120" Wilson Art Laminate screen...any way to get more gain out it?

Well Bro....,

It's not going to be any better brighter unless the PJ itself throws an image with addition brightness while maintaining a high Contrast ratio.

The sort of "Brightness" you seek would be something that comes with no "loss" of brightness while working to enhance and augment your PJ's existing Contrast and Lumen potential. We call that a "Ambient Light " screen hereboughts

Silver Fire is the only "+ Gain" ambient light screen paint that actually is what it is supposed to be that I know of...honest.

But it's a bit more difficult to mix than a simple Neutral Gray.

That might be your best bet to try here, is one of the moderate tone PNGray's combined with a the proper Ratio of Minwax Polyurethane. The excellent DW surface will serve a good purpose backing a lightly applied spray coating of PNGray w/Poly, giving you "White Fusion" that will help prevent the Gray from attenuating bright elements of the image disproportionately more than to how it deepens the appearance of the Blacks and Shadows

This can especially be noticeable when your Lumens drop, or your in "Low Lamp" mode...with a Gray screen.

But the "Poly" combined with spraying (Wagner-ize it...of course!) will let the PNGray do as absolutely good a job as it can.

I'd be remiss not to add that Silver Fire would knock you out.........so I did.

Using it, and with it maintaining a 1.3 gain, you'd have 17 Foot lamberts of brightness on a 120" SF/DW screen, so your brightness would be close to the same (but "Metallic-ized" by Silver & Pearl ) but you blacks would improve considerably.

With the PNG w/Poly screen....you'll be lucky to get anything beyond a 1.0 gain, if that. But that might be enough under your limited lighting issues so it could / should be considered. With the ease of use that comes with spraying with the Wagner Control Spray, as well as the virtually perfect finish potential, you know at least you'd have the Best PNGray w/Poly screen on the Boards! However......I'll stand 100% by the "SF Experience" as being a far superior solution....but no matter, I'll help you with either application....if you spray.

Choices...choices....choices....

Ok...two choices.

If your going to spray.....then there is no difference as to your selection, I'll help you realize either.* Rolling? Just glance above at the Top of the DIY Screens Forum Thread Index at the "Stickies" for Tiddler's
Beginner's Guide To Simple DIY Painted Screens
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=929997
and bone up.

And by the way...and this is important...although many have Rolled DIY Screens, and the many successes make note it's "doable" to get an excellent surface, "too" many have lamented one ore more of the issues that plague the DIY advocate when "Rolling toward Perfection" is the sought after goal.

"Settling" for Roller marks here...drips, sags, and runs there....texture, or worse undue gloss...? Living with a "Almost!" as big as a wall? Yeow. No wonder I gave up on that.

And I was good.

Spraying now is the route to take...and it's become a veritable "No Brainer"...followed closely by "pretty Cheap". Extremely cheap if one considers that the are assured as much as anything such is possible that with any degree of attention they will knock out something VERY special.

If you can walk, and hold your arm steady in front of you for 8-10 cross steps in either direction, overlap rows the same amount as you drop or Rise, and mix up the paint and turn on the Gun....your there.

Don't do any of the other ten things I'll tell you about later...and you'll be fine.

It's really pretty exciting to think of someone using the DW laminate and putting a righteous coating on it. As I said, with either, your going to go with a mix that is "Darker shade than "White". With either...when spraying...it ridiculously easy to lay down a perfect coat. Using a $69.95 Turbine Sprayer
I've recommended the Wagner Control Spray for some time now. It is really an excellent bargain for all the aforementioned "Noob" reasons, as well as useful doing other painting.

But news has just been offered up of a "Mo Bedder" version available at Harbor Freight for the same money , one with a separate Turbine unit that sets off to the side/rear so that the Gun you hold is more lightweight with only the Paint Cup and the Gun Hardware to hoist and balance.

I'm a veteran of the Pressure Tank / Hose / HVLP Gun rig Genre....and it was never a "cheap" proposition. Inasmuch, too few would /were able to go that route. I labored on, defending the "difference", finding advocates for the spraying process when ever possible. But it was expensive. ($500.00 average)

Along came the $69.95 Wagner Control Spray and I've never used my $800.00 rig again. Well...I used both at the same time and noted that the "Rig" was a "PITA" and could never make up the difference...so I use the 32 Gallon 6 HP tank to put air in my Lawn Tractor's tires.

Just check out:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=799078

Then this link: (I'ts the exact Product Ericglo mentioned in another Thread...)

Originally Posted by belzarrath
Well I hope you are still reading this thread,,, as usual I found another,, and it is HVLP
here is the link http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44677

Sale price at my local store is 69.99. No shipping, no wait.

In case you're not "getting it", I'm strongly suggesting not to waste the opportunity to use your DW Laminate for a loftier premise. Spraying will get you to that point with more assurance than rolling.

Some people must not know how to roll some paint on. Its very easy to get it done right with no lines at all. OF course im talking about rolling on a wall and not laminate.

Good luck.

That is EXACTLY the issue at hand, and learning "how" as you touch a Roller to a surface....one that you've just paid some $60-100.00 for is not a viable option.
It does no good to point out the failings of "some" without offering advice that "all" can benefit from.

True enough...SOrry...Here is what I did to my sheetrock "drywall"..Keep in mind I have been doing drywall and painting for 14 years..May or may not be a reason mine turned out nice..

I simply roll on a coat of paint making sure I go slow and keeping preasure even as I roll. Making sure to get out all lines nice and slow like. Make sure to pick out any mess that might have gotten in the paint/roller...Happends every single time.

THen when the paint drys take some fine sand paper sanding pad is best and sand it nice and smooth in circles. Paint again and repeat the steps as needed or until you feel you have what you like.

Pretty much the same method for getting a good finish on anything you paint. Good luck and sorry for sounding like a bootyboo..

Nice read Mississippi. If you ever decide to come up through NW TN let me know and we can create a paintable laminate thread .

Hi Vili,

My youngest Son (24) is a Army 1st Lt. stationed/living at Ft Cambell, KY/TN. I could shoot up to Martin in route to Clarksville, TN with no problemo.

Just set a date......I'll be there, ready to squirt.

Paint, that is.

Ah sounds excellent! I am actually a SSG in the Army Reserves, your son and I are the same age. I used to be out of Jackson, TN, but my unit shut down and instead of reclassing (I'm Chemical Operations) I decided to just stay at home and finish up school.

How long do you think it would take to get it finished? The screen is not detachable as it has about 80feet of velcro holding it and the trim up on the screen, would that be a problem as far as spraying?

HEY...You and MississippiMan are right in my part of the world..Im in Henry Co Tennessee. Home of the WORLDS BIGGEST FISHFRY!! lol...Glad to see someone here close to me..

Hah, paris tn I'm guessing? I am a nursing student and I have clinicals at the hospital quite often. Do you have a home theater?

Well I have a home gym/theater/gaming room...Its my mancave...I have some painting to do later and some lil things here and there, but its nice for now.

Yep..Paris..lol..I hate small towns..lol..Been here my whole life "37"..But its home.

So...how often you in town? You gonna do the fish fry this year?

Sounds good. I work with a guy from Paris, Stubblefield is his last name if you know any of them. I work at the university here in Martin on computers and such while going to school.

I haven't been to Paris in a few months, but in the fall is my OB/Peds rotation so I will be in Paris every weekend. I'm in that guys wedding this summer too so I'll be there for that. It's less than an hour drive for me.

Got any pics of your theater up? I don't have a theater so much as just my living room converted. I have an Epson 6500, Wilsonart DW screen (about 125"), Pio SC05, Bic H100 sub, Ascend Sierra-1s for the front 3 and just some Onkyo speakers for the surrounds. I'm going to the subwoofer gtg in murfreesboro this weekend so I might be looking to upgrade my sub soon after that.

I do know some Stubblefields. My kids go to school with Justin Stubblefield and me and my wife knew and went to school with his mom "she has passed" Rhonda Stubblefield..She use to be McKeg? My spelling is off im sure?..

Um...I can get you some pics if you like...Like I said, its nothing fancy like you see on these forums, but its mine and I like it for what it is..

Have a great night...Im so glad to find someone from my part of the world. Seems most here are from up north or over seas..

Ya definately. I'd love to see some pics if you don't mind.

For those curious about the laminate here is a pic of my screen


and here is a pic of what it looks like at night. (these pics are from an epson 6100 projector, I now have the 6500 so blacks are considerably better)

I'm hungry.


Vili,

It would take about a hour to properly mask off the area with lightweight Pre-Taped Plastic. (.....I've made mini-Spray booths out of it...) and about 3 hours time at most to have the Screen painted....Mississippi-style.

Here's a shot of a TWH screen with just the sort of masking I mentioned.



The finished Screen. This 98"er took 1 Duster and 3 coats over a 2-1/2 hour period. Using the Wagner Control Spray of course.



Fried Fish!!!! And me on a strict diet. Lost 10 lbs in 8 days though.

Congrats! Thats a lot of weight to lose. Heck I workout all the time and dont drop any weight..lol..Too much bad food I guess..
Here are a few pics I promised ...Dont want to take over your thread so forgive me please..





This is my big diy sub..I have 2 more smaller subs as well..


here is one of the 12" subs..




Good luck on the screen and make sure that tape is on really good...Dont want to have spray over..

So basically by spraying the DIY laminate we would be keeping the gain where it is, increasing the blacks (slightly) and it would reject some of the ambient light...correct?

I will be finished with my nursing classes in about 3 weeks so sometime this summer would be best for me...of course it would be based on your schedule as you are the dude who has to make the drive.

Are you able to pressurize your room with those 3 subs? What size screen do you have?