[programmergeek]

I found the "Home Depot" material people have been using and it worked great. I compared it to a da-lite 1.0 gain screen and I could not tell the difference.


So Now I need to make a frame. How have people done this? What material did you use for the frame and how did you attach the material? I'm afraid if I use wood it would warp or change size with temp and humidity. also I am not thrilled with stapleing the materal to the frame. How do you keep the screen tensioned? Has anyone found any metal type frames?





[This message has been edited by programmergeek (edited 08-09-2001).]

 

[ckolchak]

check your e-mail.

i find wood to be the simplest, easiest, and cheapest material to work with. i also have no qualms about stapling cheap fabric to it. once you put in the vertical bars, the screen is stretched so taught, i don't think you have anything to worry about.

unless you have moss or toadstools growing on your theater walls...



[This message has been edited by ckolchak (edited 08-09-2001).]

 

[programmergeek]

Sorry, I dodn't get whatever you sent. With the heat power has been droping out in NJ so It could of gotten lost. Can you please resend it. Use [email protected] Thank you.

 

[ckolchak]

sending it out right now

 

[Gary Lightfoot]

Hi PG,


I also think that wood is the simplest and easiest method to make a screen frame, and then stretch & staple blackout material over it. You'll just need two long bits of wood (I used 2.75" x 3/4" or 70mm x 18mm in metric), and three or four shorter pieces for the two sides and center brace(s)(I only have one center, and it isn't bowing).


I just drilled two holes where I wanted to join two pieces together, recessed the holes with a bigger drill, and used 3" screws (6s) and glew to fix.


I then stretched and stapled the blackout material to it.


My screen is 84 x 47.25 inches, and looks great (IMHO). I hang it on two pieces of 10" long 70mmx18mm wood - one in each side of the frame.


It cost me less than £28 ($39) to make, and I still have screws and staples left over. I used the screws in my seating support frame.


There are no noticable warps or twists either. I cannot see me buying a screen that is going to be twice as good, even if it were 20 times as expensive (or 40 times, unless it was a Grayhawk maybe. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif )


HTH


Gary.

 

[dhanson]

I asked the same question in another thread, but since then I've got my frame pretty much built. Here's what I did:


First, I bought four pieces of 1 x 4 fir from Home Depot - two 8', and two 6'. I mitered the ends at 45 degrees, so it could be assembled into a nice looking frame. Then I took some black cloth and stapled it around each unassembled frame member. Now I four 1 x 4 mitered frame pieces covered in black cloth. They look really nice.


Tonight I will be putting them together with large L brackets across the back to hold the pieces together. Then I'm going to test it for rigidity and warping. If it looks like it'll be strong enough to withstand the screen stretching, I'll take my blackout cloth and stretch it across the back and staple it into place. This will give me a 90 x 50 screen with a 4" black frame around it to absorb the DLP halo.


If the screen doesn't look like it will support the screen material without warping or bending, I'll run out out to Home Depot and buy a sheet of 1/8" particle board or MDF or 1/16 ply, cut it in half, and nail or screw it to the back of the frame, using lots of finishing nails, staples, or screws. A solid back is the ultimate in preventing warping and twisting. What you'd be left then is a sandwich consisting of the frame, then the screen material, then the solid back behind it. This will make for a fairly heavy screen, but one which should stand up to endless amounts of abuse.


Until I try the last part, I won't guarantee the results. For instance, it's possible that the plywood backing pressed against the back of the screen material will affect the look of it from the display side (either through grain showing up, or small dents in the fabric from irregularities or whatever. But in theory, this system should make a very attractive, VERY strong frame with a screen that is protected as well as a screen can be. You can hang it on a wall or carry it without worrying about something punching through your screen material.


I plan on finishing this tonight, and I'll post the results back here when I'm done, perhaps along with some pictures.