AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › Screens › DIY Screen Section › low weight backerbaord for WA Designer White
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

low weight backerbaord for WA Designer White

post #1 of 12
6/1/09 at 3:23pm
Thread Starter 
Greetings,

Well I have now moved in the big screen world (couldn't pass up the deal on the Refub HD65) and I have been reading a ton on the DIY screens. I plan on going with a DW screen in the 106" to 120" range but I am wondering what would make a good backing material for for the DW? I am looking to keep the screen light since I am building I new home and will be moving in the 5 months (with my man cave as my wife likes to call the basement project).

I was just wondering what my options would be or if I should just attach it to a frame w/o a backing? Note I am also considering doing some kind of back lighting using rope lights or something like that.

Any suggestions would be most helpful.
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 12
6/1/09 at 8:14pm
Going the frame route is your only option if you want to/must minimize weight.

Otherwise, at any "Backed' size over 98" diagonal that will also have a "Backing" edge to which you can overlay trim, will have to be a composite of a minimum of 3- 4' x 8' sheets. To avoid that becoming impossibly heavy, 1/8" Brown Hardboard would be the material of choice.

Say 110" diagonal is you choice...............;




And you want to affix the assembly at a set distance out from the wall, and level / plumb, with a minimal amount of fuss, using 2" x 6" lumber cut at 45 degrees abd give you a 1 -1/2" standoff the wall. That's about perfect as far as a minimal distance to the wall from any Rope Light needs for both effective reflectivness, as well as access to the strand itself.



Altogether, the composite backer board shown will weigh 35 - 45 lbs, the WA-DW another 20 lbs or so at most. The use of the Home Brew French cleat completes a very low profile assembly with room enough to place Ropelighting behind the outside edge of the Screen.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 12
6/2/09 at 9:17am
Thread Starter 
thanks MM,

Quick question, Since this will be my first screen would I be better off doing a 98-100" diagonal screen so I can use standard 4x8 material as a back? If this is the case what would be a good choice?

Using projector central's distance calculator it looks like I'll be sitting about 10' to 11' and the ceiling mount will be at about 12-12.5' from the wall the screen will be mounted on. Some people say the bigger the better but I am not always sold on that.

I am also considering making a BOC screen in the 98-100" range for the time being and then building the DW screen once I am moved into the new place. Maybe then I would get a good idea if I need the bigger screen. Paint on the wall is not really an option as the wife said no go on that. It's also too bad that I can't get the do-able here in Alberta as that would make a great temp solution until I am moved.

What do you guys think?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 12
6/2/09 at 9:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4got10 View Post

thanks MM,

Quick question, Since this will be my first screen would I be better off doing a 98-100" diagonal screen then so I can use standard 4x8 material as a back opposed to using the 5x8 DW sheet? If this is the case what would be a good choice?

Not a lot of "no Paint" choices out there. Yes...if you take a 4' x 8' piece of DW and cut it to 48" x 85" and glue it to 1/4" (not 1/8") hardboard of the same size, you'll have a very flat, solid 98" diagonal screen assembly.

If you cut the Hardboard to 89" wide, you'll have 2" at each side to screw the Board / Screen assembly onto the wall. Take the left over hardboard, cut 2" wide strips, stick them "Top & Bottom" between whatever trim you choose, (to level out with the 2" wide side areas) and nail up the trim around the sides.

Quote:


Using projector central's distance calculator it looks like I'll be sitting about 10' to 11' and the ceiling mount will be at about 12.5' from the wall the screen will be mounted on. Some people say the bigger the better but I am not always sold on that.

get sold. If your using a 1080p PJ and have both good Content and a good screen surface, viewing distances to the screen can be as close as 1.2:1 these days, and immerse you into the action.

Quote:


I am also considering making a BOC screen in the 98-100" range for the time being and then building the DW screen once I am moved into the new place. Maybe then I would get a good idea if I need the bigger screen. Paint on the wall is not really an option as the wife said no go on that. It's also too bad that I can't the do-able here in AB as that would make a great temp solution until I am moved.

What do you guys think?

Try the smaller DW / Board option. No BOC unpainted will come close to pleasing you like DW, and really...the only advantage would be it's lighter weight when hanging / moving it about. With the Dw you'll be seeing EXACTLY what you'll see when you get the larger sheet. No real choice IMO.

But that's me of course.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 12
6/3/09 at 12:59pm
4got10, For another option check out my frame build in my signature. I am extremely happy with the results. It is light weight and very sturdy. WA Designer White was also used for my screen.....111" diagonal with an Epson 1080p
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 12
6/18/09 at 2:31pm
Thread Starter 
Read through your thread 20fan and it looks like a pretty good idea. I am going to look and see if the 80/20 product is available in Canada. I do have access to a carpenter but this might be the better route to go since I was concerned about weight.

How easy it is to move this screen?
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 12
6/18/09 at 6:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4got10 View Post

Read through your thread 20fan and it looks like a pretty good idea. I am going to look and see if the 80/20 product is available in Canada. I do have access to a carpenter but this might be the better route to go since I was concerned about weight.

How easy it is to move this screen?

We only moved it from the floor to its permanent position, so not a lot of moving it around. Size is more of a concern than the weight. Definately a 2 person job to keep control of the screen/frame to prevent possible damage. Once again, weight is not an issue.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 12
8/23/09 at 6:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4got10 View Post

Read through your thread 20fan and it looks like a pretty good idea. I am going to look and see if the 80/20 product is available in Canada. I do have access to a carpenter but this might be the better route to go since I was concerned about weight.

How easy it is to move this screen?

Can u please let me know if you find a local source in Canada?
Thx,
Wojtek
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 12
9/9/09 at 10:25pm
MMan, would using hardboard / pegboard save much weight as a backer material ?
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 12
9/10/09 at 4:19am
Yes...but I'd use the "Solid" material...not the Peg Board.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 12
8/7/10 at 6:10am
Anyone determine how much laminate overhang (without backing support) can be accommodated without consequences to optical distortion due to small changes in distances between surface and projector?

I've had a 5'x12' sheet of DW laying on the basement floor 'relaxing' for about a week now. I plan on putting down a drop cloth and flipping the laminate over. I had planned on using 2" rigid insulation board, but to cover the entire 5'x12' field I would need to buy three $30 insulation boards.

I planned on masking down the projected surface of the laminate to produce a 120" wide 50" high (2.4 aspect). This would have me masking about 12-12.5" on the left and right sides, about 5-5.5" on the top and bottom. While I am not so concerned with the masked portions of the laminate relaxing into the wall or toward the screen )since it isn't part of the projection area, I am concerned with how that may impact the the center field of the laminate.

As additional info, I was planning on this 2" insulation board because I could chop it down into three 4'x5' sections and use 3M spray-on adhesive with hand-pressing the insulation board against the laminate back. Should maintain weight consideration as opposed to using a wood frame of MDF backer board.

I do not have any experience with laminate in terms of its natural tendency to expand and contract according to temp changes. This is an experiment (as opposed to buying a real screen) and so the notion of being able to quickly and easily tear down making some of the decisions above.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 12
8/8/10 at 5:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 18628239 View Post

Anyone determine how much laminate overhang (without backing support) can be accommodated without consequences to optical distortion due to small changes in distances between surface and projector?

I've had a 5'x12' sheet of DW laying on the basement floor 'relaxing' for about a week now. I plan on putting down a drop cloth and flipping the laminate over. I had planned on using 2" rigid insulation board, but to cover the entire 5'x12' field I would need to buy three $30 insulation boards.

I planned on masking down the projected surface of the laminate to produce a 120" wide 50" high (2.4 aspect). This would have me masking about 12-12.5" on the left and right sides, about 5-5.5" on the top and bottom. While I am not so concerned with the masked portions of the laminate relaxing into the wall or toward the screen )since it isn't part of the projection area, I am concerned with how that may impact the the center field of the laminate.

As additional info, I was planning on this 2" insulation board because I could chop it down into three 4'x5' sections and use 3M spray-on adhesive with hand-pressing the insulation board against the laminate back. Should maintain weight consideration as opposed to using a wood frame of MDF backer board.

I do not have any experience with laminate in terms of its natural tendency to expand and contract according to temp changes. This is an experiment (as opposed to buying a real screen) and so the notion of being able to quickly and easily tear down making some of the decisions above.

I would be a bit worried about any overhang (if I picture your proposed design correctly). There have been several instances of WA DW warping in the WA Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=708240) and in a thread that I started to address an issue that I had with it ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1260836 ).

My 'bow' was about 3/4" of an inch at the max covering about three-quarters of the screen from the bottom to near the top. and it was readily obvious whenever the credits would roll at the end. It was really not noticeable much during the regular movie.

WA laminate material is not intended to be a structural material. It was intended to be mounted to a stable substrate and to conform to that substrate. (It can be installed on a curved substrate if one had need to.)

To date, I have not had any problems with my solution but it has only been a couple of months and we have really not had a substantial humidity swing in that period. (Dew points here have been from 50F to 73F the other day.)
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: DIY Screen Section

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › Screens › DIY Screen Section › low weight backerbaord for WA Designer White