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Building the frame

5K views 26 replies 6 participants last post by  Hank 
#1 ·
So I've received my Carl's ALR material for two 130" 16:9 screens and of course need to build two frames. From what I can tell the preferred type of wood seems to be poplar but I can't seem to find out why, I'm also having a hard time finding it in the lengths I need (almost 10ft for one side!) or at all.

I'm assuming it should be a 1x3 or 1x4 and there should be two vertical center braces. Is this what I'm looking for?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Alexandr...0-75-in-x-2-5-in-x-R-L-00Q37-270RLC/202563477

Your help is, as always, appreciated!
 
#2 · (Edited)
So I've received my Carl's ALR material for two 130" 16:9 screens and of course need to build two frames. From what I can tell the preferred type of wood seems to be poplar but I can't seem to find out why, I'm also having a hard time finding it in the lengths I need (almost 10ft for one side!) or at all.

I'm assuming it should be a 1x3 or 1x4 and there should be two vertical center braces. Is this what I'm looking for?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Alexandr...0-75-in-x-2-5-in-x-R-L-00Q37-270RLC/202563477

Your help is, as always, appreciated!
Yes.....that's the right wood. And at Home Dept it comes in 12' lengths you can cut to the Linear Ft..

You asked "Why" Poplar?

Poplar is by nature a Hardwood with very close grain, and that being so, it is usually comes straight and stays straight, resisting warp'age (...bows, twists...) and holding Fasteners better.


Using 2x3's on "Edge" for the perimeter. and on "Flat" for the Central bracing is very acceptable.

At 2x 130" inch diagonal 16:9 you'll need 2x3's only, @ 4- 6' pieces and 4- 10' pieces for the actual Frame's Perimeter. You will need "4" 6' long Verticals for each Frame's needed rigidity / stiffness, this to prevent the stresses that create gravity assisted bowing and twisting. You will also need 1- 8' x 8" x 3/4" Poplar Board to create two French Cleats, each going between two the two Central Upright Supports at 48" apart. Cutting a 48" x 8" Poplar Board in half using a 45 Degree cut not only gives you a excellent French Cleat, the 48" x 4" Lateral piece mounted at the Top under the long Perimeter Piece provides excellent horizontal stiffness at center, while having 2 more uprights at approx. 12" O.C. across the remaining space really stiffens up the ends.

Would you like or do you need a diagram of such a 1x3 Frame?
 
#4 ·
A Diagram to go by...



All Corners and Uprights should be joined using a Kreg Pocket Corner Jig for maximum stiffness. (Below)



BTW, if you trying to order wood Online, no, you won't be able to get those lengths. But at the store itself, their there. Besides...you'd want to hand pick your materials. Also BTW...the Kreg shown is sold at Home Depot.
 

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#23 ·


All Corners and Uprights should be joined using a Kreg Pocket Corner Jig for maximum stiffness. (Below)



BTW, if you trying to order wood Online, no, you won't be able to get those lengths. But at the store itself, their there. Besides...you'd want to hand pick your materials. Also BTW...the Kreg shown is sold at Home Depot.



MississippiMan,


Great info; I'm currently at the same crossroads with my HT build. Would you happen to have a diagram already created for 120" (104"x59") screen.


Apologies for hijacking the thread but this is pertinent to the thread.


Thanks!
 
#6 ·
Grabbed off the Store's website.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Model # 00Q37-270RLC

Internet # 202563477

Store SKU # 467565




A plethora of application opportunities exist within the realm of this board family. Surfaced Four Sides boards are used for cabinetry work, shelve frames, and other utilitarian uses. These are the foundations for build up combination detailing and designs. They can be used in conjunction with other smaller decorative components such as: back bands, base caps, coves, and base shoes. By using your creative spirit these items will appear to be one.
California residents: see Proposition 65 information

  • A durable hardwood used in high traffic areas
  • Surface can be painted or stained
  • Hardwood resists damage from day-to-day use
  • Surfaced four sided material that can be used in various home improvement projects
  • Moulding installs in a snap using brad nails
  • Available in random lengths
  • Manufacturers and availability may vary by store
  • Note: product may vary by store






SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions
Actual product Length (ft.)
12
Nominal Width
3 in
Actual product thickness (in.)
0.75
Nominal product width (in.)
3
 
#7 ·
Interesting, I wasn't thinking about building with the 1" edge face on but rather flat with the 3" much like the following examples:
@Vrgs13:



Or @bobbyc 's:




More like Bobby's since I too planned on having an frame fixed to the wall with an LED strip for an ambilight clone. The concern seems to be around the screen material touching the flat face of the wood/support beams making it visible, Vrgs13 added extra smaller/thinner wood around the perimeter to act as a stand off to get around this.

How long do I have to leave the wood in the house before it's safe to make the frame?
 
#8 ·
For a LED application, a edge up Frame is far better. Also the Frame is less prone to being / getting out of "square. It also avoids the material-touching syndrome.

Many make a mistake and do not leave enough space for LED light to diffuse, and wind up with a overly bright ring of light. The more space / distance between the LEDs and the 1st reflective surface, the more diffuse and "glow-like" the effect...instead of being a blinding ring of light.

Vrgs13's Frame is very stout! But diagonal Corner Braces are not needed with a "On Edge" design, and even a 1 x 3 offers a full 2-3/4" stand-off. BTW, are you planning to have any Trim extend out past the Frame?

The last example ( bobbyc)above only provides 3/4" depth, but the design is at least innovative. However the tiny French Cleat is a bit understated. T'would be better of it was 4x as wide.

I have diagrams that show complete builds up to and including LED installations. You let me know if you want to get started, continue to browse around, or whatever. You can knock out an excellent screen in very little time!
 
#9 ·
Okay so I think I'm going to go with a combination of Bobby's screen andyour design with a wider french cleat top and bottom.

That being said, the two Home Depot's near me are both limited to 8ft long poplar.... So, at this point I'm kinda stuck without being about to source poplar at a minimum of 10ft, ideally 12ft...
 
#10 ·
Have you gone into either / both those HDs or are you going by what is listed "On Line"?

I travel across the US and so far never have I ran across a HD that did not carry at least 120" stock (10 ft) and most do have 144" (12').

Sometimes a person looks On Lime at what is available for delivery to a Store for PU and doesn't call or go by to actually check inventory. Not say'in...just wonder'n. ;)
 
#14 ·
So I FINALLY got round to running the 50' HDMI cable and power for the projector:



Along with finally being able to find poplar in long enough lengths from Lowe's. I purchased 18 boards of 10ft 1x4 poplar. Unfortunately, while I hand selected as much as I possibly could, even going so far as to go to two different stores to get the best I could (from what was available/left), I unfortunately still had one or two pieces that were warped but at least none had split. With that being said, I've brought it into the house and done this:



I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do to help straighten the boards and I'm not sure how long I should leave them in the house before I can start working on them to build the frame...
 
#15 ·
Unless the wood is thoroughly wet'ted on the Bowed side, and then Clamped, it's doubtful any amount of time merely "Clamped" will straighten the warped boards. That kind of Poplar is Kiln Dried, so it's pretty much gonna stay exactly where it is, unless forcefully straightened during assembly.

Surely you can use the ones with slight defects for the much shorter Vertical supports? * If the warp'age is a bowing along the wider surface from end to end, and the Verticals will be placed "on edge", you should have no real issues.

Warping that shows a Bow along the 3/4" edge is more troublesome, but much rarer with Poplar.

Nice job clamping though. :D

* You do realize that the Vertical Inside supports should be 1x3s, unless you planning to mount the verticals "wide side" forward and at the back edge of the Frame?
 
#17 ·
Dude... doing so could possibly do far great harm than good.

T'would be better to take the few offending pieces back if they are that deformed and cannot be use for shorter piece usage.

As they come from the Store, they are "ready". I can't think of when / why someone would try to reverse the process.

OK...no ambiguity.
How many pieces have a "Twist or Bow".
How Bad?
Do you have at least enough Straight pieces to make the Perimeter Frame? (4)

You certainly should...since you've purchased 18 pieces.
 
#18 ·
Okay, so not in the garage then... (I didn't put them in there). I was hoping that the humidity and heat would help soften them up again, so that I could then bring them into the house and let the A/C "dry" them up again for 24/48 hours while still clamped but I guess not.

One is bowed a reasonable amount (I'd say a deflection of about 4" at peak) along the 1" side and two others have about a 1/2" deflection along the 4" side. In all honesty, I don't have a truck or means of getting them back to Lowe's (I drive a Miata), I had to rent their Lowe's truck to get them here in the first place.

I'm confident I have enough for the horizontal pieces and my plan is to do this (shamelessly stolen from another member here):




Except I was going to do two vertical braces on the 'screen side' frame with two French cleats (top and bottom). So I can use any bad boards on the 'wall side' frame first.

Wood has been clamped indoors for almost 48 hours now.
 
#21 ·
Now all that sounds OK.....

A strong Frame could have two Uprights...a better Frame would have three. Big arse Frames Four.

Widely spaced French Cleats are best so there is no chance of Frame sagging.

Please excuse....in DIY, the way "we" like to do things often differs from what is suggested by others how it should be done.

Why? Because we want people to do it Mo' Beddah.

Poplar instead of Pine
On Edge instead of Flat
Kreg Joints instead of Metal Bracing.

etc...etc...etc.
 
#22 ·
I mean Carl's place is all about the DIY as well :p

I'm doing 130" 16:9 and figured two centre braces would be sufficient and it's not like their ALR material is stretchable so there wouldn't be that much tension on the frame once stapled. I'm also doing flat for two reasons:

1. I wanted it to be relatively flush to the wall.
2. I don't have enough screen material to do on edge and maintain 130" diagonal

I did however purchase a Kreg pocket jig, just for this!

I'm going to leave the wood all clamped up until I get my miter saw to chop the wood and stapler to staple the screen.
 
#26 ·
Dumb question: I am relatively new to wood working (if you can really even call this that) and I am trying to figure out how much deviation I can "safely" have from one end of the lumber to the other. Basically, I was at HD looking at their Select Pine and Poplar, and I found all of it to have atleast some minor bowing in one direction or another. I would say, possibly at a minimum 1/4". Any recommendations for how to pick wood?

If that is too much, I think I may be forced to use 2x4s, but it would look so much thicker than I wanted...
 
#27 ·
Within the next couple of days I hope to post my screen build from December 2015. I did flat (not on-edge as MMan does) poplar 1x4's and stretched my Carls white with bungee cords. It's 134" 16:9. I've waited this long to see how well the bungee cord thing worked, AND the screen is tight and perfect as over a year ago.
 
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