[houseofmouse]

a few months back i built a screen with 2 sheets of 3/6" masonite laminated over a sheet of 1" rigid insulation. that part of the project went well. after that it all went downhill.


i opted to use goo screen digital grey lite base and topcoats, rolled on. i used kilz2 as the primer. i bought the blackout paint from goo for my boarder. paint rollers from goo.


long story short, it's a mess. goo sent me new paint for free (their rollers left track marks from seams in the nap). It was also determined i had received an old batch of paint that should have been tossed.


i endedup with a textured screen and a black painted boarder that still reflects that image.


so....i am starting over to make a new DIY painted screen (i want to paint because i have little ones who can touch the screen).


i don't think trying to smooth out my current screen is worth it...


i was thinking of 2 options...


1. laminate a new sheet of 3/16" masonite over the current screen

2. get a sheet of 3/4" MDF as my screen


next question lies in what to do for a painted surface. i have a fresh bottle of goo screen but would need to get a base coat. still have my kilz2.


should i?

A. use the goo screen digital grey lite?

B scrap the goo screen and use a diff paint option?



what should i use for a black boarder that WON'T reflect an image?



help???

 

[Harpmaker]

Can't really help you too much on your screen build; it's a difficult call whether to toss the old screen and build a new one or to try to refurbish the old one. I do know that the 3/4 inch MDF would be a very heavy screen; it would have to have a very good support system on the wall.


The blackest black border material I know of is black velvet cloth. Even the flattest, blackest black paint won't be as light-absorbing as the black velvet.


As to the best screen paint... that is quite a subjective thing. You don't say what PJ you are using, the projection and viewing distances or the darkness/lightness of your HT walls, floor and ceiling. Assuming the Goo Digital Gray Lite was working well for you, you could go with it if you have it, or you could go with a very light gray DIY mix with reflective qualities such as RS-MaxxMudd Lite or Cream&Sugar. All three of these paints are very close to the same shade of gray ranging from a Munsell Gray of 9 to 8.8 (this small difference in color is almost impossible to see with the naked eye). Of the DIY mixes above, C&S is easier to mix (only two components), but the RS-MaxxMudd Lite has more gain, seemingly through added gloss, but my batch of it hotspotted with my PJ. Both the DIY mixes are way less expensive than the Goo paint.

 

[houseofmouse]

thanks for the input.


my viewing distance is 10'-11' (when reclined).

screen size is currently 98" diag, 16:9

lot of ambient light in day, dark at night

white walls (but will soon be painted darker - burgandy or grey)

dark carpeted floor (burgandy area rug in center, dark hd.wood border)

PJ is Sanyo Z2000


the goo is not working that well, i have to look at track marks from seams in the nap roller when painted and the reflection off the texture from the pudding like goo paint. if doing goo again, i would spray it. Mississippiman has PM'd me some info on that. I already have the goo as they replaced it for free based on how the application came out my first try.


as far as the weight of the MDF, that's not a factor. it will be firmly anchored to framing in the wall.


another option i thought of that is super easy is Plam. However, i wouldn't have the foggiest as to what to pick (then again i don't know what paint to pick either)


my wish would be to have an acoustically transparent screen. i have ordered some samples but am afraid the perforations would be too noticeable from my viewing distance.

 

[Harpmaker]

How far is the PJ away from the screen? Since you have a zoom on your Sanyo, this can affect the brightness of the image. You can play with the numbers for your PJ using ProjectorCentral's calculator. http://www.projectorcentral.com/Sany...ulator-pro.htm


It looks like your Sanyo has the foot-lamberts (image brightness at the screen) to use the standard Black Widow AAA mix. This is a great ambient-light mix. While there are other paint mixes in the same range of gray, BW is the most color-neutral of those I am familiar with and it is easy to mix. BW or similar paints are a lot darker than your Goo Digital Gray Lite, but will perform better with ambient light.


For an AT screen, you might think about using gray satin fabric. See this post: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...0&postcount=17


The main thing that concerns me about satin is the ease with which it can be permanently damaged.

 

[houseofmouse]

the PJ is 14' away from the screen surface. the PJ is ceiling mounted and i have to use almost all of the range in the vertical lense shift.


satin efinitely would be out for me, i have a 2.5 & 7.5 yr. old. the screen is in our family room, not a dedicated theater room. that was why i opted for a DIY painted screen. Laminate would be ideal for ease and durability, just don't know how laminate stacks up to a good painted surface...