I start by gutting a 36" florescent strip light and measuring up for the light cover.

The cover board will have a jagged edge on the bottom. I cut it out on the Bandsaw.

Here's where I run into some just dumb luck. The blades on my Jointer are about wore out. I was about to order new ones when I started this project. The blades are 6" wide but since I use it primarily for edge jointing I only use 3/4 to 1.5 inches width at a time so once the blade became 'chippy' I moved the fence outward to a fresh part of the blade. I had just about run out of real estate so the timing worked out perfect. As I run the board over the blades I also shift sideways and it gives it that carved look like the hall in echo base.

Since there going to be multiple lighting arrangement designed into this project they'll need to be made modular so a rabit edge is routed into the cover board to accept a piece of luan to which the light ballast, ignition strip, and wires will be attached.

Next the luan is trimmed to just what is needed on the Bandsaw and the edges cleaned up on the Oscillating spindle sander.

Another board is added to hide the ballast and the boards are cut for the Carcass but once lit the glow of the ballast cover is very annoying so that will not make the final cut.

Before moving on with the lighting experiments the base carcass is assembled and a rabit edge is routed to accept a luan backboard.

The backboard is cut on the Tablesaw. The edges are rounded to fit the rabit edge.

Next comes what I refer to as the Pergola which is the finished part of the ceiling over the tactical screens.

It starts with making a template out of luan so that the holes for the lights can be cut out with a router.

The Pergola is then sanded. The tearing action of the routerbit when it cross cuts leaves holes in the grain that will have to be filled. The whole process is very time consuming to get the sides of lighting holes smooth.  

The Router Table is then used to cut the rabit edges that will recess the Plexiglass light covers then the Pergola is primered.

The light panels are cut with a plexiglass knife and the corners rounded on the stationary belt sander. Then the palm grip sander is used to give the panels a frosted look.

Legs are made for the pergola and all is painted.

Fortunately lessons were learned but this is not going to work for this application. Besides that annoying glow, the light needs to be centered and closer to the pergola.

This lighting scheme without that "glow" will work for a open shelf less the command center. I already have ideas to do a split lighting scheme and enclosing the pergola.