already had a box about the right size so im going to try and use that insead of making my own..

parts im going to use to start.....and upgrade later...

400W metal halide ballast (got from local hydroponics store) its huge but at least its external with a 10' cord to the light.
philips 400W mongul type metal halide bulb
dual Frensel (from my old OHP
stripped nview z115 LCD projection panel
optics for now are going to be from the OHP as well
going to install a 120V fan

things i still need:
tempered glass
Lexan or other something else for UV protection
triplet lens

here is the first pic with the bulb installed

ANY INPUT EITHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IS APPRECIATED....THANKS

another view...for some reason the bulb does not seem level...but the mongul base is...i guess the bulb is the problem...

here is a pic of my massive ballast...thing is really heavy too..but it was cheaper then getting something from the States and paying loads in shipping and customs....oh well its quiet and can be tucked away somewhere..its got a 10' cord between the mongul and unit...

make sure to line the rear with alumn flashing.

i was going to find a bowl to use as a reflector

get a norpro from lighting unlimited

<link removed by OKflyboy - Sorry, but links to that site are not allowed. Thanks!>

what is the ring or the norpro bowl?

Hey, its nice to see that you are using the same box as me from Ikea. Let me know how yours works out...I am concerned that there might not be enough room width wise for the lenses...i am debating on how to frame them..since there really isnt any space to do so. Let me know what you come up with. As for the ring with the bowl, since the bowl is completly round the ring is just a base for the bowl to sit on...its not needed, but could use it to help mount the bowl to the box. one other note, if you need a focusing mechanism, check out my thread in the project gallery, cnorths projector...here is the link, http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1208
there is a cool box that IKEA sells for $2.99 usd.

Good luck

hey cnorth5863


well i tested the box out with my old light source..a 600W halogen that i stripped out of my projector..knowing it would not be strong enough...from what i tested with my dual frnesel i need to extend the box a few inches not much...so that planter box you found could be a solution...just need to cut out that thinner part of the front..and extend it with the box...should be fine..and that way you can make it movable for focusing

Hello,

I am looking for a substitute of tempered glas.

Why not use lexan only, in stead of the combination with tempered glas.

Is can handle the heat, it is strong, the uv and it isolated, it is lighter, easier to handle (it is plastic). You can cut it in to the size you want. And it is cheaper.

Or are there drawbachks that I don't know of?????????

Bram182

From: http://www.columbiaequipment.com/shelters.html



From: http://www.pilotshopworld.com/plotters.html



From: http://www.k-mac-plastics.net/polycarbonate-lexan-mr5.htm

Thanks for the quick respons.

Is this a positive advice, mmmmm.

In Holland lexan cost 18 euro (22$) for 50cm by 50 cm for 3mm thickness (or 50cm by 1m i am not sure). And you can cut it yourself and It filters uv.

Did I mention you can cut it yourself. You cannot do that with tempered glas. So you won't have to order it specially.

I know that some acrylic plastics expand and contract up to 8x as much as glass. It may cause problems if you mount it rigidly in you box. Just a thought... I do not know the specifics of Lexan. I assume the expansion and contraction rate compared to tempered glass would be a lot different...

Well, I may not know a lot about projectors, yet, but I do know lexan doesn't expand or shrink much. It's the same material used in bullettproof windows (admittedly at 1" thicknesses). When you want it rigidly coupled to a vehicle frame, having it swell on a hot sunny day would be a bad thing. Falling out in the dead of winter would be even worse.