut on the underside of the right side pieces for the wiring. These extra supports along with securing the frame to the plywood panel made the whole thing pretty strong.
Here's some work on soldering the top panel connections. @A Jay was a big help throughout the project. Sometimes he just slept out in the garage when we worked long hours. Kidding!
You'll notice in the above picture there is a lone set of wires running across the panel from the right side. The contact points for the led light strips are fragile and one of the strip's contact points ended up breaking so we had to go in on the other side.
The wiring for the bottom panel was flipped on the other side. This made testing the connections a lot easier.
We also used just one super-duper power supply that runs the whole bed:
It was surprisingly difficult to find a timer relay switch for AC power with a reasonable cost in the US. But there was an alternative that has presets that could serve our purpose. The control box was made so the front face could easily come off in case we do find a better relay timer.
All the lights work! Yea!
We used little rubber washers to secure the plexiglass to the bed. Only four were needed for the bottom panel corners, but more were used for the top panel. Pre-drilled holes are important because otherwise the plexiglass would crack. Actually we used pre-drilled holes for all the screws in the bed. It's not worth trying to save time if you end up cracking the wood and have to start over.
And the final product:
There were some challenges in making the bed, but nothing that couldn't be overcome. It was an enjoyable project and I picked up some new skills along the way. There are some additional pictures on another card that is missing at the moment, but if I find them I may post some more pics when it turns up. Thanks to all those who helped, and thanks to Pierre and Scottie for their expertise!
Last edited:
truth seeker
The Living Force
Really beautiful work, guys! Great job!
Excellent job! 
Now use it much!
Now use it much!
