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Sliding Track Ceiling Mount for 42" Plasma TV

post #1 of 77
4/3/12 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 

For those who want to see the final result before reading through the entire thread, you can find it here:

 

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1403555/sliding-track-ceiling-mount-for-42-plasma-tv/60#post_22122762

 

 

 

 

ORIGINAL POST STARTS BELOW

 

 

I found I have a need to still have my standard Plasma TV in my theater room...you cannot play the Wii or do exercise tapes in my room because you block the projector. Yeah, I should have realize that from the get go...but lessons learned.

So...on that note, I started looking into a myriad of ways to put the TV in the room yet also have it NOT in the way. Most have been so horribly expensive I gave up on them.

Then I found this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1113742

Big...you will see your own post in that thread with a great idea. It is this:
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC View Post

I think you could configure a sliding ceiling mount with sliding door hardware:


You can buy this kit with up to a 8 ft track:



http://www.johnsonhardware.com/100sd.htm

The TV weighs about 100 pounds, but the slider can hold 200 pound doors...so I am good. The weight gets spread along the path as well. I would buy (1) 6 foot long track, (4) rollers, and (2) track stops...$77 before shipping and such. I already own screws to affix it to the ceiling, and paint to make it black.

My question is, how do I attach it to something that can rotate. I can easily source a TV extension pole to make connect to the rollers - and a long flat plate to spread out the weight.

I want to place the TV against the side wall, with a picture covering the TV so it looks nice and is not reflective. I want to then remove the picture, pull the TV away from the side wall, then turn it 90 degrees to face the seats.

There is much win in this, with little money spent. I am excited but need that one last step. Any ideas?


Edited by cybrsage - 6/11/12 at 3:57pm
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post #2 of 77
4/3/12 at 12:48pm
Thread Starter 
I was thinking of using this mount, it tilts and rotates 360 degrees:


http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-Adju.../ref=pd_cp_e_0

What do you all think? Am I missing anything other than power and HDMI cable?
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post #3 of 77
4/3/12 at 1:00pm
Thread Starter 
Paranoia is hitting a little...do you all think the next higher level of track would be needed? It can hold doors up to 400 pounds. I am just worried about concentrating the weight into a smaller area than the roller guides expect...

It is here: http://jhusa.net/200sd.aspx

Using a 6 foot guide length, two rollers, and two stops, it comes to $133..which is around double the price of the other. Hmmm...after looking at the multi-fold page, it appears each multi fold door should only be 75 pounds, but that three on each side of the track can all be bunched up into a very small area, which is only slightly bigger than the width of the TV mount top. The lower level one can do 50 pounds in the same area. My TV is slightly under 100 pounds...so the smaller should be still be good just close to the limit.

Maybe I should cross post this in the TV area.
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post #4 of 77
4/3/12 at 4:48pm
I'd go with the beefier one. It will probably operate more smoothly too.

Are you thinking of four rollers on one track? If more than two, it will be hard to adjust them so they bear equal weight.

Also keep in mind that the hardware is designed to have a guide at the bottom of the door to keep the door vertical. There's nothing built into the top hardware to keep the door (TV) from swinging. You may be better off with two tracks mounted a foot or so apart. You could suspend a 12" square plate on four rollers (one on each corner) that run in the parallel tracks. Then hang the pivot mount from the plate.
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post #5 of 77
4/3/12 at 6:26pm
Thread Starter 
Hmmm....good idea on the plate. Any idea where to source one?

After looking it over more, I will probably do three rollers if I do only one track. Definately four for two tracks (two on each track).
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post #6 of 77
4/4/12 at 12:32pm
A piece of 3/4" plywood would do as the plate. 1/4" steel would be better.
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post #7 of 77
4/4/12 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
AH! I have a bit of leftover plywood, I can use that. Thanks! Now to order the rest.
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post #8 of 77
4/4/12 at 1:49pm
Thread Starter 
Next question, and I will keep working to solve it on my own, is how to run the cables so they move along with the TV but not hand down to the floor when it is in one position or another? Probably need to find a flexable track that is slightly longer than the distance the TV will slide. Connect the one side to the TV and the other to the center of the room. When the TV is against the wall, it is opened fully up. When I slide the TV to the center of the room, the track folds in half upon itself, but is stiff enough to not fall down.

EDIT: Here we go, this is exactly what I need! Now I just have to find it for MUCH less money.


http://cableorganizer.com/igus/echai...e08-chain.html
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post #9 of 77
4/4/12 at 2:00pm
At what point will it be too much hassle, and too ugly to bother carrying a bad idea any farther?

Don't get me wrong, it's a laudable goal, but not a terribly practical one. You'd be far better of going with a pop-up mount from inside a piece of furniture. Or maybe recessed into the wall with some doors covering it. Trying to pivot it around and drag cabling along is a recipe for disaster.
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post #10 of 77
4/4/12 at 2:08pm
What about tilt down from the ceiling? I'm sure I've seen that somewhere. Guess it depends on the height of your screen compared to the thickness of the apparatus. Something like what's shown below.

http://www.etihometheaters.com/?p=720

I'm not liking the sliding track idea due to it's instability. But if you can get it to work, then that'll be great.
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post #11 of 77
4/4/12 at 2:34pm
Could you maybe just mount the TV on a side wall and face the wall, instead of the projection screen, when you're playing the Wii or whatever? An articulating arm mount would let you angle the TV toward the seats, if that would help.

The more I think about what you want to accomplish with the tracks, the more nervous I get. With a mount hanging off of a post, like the one you have pictured, the TV's center of gravity will be in front of the post, which means the post isn't going to hang vertical. I think your TV screen will end up tilting down and I don't see any practical way to correct that.

If you use a pair of ceiling tracks, you might be able to rig up a welded steel carriage with a vertical extension to which you could mount the TV. Even with welded steel, it might be difficult to make the vertical extension rigid enough without adding a bunch of bracing that would keep it from sitting close to the wall when stowed. I haven't worked with steel enough to have a good feel for what is practical.

And then you'd still have to work out the cable management issues ...
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post #12 of 77
4/4/12 at 2:42pm
Thread Starter 
The tilt downs cost in the thousands of dollars in order to motorize them, and the wife is neither tall enough nor strong enough to manually tilt it. I started out in that route.

Basically, I want to build a non-motorized version of this:

http://trak-kit.com/



I fired off an email to them via their online form, but have not heard back on pricing. I will give it some time then contact them directly.

EDIT: They just got back to me, $3200. A bit more than I can spend.
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post #13 of 77
4/4/12 at 3:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dwightp View Post

Could you maybe just mount the TV on a side wall and face the wall, instead of the projection screen, when you're playing the Wii or whatever? An articulating arm mount would let you angle the TV toward the seats, if that would help.

I had also been thinking about a swing arm...one that would keep the TV flat against the wall, but then swing it out 90 degrees so it faced the seats.

Quote:


The more I think about what you want to accomplish with the tracks, the more nervous I get. With a mount hanging off of a post, like the one you have pictured, the TV's center of gravity will be in front of the post, which means the post isn't going to hang vertical. I think your TV screen will end up tilting down and I don't see any practical way to correct that.

Hmm...had not thought about the weight being forward of the pole. I notice the people whom I am copying used a bent pole for theirs. Have to think about it some.

Quote:


And then you'd still have to work out the cable management issues ...

I have the cable management part figured out, and it turns out it is just like the people are using in their too expensive version. Have to think about the rest.

Oh, and I like the center you made in your link. Noctuas are the best fans. I use a lot of them.


EDIT: Will probably shift to a mount like this one. It has a nice sized plate on top and looks quite sturdy...and follows the design used by the other people. I just have to figure out how to make it rotate 90 degrees. It uses 1.5 inch NPT threading on the pipes...


http://www.standsandmounts.com/sanus...5blacklc1.aspx

Or this one by Omnimount:
http://www.omnimount.com/products/tv...ng_mounts/scm/

It is basically the same.
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post #14 of 77
4/4/12 at 4:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cybrsage View Post

Basically, I want to build a non-motorized version of this:

http://trak-kit.com/

I fired off an email to them via their online form, but have not heard back on pricing. I will give it some time then contact them directly.

EDIT: They just got back to me, $3200. A bit more than I can spend.

$3200 for the non-motorized version? Wow. I can see why you want to DIY.

Is there attic space above this room? If so, you could use something like this:



Link: http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_...roducts_id=218

About $600, according to the website. Not cheap, but not $3200.
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post #15 of 77
4/4/12 at 4:42pm
Could you do a big swing arm? Have the tv swung flat against the wall when not in use (screen facing wall, art facing room). Then just swing the tv out over the projection screen when you want to use it.

Just like a big a$$ spare tire carrier on the back of an SUV. "They" make heavy duty hinges for custom carriers.
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post #16 of 77
4/4/12 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
Hmmm...that tire swing looks interesting! I will post some pics later of the space...but if you want to see it faster, follow the link to my build thread.

No attic space, it is in the basement.

EDIT: Pictures of the space:




Here are two that show the distances a little better, but they are older pics:


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post #17 of 77
4/5/12 at 5:59am
What kind of screen is planned? Is that a painted screen?

Maybe switch to a retractable screen?
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post #18 of 77
4/5/12 at 6:06am
Thread Starter 
Yes, it is a painted screen. It looks AMAZING! I used the info found here to do it:

http://www.projectorcentral.com/paint_perfect_screen_$100.htm
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post #19 of 77
4/5/12 at 9:29am
Back to the fold-down ceiling mount for a minute: What if you made a mount with the hinges attached on the end closest to the viewer, instead of the usual orientation with the hinges on the end away from the viewer. Now you could use cables and a geared electric motor to winch the TV from horizontal (stowed) position to vertical (viewing) position and back, and the cables wouldn't interfere with viewing because they would be behind the TV.
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post #20 of 77
4/5/12 at 9:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dwightp View Post

Back to the fold-down ceiling mount for a minute: What if you made a mount with the hinges attached on the end closest to the viewer, instead of the usual orientation with the hinges on the end away from the viewer. Now you could use cables and a geared electric motor to winch the TV from horizontal (stowed) position to vertical (viewing) position and back, and the cables wouldn't interfere with viewing because they would be behind the TV.

It's usually done from the far edge so when the TV is flipped up you won't see it. If you hinge it from the close edge you'd be left with the TV screen pointed down into the room, uncovered.

Depending on what kind of access/room you have from above there's all kinds of ways to deal with raising a panel. But with a shallow box like a built-down or inside the ceiling wall cavity your options are a lot more limited. That and you want reliability here, not some mess of cables that have to be lubricated and kept clean so they don't bind up. Most systems avoid using less expensive movements because of longer term durability and maintenance issues.
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post #21 of 77
4/5/12 at 10:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wkearney99 View Post

It's usually done from the far edge so when the TV is flipped up you won't see it. If you hinge it from the close edge you'd be left with the TV screen pointed down into the room, uncovered.

Yeah, I suppose the screen facing down would cause some distracting reflections when the projector is on. Good point.
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post #22 of 77
4/5/12 at 2:05pm
Thread Starter 
I was able to do a "make an offer" on this mount on ebay for only $100 (normally around $300!!), and I paid via PayPal so if it not on the up and up I will dispute it via PayPal and get my money back. This mount has a 90 degree rotation and the center of gravity of the TV is directly under the pipe, to prevent being off balance - the pipe falls directly in the center of the TV.



Here it is, holding a TV:



I am going to try the dual track method. The cost will be minimal compared to other solutions, so I might as well try it. If all goes well, I will put up pics, etc, and maybe even a movie of it in motion. Now I need to save up a little money and get the track. I already have all the cabling I need.
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post #23 of 77
4/12/12 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
I just ordered this track today. 6 foot long and has a 3.2 inch bend diameter (1.6 inch bend radius).


http://cableorganizer.com/igus/echai...e08-chain.html

The only thing left to buy is the track parts, which will cost me around $120 or so. I have spend $209 thus far. If all works out as planned, my DIY version will cost about $330 (a little more, I am going to buy some white lithium grease for the tracks - but that can be used all over the place, so I am not counting it) instead of the $3200 the one company wants; almost time times less.
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post #24 of 77
5/3/12 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 
I just purchased this ceiling rail:



I am using two 6 foot long rails, four rollers, and four rail stops. I will have the two rails run parallel to each other and the ceiling plate for the TV mount will be connected to the four rollers, with two rollers being used on each of the two rails. This will provide stability and also help distribute the weight.

These rails and rollers can support a 400 pound door each, so I am MORE than covered.
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post #25 of 77
5/3/12 at 11:28am
It will be interesting to see this go together. Take lots of pics!
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post #26 of 77
5/3/12 at 12:11pm
+1
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post #27 of 77
5/3/12 at 2:26pm
Sorry to crap on your cool idea, but would have been easier to use a retractable projector screen, and ditch the cool painted one.
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post #28 of 77
5/3/12 at 4:08pm
Sometimes it's preferable 'save money' by getting the wrong sorts of parts and spending an enormous amount of time trying to cobble them into something almost like what's already on the market.

Didn't say it was better, and might even be just what they want. Or it might serve as an important learning lesson about what not to do.

Keeps 'em off the streets meanwhile.
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post #29 of 77
5/3/12 at 5:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neurorad View Post

Sorry to crap on your cool idea, but would have been easier to use a retractable projector screen, and ditch the cool painted one.

Easy is nice, sure, but retractable projector screens are either cheap and crappy, or good and expensive. Besides, being 12 feet away from a 42 inch screen is not a good idea if you actually want to see any detail on the screen. Bringing it a few feet closer is a far better idea.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wkearney99 View Post

Sometimes it's preferable 'save money' by getting the wrong sorts of parts and spending an enormous amount of time trying to cobble them into something almost like what's already on the market.

Didn't say it was better, and might even be just what they want. Or it might serve as an important learning lesson about what not to do.

Keeps 'em off the streets meanwhile.

It could be exactly what is desired. Of course, it appears you are just a bit sore that the "bad idea" appears to be doing what you feel it cannot actually accomplish - which is success. Small minds tend to act in this fashion. Be part of the solution of just gtfo of the way of those who are creating one.
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post #30 of 77
5/3/12 at 7:23pm
Cybersage, I had would have made the same comments had I been sober enough. Go for it man.

I thought wkearney99 's comments were particularly a-holeish
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