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My Hushbox:

28102 Views 60 Replies 20 Participants Last post by TomKal, Dec 31, 2004

SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · Oct 18, 2004

I have searched the net high and low for a quality hushbox that did not cost an arm and a leg. Finding nothing I decided to tackle the project myself. Here are a few pictures of the box during construction. I have not glued the box together at this point (Obvious if you see the clamps). So far I have the main portion of the box complete. All I have to do is cut the hole in the front of the box for the Edmonton Glass and install the "European" hinges for the top. After that is done I can assemble the box and put the finish on it. I am planning to cover the main body of the box with black cloth and to piano finish the top and bottom. I have Boston VR Series speakers and this is how they are finished.

The basic layout is this, The air enters the left side of the box through the 5" hole on the side. You can see that the fan is actuall internal in the box to eliminate as much fan noise as possible. Additionally, the fan is at an angle to hit both the side vent as well as the rear vent on the projector. Once the air goes through the projector it is sucked out by the fan adjacent to the exit port on the projector (Not in picture). Once pulled out this air enteres the section on the right where it eventually exits another 5" hole. This fan is also internal to eliminate noise.

I have installed "biscuits" on all the adjoining parts to allow me to only use glue on the edges and eliminate any screws in the assembly process. The base will be glued and screwed on. The top will be hinged and sealed with weather stripping and 2 roller clamp will hold the top down tight on the side without the hinges.

I performed a test of about 20 minuites and the interior of the box remained cold. The projector did not seem any hotter than when it is out in the open and best of all it was completely silent.

What you think????

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mal_tx

· #2 · Oct 18, 2004

Cool.

Looks like you have an IF 4800/4805/X1, same as me.

I want to build a hushbox for mine. Nice to see your ideas.

A few questions:

1. How many fans will you end up with? I see quite a few holes cut in that hushbox (I count 5 holes?).

2. How are you going to handle your video cabling and power cabling?

3. Are you using 120mm fans? What model/type?

4. Is that 3/4" MDF ?

thanks for sharing!

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MaximAvs

· #3 · Oct 18, 2004

Great job!! Nice to see someone trying their own design!! I will be getting the 4805 and I would be interested in this hushbox you created. Will you share your design plans/material list?! Keep up the good work!

Huey

· #4 · Oct 18, 2004

Nice design. I would consider adding a layer of sound absorbing foam on the sides of the internal chamber to reduce echoing which may amplify fan noises.

I would also consider adding a masking system at the hushbox to mask the exiting image to 16:9.

If the exit projected image is not too large, a large photo graphic filter may also work besides optical glass (Hoya HMC FL-D for example) which will darkens blacks, deepens reds, lessen screen door effect, and reduce greens (try it outside the box before installing into the box.

Also if your fans are sufficiently strong, adding AC foam filter at the two air intake/output ports will reduce the dreaded dust blobs from occuring without altering the temperature too much.

Make sure you allow enough glass for your remote sensors to work.

Make sure you have it rigged so that you can't turn on the PJ without the fans being on first and when you turn off the PJ via the remote, leave the fan running a little longer (I leave my fans running year round and turn my PJ on and off with the remotes (standby in the mean time)). Fans can be powered with wall AC adapter (12v). Panaflos and Pabst are quieter fans.

I have my NEC LT150 in a hushbox for the last 2 years with no dust blobs and no problems.

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SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 18, 2004

FANS:

I will have 2 fans. They are mounted on the internal "walls" of the enclosure. The 2 large holes on the left side and the rear of the enclosure are only exit/entry holes for the air. Think of the sides as large baffles. I could have made a box as big as the inner section and left off the sides. Had I done this I would have a slight bit of fan noise. By putting them internal the only thing you hear is air coming out. And to hear this you need to put your ear up to the exit ports. Also to note, the fans are running at 9V as to slow them down and keep them ultra quiet. At 12V they are like little hurricanes. Much more air than needed. At 9V they are very quiet and move easily enough air.

WIRES:

The hole on the bottom rear of the left side and in front of the left fan are actually "desk hole" covers. The kind you would use on the back of a computer desk. I can open and close the hole for the wires as needed. You can purchase these at Lowes of Home Depot if needed. Easy way to allow wires to pass. I have also added another one of these access covers to the right internal wall for the fan on that side.

MATERIAL:

Yes, it is 3/4 MDF. The weight of this material as well as the sound blocking properties make it idea for this type of encloseure. Addditionally, it is very easy to work with.

FANS:

I know there are quieter fans out there but I have no need for that. I can't hear any noise coming out of this enclosure. When I did my heat test I simply set a board on the top and all the projector noise went away. I put my ear up to the front of the enclosure to listen for sound and I couldn't detect any. Sure, if you are behind the enclosure or on the left side you may be able to detect the "wind" noise of the auxiliary fans but I never sit there.

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SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 18, 2004

Here is a picture of the "Desk Hole" covers.

Phil

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SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 18, 2004

I also made an adjustable base for the projector to sit on. I always found the adjustments on the projector are too "clunky" and I never seem to find the proper leg heights to level the image with the screen. With this base I can make minor adjustements to the projector and get it straight with the screen.

Made with a 1/8" sheet of laminated board, 4 blind nuts on the bottom of the corners , and 4 screws for the legs.

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SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 18, 2004

I will definately share my experiences with everyone. The actual dimentions of the enclosure are made to my needs and layout. This design could be easily modified to meet others needs too. I would guess it could be built into a coffee table, av-cabinet, or shelving unit. For my purposes it will be sitting on the top of a metal shelving unit visible in my post above (Projector base). For now I live in an apartment and dont have a dedicated room for my theater.

I have also made a DIY screen out of Dazian material and some extruded aluminum for screened patios. Here is a picture of that:

Phil

Nevermind my other hobby, RC Planes!

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SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · #9 · Nov 2, 2004

I finally got the top painted shiny. I did about 5 layers of Polyurethane with sanding in between. Looks like a piano on the top. Sides are a little harder to get that shiny. Still came out good. I left the center section a "rough" look to match the speakers.

Best part: I can't hear the projector or the fans once any form of sound comes on from the movie. If you sit is an absolutely quiet room you can hear the fans from about 2 feet. Farther than that and it is quiet. Now I hear the refrigirator (Any Ideas on a Hushbox for that?). An added bonus is no light spill. When the scene is black, the room is black.

Here is a picture:

Phil (Mesa, AZ)

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SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 2, 2004

Went with a "port hole" design for the glass.

Phil

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SunDevilPilot1

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 2, 2004

And the inside. Used some black cloth on the sides where the fans are as a sound absorption material. Had the cloth from making the screen frame. May switch to egg crate foam later but it works for now.

Phil (Mesa, AZ)

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Scotty L

· #12 · Nov 2, 2004

Hardcore

No light spill is also an added benefit I didn't even realize!

Could you possibly do a wide shot of the room so we can see how the Hushbox looks in relation to everything else?

BudBray

· #13 · Nov 19, 2004

Hi Phil, great job. Been looking for something like this since I just got my X1 back from being cleaned. Any chance you could post a DETAILED diagram of the box dimensions, parts and directions? Asking a lot, I know but this is the DIY project every PJ owner needs to do. Also, I have my PJ ceiling mounted so any ideas how to build this so I could still adjust the projection?

Thanks for the great project.

Bud

jedi35

· #14 · Nov 24, 2004

Great job!! I would love detailed plans as well.

Cyrano

· #15 · Nov 24, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by jedi35
Great job!! I would love detailed plans as well.

Ditto on both statements. I would appreciate all the details you could manage.

Great work!!

shepP

· #16 · Nov 24, 2004

Add me to that list for any details on dimensions and such. Nice work! I'm about to place all my equipment in a closet so a hush box is my next project.

TheFerret

· #17 · Nov 24, 2004

Phil, great job! I'm really impressed that you not only took the initiative to make a hushbox yourself, but it appears you also took time to think about the internal wall-layout.

I am curious as to why, though, the interior paint is what appears to be glossy. Was this a decision out of convenience (spray paint), or was there some absent-thought of using flat-black paint? I also thought about lining the interior with some black velvet from a fabric store (using 3M spray-on adhesive).

I thought about using MDF in my hushbox build, but thought about 1/4" for the walls (vertical pieces) and 1/2" on the top/bottom to minimize the weight. I also thought about using a router (no, not the networking kind!) to make channels in the bottom/top pieces for a snug fit. Its interesting that some people get hung up on large objects hanging from the ceiling.

I also plan on using self-adhesive weather-stripping that you can buy from Home Depot to help with the light traps, and also get some connector blocks so that the physical connections pass through something built into the box's wall and not have wires tugging though a hole.

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drpp

· #18 · Nov 24, 2004

Nice design Phil,

if you allow I will add a comment or two. As far as I know it would be better to place the two fans in parallel than in series. If you think about it, the exit fan can only move so much air as it can alone, you cannot push a little extra air through a second intake fan. Infact fans in series can affect the airflow negatively and indeed it is in the worst case possible that the airflow is reduced, compared to only one fan. If both fans were placed parallel the airflow through the box were doubled. Take care to measure the temp in the box, if I remember correctly the X1 is rated for something around 40 degree celcius, but in your box there might exist heat pockets due to turbulences or circular airflow, where the temperature is actually much higher, despite the airflow through the box. So you should add a cheap temp alarm. Next I would take care that the whole thing is airtight sealed so that the path of airflow is clearly defined, this will reduce the amount of turbulences and help avoid heat pockets.

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turbomolar

· #19 · Nov 24, 2004

Kind of a newbie question, but can you please tell me how to power those 120mm fans via a normal home wall outlet? What's the device called that can convert the home wall outlet current into 12v or 7v like you are using? Sorry for my ignorance. =P

mdl

· #20 · Nov 24, 2004

Nice job. I was wondering, what if you eliminated the glass and just stuck the projector lens thru the hole, maybe w/ a rubber gasket of some sort to maintain a sealed interior.

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