Well, being a wood-guy I’d go for a wooden box and lid. But that is just me.
A router is a permitted tool.
I like magnets. Hinges are optional. If the lid is free to be completely removed then possibly give some thought to making some sort of a keyway so it only goes on the correct way. ??
i gave it some thought, i think what i might do is screw the polycarbonate onto a wooden frame, hidden magnets in the wood will look much nicer than in the polycarb. and i like the polycarb because its cool looking inside. i’ve only built one desk out of wood and was helped by a classmate, so this will all be guesswork and spare tools. fingers crossed it goes well eh
Holy $H1T84LL5 !!! You’re casting shadows onto the clouds … 
Nice build!
Completely unrelated; that worktop looks identical to the material my parents have in their kitchen, the red crystals are likely [garnets] (Garnet - Wikipedia) of some flavour, not sure if Almandine or Pyrope, the rest is feldspar and quartz. The small black flecks are (probably) biotite.
thank you, thats cool to know about my countertop. i was told its granite, is that similar?
Places you buy your worktops from always call rocks either “granite” of some description or “marble” regardless of what they actually are 
. If anyone tries to sell you a “black granite” it’s absolutely not a granite, and likely a mafic rock like gabbro (coarse crystals) or basalt (fine crystals).
In the case of this worktop, yes, the composition is not too far from typical granite, I think garnets are slightly unusual for a regular granite, but they add a nice effect in my opinion.
FYI, I’ve detected a very low level of radiation from my parents worktop with my hobby Geiger counter, radioactive elements are pretty normal in granites, nothing to be worried about, just a point of scientific interest!
sweet, i bought this stone off my neighbour simon, so I’m just happy it was so cheap. i’ve actually got a couple uranium glass bits in my bedroom too so the radiations no biggie.
i made a quick draft of what im imagining the box to be, the back face will have a slip ring and a couple power switches. i think mounting the top panel with strong magnets is the best bet and using screws for everything else. i was originally thinking of using some relays and a 3 state toggle switch but im starting to think itd be too easy to accidentally bump and turn off. now im thinking 2 latching push buttons or a standard switch for ceiling lights might be better
the bottom most board will likely be two wooden planks and the rest of it will be MDF, im 50/50 on whether i should use polyurethane on the mdf and spray paint some logo on it or whether i should paint the whole thing. if i paint it id go for black or dark green and use some gold colour zinc plated screws.
if you guys have any other ideas im completely open
after a short holiday
im back with the final electronic components to control the searchlight
im working on finding wood for the enclosure now, i found one good pallet already
uploading more photos for everyone, once i finosh the build ill make a full writeup and edit it into the first comment here
using a circular saw, drill and jigsaw i managed to cut everything except a polycarbonate shield. these are all the panels for the handheld unit. i am using a gloss and matte polyurethane finish in alternating layers to try get a semi gloss finish.
this unit will be 40cm long and 20cm tall. the backmost panel will have a hole for a power umbilical cord from m backpack. it will also have 2 lighted buttons to control 2 relays which switch the cooling and bulb on. they will be wired so that if the bulb is switched on it will automatically enable the cooling too.
Good progress.
That’s an interesting looking circular saw. What size blade does it use? Cordless?
I wondered about that saw too. I have a few circular saw including A Skilsaw worm drive. It is nice, but quite heavy.
im actually not sure sorry, its a bosch cordless one, its from my friend. it actually messed up a lot of my cuts and i ended up using a larger dewalt model circular saw and a aldi brand jigsaw for the front panel window. tonight im continuing to paint the panels and then screw together with glue between each joint. in an attempt to waterproof it ill probably lay a caulk/silicone fillet on the inside edges.
I have a very old one that still functions but as you said; too heavy. Very long lived as long as the gearbox oil level was maintained. Trivia… The Skilsaw worm drive were most popular on the west coast.
ran into some planning problems with my bracket placement, i forgot to insert the polycarbonate properly and i had my brackets too long to place how i imagined, ive left everything to dry tonight and ill talk with friends about the design tomorrow, the front face may have brackets on only one face
Those are getting rather common, and rightly so they are verry handy. Usually a 3.5" or 4" blade. I have one by Rocklwell(corded), we’ve used it as a main saw for 99% of remodeling jobs, and a lot on framing new construction too. (flip/remodeled houses for a living until recently)
Just have to be sure to get one setup to get a full 1.75" cut depth, they cut 99% of all construction lumber, but at 1/4 the size and weight. Some are not setup to cut very deep and it limits them to a plywood(or other thin material) saw.
Good for metals too, like an angle grinder with a good guide foot. We had diamond abrasive discs in one for a whole summer of installing steel siding and roofing. Much more control than a grinder.
I think I own 10 circular saws, but the little 4" one is what I grab the most. The other saw used the most on our sites was a big worm drive. When you need anything more, its generally just torque needed, and a slow heavy worm drive is very easy to control, and has much more power.
(Sorry, tool geek geeking out lol)
Looking good Ruckusmattster! That is a very very very very very very bright light!!! 
Been following this on the Discord, so excited 
after that the only work left is make a back panel that fits (the walls arent perfect 90 degrees so its going to need some sanding), then drill holes for buttons and wires to enter, then attach relays (with diode between for a small feature ill show later), then ill design a lid and handle and do all the work along with that. the only untested thing at this point is my new inverter, my old one had some issues supplying the ballast - im not sure if its because it was modified sine wave or too low power)
Ah good to see the quintessentially British DIY bricks being used.
Project coming along nicely, thanks for all the pics!
