[.:GRiFFiN:.]

I have an electric screen but the screen-material is bad and it needs to go.


I was thinking about getting a manuel screen and unhook the material from the casette and put it into my electric casette.


Have anyone done this and how hard is it? I understand one has to be very careful to get it straight but is it possible for a human to do this with trial and error and not using any sort of machine to get it correct?


Seems unsmart to just throw away the fully functioning electric cassette, motor and remote control.



Getting a new roll with a new screen from the original manufacturer is out of the question since its too expensive.

 

[budwich]

I am sure that you will find posts about doing this either in the DIY section or archives. As for your "machine requirements", I don't think it is a requirements as screens are "custom made" to a degree. Basically, the "process" (I have made my own electric screen) is that you need room to unroll "some" of your screen. You use your existing roller to maintain the screen partially rolled. This saves space, handling, and problems with creasing/etc. Detach the old screen from the roller ("target/receiver" roller). Most screens are glued in place PLUS have a few "stationary wraps" (you never unwrap your screen further) that "hold" / maintain tension otherwise the gluing may release. As mentioned previously the "donor screen" is left partially rolled on the "donor roller" (you have to unwrap it fully to detach it, then "re-roll it backwards" ...ie. bottom rolled up first so that a small length of the top is left unrolled and ready to attach to the "receiver roller"). Apply a thin layer of glue to the receiver roller and "carefully" attach the donor screen to the receiver roller. Roll the screen up on the receiver roller while unrolling it from the donor roller and you are done .... Of course, there are "details" that you will "learn" along the way. I think they call that "experience"... which you will need to learn for your self by trying. Depending on your "skills" and luck, you are likely to be successful. Good luck.


Hint: You can use tape for an "experience experiment" to temporarily hold your screen in place to see if you have things aligned in your attaching process and go from there.

 

[.:GRiFFiN:.]

Alright it sounds like it could work. Thanks for the help and optimism

Im feeling positive about it now.

I was also thinking of using the parts from the old tab-mechanism to build a new tension mechanism on the new screen. I was tinking about using the old steel bottom on the new screen because it has all the holes and stuff for the tension screws.


The only "problem" i see is that the new screen is not a tension screen so it will be harder, but I dont see why it shouldnt work anyway?

 

[Benito Joaquin]

It shouldn't be too difficult with a little patience. I've changed a few screens from non tensioned to tensioned. As long as you get the side cut at the proper angle and place the tension tabs properly you should be fine.


Benito

 

[.:GRiFFiN:.]

Do you have any pictures of the screens?


How did you add material to get the angle?

As I can do what I want with the old screen I could just cut off the sides and glue them on the new screen.

 

[budwich]

one "method" is to have extra screen side material and cut it to shape... BUT the other method is to use varying "widths" of tabs (ie. the tabs are longer / stick out further to form the "arc"). "practice" with tape then glue when you think you have them right.... basically the "curve" is that of a hanging string/rope turned on its "side".

 

[.:GRiFFiN:.]

Tabs of various length sounds good.

I will lokk at it further when I have the new screen here.


I do have the curve shape already because the old screen is tab-tensioned so thats a plus. Just a matter of measuring.

 

[.:GRiFFiN:.]

Now I have changed the screen-material.


I think it was time also because looking at the old screen against the new we can see that the dalite has a yucky looking yellow hue to it. Ew.

There were no problems changing the material. The dalite roll has a "track" so I could just glue the screen up to this point and it rolls up without making a bump.


I had to dismiss the tab-thing for now because the plan was to use the dalite slat-bar becasue its long enough and very heavy, but it was a single piece of U-shaped metal with another metal inside that locked the screen, and insted of screws they just pounded it in place so there is no way to use it.

But now I have a motorized 106" grey screen with no waves, no dots, no stickyness and it works very good.

 

[Benito Joaquin]

looks really good!!


benito

 

[Raine0]

Griffin, is that ceiling mounted? It seems to hang very low.

 

[.:GRiFFiN:.]

Thats just becaue you asume normal size speakers. Those are the Kappa90´s

They stand 4 feet tall. (49", or 123cm)

If you look at the picture you can see the ceiling, and its just a small L-pieced metal in the roof thats holding the screen, so the screen is actually kinda "snug" against the roof.


I guess its hard to see on that picture.

 

[Raine0]

Thx for the reply.


Cuz I'm thinking of getting a 106 inch screen and hanging it from the ceiling too. I preferably would like to put it lower onto the wall but there's a curtain rail and window there.

I'll be sitting about 3 meters away from the screen and from what I measured it, I would be looking up at the screen a bit and I hope that this would be ok for viewing purposes.


Griffin, what's your viewing distance from the screen? And if it's ok for you, can you please please try sitting about 3 meters from the screen and see if it's ok?


Thx thx in advance!

 

[.:GRiFFiN:.]

I now sit about 5 meters from the screen.

But when I got the dalite 106" I had a Barco808 CRT projector that I hang in the roof and sat under it, and I think that was about 3.5 meters from the screen.


3 meters sounds like it could be a little bit too short. In action scenes (specially nowdays when they dont train the actors but rather just film close-up and cut over and over again) it could be a little bit strain.


What I would do is try and find the THX calculator. It is here somewhere on this board, its what I did when getting the screen for the first time. Basically it tell you how much percentage of your viewing fild that should be taken up by the screen. I followed this and it turned out just perfect.


The last screen I had, had more black drop so the screen came down as low as I wanted. This new screen has a tiny drop so what you see in the pic is maximum. I find this to be to high up for comfortable viewing. I dont have any support for my head tho in my current sofas, but if you do then there will be no problem.


What I always do is sit where I am going to sit with a pen in my hand - close my eyes - relax my head and neck - then think about (with the eyes closed) where I want my head so its comfortable. Then I open my eyes and fix on that exact point on the wall, run up and mark it. Now this should be center of the screen in a perfect world.


Then you just have to find a screen that has that amount of drop on the roll. Or get the maximum amount from the dealer and then measure and you will know if a normal ceiling mount is possible. If wallmount is impossible (as in both our cases) the solution is to either just live with the heigh screen or hang it from chains or get another screen with more drop.

 

[Raine0]

Thx for the detailed reply Griffin. Will ponder on this for awhile. Get the projector first now and test with it. Might hv to go with what u said, with the extra drop in the end. That means moving my plasma somewhere else. Argh!

 

[budwich]

Raineo... IF you want to hang your screen just above your curtain rods, it can be done "easily". Basically, you just "make extensions"... "simple" L brackets that bolt in the wall above the curtain rods/curtain. Then "extend them" by bolting on wood pieces (hardwood) that extend the reach past the rods. Then attach your screen holders to the "extensions". I use this method because, a wall is easy to fix in terms of holes as opposed to trying to "touch up" textured ceilings. Further, it also allows for shorter drop borders which don't always come long enough with some screens / installation positions.

 

[Raine0]

Thx budwich for the advice. Seems a lot of work.

But smth I'll consider when I finally know exactly the most viable/best height for the viewing area. Thx!