This is nowhere as neat as some of the stuff (like beautiful staircases) I’ve seen here, but I’m still a bit proud of it. Replaced the old suspended luminous ceiling in our galley-like kitchen with a new one. The old ceiling was standard metal T-bars with 2×4 styrene panels. The new one has stained oak channels with 2×2 acrylic panels.

before01 is the old setup. Not a very good shot, since that was my old fixed-focus, non-zoom camera. oldlights02 is the fluorescent fixtures above the panels. I had wanted to replace the fluorescents but for reasons of both time and money (and some nagging from my wife) I left them up, to be replaced later.

clamptopia04 shows the oak channels being glued together (lots of biscuits).

lighted02 and unlighted02 are “after” pictures. Probably could have gotten a better shot if I took the time (new Fuji camera) but I don’t really have the time to mess with it too much right now. (The lighted one is much more yellow than real life, and of course the contrast is screwed up.) You can see from lighted02 why I’d like to redo the fixtures — spread the light out and eliminate the hot spots.

The channels running the short way are continuous between the two soffits. The ends are notched to fit over the 1/2 x 3/4 “stop” pieces glued to the sides of the other pieces. The channels running the long way are individual 2-foot pieces. It’s all friction-fit — no fasteners between pieces.

It worked out nicely in that by placing the channels on 24-3/4″ centers exactly three panels fit into the space between soffits.