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[M-theory]

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[CanadianMoFo]

HD and Rona both definately carry the 1x4's you need to construct the frame. Go with the info from the links you provided and they will be able to supply the materials.

[coolspot]

Why don't you buy a screen, you can get a cheap one from TigerDirect or Costco for a few hundred?

In fact, if you get a pull down one, TigerDirect has one for 89.99.

[CanadianMoFo]

thanks for the help, will the 1x4's be big enough to give me the 54"x96" screen size I desire?

Also will they miter it for me like the tutorial says? Is there any recommendation on the best wood material I should use to have the strongest frame? because I'm learning along the way and the tutorial says fir but another says white pine like in this tutorial:

http://www.b-adeals.com/ProductScreenFreeFrameInstructions.htm

Should I go for this tutorial or the first link in my original post? I need something strong that will last.

White pine is more common. If they won't miter cut the 1x4's you can always get a miter box and hand saw for $20 and do it yourself. It's relatively easy.

Ultimately the screen will be mounted on the wall. It doesn't have to be all that strong since the flat wall will be supporting it.

It's an easy project to start out on. And not very expensive if you make a mistake or two and need to correct it with more materials.

CM

[felix2000]

I'm looking into this as well, I'm still on the fence about buying or building.
Some reviews/reports are that the DIY screens aren't quite as bright, and they are not as well color balanced so you would need to try to correct it in the projector.

Update the thread or send me a PM when your done I'll be interested in how it turned out for you.

[sluggy]

Looks fancy. I made the frame for an outdoor screen last year with some wood from HD and went nail gun crazy :cheesygri

Still need to build a stand and attach blackout cloth (that has been sewn together).

I believe that my cost thus far has been approximately $15

I think that you should be able to find everything that you need from HD though.

[l69norm]

White pine is more common. If they won't miter cut the 1x4's you can always get a miter box and hand saw for $20 and do it yourself. It's relatively easy...

+1, you probably don't even need to mitre cut it at all since the cuts aren't going to be visible. Just butt the ends together and use the L shaped brackets shown in the link.

The alternative is to use 3/8" plywood sheathing. A 48"X96" sheet is like about $15, but it's a little smaller than you want and you still have to get it home somehow.

[Robbo]

I know you already have the blackout cloth but another option is to buy Goo Systems paint or just shoot on to the wall (which is what i do :cheesygri).

You have these links for making your own screen (I also came accross these same tutorials years ago when i was considering making a screen) so you probably already know about the following sites but i will mention them anyway:

avsforum.com have huge amounts of info and there is a lot of discussion of homemade screens and paint etc.

digitalhome.ca are Cdn forums with a fair bit of info.

projectorcentral.com has lots of info on projectors and throw distances etc

Have fun. I love my projector and use it practically everyday.

[felix2000]

I checked out the goo systems myself and while they might be good the cost seems to price itself out of the DIY market.

This place in ontario sells them but at $259 I can pretty much buy a screen that point.

http://ontarioacoustics.com/index.php/cPath/29


As Robbo said avsforum is a good place to start... If any other DIYers out there are reading, here is a direct link to the DIY Screen Forum
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=110

[rc51]

I'm not sure what I used when I framed my first screen, but it was 2x4's.

I had them beveled on the front face and perfect mitres for the corners. Bascially I went to a place that had a Stewart hanging on the wall and copied it to a tee.

The backboard was MDF screwed into the wall. Which I primed and then painted with a specific Behr color. I got a full sheet of MDF and had home depot cut it down for a 98" 16:9 screen. I think you're dimensions are what I used.

The wife wrapped the 2x4's with velvet and we framed the MDF sheet with them.

Most people that came into our projection room could not tell it was a home made screen.


Forget GOO, it's pricey and I've heard can be hard to put on evenly. The Behr I used was easy to put on and resulted in a very good picture.

[Robbo]

Forget GOO, it's pricey and I've heard can be hard to put on evenly. The Behr I used was easy to put on and resulted in a very good picture.

I think if the Goo is applied properly it probably produces a better picture however, i heard some of the same things you did and figured i had to paint the walls anyway so this was a lot cheaper so i also used Behr paint. However, if you're going to paint i would seriously consider going directly on to the wall as you can then change your screen size easily. I know their are other issues such as light masking etc but my wife made burgundy velvet drapes framing our picture and this effectively masks light on three sides of the picture.

[Robbo]

thanks for the comments guys, I have 4 more questions:

1) Is it better to use 2x4 or 1x4 for my purpose? Also what is the rough price of each one so I don't get ripped off as I have no experience in woodworking?

2) Which screen type should I make that will be strong and not sag over time:


3) Should I attach an mdf to the middle of the board when I'm done and then get an extending tv wallmount from monoprice so when i'm not using the screen it can be touching the wall and when i need to use it I can extend it from the wall to the desired length. This is mainly because I cannot have the projector on the ceiling, I need to wall mount it. Due to this the screen has to be a few inches in front of the wall to get the perfect projection size.

4) For my wall mounted projector, what is the best way to tackle this? Is it just enough to buy a small mdf and 2 L brackets? The projector may need to tilt and roll I guess so I can have a perfect projection without having to use the keystone feature. Is there any thing like an arm that have 2 axis of freedom I can get from HD that can be attached to the mdf?

1) i seem to recall most people using 1x4, probably because they are cheaper. Also, since most people simply mount to the wall the 1x4 probably have little chance of warping over time i.e. if the wood is dry to start and you have stretched your fabric to make the screen and it hasn't warped initially, i wouldn't think it would warp over time. take this with a grain of salt as i have never made a screen!

2) C looks sturdiest to me

3) this is a pretty big screen and i don't know if simply framing it like this would be sturdy enough to move it like this. doesn't the projector have a zoom feature that would allow you to compensate

4) people often mount projectors on bookshelves at the back of the room so that might be an option