[bpdski]

I'm about to attempt my first DIY screen and from what I've read here it sounds like I can get a pretty decent screen using Behr Ultra White Eggshell mixed to "gray tropics". I want to just paint this right on my wall. I've read a lot about getting blackout material and making a frame and then painting the material, but I can't see the advantage in that over just painting the screen on my wall which is sheetrock. Of course, there is a slight texture on my wall since it was painted with a roller and I'm curious what the best was to paint a flat screen is? Can I just roll it on and then sand out the texture with a fine grain sand paper? Any other suggestions?


Thanks!


- Brian

 

[raoul]

paint in thin layers. use a roller w/ little paint on it and apply the paint in many thin layers.


raoul-sam

 

[pcdoctor]

I'm using Behr "Gray Tropics" also except I had Home Depot mix Behr "Ultra Pure White" flat to Behr "Gray Tropics" flat.

I added a little black when I got home though.

 

[bpdski]

Thanks, I'll try that and I guess I just need to use the smallest nap roller I can find.


Brian

 

[mercury]

how about the use of a sprayer?????

 

[Jason Turk]

A sprayer is definitely going to yield the best results. However, it is an art to get it right. I would highly recommend practicing before doing the final spray.


Thanks!

 

[Larry Raulston]

I made my own 66"X116" canvas screen and covered it with multiple layer of artists gesso using a high quality brush and wet sanding between layers until I had an extremely smooth surface. I then painted the screen with Glidden snowflake (Home Depot). Again I used a very high quality brush instead of a sprayer because I didn't want the spray drifting to other parts of the house. My screen is extremely smooth, and it has no hotspots. It has to be done indoors otherwise you will have bugs and dust etc. on the screen. I know the forum has many posts about spraying producing the best surface, but I just didn't want to mess with the hassle of spraying. I am very pleased with my screen. It looks very professional. I was planning to eventually purchase a Greyhawk, but my screen works so well that I may not ever change it. I actually added a minute amount of black pigment to the Snowflake color. It was provided to me free of charge by the man at Home Depot.

Larry

 

[bpdski]

Wow, that sounds like a lot of work, but I bet it's great! I think spraying would yield the best results, but I really don't want to fool with spray painting this onto my wall. I'd have to cover too much stuff. Did you use a brush rather than a roller? Seems like that would add more texture than a roller.


On sanding, I was afraid that if I sanded the final coat smooth, it would dull the surface too much. Did you sand your final coat, or just the gesso?


Thanks,

Brian

 

[KBK]

Obviously people have been reading myposts on screen painting. The product is ready to roll.


If the paint used is properly prepared, rolling works almost as wella s spraying. The differences can be minimal, if you thin properly.


Stay away from paints that need floetrol as an additive. It screws up the mixture, to a high degree.


Stick to paints that need just water as a dilutant and thinner. MUCH better results. The problem is that most people who experiment on this forum with creating a screen have very little in the way of professional or large levels of exopsure to screen types, or painting results with many mxitures.


So, one screen made by yourself can be fine, but in the context of the greater level of prduct available, does not nessessarily mean the best out there, by a long shot.


So, your rave review of your first scren may not be your same feelings in a year, after youhave had time to assess the results and weigh it against many other options. Then again, it may hold up! Just be wary of your own bias. I am always watching mine.

 

[Larry Raulston]

Brian,


It was a lot of work to sand the gesso that many times. I guess I did as many as 10 coats on the canvas in order to come out with such a smooth coat. I mixed a little black gesso with the gallon can of white to achieve approximately the grey that I wanted. When I finally got it as smooth as I wanted and projected directly on it it seemed a little too dark for my tastes so that's when I bought the Glidden paints. I first painted it with Glidden Veil and then compared it to my Da-Lite matte white screen, and it was still a little too dark. That's when I got Glidden Snowflake and added a little black pigment to it to obtain my final result. It's probably not quite as good as a Greyhawk, but it certainly does very well. I did not sand the Glidden paints. The surface was so smooth it didn't need it. Incidentally I was going to try to buy some paint mix from KBK(goosystems), but for some reason he didn't answer my e-mails. I painted the back side of the canvas screen to prevent light from reflecting off the wall behind the screen. Good luck.

Larry

 

[bpdski]

Thanks again for all the help. I think I'll start by putting some primer on my wall and sanding that as smooth as I can and then rolling on the Behr. I want to keep this a budget screen for now and perhaps in the future I can experiment with some fancier stuff.


- Brian