Okay, I ended up getting a couple smaller pieces of foam board that I'm going to piece together and velcro to the laminate. Hopefully this works. Only cost me about $40. Next step -- figure out masking.
Watched Iron Man and House of Flying Daggers yesterday with some makeshift anamorphic prisms.
ok guys this is a heads up to everyone with the screen . i have a DW 120 screen 1x2 frame like a window so it wont warp. pulled tight and nailed around. i did this because it is too loose and was warping or sagging you can actually pull it one direction . so anyway been fine for 4 + years now and i have been looking for new speakers . i noticed the new speakers resonating . thought wow those are crappy tryed another set same thing ok now i know somethign else is wrong . well turned out it was the screen . listen to some music 90-96 spl and put your ear on the laminate it was like a huge martin longan speaker horrable . so i took my screen down and removed the laminate . going to put 3/4 mdf or plywood on it and glue it dowm so it cant be a speaker anymore . just a heads up . i dont think foam board would be riggid enough to stop it from vibrating .
ok guys this is a heads up to everyone with the screen . i have a DW 120 screen 1x2 frame like a window so it wont warp. pulled tight and nailed around. i did this because it is too loose and was warping or sagging you can actually pull it one direction . so anyway been fine for 4 + years now and i have been looking for new speakers . i noticed the new speakers resonating . thought wow those are crappy tryed another set same thing ok now i know somethign else is wrong . well turned out it was the screen . listen to some music 90-96 spl and put your ear on the laminate it was like a huge martin longan speaker horrable . so i took my screen down and removed the laminate . going to put 3/4 mdf or plywood on it and glue it dowm so it cant be a speaker anymore . just a heads up . i dont think foam board would be riggid enough to stop it from vibrating .
yes really just put your ear on it freaky !
if you check out my construction of the frame holding my laminate-I filled the space with foam backing board often used in picture framing called Gator Board. Works great-no resonance.
Guys,
Any suggestions for fixing a small hole in the 61 x 145" screen made by a clumsy owner ? Is my second screen as first broke when I took DIY a bit too far and tried to hang screen myself and it snapped almost in half along 3 ft area as I tried to lift it. This is on second screen, had buddy helping hang and as stepped down off small ladder I was on while hanging top of screen, I slipped and sure enough the hand with the drill in it hit the screen and put a hole about the size of a quarter in the screen just above and right of centerline (couldn't have been in a corner nooooooooooo !!!! ) Used a small piece of screen 1 to 'cover' the hole but since not on same plane as rest of screen you can notice this small patching piece in light areas such as sky or desert sand etc. Not very noticeable but would like to fix it if it is possible without moving on to a screen 3. Possibly patch it with drywall compound and have HD/Lowes make a paint to match the DW laminate and paint that area ?
Thanks for any "helpful" advice and minimal mockery please : ^)
Greg
Guys,
Any suggestions for fixing a small hole in the 61 x 145" screen made by a clumsy owner ? Is my second screen as first broke when I took DIY a bit too far and tried to hang screen myself and it snapped almost in half along 3 ft area as I tried to lift it. This is on second screen, had buddy helping hang and as stepped down off small ladder I was on while hanging top of screen, I slipped and sure enough the hand with the drill in it hit the screen and put a hole about the size of a quarter in the screen just above and right of centerline (couldn't have been in a corner nooooooooooo !!!! ) Used a small piece of screen 1 to 'cover' the hole but since not on same plane as rest of screen you can notice this small patching piece in light areas such as sky or desert sand etc. Not very noticeable but would like to fix it if it is possible without moving on to a screen 3. Possibly patch it with drywall compound and have HD/Lowes make a paint to match the DW laminate and paint that area ?
Thanks for any "helpful" advice and minimal mockery please : ^)
Greg
Hey Greg that's a real drag.
The little patch you made, is it on top or behind the screen?
My first thought would be to actually make the hole round by cutting out a larger area using a hole saw. The next part is tricky. From some scrap laminate make a round piece that exactly fits in the hole. By exactly I mean just a hairline crack. You would have to trace the hole on the scrap, cut out the plug oversize and then very carefully sand it down and fit it in the hole. Even after all that you will see the outline of the circle.
The other fix that comes to mind it to glue a patch on the back of the laminate and fill the hole with a good patching compound (not drywall mud). Once you have a flat smooth surface you could repaint the entire screen. Look at it this way. The only perfect fix I can think of is to replace the laminate. If you try painting and you are not happy with the results, you are only out the cost patching compound and a quart of paint.
There is one advantage to this, if you found the white screen was washing out at all, you could consider repainting with a neutral gray. If you want to discuss painting the entire screen then we should take the discussion over to the "Beginner's Delight" DIY Screen Paint thread.
I wanted to post here the "Laminate Screen Material and Testing! " thread my situtation with laminate having a slight buckle due to seasonal humidity changes.
The below is a re-post from my build thread in the 2.35:1 Constant Image Height Chat > DIY Constant Height forum DIY Curved Screen with structural extruded aluminum metal framing post 70 from 1-21-2010.
I will post details as I work to solve the issue inside my build thread, and once solution is implemented will post here for "record keeping".
Quote:
My issue with current HT screen is I used pine baseboard to establish the curve, as shown in this build thread.
I've come to realize over seasonal humidity changes that is not desirable; the pine baseboard grows slightly (lengthwise) in high enough humidity. And, I have contact cement all around the perimeter of my laminate. Yet, the aluminum is rigid and very stable, So, recipe for some issue, something has gotta give.
I built my screen in the dry of late fall/early winter Nov-2008, last summer (July/August 2009) I noticed a slight buckle in my laminate screen at the center, very slight but there.
You can sorta see the buckle here; the bluecloth is the mid support where the laminate material was forced to buckle upon humidity expansion of the perimeter pine boards. The buckle is about 1/2".
It actually came back to normal condition around November, so 3-4 months high humidity during summer.
Honestly, because I knew it, I could see it, but there were no defining lines (like a cloth material sag/etc), so it was NOT visible from seating or even relatively close with PJ on. If you looked at severe angle/sideways you could see it (w/o PJ on). But, still I want to fix it with correct countermeasure.
Larry ("LarryCheif") and I discussed this last summer, his screen is not attached to the laminate via contact cement, rather his laminate can float via his attachment method, so as his wood would grow slightly with humidity, his won't buckle.
If I lived in a stable humidity climate, either dry like AZ or even humid like near ocean would not have noticed this, but most portions of USA have humidity fluctuations that this will be issue.
Being an Engineer, I'm sharing this with people and at same time trying for better, robust solution that is easier for us DIY builders at same time.
I'm arranging a meeting with our Bosch rep here at work, sent him the below note:
Quote:
Randy;
I'm ready to make another HT viewing screen; does Bosch have the capability to curve the sq alum framing?
Specifically, I'd be interested in the 30 x 30 sq profile curved to a 39.6 foot radius.
(2) 11 foot pieces for top and bottom, all the other would be straight.
Plus, many people are intimidated by calculating the needed riser blocks to establish the curve by the method I developed.(Not hard, they just hate geometry/formulas..)
If you, Bosch, could offer that service (curve sq alum framing) it would open up curved screen making to many more people, and be a more robust design than mine.
I informed him the exact above laminate buckle situation (actually this post is cut/paste from my email to him).
My possible solutions to this are (in priority ranking, assuming I keep DW laminate as my screen material):
a) Curved Alum Framing - re-design of my concept
b) Use non-wood for forming the curve that is stable to humidity changes. That would work, if one could find suitable/low cost/light weight.
c) Keep same basic concept, but used floating laminate mtg concept so stress/strain is not there and no buckle (like Larry did)
d) glue down @ the middle 3 supports.....this is last as not a real solution but rather possible a temp fix for existing design, may cause other stress/strain smaller buckle issues....
Other solution, use other material as screen material, some that needs stretching and can "take" a little movement:
e) BOC
f) etc
>>I'm also thinking with modifying my current curved frame/scree screen via
-removing the laminate (just router it at inside edge of pine baseboard)
-Use BOC + paint mixture, consult with MM on his idea of "best painted screen material" that could withstand some seasonal frame changes
to be continued......
Again, I will post details as I work to solve the issue inside my build thread, and once solution is implemented will post here for "record keeping".
Todd,
Thanks for the options fo fixing the hole.crack in the screen. I actually put a piece of laminate behind the hole first but when showing something on the screen there is a slight shadow since not on same plane. Second patch is cut to fit just over the hole and is basically most noticable when lights are on in the room but not watching anything. Only slightly visible when watching movies and most likely because "I know where to look for the problem" May try your idea of cutting round hole and making a patch for that as it is small. Good news is even with 2 laminate screens am still way better off than ruining a Stewart, Carada etc with my clumsiness.
Greg
I just called the local Wilsonart store. They have White (after looking at it some more I think it may be the best) in both a thin and heavy laminate. The price for each is $1.13 and a $1.40 respectively. They only have the thin in 4x8 and 5x12. I bought the thin for my flexy rack and she said the thin would probably be good for a pj screen. If you have samples, she said the samples are of the heavy laminate. I did not ask if they ship, but you can call them at 305-477-8121. If not, then I may be able to go out and pick some up and ship it. I assumed that there were Wilsonart stores across the U.S., I guess not.
Can anyone give me an idea if Wilsonart Designer White Laminate will be more reflective and thus create more ambient light (both in the room and reflecting back onto the screen) than Blackout Cloth?
Can anyone give me an idea if Wilsonart Designer White Laminate will be more reflective and thus create more ambient light (both in the room and reflecting back onto the screen) than Blackout Cloth?
Absolutely it will. It has a gain over 1.0 and BOC is well under 1.0
But the solution should not involve reducing the reflectivity and image quality potential of the Screen....you should work to improve the reflective aspect of the surroundings (...make then less so...)
Otherwise, your cutting off a toe to eliminate a ingrown toenail.
Any advantage to using BOC then? Initially, I will just be throwing a screen up in the room without lighting control - will probably watch movies after dusk in the living room.
If I glue the entire sheet of laminate to MDF, etc. does it matter if I get the thinner or thicker laminate? It seems like the thinner stuff might be hard to work with. Is there anything better than MDF I should use, that's available in 5'X8'? I need 52" X 92". Is Particleboard available in 5'X8'? I want to glue the entire sheet to MDF or ? and then hang it on the wall with a cleat. I should probably use a 1/2" MDF? Thanks.
Very nice surface... affordable, zero spraypainting tools or talent required, durable, ideal texture, nice gain, true colors, and great contrast. I don't see any indication of glare or hotspotting.
These preliminary tests have proven that this surface is worth permanently adhering and trimming to my wall... I'm going to use black velvet masking adjustable between 16:9 and 2.35 aspect ratios.
Clarence:
How did you make the black velvet masking and how is it adjustable between 16:9 and 2.35:1?
whew, got through all the pages. I'm pulling the trigger and getting a 5x12 DW from the home depot near me in Georgia to make a 120" screen. The good news is no shipping charge. It will cost me $106 plus tax, which is great.
I'll be testing this with the Epson 8500UB, should be interesting to compare the 2006 results with the 2010 results based on projector.
So what is the best material to use in a room that will have ambiant lighting?
You'd be best suited to consider something other than a Laminate if your looking for something that will perform up to your expectations and needs, yet still be more simple to effect and be cost effective. A few do find Laminate at very low prices, but usually it's not one of the least expensive considerations when the Laminate's cost AND the cost of building a decent Frame is added up.
Paint the Wall, Brother!
(...I suppose that was "off topic" though...... )
Well, several days into my build and I'm finally at the point of using craftech's method to apply a velvet border. However, my staples are just bending. They won't go through the laminate so that I can attach the j-bead and velvet to the screen.
What kind of staples did you guys use that would go through the laminate?
I have a 5 x 12 Wilsonart Fashion Gray matt, horizontal grade material that I have not used. I cannot ship it though. Location is near Hershey PA. If anyone is interested, send me a reply.
I wanted to post here the "Laminate Screen Material and Testing! " thread my situtation with laminate having a slight buckle due to seasonal humidity changes.
I will post details as I work to solve the issue inside my build thread, and once solution is implemented will post here for "record keeping".
I had a similar problem which I detailed and posted in the following thread:
I live in Ohio and apparently the substrate of Wilsonart laminate will expand and shrink a bit if it is exposed to changes in humidity which can result a bow or buckle.
I would love to hear about how this went. I'm getting the 8500UB with a 110" diagonal projecting area in a few days, and I'm on the fence about whether to get Fashion Gray or Designer White. The room is subject to ambient light if I want to play video games during the day, but this is a rare event, and I figure I can just crank the 8500 to uber-bright mode and live with it.
I mostly watch movies in the evening, when the only light is some mood lighting. FG is tempting, but I'm concerned about the hotspotting potential which would drive me crazy, so I'm thinking the DW is the way to go for me.
I'll use the wife's fancy new camera to get pics once I get it set up, using Clarence's expertise: 50 ISO, no flash, tripod, timer delay. Maybe they'll look as good as his shots! Yeah right.
Just read through a decent amount of this thread, thanks for all the info everyone! I was originally thinking of doing a painted substrate like MDF for my screen and came across this thread and thought it made much more sense for me: less hassle than painting with more consistent results and reasonably priced.
I just picked up a PT-AX100U in need of a new bulb for a VERY good price. This will be my first PJ so I'm pretty excited. I'm putting it in my 13x17x8 basement that is pretty well light controlled but does have a slider at the opposite end of the room from the screen. I have pretty thick blinds that do a good job blocking the light but during the day there is still some seepage. I'm thinking of getting the Fashion Gray Wilsonart and found it at my local HD for about $56 for the 4x8 sheet and there's a 1 week lead. My PJ is supposed to be here Monday with the new bulb shortly after so I want to get it on order. I have a PS3 and HD-DVD player along with HD Comcast and watch primarily HD content. What do you all think, is the FG going to be the best option? Here are a couple pics of the basement how it is currently configured (except the rears are wall mounted now and I have a different Berkline reclining couch):
I really want to keep my mains where they are and can't really expand them outward so I'm going to be pretty limited with the screen size which I'm OK with. You can see in the second pic light coming from the sliding door next to the book case.
Just read through a decent amount of this thread, thanks for all the info everyone! I was originally thinking of doing a painted substrate like MDF for my screen and came across this thread and thought it made much more sense for me: less hassle than painting with more consistent results and reasonably priced.
I just picked up a PT-AX100U in need of a new bulb for a VERY good price. This will be my first PJ so I'm pretty excited. I'm putting it in my 13x17x8 basement that is pretty well light controlled but does have a slider at the opposite end of the room from the screen. I have pretty thick blinds that do a good job blocking the light but during the day there is still some seepage. I'm thinking of getting the Fashion Gray Wilsonart and found it at my local HD for about $56 for the 4x8 sheet and there's a 1 week lead. My PJ is supposed to be here Monday with the new bulb shortly after so I want to get it on order. I have a PS3 and HD-DVD player along with HD Comcast and watch primarily HD content. What do you all think, is the FG going to be the best option? Here are a couple pics of the basement how it is currently configured (except the rears are wall mounted now and I have a different Berkline reclining couch):
I really want to keep my mains where they are and can't really expand them outward so I'm going to be pretty limited with the screen size which I'm OK with. You can see in the second pic light coming from the sliding door next to the book case.
Thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?
Thanks!
Scott
I am using FG for my screen and I made it out of a 4x8 piece. I was able to get a 96in screen made from that size sheet. I only had to make one cut.
The only problem I see is that track light. You shouldn't have any light source, except the projector, on you screen. At least while you are watching it
I am using FG for my screen and I made it out of a 4x8 piece. I was able to get a 96in screen made from that size sheet. I only had to make one cut.
The only problem I see is that track light. You shouldn't have any light source, except the projector, on you screen. At least while you are watching it
Love your room! Do you have ambient light in your room too? What PJ are you using?
Don't worry, the track lighting won't be on when the PJ is on I might actually do back-lit LED lighting behind the screen though. I have them sitting around doing nothing so I'd just need to pick up a power supply ...
Love your room! Do you have ambient light in your room too? What PJ are you using?
Don't worry, the track lighting won't be on when the PJ is on I might actually do back-lit LED lighting behind the screen though. I have them sitting around doing nothing so I'd just need to pick up a power supply ...
I have some ambient light in my room, but not a whole lot. All the lights are on dimmers.
I picked FG because I wanted better black levels than I was getting with a white screen. My projector is an Infocus SP5000 (720P).
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