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I Made DIY 2.40:1 Masking for My 1.85:1 Screen - Page 2

post #31 of 164
3/22/08 at 8:04am
The flat black wood does an excellent job. All but the brightest light gets absorbed. Don't know how it compares to velvet though. I reckon velvet can't be much better. I made the masking for 2.35:1, but the thing that annoys me is that 2.35:1 movies aren't always exactly 2.35. They can be a little off. For the 2.40:1 movies, I usually have an inch of black bars, but that's fine..I'll take an inch of black bars vs. 5 inches anyday.
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post #32 of 164
3/22/08 at 9:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by frorule View Post

The flat black wood does an excellent job. All but the brightest light gets absorbed. Don't know how it compares to velvet though. I reckon velvet can't be much better. I made the masking for 2.35:1, but the thing that annoys me is that 2.35:1 movies aren't always exactly 2.35. They can be a little off. For the 2.40:1 movies, I usually have an inch of black bars, but that's fine..I'll take an inch of black bars vs. 5 inches anyday.

This is bad information/advice. No way does flat black absorb the same amount of light as any black fabric. That's why I Felted my ceiling, looking for an improvement over the black paint, which is, but I want even more....I want my ceiling to look like a black hole.
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post #33 of 164
3/22/08 at 6:29pm
Thread Starter 
I already managed to ruin one of my masks. Last night I decided to remove some lint and dust that had accumulated on the masks. I took a piece of masking tape and rolled it around my hand. I used it to lift the dust and lint. The first mask went fine it looked great. Unfortunately on the second mask I decoded to drag the tape along the velvet instead of pressing and lifting gently as I had done on the first mask. To my horror this left a white trail on the velvet from the adhesive. I tried everything and could not get the adhesive off, through all the attempts I created a spot in the velvet that for lack of a better term looked worn. I couldn't live with this so I tore the velvet off and was hoping I could find some new velvet to match today. I bought the velvet I initially covered the mask with a year and a half ago. Thankfully my fabric store still carried the same velvet. I have redone the mask and everything is fine, but what a PITA!

Moral of the story: don't use masking tape as a lint brush.
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post #34 of 164
3/23/08 at 10:26am
Thread Starter 
Wow. Watched I AM Legend last night with the masks installed. What an experience! Great movie with an awesome surround soundtrack. As usual the masks made it look like a million bucks. I sat there grinning when the movie began to roll. If you are on the fence on this one, do it you will be thrilled!
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post #35 of 164
3/23/08 at 8:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Plasma George View Post

This is bad information/advice. No way does flat black absorb the same amount of light as any black fabric. That's why I Felted my ceiling, looking for an improvement over the black paint, which is, but I want even more....I want my ceiling to look like a black hole.

How is that bad information/advice? I wasn't referring to glare on a flat black ceiling. I stand by what I said regarding my black masking. All but the brightest light gets absorbed by my mask. I guess that is a subjective statement though.

I generally make it a rule that only the black bars spill onto the masking, and the paint can certainly handle those with ease.
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post #36 of 164
3/25/08 at 5:59am
Doc,

I made some of these masks yesterday and also watched I Am Legend as my first scope movie.

I was unable to find the product you mentioned at Lowe's, well I wasn't able to find that product number. I took the product number to the customer service desk and it wasn't in their system at all. In their "styrofoam" section there weren't any 2x8 sheets. I have a 110" 16:9 screen and actually went with a 4x9' [yes I did type nine] because I wanted to trim it for an exact snug fit. I purchased the tougher styrofoam. I think it was called "R3" or something to that effect. I paid ~$13 for the sheet, even though I didn't need most of it.

I used spray adhesive to glue the velvet to the styrofoam panels and it worked perfectly. The adhesive did have a very insignificant reaction to the outer layer of the styrofoam that made it seem like it melted [very slight reaction]. I found this to be a good thing as it allowed me to drag my finger across the edges of the panels and actually make them more straight.

I'm glad I made these panels. It's a worthwhile project that will cost you very little and only take about 2 hours of time at most. I have them in place in just a few seconds. This will last until I attempt to put my engineering degree to use and develop an automated masking system.

Thanks for the tip!
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post #37 of 164
3/25/08 at 10:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by frorule View Post

How is that bad information/advice? I wasn't referring to glare on a flat black ceiling. I stand by what I said regarding my black masking. All but the brightest light gets absorbed by my mask. I guess that is a subjective statement though.

I generally make it a rule that only the black bars spill onto the masking, and the paint can certainly handle those with ease.

I suppose, if you're only talking about the mask brightness level (which is very low).
I would just as easily spend $10 at Joanns for a couple yards of Black Felt.....looks nicer, and it's very soft if it should rubs up against my Black Widow screen.
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post #38 of 164
3/25/08 at 11:54am
Quote:


This will last until I attempt to put my engineering degree to use and develop an automated masking system.


I will buy it when my HT is down.

Great thread, I will save this link for when Im done my screen and need 2:35 masking.
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post #39 of 164
3/25/08 at 12:00pm
are there any DIY masking systems that are worth looking at?
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post #40 of 164
3/25/08 at 3:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by penngray View Post

are there any DIY masking systems that are worth looking at?

How about the ones in this thread ?
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post #41 of 164
3/25/08 at 6:45pm
So I wonder if screen1 or screen2 would look better out of these options?

My screen is DIY with a painted black border....
So either I could paint the item I use black or go with black velvet...

Hanging options: velcro, magnets, or nails which were all suggested

I can see a slight light spill with my current black border not horrible but probably not as good as
black velvet.
LL
LL
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post #42 of 164
3/25/08 at 9:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scubasteve2365 View Post

Doc,

I made some of these masks yesterday and also watched I Am Legend as my first scope movie.

I was unable to find the product you mentioned at Lowe's, well I wasn't able to find that product number. I took the product number to the customer service desk and it wasn't in their system at all. In their "styrofoam" section there weren't any 2x8 sheets. I have a 110" 16:9 screen and actually went with a 4x9' [yes I did type nine] because I wanted to trim it for an exact snug fit. I purchased the tougher styrofoam. I think it was called "R3" or something to that effect. I paid ~$13 for the sheet, even though I didn't need most of it.

I used spray adhesive to glue the velvet to the styrofoam panels and it worked perfectly. The adhesive did have a very insignificant reaction to the outer layer of the styrofoam that made it seem like it melted [very slight reaction]. I found this to be a good thing as it allowed me to drag my finger across the edges of the panels and actually make them more straight.

I'm glad I made these panels. It's a worthwhile project that will cost you very little and only take about 2 hours of time at most. I have them in place in just a few seconds. This will last until I attempt to put my engineering degree to use and develop an automated masking system.

Thanks for the tip!

Glad to hear it worked out for you! I wonder if the foam availability is regional and this is why you couldn't find the same product I used?

I know you said they were a worthwhile project, it would be great to hear some of your comments on how they improved your viewing experience.

Lastly how about some pics?

Quote:
Originally Posted by cburbs View Post

So I wonder if screen1 or screen2 would look better out of these options?

My screen is DIY with a painted black border....
So either I could paint the item I use black or go with black velvet...

Hanging options: velcro, magnets, or nails which were all suggested

I can see a slight light spill with my current black border not horrible but probably not as good as
black velvet.

Black velvet is definitely your best option, it really devours light. Just look at my two lights out shots above. In the one with masks you can't even see my pause icon, it is completely absorbed by the velvet panel. But without the masks you can easily see the pause icon projecting on the white screen surface.

I am not really clear on what you are trying to show with those 2 screen options, please explain it.

Lastly I would go for the snug friction fit. These masks are so lightweight that velcro, nails or other methods are unnecessary. It is really quick and easy to just place them in your screen frame when needed and not have to worry about hanging them on some sort of retaining device.
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post #43 of 164
3/25/08 at 9:44pm
Quote:


How about the ones in this thread ?

RIght let me re-phrase....Are there any DIY automated masking systems?
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post #44 of 164
3/25/08 at 9:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by penngray View Post

RIght let me re-phrase....Are there any DIY automated masking systems?

I have searched this forum for this before and found several. The thing is they are more complex, my goal was simplicity. That said there are some very clever people on this forum and you can definitely find some amazing solutions if automated is your preference.
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post #45 of 164
3/26/08 at 4:22am
The 1st option the masking would be only the width of the inside of the screen - snug fit like you suggest.

The second option the masking would be mounted to the border with either velcro, nail, etc so the width of the masking would be Outside Frame Dimensions.

Does this make sense?
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post #46 of 164
3/26/08 at 6:39am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cburbs View Post

The 1st option the masking would be only the width of the inside of the screen - snug fit like you suggest.

The second option the masking would be mounted to the border with either velcro, nail, etc so the width of the masking would be Outside Frame Dimensions.

Does this make sense?

Yes it makes sense. I would (and did) choose the snug fit method. What you end up with when the masks are in place is basically a new screen. If your masks covering material matches the screen frame material well there is no way to detect that you are not watching a 2:40:1 screen. I would think the other method you mentioned would look like your screen with panels hung on it. YMMV, IMO, etc.....
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post #47 of 164
3/26/08 at 6:48am
I agree with Doc.

If you're going to make these panels out of styrofoam like he and I did then I would make them fit the inner dimensions of your screen. If cut correctly they fit quite snug and when in place they aesthetically match the screen's frame perfectly.

I personally feel that any panel the spans the entire width of the screen+frame would look worse. With the lights up, the panels would be considerably noticeable as being a "tack-on" part.

On the other hand, if you're creating some sort of automated system then the aesthetic trade-off might be worth it.
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post #48 of 164
3/26/08 at 7:20am
scubasteve,

What type of spray adhesive did you use?

Well my border is 3 1/4" painted flat black - so any suggestions on best route to go with this?
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post #49 of 164
3/26/08 at 7:28am
I bought a $3 can of adhesive at Lowes. I don't know the brand name but I do know it was one of the cheaper brands.

My border/frame is also 3-1/4" thick. Since you're going to have two different materials [the styrofoam and the wood your border is made from] I don't think painting would be a good option. The different materials will be quite obvious plus any jaggies from the styrofoam itself will be present. I really suggest investing in some black velvet and wrapping your screen frame and these styrofoam panels in it. The two are indistinguishable once wrapped in velvet.
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post #50 of 164
3/26/08 at 9:52am
Is this foam just flat foam? and what is the thickness of the foam?
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post #51 of 164
3/26/08 at 10:34am
Yes the foam is flat and it comes in sheets. At my lowes the only sizes available were 4x8 and 4x9 in various thicknesses. You will see a more flimsy foam and a more rigid foam. You want to get the more rigid foam. At my lowes the flimsy foam was pink while the tougher more rigid foam was blue.

I personally bought a 1/2" thick 4'x9' sheet. It costs me about $13.
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post #52 of 164
3/26/08 at 10:38am
Ok thanks for the info. Now I need to look at my screen and see what the best option is. Putting black felt on my current outer border might be difficult so I may just try painting something black for the 2:35 to 1 look and see how that is.
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post #53 of 164
3/26/08 at 12:20pm
I have a Carada Crtiterion screen frame which has a bevel around the inside which makes it very difficult to make a mask that fits snug. Does anyone have any ideas how to make a panel that stays in place using the inside of the frame?
Thanks
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post #54 of 164
3/26/08 at 5:43pm
With the carada like this pic attatched I would almost think if you cut a 45degree angle on each end and bottom/top, wrap in black velvet, and velcro at the angles that it should be enough to hold it. If needed you could also put a strip of velcro where the masking meets with the bottom/top of border. does this make sense?


My inside edge is the beveled edge as well and not the straight edge so I have to figure something out as well.

Or go the simple route and measure from the two outer edges of the frame and then attatch it however you want - this would be the simple way.
LL
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post #55 of 164
3/26/08 at 6:58pm
What size is everyone's screen? Mine is a 92" diag will it pay to even do this?
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post #56 of 164
3/26/08 at 7:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cburbs View Post

What size is everyone's screen? Mine is a 92" diag will it pay to even do this?

Most definitely! Mine is 90" and you have seen and heard the difference that it has made. This has been the singular least expensive, easiest to do project that has resulted in the greatest return yet for my HT.
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post #57 of 164
3/26/08 at 9:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scubasteve2365 View Post

Yes the foam is flat and it comes in sheets. At my lowes the only sizes available were 4x8 and 4x9 in various thicknesses. You will see a more flimsy foam and a more rigid foam. You want to get the more rigid foam. At my lowes the flimsy foam was pink while the tougher more rigid foam was blue.

I personally bought a 1/2" thick 4'x9' sheet. It costs me about $13.

Since you mentioned the blue and pink foam, I'll have to look at Lowe's again. I went by there today and couldn't find anything over 8' long, but I didn't look very closely.

I've seen several people mention using magnets to hold the panel on. The first thought that came to my mind was magnets on the end of the panels on on the inside of the screen frame. However, I was trying to think of other ways and what about using a magent on the back of the panel and on the back of the screen. If you're screen is laminate, you might need a stroner magnet, but it should still work fine. The only issue I can think of is how to attach the magnet to the back of the screen. I wouldn't want to glue it since that might cause issues with it showing through over time. Using duct tape would work, but I put time into doing my screen right, so I'm not going to duct tape a magnet onto the back of it, even if it's never seen. Only thing I can think of is making a bracket, which should be pretty simple. Now, if everyone else was talking about the magnet on the backside of the screen instead of the sides of the panel and inside frame, then disregard.
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post #58 of 164
3/27/08 at 5:40am
cburbs, thanks for the reply.

The link below shows the profile of the inner edge of the Criterion frame. I guess if I could find some rigid foam core that was thick enough I could try to bevel it 45 degrees to match the frames bevel, wrap it in velvet and try to fit it tight to the frame. I don't want to stick velcro to the existing felt of the carada and magnets will not work with an aluminum frame. Guess i'll experiment a little. Will let you know if I have any luck.

http://www.carada.com/Projection-Screen-Comparison.aspx
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post #59 of 164
3/27/08 at 8:12am
The only thought would be to have a piece fit with the angles and then a long slim board attatched to that that would mount to the outer area/side of the screen. An idea of how it would look if your screen was flat on the ground and you were trying to attatch the masking system.
LL
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post #60 of 164
3/27/08 at 8:09pm
Thanks to doc for the wonderful cheap idea. I was originally going to do a powered curtain but this works flawlessly with a powered screen.

What I ended up doing is producing two bars lining them up perfectly next to each other and then velcroing them to the chassis of my powered screen. They have a good inch 1/2 clearance from the screen. No worries of the screen being touched by it at all . I then aligned the image to the top of the screen and place the bars on the bottom of the screen. Then raise the screen to the proper ratio. The results are awesome Very happy and very glad I did this.


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