I Built a Box!!

Let me start by saying I didn't build it cos I have a mate that is handy with a Mig Welder.


This is the start for my project this year. The goal is to achieve video projection on the house.
The paint is still drying on this one so it's still in pieces.
View media item 639View media item 638View media item 636One thing I have learnt while playing with video projection is that if the projector moves any direction by a couple of millimeters it can throw the whole effect off by 50mm.

I have started this project by first designing a strong box to house the projector in that is Weather proof,removable and secure.
This box started it’s life as a double battery box for 2 large truck batteries.
We measured the projector and cut the box down to size and re-welded the end back on.
Then we cut down the lid to a length that it would overhang the front slightly.
Installed some air vents and locks and painted it up.
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The bottom of the box is where the main pole will bolt onto, It will be bolted with 2 bolts.
the first bolt is a pivot bolt and the second bolt fits into an arced slot on the base of the box to allow adjustment of the box on the X axis if required.
The “T” bolt is to adjust Y axis of the projector.
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The Projector will sit on a shelf inside the box, The front of the shelf is hinged and the rear of the shelf is supported by the “T” bolt adjustment.
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The lid is fitted with a sticky backed sealing foam strap.
View media item 637Over the next week I will be permanently installing the base bracket into the front garden ready for the pole to be attached to it.
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then I can start mapping out the outlines of the house where I want the projections.

Wow! Very nice!

I need a friend like your mate ...

Nice box Steve.
I hope that you'll be adding fan forced ventillation in there as I'd say that things will get fairly hot pretty quick.
What are you going to do for a "glass" for the projector output?

Yes there will be some fans sucking air in also under the front lip of the overhang is a 1 inch gap for the heat to escape.

I will go to a picture framer and grab a piece of thin glass for the hole in the front

Very cool Steve. If you get it up and running would you consider bringing some projection stuff to the Sydney mini so we can have a look at the basics of how projection goes together.

Yes, I am already planning a basic intro into projection at the Sydney and Brisbane mini's

That is most excellent!!

I love the box but I am a little worried about the flat surfaces against each other for water ingress. If you run a sprinkler in front of it or get a good storm it will get water in there.

Might pay to try put a lip on the inside of the base similar to this

So what type of projector do you plan on using and are you only planning on using 1, because just using 1 will create shadows and im also wondering how bright this will be depending on the projector you use.

I am using a just 1 Benq W770st short throw projector. it is capable of projecting across my whole house within my front yard.
I do expect to get some shadowing in parts but this is not a great issue and can be corrected with masking in the video software. I wasn't going to pay $20,000 dollars for a more suitable projector
The projector is 2500Lumens and I have tested it and will be quiet happy with the result. I chose a short throw projector as my home theater model would of needed to be placed across the road about 15m away and wasn't very bright.
The BenqQ will project a 100" screen size at 1.5m from the screen.

What kind of video software do you use for the projection mapping?

steve, what are the plugs for at the front of your box?

The box had s previous life on a truck as a battery box so they are just holes filled with blank rubber grommets.

Cool!

The latest news, we have found a box, an old disused meter box + a support structure ... I knew the stables housed some interesting 'stuff' ... but did I know what ... lol

Superman said:

Yes there will be some fans sucking air in also under the front lip of the overhang is a 1 inch gap for the heat to escape.

I will go to a picture framer and grab a piece of thin glass for the hole in the front

Click to expand...

you would do well to find a piece of AR coated glass. You can lose up to 4% of the light output per surface (if I remember right) with regular glass. (two surfaces, in then out = 8%) AR should knock that down quite a bit.. unless you can stand 10% loss, then I wouldn't worry about it. (1-2% is absorbed by the glass if I remember correctly).