<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>AND SO IT BEGINS</span>

I joined Lumenlab Febuary 6th and have been reading the forms every chance I get. "Wow lots of cool advice"
All the parts I've orderd have come in except, the temperd glass (should arrive somtime this week.) Thanks Brainchild for the prompt shippment of the lenzes. After reading the forms I decided not to open the fresnels untill I am ready to use them.
I began by sawing out the box and stripping the LCD panel. I decided to use the LTM1555X S it stripped like a dream. I got the LCD for $399.00 refurbished.
I fabed frames for my lenzes and LCD from 3/4" oak and will sandwich the lenzes between 2 pieces of plate glass. I've made the lenz frames so they can be easly removed for cleaning.
I'm posting pics of my progress so far. I'll keep you updated as I go.

SACK
Click to view attachment

Good looking box there -what material are using or is it just a painted MDF? It's hard to tell from the pictures.

LCD Stripped with glass

I didn't remove the LCD from the metal frame it came in I just used high temp silicone in a few spots to hold the LCD in place and then I siliconed the plate glass over it

Thanks
The material I'm using is called Melamime. Basicly it's partical board with
a thin smooth white coating on both sides. You can find it at Menards for around $20.00 per sheet. and you need a good table saw with a finishing cut carbide blade to cut it as it chips easly.

Fresnel and LCD Frames

lookin good

How will the melamine do in the heat? You say that it is on both sides of the particle board? What is the advantage of using this material?

Hey Kjudki

I wired up the lamp and ballast last night and ran it about an hour with no fan, flashing or lenzes (just as a lamp test) and it didn't seem to hurt it a bit.
Melamime has a very finished surface that requires no sanding. a light scuff job and it's ready to prime and paint or, if your very carful when you cut it it needs no further finishing. Basicly it's the same thing as the cheep finished white shelf boards you buy at any home improvement store.

Hope this helps
SACK

Lighting Layout

A shot of the basic lamp and ballast layout. I machined out a base
for the lamp base and cut slots for the mounting screws to allow
for adjustment front to back.

Basic Layout (Top)

A shot of the basic layout from above.

Cooling Solution

It is looking good. Just a couple of questions though. Where will the fan be located? Does the air flow past your ballast? Is there an opening in that sheet metal work for the air to flow through? Is the forward corner of the metal work out of the light path? I assume that you'll add flashing to the floor and lid, above and below the lamp.

You have probably already considered these concerns. I just can't tell from your photos.

An incomplete projector that looks incredible already! Ah the joy of being a skilled metal worker!

Love the metal work.

Great Sadness

Some how over the long weekend my box ended up on the floor. No one from the shop seems to know how this could have happened. Never the less the damage was done. Fortunetly I had removed all the lenzes and LCD..The Ballast and lamp
were in but, still work.
Quote from Marvin Martian "delays delays delays"

SACK4000

Yikes.. I feared that would of happened to mine the other day when it was on sawhorses.

Gonna patch it up or build another 3 sides?

Back on track

I managed to repair the damage enough to keep going it doesn't look the greatest but, it's good enough for now. I may saw out a new box or use a little autobody filler and paint it.
Here's another shot from the top.

SACK4000

man glad you were able to repair it, where do you keep it located at?

Build a barb-wire cage around it with Rottweiler dogs...

Box is damaged SACK but I would suggest Moose's design HERE (about 3/4 of the page down) If you didn't plan on moving it around in the room very often...

Either way with your wood working skills, which I gathered from the Fresnel lens frames you built, why not build a nice coffee table then place the projector inside?

This way you wouldn't have to worry about the "accidental" dropping of your box showing.

ScOrPiOn

Moose's system totaly rocks. However I have to mount mine from the celing in my basement because I have little ones. But, I want to drive it mostly with my computer and Moose's design would make that much easyer I wouldn't have to
route all those cables across the celing. I was planning on using panduit up the wall and across to my projector but that looks tacky.

SACK4000

joe2000chevy

Don't forget the lazer guided machine guns LOL.

SACK4000

Wholly molly.. how thick are those walls? The picture makes them look like they are like 1.5" thick!

A suggestion to future builders, don't use particle board, it is easily destroyed. MDF has a little more flex to it.


I am glad you were able to salvage it Sack, looks like it will be awesome!

3/4" with a 45 degree cuts

SACK4000

Actualy this box fell 3' to a cement floor landing square on it's corner.
I didn't have a chance to glue it and it only hade 3 screws holding it on
each side.
Considering all that and the fact that the ballast was mounted in that corner
I was suprised how little damage was done.
However I must admit melamime is very dificult to work with (chips easily).

SACK4000

Nice to be back

Hello Lumenlab!
I've been away for awhile, since like June. But, I'm back now.
Over the Summer I did manage to nearly complete my projector
and I can't tell you how cool this thing is.
Here are a few more pics of the building process.
I painted the front flat black.

SACK4000

Mounting the inputs

I decided to mount the inputs on the bottom because it will eventualy hang from the ceiling in my basement/home theator.

SACK4000

I removed the plastic box from the transformer and wired the AC inputs directly

I cut out a housing to inclose the electronics.

This thing has more inputs than you can shake a stick at!
Why would anybody whant to do that????

Sorry about the lousy photography

Getting Closer

Here's a shot of the inside.

SACK4000

It's alive

I finaly got it assembled, held my breath and pushed the button

Brainchild "I LOVE YOU"

But, not in that way!

SACK4000

Another Shot

Front Shot

looks great!
it's nice to have you back with us and sharing your PJ.

any idea on when your gonna have some projector test shots?

WOW, that looks great! cant wait for some screen shots.

Welcome back sack, groovy box. If you have dark corners it's due to that small pipe around your pj lens.

Thanks ,

Thanks Dr Bev and Tescorp,

I hope to post some screen shots soon. My digital camera isn't good enough to use in low light so, I hope to shoot some 35mm pics and scan them in.
I've been using it for about 2 weeks now and I have no words to describe how great the picture is. I'm running the whole system off of my home built PC. The PC is a P4,2.8 gig on an ASUS P4P800 mobo, 512 meg Corsair Ram, MSI FX 5600 vid card, Creative Audigy sound and Power DVD. This is a shot of the PC before it was finished.

I can't thank Brian and everyone at the fourm enough, this thing rocks.

SACK4000

Brian,

No dark edges However, I do have a distortion in the center of the projected image. Seems to be caused by one or both of the fresnel lenzes. Everything in the box is framed and moveable, so I've spent quite a bit of time adjusting the lenzes, bulb, reflector ect. to no avail. any ideas? When I post some images you may be able to see it.
Other than that tiny prob. the picture (aprox 11' diagnal) is crystal clear and bright
Once again thanks "You are the man!"

SACK4000

Finding Nemo

Well after trying several different digital cameras with no luck. I dug out my old 35 mm and took theis shots and scanned them in. The pictures don't begin to capture the quality of the actual projection. Sorry photography isn't my thing. You'll just have to trust me.

SACK4000

Another

My favorite shot

I'm starting to get the hang of taking Pictures in the dark.

Mounted

I got a chance to work on mounting it to my basement ceiling last night.
I fabed the mount in my shop and anchored it to the ceiling joists with 1/4" X 3" lag bolts. befor that it was sitting on a shop cart behind my couch.

SACK4000

excellent setup Sack.

i like how you mounted your PJ to the ceiling. beats my chain setup! lol!

nice

I also like the mounting on the ceiling. Are you going to leave it white? I was planinng on mounting mine, but now that I think about it, it seems the ceiling is a ll low for me to mount, ppl will prolly walk into all the time. I seems ppl talk about building their projector into a coffee table. I may just hide mine under it hehe.

Nice ceiling mounting setup sack4000, good job.

Are you balancing the key stoning on your screen and projector? or only on projector?

Man, beautiful mounting job.

Skanmyth

Only on the projector. So far it's only projected on my basement wall. I'm working on building a screen but, I can't find blackout cloth taller than 54".

SACK4000

Wheel / Keyboard

I fabed up a mount for my Microsoft steering wheel and keyboard last weekend.
NASCAR 2004 totaly rocks when it's life sized. I can now do 200 MPH and never leave my couch.

SACK4000