The BOSSECTOR
Most nub DIY projector.. ever.

Introduction:
Hey guys.. starting up a PLOG for I have begun building my very first projector.. after quite some time of pondering and contemplating on if I should grow the balls and make one, I went to home depot in a rush and bought some MDF board. The MDF is all cut to shape. I am building the plain ole' fugly box projector. But all that matters is the end result. I'm the type of guy who always likes to measure none, cut twice.. so this will be interesting.

I am using standard lens and fresnels, 400w MH, and a 15" LCD.

Will post pics soon, gotta get my camera charged up, I plan on this being a pretty good guide for nub nubs like myself. This log will hopefully help the people JUST LIKE ME, the ones who WANT to make one really bad, have the means of doing it... but never got a good way to start.
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Status Updates

04/12/2007_________

• Bought MDF, screws, hinges, etc $78
• Cut the MDF board to size
• Set it all up to get assembled
• Ordered Standard Lens and Fresnel set

04/13/2007_________

• Built the outer enclosure
  

Hi! Welcome! good luck! have fun!

Looking forward to seeing your build. My first build was an MDF dog coffin too .

I'm sure you already know that there is a ton of information here on the forums, just be sure to read the sticky topics and tools forum. Plogs can be a good place to get design ideas too.



btw. is that the "Buddy Jesus" in your avatar? dogma was a great movie



nope, no customer group for you! thats from when you had to pay to view the forums (I paid my $20, you can send your $20 to me )

Oh darn, it is for special people =)

Thanks for the welcome, I love this community. Been browsing it for a good half a year.. wanting to build a projector lol.


... and yes, that is buddy jesus. gotta love it.

Hey could someone help me find a good cheap 400w lamp, ballast "kit" online somewhere, google eats me alive. There has to be a really good place for that crap lol. Share the knowledge =)

NM

It ain't pretty, but it'll do. I will add holes for fans, lens and other shit later.

Waiting on either A] the lens and fresnels B] lamp and ballast C] something that requires a large MDF box

Natural Nubie had a ballast and bulb for sale....not sure if he still ahs it up.
P.S Dogma is great.

Okay, heat shield tempered glass... where to get it? what exactly is it? Does it help? Tinfoil hat time

From my understanding, a lot of people use xl10 lexan (the xl10 refers to a UV coating to prevent heat transfer). It's actually a plastic. You can get it at Home Depot in assorted sizes and then cut it with blade (over and over and over and over again until it's weak enough to crack). It's cheap too. I'm using it and.....well, my projector isn't running yet but I'm confident it will work fine.

It's used to shield the "goods" of your projector (the LCD, and fresnels) from UV light, which can be important with your 400w bulb cause you don't want to melt your LCD screen. I'm only using a 150w bulb, so people told me I probably won't even need it, but, well, I did it anyway.

PSH I use the good old Nothing. my 17" Panel ran for hundreds of hours fine w/out it, just have really good cooling =D

Oh man, I am the master at cooling... my computer runs like a fridge. Hopefully I can keep the temps down on this sucker too. Bought some bulk fans from electronic goldmine, also a cheap little air pump (out of total curiosity) hell, maybe it'll work, if not, it's a cool $5 gadget.

I'm probably going to go to home depot today to pickup some of that lexan.

ebay item

Will that work with.. oh, idunno... any of these???:

LCD 1 - QUANTA Display QD141X1LH01


LCD 2 - LG LP150X2 (A2DL) XGA


LCD 3 - Chunghwa CLAA150XH01


And, would something like this do the job?:

eBay Link: TFT LVDS Controller

Email the seller and ask. The chances that it'll work with one is pretty good.

Tgreenwood

Good news for you i found someone on this site who used that controller and it worked GREAT! Heres a link to there plog soo you can look at the controller or what ever i will be ordering one as well now that i know they work pretty well. Controller in Plog

EDIT: Oh yeah almost forgot almost all LCD's work with that im pretty sure he just needs to know what LCD you have so he can send you and FFC that fits your lcd

Wow, you don't know how much better that makes me feel... since about 2 hours before you guys sent a response: I purchased it lol... I'm way too impatient.

More status update:

• bought the lexan
• got some hinges
• installed the top of the box

I'm almost postive there is a way to put the hinges on the inside... but ya, I'm not a carpenter.

Can't wait to see this thing in person. Looks good.

• Bought ballast kit (where I got it: $57 shipped)
• Bought 400w Lamp (LumenLab)
• Bought the controller (eBay)
• Bought Lexan (home depot)
• Sanded down the damn box
• FFC extension thingy bought (LumenLab)
• ummm

I can almost see it being projected

OOOoooo lexan... ooooooo

2 days down, the wrath of the pile o' trash has begun!

Not bad. $280.16... so far. lol

Working on the focusing assembly.. this is a little sketch of my plans:



Have the markings on the wood, going to go cut it now

...

it's now cut....

putin' it all together:



... waiting for glue to dry...

you should download goodle sketchup it makes drawings soo much and i can even do it and i have never used any of those cad program befor.

heh good build ,watching it , One thing to note ,i am no expert but the sliding mech for focus you need to watchout for the lite escaping through sides ,.I was going to do something like that then was trying to figure out the lite going out of sides and everywhere,. the one I currently am using for my focus box has vinly wrapped and stapled to the focus box and blocks the lite to the sides... good luck looks good.. were watching..........

Cat is in envy of my PJ.

Cut the lexan: PAIN IN THE ASS WITH A KNIFE (well, for me it was)

Lookin good Boss, you are well on your way. And the cat just may be thinking of the hundreds of ways he could devour you to cut out the middle man to the food supply.

Just stopping by your plog and leaving something, I couldn't resist.


Hope no one gets offended!

lol, love it!

These below are avatars I have created for other forums:





I love buddy jesus.... animated jesus' are sometimes too edgy for people, so I stuck with what works for this forum

I just got my package from LumenLab today, I am very pleased with their packaging and the lens is a very quality product... I have one question about the bulb though: Normal? Not normal? Something I need to do? Looks like someone got shot inside my bulb!

That stuff fill burn out. Don't sweat it.

It seems many people wonder about that, I did too when I first got my bulb. That stuff will all vaporize and deposit on the lowest area of the chamber.

Also, I am very confused, my bulb looks quite different from that, and I wouldn't mind, except my arc looks like it is much longer than the bulb in your picture, and I am concerned because I'm using a standard triplet, and the light leakage is quite bad.

Let there be light? Burn in.. unmounted.

It's midnight.. what do they neighbors care?!

Hey guys, I need some recommendations on ways of holding in place my LCD and fresnels... I've seen quite a few builds with a rode holding some hanging clips that hang the fresnels in place. I have some "hobby board" that I have cut to my PJ box size, and I have it all ready to be framed... but I am curious of which solution is the best. Thanks guys.

Mounted, wiring needs some flashing n shit.


Front of lens thingy:

Back of lens thingy:


Here is my plan for a frame: two identical pieces of board.. Idunno

Got everything that I need to complete it... just one problem.

I hooked up my LCD and I guess I killed it, so I bought another panel on eBay. I am awaiting it right now.

In the meantime I have begun wiring up the cooling system

Please

Don't be offended by this ,,,,,,,

Buttttt everytime I see your avatar I get this picture of you looking like George Carlin.....LOL

Ya, now that you mention it.. I can see the resemblance!

Holy tamollee !!!!

That is almost a deadringer pic of you two. LOL I hope that is not out of the family album.

Ummm, Lets hope you are "NOT" using rubber cement on your PJ ROFLMAO