CIH DIY flat screen with masking

[camarillo_cinema]

It's raining today in the PRK (People's Republic of Kalifornia) - perfect weather for indoor activities, like defrosting a holiday ham and watching the Weather Channel. While waiting for the UPS guy to show up, I'd thought I would hang my screen frame.

This is made of 1-inch aluminum pipe. I went this route, since titanium was way out of my budget. With the bracing, the frame is sturdy enough to hang a half dozen baboons from it without any bending or fatique.

The frame is attached to the wall with conduit hangers. This not only made it easier to screw into a stud, but compensated for any wall funkiness.

The screen is made of the Pfifer 4500 stuff, and I added grommets so that I can easily attach it to the frame with bungee balls.

Next I will be adding the masking system. I've included a couple of pics of the installation so far. The holes in the wall are from an AK-47 (I live in a bad neighborhood). :eek:

Felix Navidad!

Don

[Axel]

...
Next I will be adding the masking system. ..

Don;
I am very interested to see what you have up your sleeve :).

I recently went CIH (10.5 ft BW Carada) and I am now looking for an inexpensive, yet IR controllable DIY masking/curtain system. Biggest challenge for me right now is to find a motor and controls that allow for more than just on/off. I further want good repeatability for hitting those target positions.
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Axel

[camarillo_cinema]

Don;
I recently went CIH (10.5 ft BW Carada) and I am now looking for an inexpensive, yet IR controllable DIY masking/curtain system. Biggest challenge for me right now is to find a motor and controls that allow for more than just on/off. I further want good repeatability for hitting those target positions.
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Axel


Axel-
I'm already doing that! Completely repeatable, with accuracy down to 1/32nd of an inch. This will be IR controlled, BTW.

Don

[Axel]

Axel-
I'm already doing that! Completely repeatable, with accuracy down to 1/32nd of an inch. This will be IR controlled, BTW.

Don

Please tell me more, I am listening.... :)
Do you have a parts list you could share?
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Axel

[porsche951]

I gots to gets me some masking too.

[camarillo_cinema]

Axel-
I will be getting to the parts list next week. I have to install the masking and the screen. This particular screen is gonna be 108 x 46 inches viewing area. All I need now is a PJ! :D

Don

[Nasty N8]

Do you sell the motor and control system separate? That we could add to our DIY masking?

Nate

[camarillo_cinema]

Nate-
Yes, actually I will be doing this starting in January.

Don

[Axel]

Nate-
Yes, actually I will be doing this starting in January.

Don

Sounds interesting.

May I ask what you use as drive mechanism?

I am interested in a rather simple split curtain system, which should however have 'crisp' edges towards the center. To achieve this I want to hang some 3" or so wide black velvet covered panels to mimic the screen frame.

I am currently looking into various options for the head rail mechanism. I am thinking about reusing 2 existing head rails, which I would mount next to each other with one of them reverted to get a split setup. They are 'rope actuated'. I was wondering how these could be 'motorized'.

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Axel

[camarillo_cinema]

Axel-
I came up with a curtain-based system about a year ago. This has a seperate track for the 4-inch wide masking panels that ride behind the curtains. These are actually pulled by the curtains, and leave a 2 inch edge for the masking.

The system I am building now is a top roller design, with panels that roll down on each side to mask for 1.78. If you mostly watch 2.35/1.78 material, this is a perfect system.

If you are looking for a curtain system, PM me and I will give you the details on that.

Don

[Axel]

Don;
You have pm :)
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Axel

[Axel]

Don;
You have pm :)
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Axel

Don, I have not heard back from you. Are you around?? :)
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Axel

[camarillo_cinema]

I guess I've been a little "bungeed up". Here's some pics of the screen and masking system. The masks are only for switching from 2.35 to 1.78 and back again. This is a motorized system, and consists of a simple DC gearmotor driving a roller via a belt and pulley. It is IR controlled. Limit switches make it fully automated going between masks up and masks down. There is track mounted on each side of the screen frame to serve as a guide. I fabricated collars out of PVC that mount on the roller to keep the masks rolling up properly.

Since the roller was 11 feet long when I started the installation, I noticed that there was a slight "droop". Therefore, I disected the roller into two parts.

The screen went up on the frame with "bungee balls". This took about 20 minutes. The screen is as tight as a drum. I have yet to install the trim. Hopefully I can get to that by next weekend.

Don

[camarillo_cinema]

Here's some pics of the screen.

[TreyS]

Nice setup Don!

[ericeash]

baboons and AK-47s, holy sh^t, and then your making screens with all that ruckus around you:) looks like something i might be interested in.

[camarillo_cinema]

I try to keep the bullets away from the baboons... :D

[HDGTX]

I guess I've been a little "bungeed up". Here's some pics of the screen and masking system. The masks are only for switching from 2.35 to 1.78 and back again. This is a motorized system, and consists of a simple DC gearmotor driving a roller via a belt and pulley. It is IR controlled. Limit switches make it fully automated going between masks up and masks down. There is track mounted on each side of the screen frame to serve as a guide. I fabricated collars out of PVC that mount on the roller to keep the masks rolling up properly.

Since the roller was 11 feet long when I started the installation, I noticed that there was a slight "droop". Therefore, I disected the roller into two parts.

The screen went up on the frame with "bungee balls". This took about 20 minutes. The screen is as tight as a drum. I have yet to install the trim. Hopefully I can get to that by next weekend.

Don


Don,
Do you have any pictures of how you mounted you motor, belt & pulley to the upper mask pipe ?
The thin metal bar going thru the bottom edge of the mask material, does the inside edge of it swing around a bit as it goes up & down? How close does it run against the screen fabric ?
Thanks for your DIY help!

John

[camarillo_cinema]

Hey John-
I tore the thing down in order to put up my variable masking system, which is side masking and masks down to 1.33.

The metal bar on the bottom attaches to the load bars on each mask, in order to keep them straight. If done on a commercial screen, you can get the masks pretty close to the frame, since there is also a track on each side that keeps them in line.

This is probably the easiest way to mask from 2.35 to 1.78. The only downside is that it will not do 1.33. maybe not such a big deal if you don't watch that content much.

Don

[HDGTX]

Don, On this side mask / roll down sys this thread began with, would it have been possible to modify it so each roller assembly could slide across the top pipe toward screen center & thus permit 1.33:1 image masking as well (pull curtians along as well to cover the now bare 2.35 & 1.78 screen area)? I realize there is a metal vertical guide bar running down each vertical upright & the mask's bottom horiz metal support is attached to it (big problem for sliding the roller downs). Maybe it would have to be a manual assembly (don't know how your motor interfaced with that top pipe frame member & those two PVC rollers ? Stop pins could placed along the top rail to provide a stop for 4:3 AR movie images. Another stop on the ends for 1.78 & the roll up the masks shades for 2.35. Did that bottom horiz metal support (in the masks) go all the way across & tie both masks together at their bottom edges (hard to tell in those dark photos) ? Just wondering.......

[camarillo_cinema]

John-
This design won't support that. The vertical roller design supports any aspect ratio.

The bottom portion of the masks are connected with an aluminum bar. May not need it, but they are not seen with the masks fully up or fully down.

Don

[Axel]

Don, I have not heard back from you. Are you around?? :)
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Axel

Don;
I was wondering if you saw my pm from 12/31...

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Axel