Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off. Any ideas?

On 27/09/2023 00:06, Animal wrote:
> Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off. Any ideas?

Cut an interesting shape of MDF sheet, paint it (to match the ceiling?)
and attach it to the underside of the panel with spacers

<nothanks@aolbin.com> wrote:
> On 27/09/2023 00:06, Animal wrote:
>> Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended
>> below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've
>> not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has
>> assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent
>> attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali
>> spaced an inch off. Any ideas?
>
> Cut an interesting shape of MDF sheet, paint it (to match the ceiling?)
> and attach it to the underside of the panel with spacers
>

Having put up several flat panels in recent times I have not found any with
fixing holes, slots or other fixing points as most of these are designed to
be dropped into suspended ceilings and held by their edges on the
framework. Even when surface mounting aluminium extrusions are used that
just grip the edges.

If all you are trying to do is create a panel like uplighter, I think I
would use LED tape stuck to MDF suspended from the ceiling rather than
trying to conceal the backside of a panel

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t1ws87qikvn05wk30ajdq/2023-09-27-12.17.26.jpg?rlkey=0u2wdg28ciosplmyye0d9lr1q&dl=0

Richard

On 27/09/2023 00:06, Animal wrote:
> Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off. Any ideas?

Perforated aluminium? eg...

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/metal-sheets/2027912?gb=s

--
Cheers
Clive

On 27/09/2023 12:19, Tricky Dicky wrote:

> If all you are trying to do is create a panel like uplighter, I think I
> would use LED tape stuck to MDF suspended from the ceiling rather than
> trying to conceal the backside of a panel
>

+1
I made some concealed lighting with led strip and a suitable electronic
supply/driver stuck to some thin L section metal which in turn was stuck
to a thin sheet of mdf. This was wall mounted so I used a french cleat
for fixing.

The L section metal was for a heatsink and to point the LEDs out to the
sides rather than being pointed at the wall. Having had some previous
experience with the double sided glue tape on the back of LED strips I
reinforced the strip fixing with some hot melt glue blobs.

I have a thin LED panel type fitted in my bathroom where the fixing on
the panel are keyhole type slots so the fixing in the ceiling are just 4
screws with an appropriate size head*. Fixing plates of this type are
readily available
Random example
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295153223525

*mains to 12V supply mounted in the loft with just the 12V cable
entering the bathroom.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

I thought you could get those sort of defuse uplighters ready made, but it
would be hard to advise you to do what you want as surely, the cable feeding
it would block light as it went around it anyway. You almost need a box for
the bottom and sides, with some mounting brackets one of which could hide
the cable.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Animal" <tabbypurr@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:058f6df7-4cd0-44b1-b236-2598a0657be6n@googlegroups.com...
Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended
below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not
figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing
holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat
sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off.
Any ideas?

On 27/09/2023 00:06, Animal wrote:
> Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off. Any ideas?

The few I've fitted did not need ventilation. You could fit them in an
enclosed surface mounting frame with the driver (ie not putting that
above the ceiling). None such that meets your needs?

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On Wednesday, 27 September 2023 at 18:21:22 UTC+1, Robin wrote:
> On 27/09/2023 00:06, Animal wrote:
> > Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off. Any ideas?

noth...@aolbin.com
> Cut an interesting shape of MDF sheet, paint it (to match the ceiling?)
> and attach it to the underside of the panel with spacers

the panel requires rear ventilation, otherwise this is what I'd do, probably with plastic.

Tricky Dicky
> Having put up several flat panels in recent times I have not found any with
> fixing holes, slots or other fixing points as most of these are designed to
> be dropped into suspended ceilings and held by their edges on the
framework. Even when surface mounting aluminium extrusions are used that
> just grip the edges.

I got what I got

> If all you are trying to do is create a panel like uplighter, I think I
> would use LED tape stuck to MDF suspended from the ceiling rather than
trying to conceal the backside of a panel

I can see upsides to that, and downsides. I've already got the kit though

> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t1ws87qikvn05wk30ajdq/2023-09-27-12.17.26.jpg?rlkey=0u2wdg28ciosplmyye0d9lr1q&dl=0

can't see it but I'm sure I get the idea

Clive Arthur
> Perforated aluminium? eg...
> https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/metal-sheets/2027912?gb=s

I think that's the only option that would actually do the job. But £48 + post for something too small.

Brian Gaff
> I thought you could get those sort of defuse uplighters ready made,

?

> but it
would be hard to advise you to do what you want as surely, the cable feeding
it would block light as it went around it anyway.

huh?

> You almost need a box for
> the bottom and sides, with some mounting brackets one of which could hide
the cable.

??

Robin
> The few I've fitted did not need ventilation. You could fit them in an
> enclosed surface mounting frame with the driver (ie not putting that
> above the ceiling). None such that meets your needs?

Yabbut it insists on having ventilation. This is using an extra well specced office panel to create something nice in a house.

From all the comments I'm beginning to think I'm out of luck. Unless I replace the ugly backing panel with unholy sheet ali. No clue how these things come apart. But at least I'm a step clearer on what to do, cheers.

On 27/09/2023 23:50, Animal wrote:
> On Wednesday, 27 September 2023 at 18:21:22 UTC+1, Robin wrote:
>> On 27/09/2023 00:06, Animal wrote:
>>> Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off. Any ideas?
>
>
> noth...@aolbin.com
>> Cut an interesting shape of MDF sheet, paint it (to match the ceiling?)
>> and attach it to the underside of the panel with spacers
>
> the panel requires rear ventilation, otherwise this is what I'd do, probably with plastic.
>
>
>
> Tricky Dicky
>> Having put up several flat panels in recent times I have not found any with
>> fixing holes, slots or other fixing points as most of these are designed to
>> be dropped into suspended ceilings and held by their edges on the
> framework. Even when surface mounting aluminium extrusions are used that
>> just grip the edges.
>
> I got what I got
>
>> If all you are trying to do is create a panel like uplighter, I think I
>> would use LED tape stuck to MDF suspended from the ceiling rather than
> trying to conceal the backside of a panel
>
> I can see upsides to that, and downsides. I've already got the kit though
>
>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t1ws87qikvn05wk30ajdq/2023-09-27-12.17.26.jpg?rlkey=0u2wdg28ciosplmyye0d9lr1q&dl=0
>
> can't see it but I'm sure I get the idea
>
>
>
> Clive Arthur
>> Perforated aluminium? eg...
>> https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/metal-sheets/2027912?gb=s
>
> I think that's the only option that would actually do the job. But £48 + post for something too small.
>
>
>
> Brian Gaff
>> I thought you could get those sort of defuse uplighters ready made,
>
> ?
>
>> but it
> would be hard to advise you to do what you want as surely, the cable feeding
> it would block light as it went around it anyway.
>
> huh?
>
>> You almost need a box for
>> the bottom and sides, with some mounting brackets one of which could hide
> the cable.
>
> ??
>
>
>
> Robin
>> The few I've fitted did not need ventilation. You could fit them in an
>> enclosed surface mounting frame with the driver (ie not putting that
>> above the ceiling). None such that meets your needs?
>
> Yabbut it insists on having ventilation. This is using an extra well specced office panel to create something nice in a house.
>
> From all the comments I'm beginning to think I'm out of luck. Unless I replace the ugly backing panel with unholy sheet ali. No clue how these things come apart. But at least I'm a step clearer on what to do, cheers.
>
What's wrong with cutting a piece of thin MDF into an attractive shape,
painting it to match the ceiling and attaching it via stand-offs to
allow air to circulate? You could even put some holes in it (star-shaped
or circular ones in a pattern, if that took your fancy) to provide light
spots and improve air flow if you felt that was needed.

On Thursday, 28 September 2023 at 11:26:09 UTC+1, noth...@aolbin.com wrote:
> On 27/09/2023 23:50, Animal wrote:
> > On Wednesday, 27 September 2023 at 18:21:22 UTC+1, Robin wrote:
> >> On 27/09/2023 00:06, Animal wrote:
> >>> Idea is to mount a flat panel light upside down (pointing up) suspended below a plastered ceiling. It's not challenging to mount it, what I've not figured out is how to make the underside look decent. It has assorted fixing holes, slots & a couple of protruding bits that prevent attaching a flat sheet of ali. It wants airflow so I can't add flat ali spaced an inch off. Any ideas?
> >
> >
> > noth...@aolbin.com
> >> Cut an interesting shape of MDF sheet, paint it (to match the ceiling?)
> >> and attach it to the underside of the panel with spacers
> >
> > the panel requires rear ventilation, otherwise this is what I'd do, probably with plastic.
> >
> >
> >
> > Tricky Dicky
> >> Having put up several flat panels in recent times I have not found any with
> >> fixing holes, slots or other fixing points as most of these are designed to
> >> be dropped into suspended ceilings and held by their edges on the
> > framework. Even when surface mounting aluminium extrusions are used that
> >> just grip the edges.
> >
> > I got what I got
> >
> >> If all you are trying to do is create a panel like uplighter, I think I
> >> would use LED tape stuck to MDF suspended from the ceiling rather than
> > trying to conceal the backside of a panel
> >
> > I can see upsides to that, and downsides. I've already got the kit though
> >
> >> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t1ws87qikvn05wk30ajdq/2023-09-27-12.17.26.jpg?rlkey=0u2wdg28ciosplmyye0d9lr1q&dl=0
> >
> > can't see it but I'm sure I get the idea
> >
> >
> >
> > Clive Arthur
> >> Perforated aluminium? eg...
> >> https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/metal-sheets/2027912?gb=s
> >
> > I think that's the only option that would actually do the job. But £48 + post for something too small.
> >
> >
> >
> > Brian Gaff
> >> I thought you could get those sort of defuse uplighters ready made,
> >
> > ?
> >
> >> but it
> > would be hard to advise you to do what you want as surely, the cable feeding
> > it would block light as it went around it anyway.
> >
> > huh?
> >
> >> You almost need a box for
> >> the bottom and sides, with some mounting brackets one of which could hide
> > the cable.
> >
> > ??
> >
> >
> >
> > Robin
> >> The few I've fitted did not need ventilation. You could fit them in an
> >> enclosed surface mounting frame with the driver (ie not putting that
> >> above the ceiling). None such that meets your needs?
> >
> > Yabbut it insists on having ventilation. This is using an extra well specced office panel to create something nice in a house.
> >
> > From all the comments I'm beginning to think I'm out of luck. Unless I replace the ugly backing panel with unholy sheet ali. No clue how these things come apart. But at least I'm a step clearer on what to do, cheers.
> >
> What's wrong with cutting a piece of thin MDF into an attractive shape,
> painting it to match the ceiling and attaching it via stand-offs to
> allow air to circulate? You could even put some holes in it (star-shaped
> or circular ones in a pattern, if that took your fancy) to provide light
> spots and improve air flow if you felt that was needed.

I supppose it'd work if the gap is enough. Not sure how it'd look.

I had another idea. Got another panel with a flat back, but otherwise unsuitable. I might see if the backs are swappable. No clue yet how they're built.