[darbronnoco]

Hey everybody! I haven't seen very much on this topic and I thought it would be worth while to document the process from original ideas and more. Right now I have a few parts and many ideas. I was wondering if any of you have seen other more detailed threads on this.

Screen size right now: 5' high x 9' Wide

Right now I have:

windshield wiper motor
2 pulleys for an electric motor


I need to find a rigid lightweight pipe for the main tube. I have a 9 foot distance to span and I don't want it to sag any. I was looking at 1 1/2 electric conduit, but that is very heavy. sch 40 PVC would probably sag. I am going to try and see if I can find a place to pick up some schedule 80 PVC. I have no idea how heavy that would be vs the conduit.

I also need to find how to wire the motor to a switch so I can reverse it with a few wires as possible. Maybe using a remote system too if it isn't cost prohibiting.

Lets get some ideas guys!! I will take as many pictures as I can when I start building. I plan on finishing it the same as my projector. I will try and post some pictures of my projector here soon too.

This post has been edited by darbronnoco: 14 January 2006 - 04:15 PM

[darbronnoco]

here is another thread on a similar topic. I would like to make mine almost a how 2 guide for others and have all the data in 1 place. Maybe it could become a sticky


http://www.lumenlab....topic=1749&st=0

[barry_x2]

Here is the one I made.
http://www.lumenlab....?showtopic=5476
I made it without a pully and belt. I have been looking at using serial control or IR to make it go up and down but I think it maybe too fast to control by remote. I use a hard wired switch that is right next to the screen to control it. Or I get my son to as in the pictures
Barry

[darbronnoco]

What did you use there for a pivot point? Also How did you mount the drive to the pole? I am building a case for my screen as I cannot mount it inside the ceiling. I wish I could, but the landlord may have a problem and I have 20 something foot ceilings. Do you have any more pictures of the process? My idea was to use a pipe with a cap and thread a bolt thru for a pivot point and to punt the pulley. I probably could mount the motor directly maybe that would be better space wise. also do you have a drawing of how you wired up that motor? That could be helpful.

[darbronnoco]

Another note: I got my motor from www.mpja.com it was $19. Not to terrible. They also have tons of other goodies for us techies.

[darbronnoco]

Oh yeah I work for Fastenal (www.fastenal.com) not a bad site to look up information on parts.

This post has been edited by darbronnoco: 05 November 2005 - 06:15 PM

[darbronnoco]

My Projector


Side pannel: custom built

[darbronnoco]

Nemo


5th Element

This post has been edited by darbronnoco: 05 November 2005 - 06:22 PM

[darbronnoco]

Inside the box

[alienjj777]

I built a motorized screen completely from automotive parts and it works awesomely. I got a window motor, a window switch, a 12v power supply and a power window module, and I welded a bolt to the end of my aluminum conduit pole. I then put a nut on the bolt, and made a channel that goes around it and blocked it on both ends.

So all I have to do is push the window switch, and the screen comes down, as it comes down the bolt spins and and the nut moves along the bolt, till it gets to the block at the end of the channel, then it can't go anymore so the window module stops the motor. Then I push the up button, and it goes back up, the nut moves back, and then hits the other block and stops again.

Was very simple to put together and works flawlessly.

[BD]

darbronnoco, on Nov 5 2005, 12:26 PM, said:

I need to find a rigid lightweight pipe for the main tube. I have a 9 foot distance to span and I don't want it to sag any. I was looking at 1 1/2 electric conduit, but that is very heavy. sch 40 PVC would probably sag. I am going to try and see if I can find a place to pick up some schedule 80 PVC. I have no idea how heavy that would be vs the conduit.

Hi Darb,

How about using part of a solar blanket roller tube for a pool? I've got a 24' one for my above ground and it comes apart in 3 pieces. Two outside pieces slide into a larger center piece and are held in place with screws. Each piece is about 9' long (they slide in about 2 or 3' ea side to provide strength). Anyway, you could possibly contact the manufacturer for a 'replacement' tube for your project.

BD

[darbronnoco]

BD, on Nov 6 2005, 05:54 PM, said:

Hi Darb,

How about using part of a solar blanket roller tube for a pool? I've got a 24' one for my above ground and it comes apart in 3 pieces. Two outside pieces slide into a larger center piece and are held in place with screws. Each piece is about 9' long (they slide in about 2 or 3' ea side to provide strength). Anyway, you could possibly contact the manufacturer for a 'replacement' tube for your project.

BD

what is the diameter on those pipes and how much does that sucka weigh? I am leaning towards 1" coundit or 1" copper. With copper I could also buy the end caps and sweat them on. From some of the other fourms I have read I think I may try the velcro route for attaching the screen. Then I can remove it to change the screen size later if I really wanted to. I hope I will be getting my package with the motor tomorrow. Then I will post some detailed photos of that.

[darbronnoco]

alienjj777, on Nov 6 2005, 04:49 PM, said:

I built a motorized screen completely from automotive parts and it works awesomely. I got a window motor, a window switch, a 12v power supply and a power window module, and I welded a bolt to the end of my aluminum conduit pole. I then put a nut on the bolt, and made a channel that goes around it and blocked it on both ends.

So all I have to do is push the window switch, and the screen comes down, as it comes down the bolt spins and and the nut moves along the bolt, till it gets to the block at the end of the channel, then it can't go anymore so the window module stops the motor. Then I push the up button, and it goes back up, the nut moves back, and then hits the other block and stops again.

Was very simple to put together and works flawlessly.

Do you have any pictures of your setup for the screen? Than sounds like a neat setup. Automated too! Thanks for the idea.

[bevo77]

Alienjj777's idea is terrific using a nut on threaded pipe as a travel limiter. For those looking for a rigid pipe, why not use 1" cast iron pipe/conduit used for natural gas? It's a bit heavy but won't sag with the load of screen material. It can be cut to length and threaded (if you wanted to use the "nut limiter" method). I am looking at an old garage door opener that has a low voltage contact switch to adjust the up/down travel.

[darbronnoco]

I would love to see some more detail on that idea... also I wonder where you could find the parts dirt cheap. Maybe a junk yard. It's gonna get damn cold here soon... better hurry up!

[foamcows]

what about the poles for the garage door openers, they are all 1 inch.

[RaginRudolph]

Not only has this topic been discuss but an auto-matic screen border If I'm correct it was done by Sepultura if you go to the first page in this forum and scroll down you will see it he even has a video showing his border moving up and down ,there is also a simple drawing showing how it was created it was so simple I created one myself but I used a 120v motor it was cheap here's some pics.

I found this at the thrirt store and since it had the foward and reverse button on it I thioght it would be perfect .

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•  pic_of_shiatsu_machine.jpg (12.31K)
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•  pic_of_shiatsu_machine.jpg (12.31K)
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•  pic_of_three_position_switch.jpg (8.9K)
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This post has been edited by RaginRudolph: 08 November 2005 - 02:46 AM

[RaginRudolph]

IIt took me two machines to get it right after I srtip the first one and connected my pole directly to the motor shaft it didn't have enough tork to turn the ple so with the second machine I left all the gears connected and connected it to the pole off the gears and it work like a charm.

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•  cloe_up_of_motor_gears_connected_to_pole.jpg (11.66K)
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•  pic_of_motor_mounted_to_pole.jpg (10.63K)
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[RaginRudolph]

I used a 1inch wood pole that I pick up from Lowes I think the pole came in a 10ft lenth and I had to cut it down but it works great and doesn't sag at all,I followed Sepultura direction and just stapeled my fabric to the pole and used a 10ft piece of EMT conduit sleeved through the end part of the curtain to keep it straight Using rope attached to the wooden pole and the other end attached to a pole at the bottom of the screen that has a curtain on it make this a real simple project with no pulleys or belts .

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•  cloe_up_of_right_side_curtain_stapeled_to_pole.jpg (7.23K)
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•  close_up_of_rope_attach_to_bottom_pole.jpg (5.66K)
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•  close_up_of_rope_attach_to_bottom_pole.jpg (5.66K)
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[RaginRudolph]

mor pics

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•  Pic_of_screen_fully_open_showing_ropes.jpg (6.28K)
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•  Pic_of_screen_in_widescreen_format.jpg (5.43K)
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•  Pic_of_screen_wide_open.jpg (5.53K)
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[RaginRudolph]

Using a extention cord only thing I had to do was extend the 3 wires to the switch and I just mounted that to the side of my PJ so I don't have to get up to adjust it.

[darbronnoco]

I think I am going to order a powersupply for the motor from MPJA. It is only 12 bucks and it is a 12v 3.5A I am going to look at some old laptop power supplies tonight first though.

[Simtech]

I was driving down the alley the other day and found a motor used to aim the old 8 ft satellite dishes. It has a gear system on it and works off 120V. I took the gear system apart and found limit switches built into the housing. Awesome! It has seperate wires for each direction and has lots of torque to pull a screen up. i think you could find these in junkyards or your neighbor might even give you one if you dispose of his dish.

i am in the middle of attaching it to my Daylite roller. I just have the roller, not the screen. The roller is 3 inches in diameter and 8 feet wide and made of aluminum. I think the key to it not bending is the diameter. All these pro screens have large diameter rollers.

Will post pics if I get a chance.

[BD]

darbronnoco, on Nov 6 2005, 10:55 PM, said:

what is the diameter on those pipes and how much does that sucka weigh? I am leaning towards 1" coundit or 1" copper. With copper I could also buy the end caps and sweat them on. From some of the other fourms I have read I think I may try the velcro route for attaching the screen. Then I can remove it to change the screen size later if I really wanted to. I hope I will be getting my package with the motor tomorrow. Then I will post some detailed photos of that.

Actually on second thought I don't think it will work. Plenty strong (@2.5"dia), problem is pipe is octagon shaped with rounded corners. I wouldn't invest the time to construct only to find out it has creased the screen horizontally.

[darbronnoco]

Hey guys. I picked up a 1" copper pipe and 1/2" (I think) conduit for a weight. I choose the copper because it was fairly light and I could sweat on end caps that I could drill holes in. I also picked up a 3/8 inch rod SAMMY DSTR516 5/16 x 1 1/4 W/Nut 3/8-16 Rod Vert 3/16" Steel to attach the motor to the pipe. I am going to put the threaded end into the copper cap and thread the motor into the femal side of that adaptor. I am going to have to use some heavy duty thread lock so it doesn't loosen when I roll up and down the screen. I still need to find out how to wire up the motor to go up and down. I think I am going to leave out the limit switches for now. Making things easier.


Brad

Link to that part I was talking about: picture included there.
http://www.fastenal....il.ex?sku=61912