Looking for a wood table with illuminated cup holders (1 Viewer)

[Bill Fletcher]

Can anyone help me find a wood table with cup holders for my home theater? I would like to get something with lighted rings around the cup holders or maybe I could add that after the fact. Do you know of any company on the internet that makes these? Or has one of the forum members/woodworkers made one before?

Thanks for your help. Bill

 

[Bill Fletcher]

Anybody?

 

[ScottFauque]

It's a fairly good idea...so you don't spill...but it may be distracting for viewers in the row behind.

I have seen one person fabricate some cup holders out of plexiglass/plastic which had a "tube" of plastic protruding out of the side of his couch/loveseat which curved up and connected to the bottom of his cup holder. The light I think was inside of the couch/loveseat. Again would look cool but would seem to be a distraction.

Also another issue with this set up is if the couch/chair/loveseat we vibrating due to bass or due to buttkickers (or the like). Would make all the fizz leave your drink!

I plan on putting small tables to the side of my loveseat platform so they are not vibrated by the BKs underneath.

More to the point is that I think you could make the cupholders light on the "inside" so basically you only see them from looking from close to the topside. Thus would not distract others sitting behind.

Hope this provides some food for thought and possibly some ideas that could be swapped around.

 

[Rob Lloyd]

If I was to make one I'd try a light-box type design. The wood table is the easy part. I'd make a sealed compartment below (sealed from light, not from access) with a light source. I'd look for clear/opaque cupholders and mount those in the table. The light should light up the cupholders with a fiber optic like effect.

This is where I'd start and it would probably change as other options opened up from this. Like an LED light source mounted in a plastic ring...

Wouldn't be that hard to make once a plan was done for it.

-Rob Lloyd

 

[Dave Poehlman]

I would take a hole saw to a coffee table, insert some plexiglass tubing with a circular piece of plexiglass adhered to the bottom of the tube to make the cup holder. I would paint the inside of the cup structure black (or some opaque color), leaving the rim unpainted. Build a light box (or light boxes) under the table. You shouldn't need very bright lights, christmas lights would probably work... different colors might look cool. I would sand the rim of the holder to make it translucent and giving it an even glow.

Sounds like a fun project. Except I don't need cup holders.

ooh! I just thought of something!! You could check with one of those outfits that customize vans! (you know, those places that will put a fireplace and a waterbed in the back of your GMC.) I would bet they have some sort of prefabricated cup holders... possibly with lights.

Good luck.. let us know how it turns out.

 

[Bill Fletcher]

Excellent suggestions! I'll look into some more and let you guys know how it turns out.

Thanks. Bill

 

[James Mudler]

Some more ideas. Take two pieces of wood with a piece of 1/4 plexi glass in the middle (Just like making a PB&J). Cut your holes out. Mount cup holders from underneath. You probably find some at auto parts store. Also most cheap plastic consoles have removeable cup holder made of rubber. Now cut a square (8"x8")in the middle underneath, but only one layer of wood. The plexiglass and top wooden piece will stay uncut. Mount a light in a box, mounted underneath that shines on to the plexiglass. The light will illuminate a 1/4 ring in the middle of two pieces of wood on top of the cup holder. Put something opaque around the outside edges too or light will shine out of the 4 sides.

Second - neon tape. You see this stuff at car shows. They accent interior trim. You can cut it and bend it, and it real thin. Several colors. I saw a guy use it a pin striping and at night it glowed pretty good and looked real cool. Check out a car audio shop, rim shop or neon companies. "Low glow" for example

Good luck