DIY Screen ideas needed ?

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cowanrg

cowanrg

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cowanrg.mesanetworks.net/projects/
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promitheus

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Joined 2001
Very impressive pictures.
I just found a TFT panel from sharp, the QA1050 but I don´t know how good it is. I need a power supply for it and I dont know the pin out of it´s connector. Bit I DO have an adaptor cable for the connections.
Monday or tuesday I can try it out with an overhead projector but I am affraid its not so strong. Do you think a second bulb would be easy to fit in with out any overheat problems ?
About the blackout cloth what color is it supposed to be ?
 
Apogee

Apogee

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Joined 2002
Screens...

This was a post of mine from a few months back in the DIY projector thread...

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=21879&highlight=tyvek#post21879

Also see Fender4's and Redryder's posts down a bit further on the page recommending that I go here and search for diy screens...

www.avsforum.com

As well as here...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=93780&highlight=parkland

You might also run a few searches on both sites since I would guess that it's been discussed again since March in that thread... You know, history repeats itself...

Good luck,

Steve
 
J

Jhovis

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Joined 2002
lotuseuropa0.tripod.com/underground_diy_theater001.htm
FRP Wall Panel

Saw a product today at Home Depot called FRP Wall Panel. I asked if they had Plastex and the guy I asked didn't know what that was. I explained as much as I knew (smooth shiny paneling used in bathrooms) and he asked if it was like a dry erase board material and I answered in the affirmative. Having never seen the stuff I wasn't sure. They had two products: first was a smooth 4x8 panel like dry erase board. It was actually a Melamine board with a smooth semi shiny surface. The other was called FRP wallboard which looked the same but had bumps all over. It looked like drops of water. Any opinions about this? I'm going to buy a sheet after everything arrives (hopefully, next week). If it doesn't work, I'll try the other stuff or even the drop cloth I've read about. It is more expensive at approx $27/sheet.
 
T

Tinker

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sysopt.com
I've tried several DIY screens so far. First was flat white, image was bright but kinda washed out looking and the colors not to vibrant. So then tried high gloss white. Now ghosting was a prob. The colors kinda ran together but it was brighter as it was more reflective. Then I tried flat light grey floor paint. Its kinda rubbery, latex anyhow, it made the color great. Very deep colors and lines of black more defined -higher contrast all around BUT it made the whole image darker. So I got silver-aluminum high gloss paint ($1.00 a can) last night after having looked at some silver screens. Bingo- bright, highly reflective. Its atleast a 1.75-2.0 gain screen. Colors very good, and also bright. It does lessen the viewing angle though, but when in the viewing angles it looks great! Of course this depends on the size of screen and room if it will be a problem. Some have to use white as to get the wide viewing angle of a 1.0 matte white screen. Most Home theatres though can use the extra brightness and also dont have that wide of a seating arangment. This is like my 5th screen and its def. the best I have made yet. Just use either High density particle board or drywall (gypsom board) and then use a light grey primer and then top coat with the aluminum-silver paint. Try it on a small pice of card board say 10" or whatever and then after you get a nice silver color take hold it up to your white screen and see the dif. Silver screens are great thats all I can say. Its like twice as bright for me.
 
T

Tinker

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sysopt.com
I've used and recomended Krylon #1401 myself. But there are two downsides to it. #1 its about $3.80 a can. Need like 4 cans to do a 62" diagnal screen good. Second it has particles of metal in it that carry no image. So the more soats of paint the more fuzzy the picture looks.... the metal flakes are like a mirror they reflect birghtness but it doesnt add to the image at all. Its hard to explain but if you used it you would see what I mean. The aluminum silver color is all reflective but not as reflective as pure metal so it still gives a real image not just a blurry blob on the wall. This is like the fake mag rim paint for cars that make it apear to be aluminum alloy. What ever you decide take my advice. Save alot of $ and only by a small amount of whatever paints or materials you try. It will save alot of problems and lost cash! Trust me on that one. Make up samples and try them against what you have now to see what the dif is. You need a control and a test subject. Control of course being the screen you have now and the test being the fabric/paint you are testing out. Comparisons save alot of time.;)
 
J

Jhovis

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Joined 2002
lotuseuropa0.tripod.com/underground_diy_theater001.htm
Psionic said:
Somebody there mentioned using tyvek for the screen, but its CRAP.

I used a silver screen and its definitely the best thing i've tried

I also used my drywall that is colored slightly greyish.
its not too bad but no where near as good as the silver screen
Click to expand...

I've considered a DaLite Screen from ebay or some other source. But since I'm in the DIY state of mind, I'm going to try making one. I purchased a heavy weight drop cloth from Home Depot. It's made by Tufpro and is Butyl/Rubber coated fabric. It's 4'x15' so I can cut off a piece for experimentation. First, I'll try plain white and then I'm going to paint it with a metallic paint. I have to make a trip out to the west coast and won't be able to do any testing until next Thursday
 
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