DIY Overhead Projector
- 1). Measure the distance between the wall on which you will be hanging your projector screen and the back wall of the room. Check your projector's manual for a throw-range guide to help you determine what sizes of screen your projector can project within that distance.
- 2). Pick a workable screen size based on your findings, and write down the distance from projector to screen.
- 3). Find the two ceiling joists on either side of where the center of the projector screen will be, mark their locations with a pencil and follow the joists to the wall. Mark them there, too, then find two wall studs with space between them overlapping the space between the ceiling joists, and mark them.
- 4). Measure your projector's "lens offset," the horizontal distance between the center of the lens and the center of the projector, and the distance from the front to the center of the projector. These measurements are often included in a projector's specifications.
- 5). Turn off the power to any outlets or lights in the room in which you are installing the projector. Leaving the power on could result in a severe electric shock.
- 6). Cut a small hole in the wall about 3 inches from the ceiling between the two studs with the knife and check for any wiring behind the area you will be cutting into. Do the same with the ceiling.
- 7). Cut holes in your ceiling and wall about 3 inches from where they meet, where the spaces between them overlap. (You can just enlarge the hole in the wall you cut in the previous step.) The holes should be wide enough to fit a hand into. Cut another hole in the wall where the cables will exit to connect to your home theater components. Cut one more hole directly above where the center of the projector mount will be: the projector-to-screen distance, plus the distance from the front to the center of the projector, and offset to one side to account for lens offset.
- 8). Drill a hole in the stud running along the top of the wall frame. Run the fish tape down toward the bottom hole in the wall, attach it to the cable and pull the cable up with the fish tape. Run the end of the cable through the hole you drilled. Then run the fish tape from the hole near the mount to the hole near the wall, connect the cable and drag the cable out through the projector hole. Repeat this step for any other cables you need to run.
- 9). Cut or buy a sheet of MDF particle board long enough to span two joists, and wide enough to attach the mount. Place it against the joists, and mark where the screen's center is, then cut a hole where mount's center will be, using the offset measurements from step 3. Feed the cables you ran through this hole, then firmly screw the MDF to the ceiling joists.
- 10
Fasten the ceiling mount to the MDF using the electric screwdriver, feeding the cables through the mount, if there is space for it, then attach the projector to the mount, using the short-handled screwdriver. Make sure the face of the projector is exactly parallel with the wall. Each mount works somewhat differently, but every projector should have four holes on its bottom side for mounting. Consult the mount's and projector's manuals for detailed mounting instructions. - 11
Connect the projector to a video source, project a bright image onto the wall, and mark the edges of the image. Use these marks as a guide when mounting your screen, making sure the edges of the screen match the edges of the image. Consult the projection screen manual for mounting instructions specific to your screen. Once the screen is mounted, your overhead projector setup is ready to use.
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