I build and repair various things. I am a member of the “Repair Cafe/Restart” movement where we fix things for people to reduce waste and bring items back into use.
So I am pretty good at making things.
This is a super-easy home build of an InfraRed panel for IR/red light therapy.
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Super cheap: total cost £25/$30/Eur 30 ish. Basically a fraction of the cost of a commercial panel. All reclaimed wood. Only the bulbs and fixtures were bought.
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Anyone who can put up a shelf can do this. You need no more than a drill, saw and something to cut the holes out plus pencil and ruler.
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Probably take 3 hours. I took longer because I was having fun so I did a mortice-and-tenon joint just for the hell of it. Added some cable tidy’s and things.
NOTE: I only bought 2 lights, although for better coverage you could use 3 or 4. I only did two as a test. The rig has space for two more in a diamond shape if necessary.
I have already felt the results with improved arthritis and RSI pain.
The lights I got here: 250 watt.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018VZ7IPA
Similar in USA:
The Process:
Basically I made a frame from UNTREATED WHITE WOOD. You cannot use varnished, painted or otherwise treated wood as the heat could outgas noxious stuff.
Height: 25in/66cm Width 12in/30cm Depth 12in/30cm
I made a rectangular frame, drilled then chiselled out two holes in it and screwed it together. I had envisaged having to wire the electrics together but if you get the design of bulb above it is a unit so that is not necessary.
I put three feet on the bottom: two wood slats and a heavy metal support from a broken TV so it is bottom-heavy to balance out that the bulbs are towards the top.
NOTE: The bulbs do get hot. They came with guards, which are a bit rubbish and fall off, so I am going to make my own safety guard from garden mesh wire, which will be more compact. I do wear sun safety goggles when using it.
Conclusion:
This is super-easy to make, cheap and allows you to experiment with IR and Photobiomodulation therapy. Obviously I can expand this or use different bulbs if I want to in future.