# Tutorial; On How To Build a Candling Box



## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Materials 
4 Pieces 1/2" Plywood 8" x 9"
1 Piece 1/2" Plywood 8" x 7"
1 Piece 1/4" Plywood 9" x 8"
1 Round Metal Electric Box
1 Plastic Switch Box Not Shown 
1 Switch Not Shown
1 Switch Cover Not Shown
4 ' of old extension cord with plug
1 porcelain Lamp holder
1 piece of short Outdoor Carpet
2 Pieces of Wood 1/2" x 1/2" 7" long
1 60 watt Light Bulb
2 Handles Optional
4 Felt Furniture Pads Optional
1" brads 
1 Measuring cup

The plywood for the box just assemble the 4 sides with glue and brads or a brad gun. Leave the bottom off for now.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

The Top
Cut a oblong hole in the center and file to make it fit an egg. Make it a a little larger because it will be covered with carpet. Trial and error is the only way to achieve this. I used a fake egg to do this.










I used adhesive to hold the carpet on. The purpose of the carpet is so if you drop the egg there's less chance of it breaking










Some of the electrical parts. The Switch was an after though because you don't want to heat up the egg, you can get the egg placed on there and just flip the switch long enough to see. That way your bulb never gets hot enough to hurt anything.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

That is great..but all ones needs is one of those small maglite led's...does the job great.. but works better if you wait till the sun is not so bright... I just hold the flashlight to the egg and you can see everything.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Screw the round box to the bottom in the center.










Drill a hole the size of the cord in the side 1" from the bottom on the opposite side of the switch.










Cut a hole in the front to accept the receptacle box, and install it.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

The bottom installed.










Ready for the lid


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

This is the box with the handles installed and the special egg cover so it can be used outside in the light.










Cover on.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

This is inside the house where its darker.










This is outside in daylight.










This is what the egg cover is made from, measuring cups from Walmart with a 1/2" hole drilled in the bottom and the handle cut off .


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I plan on putting this in the loft on a shelf where it will be handy and ready to go when i need it.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> That is great..but all ones needs is one of those small maglite led's...does the job great.. but works better if you wait till the sun is not so bright... I just hold the flashlight to the egg and you can see everything.


 As you can see this is a 24 hr box, no need to wait till it gets dark.


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> That is great..but all ones needs is one of those small maglite led's...does the job great.. but works better if you wait till the sun is not so bright... I just hold the flashlight to the egg and you can see everything.


Thats what I use a led flashlight, but it is pretty nice though


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Yes, but all you have is a flashlight and I have a cool candling box.


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## Greek Boy (Apr 12, 2010)

Shadybug loft- Gary I think your box does the job with no need to hold the egg and like you said it's a 24hr useable candling box. It can also be used to take photos of the egg at different stages in life. Beautifully done as I've learned to expect from you. Nick..


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

you should make and sell them


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Nick, I checked my eggs and there both good, they both show veins, I checked them in the daylight and I could see veins but not much more. Thats what prompted me to find a way to do it in the light. Thats when I came up with the cover, but I didn't want do disturb the eggs again, so i used a old egg that was laid on the floor in the other loft.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Okay....................I want one! When can you make it, and how much do you charge? LOL.


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

No offense yours is nice.
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/cool_lite_egg_candler.html
Thats what I use.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hey that's cool too, but when you start lining up that many eggs, you could get them mixed up. I know you can use it for just one at a time, but I kinda like that little carpeted box.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

newtopidgeons said:


> No offense yours is nice.
> http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/cool_lite_egg_candler.html
> Thats what I use.


Thats cool but thats not much more than a flashlight. and it probably has to be in a darker area.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well I think it does light up the egg better because of its shape, and it fits right over the top of the egg. So it looks like it does work better than a flashlight.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks Jay3, But the idea of the tutorial is so you can make it yourself and I don't have to make it for you. LOL


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I think I spent 4 dollars on it, I had most of the parts laying around the house, left over from all my other projects. I like it, and it works great. I think i spent 4 hrs on it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Thanks Jay3, But the idea of the tutorial is so you can make it yourself and I don't have to make it for you. LOL



Well it doesn't hurt to try. LOL. Anyway, it's a great little thing. Thanks for sharing it with us.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Your welcome jay


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## swagg (Feb 13, 2011)

Neat build. I like the built in switch. If you used one of those spiral bulbs do you think that would give off the same light, but not as much heat??


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Anybody besides me just hold an egg up to a light? I started out using my Maglite LED flashlight. However, I have a pair of florescent floodlights in my loft for general lighting, and I just hold the eggs up to the light. Works day or night and costs $0.00.


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

Ptras, send me 2 eighteen wheeler loads of them free flourescent floods. 

Shady, I like your box best, because you made it how you wanted it.
The cool lite is only better than a flashlight because it is rubber and it seals around the bottom of the egg your candleing, flashlights shine the sides and not just the egg.
But your box does the same with the carpet.


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

Shadybug,

This is off topic but what would be a good picture box size? I was thinking of just shooting inside a prepared nest box. These pictures will be for my records, Hawk-eye Loft Management. Thanks in advance.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

swagg said:


> Neat build. I like the built in switch. If you used one of those spiral bulbs do you think that would give off the same light, but not as much heat??


They would work but the cheep ones put off less light, but im not sure how much light is needed without trying different ones.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

rpalmer said:


> Shadybug,
> 
> This is off topic but what would be a good picture box size? I was thinking of just shooting inside a prepared nest box. These pictures will be for my records, Hawk-eye Loft Management. Thanks in advance.


 Do you mean a box to take pic of your birds like for on pedigrees and such.


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

rpalmer said:


> Shadybug,
> 
> This is off topic but what would be a good picture box size? I was thinking of just shooting inside a prepared nest box. These pictures will be for my records, Hawk-eye Loft Management. Thanks in advance.


Im not Shady, and Im shure he can tell you how to build one.
Only suggestion I would have is to paint the inside white, were you can photoshop out the background and just have the bird in the picture.


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

newtopidgeons said:


> Im not Shady, and Im shure he can tell you how to build one.
> Only suggestion I would have is to paint the inside white, were you can photoshop out the background and just have the bird in the picture.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4ScV8H2al0


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Do you mean a box to take pic of your birds like for on pedigrees and such.


Yes. 



Wingsonfire said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4ScV8H2al0


Nice. Very hard to hear but I got it.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I don't know that much about photography, but now you got me thinking, just when i thought i was done building things.


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I don't know that much about photography, but now you got me thinking, just when i thought i was done building things.


Well the candling box you did was just choice and that got me to thinking if there were any "tricks" to building a photo box. You are more that a little handy with wood working so maybe you could try one and see.

The link to the video showed one person doing everything which is my case. But I'm not sure my birds would be willing to be that well behaved. If you decide to try one I'd like to see it. Thanks. Take care and enjoy your birds.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I do have some ideas and i don't think it would be to hard. I will try it and let everyone know.


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I do have some ideas and i don't think it would be to hard. I will try it and let everyone know.


Great. Before we know it, you will have taught us all how to build everything neede for a pigeon operation. and maybe even a lizard cage
Thanks Shady


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

newtopidgeons said:


> Great. Before we know it, you will have taught us all how to build everything neede for a pigeon operation. and maybe even a lizard cage
> Thanks Shady


I bet you can build up a rectangle box and paint it


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

Wingsonfire said:


> I bet you can build up a rectangle box and paint it


Shurely mine would not be as nice.
But they do sale a little pop up tent booth thing on ebay for taking pictures of pigeons.


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

newtopidgeons said:


> Shurely mine would not be as nice.
> But they do sale a little pop up tent booth thing on ebay for taking pictures of pigeons.


I have seen it before, 40 bucks or so, I think it ships from the UK, heck you can even make on out of a cardboard box too 

http://www.racingpigeonmall.com/loft/articles/photo-box.html


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

All you need is a box and flat white paint. That shouldn't be very difficult.


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

And you could even cut out different color poster boards for back grounds. Heck maybe put a nice scene behind them. lol


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

newtopidgeons said:


> And you could even cut out different color poster boards for back grounds. Heck maybe put a nice scene behind them. lol


There you go, me thinks you could call that thinking outside of the box lol lol


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

Wingsonfire said:


> There you go, me thinks you could call that thinking outside of the box lol lol


Wouldnt it have to be thinking "inside" the box?


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

newtopidgeons said:


> Wouldnt it have to be thinking "inside" the box?


You may be right there lol lol


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## shadowoak (Mar 19, 2011)

wow i just learned somthing new very nice


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## Wayne Johnson (Oct 1, 2010)

Photography studios get rid of the squared off line where the floor meets the back wall by draping cloth with a rounded look. A box with a rounded back blending the background with the forground would be nice. A bent piece of cardboard inside a rectabgular box would do the trick.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Wayne Johnson said:


> Photography studios get rid of the squared off line where the floor meets the back wall by draping cloth with a rounded look. A box with a rounded back blending the background with the forground would be nice. A bent piece of cardboard inside a rectabgular box would do the trick.


Wayne you stole my idea LOL


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## Holy Roller (Feb 26, 2011)

Coooolllll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

The whole concept is pretty cool, and I could see building something like that just because I like to build nice stuff...but:

It seems like an awful lot of work to candle an egg, when you can just hold it up to a light, or put it on a flashlight. Space is at a premium in my loft, so I would not be able to keep something like that inside the loft. That means I would have to carry it into the loft, plug it in, turn on the switch, and place the egg on it to get my results. Or else I would have to bring the egg out of the loft to wherever I keep the box. It's a lot easier to use a flashlight. I have found that a flashlight works fine even during daylight hours as long as I'm not trying to candle the egg in direct sunlight (which doesn't happen because I candle eggs inside my loft).

Shady...you said earlier "You just have a flashlight, and I have a cool candling box." If you saw my flashlight, you wouldn't say "Just a flashlight!"


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## APF_LOFT (Aug 9, 2010)

candle box is waste of time. just use LED flashlite work very fine


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

APF_LOFT said:


> candle box is waste of time. just use LED flashlite work very fine


You may think its a waste of time but i don't, if you want to use a light then use a light, but some people like me, like thinking outside the box. I like building new things that i invent and a lot of people use my ideas. I see them on here in lofts and i even went to visit a loft a while back and there was my band holder hanging there. 
I knew the guy didn't have the internet so i ask him where he got the idea and he said his friend got the idea on the net. The only thing that is a waste of time is something that you spend time on and it doesn't work. If it works and you use it its not a waste of time.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I think some like the idea of having a place to put the egg while candling it, rather than just holding it and using a flashlight. You have more chance of dropping it that way.


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## Greek Boy (Apr 12, 2010)

Shadybug- keep up with your tutorial, alot of people like your ideas and use them as well. Great job as always. Nick..


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## Wingsonfire (Dec 22, 2009)

Greek Boy said:


> Shadybug- keep up with your tutorial, alot of people like your ideas and use them as well. Great job as always. Nick..


I agree


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Wingsonfire said:


> I agree


Thanks everyone, I will, I'm at the ocean and can't get the wfi to work. No fun trying to post with a smart phone.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> You may think its a waste of time but i don't, if you want to use a light then use a light, but some people like me, like thinking outside the box. I like building new things that i invent and a lot of people use my ideas. I see them on here in lofts and i even went to visit a loft a while back and there was my band holder hanging there.
> I knew the guy didn't have the internet so i ask him where he got the idea and he said his friend got the idea on the net. The only thing that is a waste of time is something that you spend time on and it doesn't work. If it works and you use it its not a waste of time.


I don't question your skill as a builder, or your contributions to this site with your ideas usually. In this case, though, it seems that you have come up with a solution for a non-existent problem. Wouldn't your time be better spent coming up with some easy-clean perches for me - or easy-build nest boxes?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

just used my handy maglite..took two seconds.....lol....


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## APF_LOFT (Aug 9, 2010)

i been using LED flashlite, key chain LED and ordinary flashlight since 2008 and i did not drop a single egg. the others use the sun ray and it also work.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I haven't dropped any either, but some have. Anyway, the candling box is not a waste of time. Some like to do things one way, and some another. And it's great for those who want to use it. Just because you don't care to, doesn't mean that it's a waste of time, and I think saying it is was rude. Each to his own. No way is right or wrong. There are many different ways to do things.


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## Wayne Johnson (Oct 1, 2010)

I like how you do things, you try to do tasks as well as can be done. Thanks for the tutorial. I wonder if a fluorescent light would work? It is much cooler.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

A fluorescent light should work, and yes, it would be much cooler. Good idea.


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## APF_LOFT (Aug 9, 2010)

for me is a waste of time and money. saying it is not rude i just tryng to save others. i saw diff candle box before it is so large therefor it not easy to carry around. key chain LED is very small and works well.


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## billyr70 (Jun 11, 2009)

ptras said:


> I don't question your skill as a builder, or your contributions to this site with your ideas usually. In this case, though, it seems that you have come up with a solution for a non-existent problem. Wouldn't your time be better spent coming up with some easy-clean perches for me - or easy-build nest boxes?


I agree.


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## dogging_99 (Apr 21, 2009)

rpalmer said:


> Shadybug,
> 
> This is off topic but what would be a good picture box size? I was thinking of just shooting inside a prepared nest box. These pictures will be for my records, Hawk-eye Loft Management. Thanks in advance.


This is what I use.
http://www.amazon.com/Photography-L...69PQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314630106&sr=8-2

The front has an opening Just right for the camera. This image does not show the front cover it zips on and has a slit vertically in it. if it is dark in your studio then the birds wont try and escape out side the box, with a dowel you can get them to pose.








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Blue Background










White Background


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## dogging_99 (Apr 21, 2009)

rpalmer said:


> Shadybug,
> 
> This is off topic but what would be a good picture box size? I was thinking of just shooting inside a prepared nest box. These pictures will be for my records, Hawk-eye Loft Management. Thanks in advance.


While were on the subject this is what I use for eye photos, clamp this jig to a table outside in the sun or indoors with a bright lamp, works fantastic once the camera is focused in macro mode I use a cable shutter release and hold the bird and cable up to the hole and snap!


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Thats nice dogging 99. I like the top pic better with the dark background. The eye looks great. I haven't had time to play around with mine yet. I will try the light on mine.


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