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Moose
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 788
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:34 pm Post subject: How do you make certain your screen is flat? |
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I want a bigger screen and towards this goal I bought a 5' x 8' piece of Wilsonart Designer White. I am about to make a frame but before I begin - if you made a screen using Wilsonart laminate, how did you make certain your screen was flat? The laminate is quite thin. I've thought of backing it with plywood or particle board or something similar. I've considered a thick piece of insulation board, just to reduce weight. But is backing necessary at all? How did you do it?
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garyfritz
Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 12088
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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Some kind of support is definitely necessary. If you build a frame you can straighten it out pretty well; the frame keeps the wilsonart from buckling and the wilsonart tensions the frame to keep it square.
You can also mount it on a backing like MDF. The insulation board is a very interesting idea -- guaranteed flat, and light & easy to mount. I may have to go with that approach when I finally get around to building a screen.
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
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Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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I laminated my 96x54 to 3/4" MDF - just like countertop. It's flat alright - extremely flat. But, OMG was it heavy. If you do MDF or plywood, I think 1/2" should be more than adequate. Some guys - like Clarence - just hang it right on the wall and put a border over the top.
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whats6x7
Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 5924
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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I just hung mine directly on the wall and used the loop side of a roll of velcro to make the border. Works great.
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Moose
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 788
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I think 1/2" should be more than adequate |
I've looked at 1/2" stuff too and I think it's quite adequate. But still very heavy. I saw these 4' x 8' sheets of 2" foam insulation of various densities at my local Menards. I liked it over 1/2" board as soon as I picked it up but it does have some flex to it. Maybe it won't be a factor in the upright position. Perhaps if I glued it to the edge of the frame? Hmmm ......
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Moose
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 788
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I just hung mine directly on the wall and used the loop side of a roll of velcro to make the border. Works great. |
Wished I had a wall to to hang the screen on. Unfortunately, there's windows where I am force to put the screen.
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ADRIANKELLY
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 185
Location: Anchorage Alaska
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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Look for a sheet of Gatorfoam . It is strong and lightweight . It can be used as a screen all by itself .
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whats6x7
Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 5924
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Moose wrote: | | Quote: | | I just hung mine directly on the wall and used the loop side of a roll of velcro to make the border. Works great. |
Wished I had a wall to to hang the screen on. Unfortunately, there's windows where I am force to put the screen. |
Sheet rock over the windows and then mount the screen directly on the rock. You don't want windows anyway. You want it dark. Get your priorities straight man!
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Moose
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 788
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | You don't want windows anyway. You want it dark. Get your priorities straight man!
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The windows have blackout curtains over them. Absolutely no light gets through. Sheetrocking over the windows is not a possibility, else I would have done it.
Gatorfoam? Never heard of it, but now I'll have to find some.
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Moose
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 788
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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Well, Gatorfoam looks like the ticket, except for the price. Waaaay too much for a DIY project that's trying to keep costs down.
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Clarence
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 3827
Location: Smith Mtn Lake, VA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| ecrabb wrote: | | Some guys - like Clarence - just hang it right on the wall and put a border over the top. |
I only did that when it first arrived to test it out... I predrilled a small hole in each corner and then tacked it to the wall.
I built a wood frame for mine.
But yes, you could just tack it to the wall, or use a 1" square of double-sided foam tape every 18" or so to hold it flush to the drywall.
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ADRIANKELLY
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 185
Location: Anchorage Alaska
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:02 am Post subject: |
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The Gatorfoam was $100 for a 8x4 sheet but it is all I use up to this point . Does anyone else use this as their screen ?
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Moose
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 788
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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What thickness was your Gatorfoam? Where did you get yours? I'm having trouble finding a local supplier.
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Joust
Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 2429
Location: Almonte, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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Chris N glued his Willsonart to 2foot wide strips of pink styrofoam insulation. MISTAKE...he sees the seems on the screen. but he is a perfectionist...I don't see them. but i didn't look at it as much as he does.
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ADRIANKELLY
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 185
Location: Anchorage Alaska
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:16 am Post subject: |
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My Gatorfoam is 1/4 in . I found it in Anchorage in a art supply store . If we have it here you should be able to locate it anywhere . Maybe call your local museum they tend to use it to back their mounted pictures .
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Moose
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 788
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:00 am Post subject: |
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1/4" - boy, that seems thin. Thanks for the advice. Now I have a reason to go to the big city.
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GEBrown
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 729
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: How do you make certain your screen is flat? |
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| Moose wrote: | | I want a bigger screen and towards this goal I bought a 5' x 8' piece of Wilsonart Designer White. I am about to make a frame but before I begin - if you made a screen using Wilsonart laminate, how did you make certain your screen was flat? The laminate is quite thin. I've thought of backing it with plywood or particle board or something similar. I've considered a thick piece of insulation board, just to reduce weight. But is backing necessary at all? How did you do it? |
I found some external house sheathing made of stiff foam at Home Depot. It was already pretty flat and stiff and a hair under 1/2' thick. I used 3M Spray-On contact cement - the kind that is foam friendly - to adhere the WilsonArt to the foam. Then, I used some aluminum U-channel - also from Home Depot - along each edge to hold everything straight. You can then use black self-sticking velvet tape along each edge to hold the U-channel in place and create your non-reflective border. Bingo, one light-weight flat stiff screen!!
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garyfritz
Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 12088
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds great, Gary! I like that idea better than building a frame. What kind of velvet tape did you use? You must have ended up with a fairly narrow border that way?
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GEBrown
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 729
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| garyfritz wrote: | | Sounds great, Gary! I like that idea better than building a frame. What kind of velvet tape did you use? You must have ended up with a fairly narrow border that way? |
My tape is 2" wide, I ended up with a 1 1/2" wide border all around and a 1/2' wrap back onto the aluminum "frame".
Edit: I should have mentioned that I ran it along the front and along the back for more strength. Is working very well.
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, the foam is a really good idea. I wish I would have thought about it. You could even sandwich a piece of luan (3/16" or so) onto the back side, so you'd have two hard durable surfaces if you wanted to glue it to a frame or something, to allow for spacing away from the wall or mounting. Doing it that way, it could weigh under 50 lbs instead of the 200+ mine must weigh. Damn. Too late, now.
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