This project is in the bag… I think it came out really, really well. It feels solid and the carpet (while we could not match the floor color) matches the ceiling and wall paint nicely. Next project is to get that random assortment of media storage away from the back of the room and into something nicer looking… Then maybe finish, paint the rest of the room and enclose the theater!
A project I have been putting off for a long time is finally complete, and it feels good!
We have had 2 rows of seats in our home theater for some time, perhaps over a year. The view from the back row, however, has been lacking due to both rows being on the floor. I knew this thing had to be built, but I am not a big home improvement kind of guy and sort of dreaded the actual building. I did know, however, that I didn’t want to pay a contractor to build it.
To make matters worse, our seats have units between each seat to hold drinks, snacks, etc and so the row is wider than most, making the riser project even more massive. Each row has a seat, a drink holder unit, a middle seat, another drink holder unit, and then a third seat.
Finally, my wife Teresa and roommate Jared convinced me that it had to be done now or it was never going to get done. I think they just wanted me to stop complaining about starting the project and finally get it over with. The final dimension of the top area will be 6 feet and 6 inches by 12 feet and 3 inches. The height will be about 1 foot (two 5-1/2″ boards stacked, plus plywood and carpet) with a stair.
Where did all the food stuff go?
I’ve started up a new blog just for cooking and food! Cooking, cookware, techniques, dining out, etc… all will be covered over there. This blog will remain focused on photography, travel and personal interests. The food category has been removed, posts moved over and all further posts of that nature will be made on that other blog.
I made the decision to create the new blog this weekend, when I realized how many different topics I blog about here. I’d like to devote this space to what it was supposed to be about and leave the cooking stuff on a different site.
EDIT: It’s been about 7-8 months now since the screen was made. I’ve been using it a lot… we use it at least 2-3 times a week, sometimes more. I wanted to post here and mention that there has been some warping of the frame (for those who are thinking about building a similar screen) and the lower right corner is coming away from the wall. Not to worry, though. Apparently it’s a common issue and, according to answers I got at AVS forum, it can be resolved by attaching the lower left and lower right corners just as I attached the upper left and right.
Another tip I learned in those 8 months – there is pretty much only one way to clean a laminate screen like this that does not leave streaks. Distilled water, with a tiny drop of dish soap diluted in it. This “almost-water” can be used to wipe the screen clean and remove any shipping dust/grease/fingerprints. Using other cleaners will just result in streaks that are noticeable once light is projected onto the laminate.
Now that we are moved in to the new house and things are more or less under control, I was able to complete a “dream project” I’ve had cooking for many years. Our home theater is (almost) complete!
I had researched quite a few options for buying, painting or making screens for a home theater with a projector and finally resolved to build my own screen from basic materials. It’s actually cheaper than buying a screen (these suckers are expensive) and it can have the same or sometimes better performance. The methods I used have come from various sources including other blogs and the AVS forum (the home theater geek capitol of the internet)
So I built a 120″ diagonal screen. It turned out to be a bit harder than I expected. I’m not all that “handy” so for me building a screen might as well have been building a house. On the other hand, I do tend to have patience and keep trying until I get things right, so I made it through the project.
It’s made out of WilsonArt counter top laminate (for some reason, this works well as a surface for projection according to the DIY research I did) which has been hung on a wooden frame. The borders are made from MDF base and wrapped with black velvet. The finished result is a white screen with velvet trim borders.
Here are the materials I used… this is not really a “tutorial” on how to build a screen, as you would still need to get all of your measurements and research the ways you want to attach everything.
Screen
Frame
Border
Tools
I constructed the frame from the poplar boards and screws (using butt joints with 2 screws in each), and used the L and I brackets to further reinforce it on the back of the frame. I then pre-drilled and screwed the laminate to front of the frame. Each 45 degree mitered border trim was wrapped with velvet (like canvas if you are a painter) and stapled along the back of each trim piece. The 4 trim pieces were nailed to the front of the frame, sandwiching the laminate in between the frame and trim. The nail set was used to sink the nails below the velvet cloth. The final step was to attach the Hangman cleats to the top of the back of the frame and hang the screen on the wall.
Some photos of the work in progress:
I’m projecting on to the screen with a Panasonic AE3000 projector which is an LCD type projector and supports up to 1080p HD resolution. I use a Playstation 3 for DVD and Blu-ray video.
One more shot:
Next steps are to make a riser so the back seats are raised a bit for a better view, and to touch up and finish paint all around the basement. Oh, and carefully selected movie posters. ;)
Some things that have been going on lately:
