I bought all the parts in February and got started with the box.
I have no tools to cut the wood so asked the good guy at Lowes to cut the sheet of ply, which I marked out in the store with a 'T' square, tape measure and a pencil off the shelves.
I had to align each line accurately with the saw operator, to ensure that the corners were square.
I screwed it together when I got home, I didn't have the nerve to assemble it with their tools in the store, but think I could have got away with it if I tried! LOL

Once you've taken that first step, it's all downhill from there...

... well, not really, but it's a start.

Have you given any thought as to how you'll cut holes for the triplet lens / fans / etc? A couple of simple tools might really help.

Congrats on getting started!

lol i should do the same thing

I have drills and a jig saw

I was on Business in Wales, UK and noticed an Ikea store, so I took the time to purchase some Soare Napkin rigs. Had to explain them to airport security who wanted to know what they were when scanned. It justs adds to the fun of airplane travel.

Back in the us, I bought my focus box, I cant make one as cheaply as this one.

I thought that two evercools would be quieter if run at half speed, but didnt expect them to be blue. Not to worry they can be painted black later.

After stripping the monitor and cutting the metal surround, the screen was glued into the frame. This gave me some holes to screw it to wood.

Using a jig saw and a file the focus box and adjuster was fitted

hey bambam did u get my pm?

no seeso, but I dont know where to look if i have?

go to the top of the page and look for somthing that says My Controls then i the left side u have a big list of stuff to look at go the the one that says inbox and look there
o and nice screen

Thanks, got it and replied.

Good start. Welcome on board. This is the best project and tons of fun. Get stuck, come here and you will get help. I gare-un-tee it!!

Thanks, Bluto, I've read yours and just about every one elses Plogs. That's what gave me the confidence to shell out $600 on something that I know nothing about.

while building the procetor we also started to develop the media room.
It was a mess to start with

and this is the other end of the room !

wow big mess but i looks like it will be one kick ass room when done

This is what the room looks like with sheet rock fitted

The other end of the room, only flooring and paint required

Back to the 'box'. Focus adjustment details

Like it,looks nice.
Good focus mech design.
And your "theater" will be niiiiiiice!

Is that a deodorant bottle?! haha... thats great!

Simple... Cheap... I think thats freakin great!

I like your theater area! Wish I had one....

bambam where did you pick up the drawer slide? Did you get it at a Lowes/Home Depot/Menards? I love that design for the focusing box and would love to give it a go, but was wondering where to find that short of a drawer slide.

Thanks Pun15her

You guessed it, as you say it is free and only cost $1.50 if you don't use the stuff, lol.
I was looking for a coarse thread to adjust the box with out turning a nut 100 times to move it 1 inch, deodorant screw to the rescue, with a bit of adapting using a Stanley knife.
I will be painting it enamel black.
It works like magic.

Hey, thats what its all about! Who would have guessed that colonders and napkin rings could make good reflectors? Im making my light box container out of computer cases. Its just all really good fun!

Cheers!

The drawer slide is from Lowes I think, it could have been Home Depot, they have similar.
It was a full length rail that I cut to size.
It needs a bit of thought to get the length right but when fitted it supports the weight of the triplet realy well.

A close up view of screw adjustment thread

Details of drawer slide

The LCD was mounted with screws to 1/4 inch wooden strips, equally spaced to fit the inside dimension of the box.
The Fresnel slides in a Home Depot screen channel about $4 per 12 foot (if my memory serves me well)

Screws used to act as stops in the slide for the fesnel

LCD sledge fitted

Every thing fitted except keystone adjuster

wuts that gray box in the back is it the 12 v power?

and what is pluged in to the plug box? im thinking the balest lcd fan right?

o by the way lookin good

Ok from left to right, The blue box is a houshold electrical recepticle with a 12v transformer, needed to run the two evercool fans. This goes 'live' as soon as the box is switched on.
To the right of the transformer is an indoor outdoor thermometer, the probe is set at the bottom of the LCD to indicate the air temperature at the hottest point. It is hooked up on screw for storage, when the box is on I lift it out and place it where I can see the readout. I will probably stop looking at it as I get the confidence in the cooling of the box. have run it for 5 hours at a time , kids playing X-box.
Wedged on top of the front Fresnel is a white piece of card, this is used to maintain the keystone position, no adjuster made yet.
To the right of the LCD the grey box is the good old atick fan thermostat set at about 75f, this brings the fans on after about 10 minutes and kepps them running for 15 minutes after the bulb is switched off.
On the nearside on the rigt under some alluminium, is the ballast and on the left you can just see the top of a Walmart digital roasting thermostat, again I just store it there and use it to check airlfow temperatures while projecting.
You cant see it but to the very far left is the LCD transformer that is plugged into the 110v recepticle.

The indoor outdoor thermometer probe is fitted at the bottom of the LCD where incomming air is at its hottest. The probe is white and about 3/4 inch long. You can just see it through the fresnel.
The round disc is a 100f thermocouple that shuts the live feed to the e-ballast if it gets too hot then contacts again at 85f, this makes it wife and child proof.

This is the indoor outdoor thermometer bought in Amsterdam while on Business, ccost about 3.5 euros thats about $5 couldn't resist it.

this is a view from the top

Back to the media room, the floors now fitted and painting started.

The other end of the room being painted

Room painted and screen marked out

The other end of the room finished

Kids infront of the screen, surround sound not connected up. Temporary amp is being used for test run

Screen painted, still requires framing, and a bulb in left hand lamp

very nice room im liking the floor!

can u tell us more about the 100f thermocouple and atick fan thermostat

The attic fan thermostat is available at Lowes for about $12.
I have it set at about 75F, which means that I only press one on button, which powers up the Ballast, 12volt transformer for the fans and the LCD transformer.
When the light comes on and warms the light box area to above 75F the thermostat closes and the fans start, about 5 minutes after switching on.
The beauty of wiring the system this way is that when the main switch is switched off, the one on off switch is pressed and the power to the ballast is cut and the light goes off but the fans continue to run until the temperature in the light box gets down to 75F again, at which time the fans go off. The fresnels and the LCD are protected and wont melt down due to latent heat from within the box and the lamp itself which takes time to cool.
The 100f thermocouple is also wired into the live feed to the ballast. This means that if the air temperature at the bottom of the LCD, the hottest point of the LCD, ever reaches 100F+, then the thermocouple opens and the light will switch itself off, while leaving the fans running, this again will prevent a melt down. if the fans go off.
It would be very visual if this happens because you won't be able to continue watching the movie and evasive action will be needed, ie. the lid would have to be opened to let the heat out.
These thermocouples are available at Hoffman industries for less than $1 each, try this link,
http://hoffind.com/thermal.htm
unfortunately the shipping is about $5, so it makes sense to order 2 or 3, then you will have some spares.
The benefit of wiring the box in this way is that when the children or wife use the PJ they cannot forget to turn on the fans and it will cool itself after use.

Fool proof, famous last words !!!

lol

thanks VERY much im going to get one of those thermocouples right now as i type:)
wich one is the one that u got the is alot of them lol

im thinking by this stage of the pics u posted ur done with every thing?

Wow... awesome room. Can't wait to see your projector results... you're gonna have one heck of a home theater!