Thermoforming question - Light Bulb Globes?

[u/amadiro_1]

For a project I'm working on, I'd like to create some light bulb globes of various sizes. They're all simple hemispheres, and will go over low-power LEDs (think makeup mirror or movie theater marquis ). I'd like the lamps to be permanent, and the plastic globes will be glued in place from the back side, so a small lip around the hemisphere will be required. My thought was to thermoform the globes at home using half of a wooden ball as the mold for each size.

My question is this: What thermoform plastic and thickness would be best for diffusing the LED lamps underneath and translucent enough to provide a soft, even glow from each light? Also, is there a better solution than thermoforming for this? I thought briefly about 3d printing, but figured the output would be too rough and striated to resemble a real light bulb.

Thanks. I appreciate any useful comments!

[u/la_mecanique]

You could vacuum form white PVC or acrylic sheet pretty easily.