Help/Advice With BW Screen!

[staindrocks]

Ok, so i just recently found a really good deal on a BenQ W5000 and went ahead and ordered it. It's supposed to arrive by the end of the week. I decided that my family room wouldn't do, so i started construction on a new HT room. I've just completed construction to the point where i'm ready to start painting the room, as well as the screen(on wall). The rooms dimensions are 20' x 9'3", and it will be a completely light controlled dedicated HT. I'd like to have a 110" Black Widow 16x9 screen. I was thinking of painting the entire room in flat black. But now i'm thinking about maybe painting the side walls and ceiling in flat black, and then paint the front projection wall and back wall in a medium to dark gray. The main reason for this change would be to give the room a little contrast/life, and also to give the screens black framing more of a pop when the lights are on. Will this hinder the performance of the projectors picture quality in any way? I've also been reading up a good bit on the Black Widow DIY screen, and i'm fascinated by it. I've already ordered and received the AAA-F(16oz, just in case), and just need to get over to Lowes to get the Kilz2 and Bermuda Beige. I've read, multiple times, that it's best to see the projector with a white screen(Kilz2) first, to calibrate it and see what i can do on a white screen. But here's the thing, i'm very impatient. And i've borrowed my brothers sprayer for all the painting, but he told me that there's quite a bit of over-spray. So i'm thinking that i need to spray my screen first, then completely cover it up, and then paint the walls/ceiling of my room. I'm thinking that it would be easier to cover the painted screen then it would be to cover the entire front half of the room(walls and ceiling). Since that's the case, i'd like to go ahead and start painting the screen, so i can then paint the rest of the room and get the carpet and furniture in the room. I'd ideally like to have the room as close to finished as possible by the time my projector gets here, so all i'd have to do is mount the projector and enjoy. If i wait until i get my projector before i start painting, then it'll be at least a few more weeks before i can enjoy my new toy! So here's my question...do any of you have the BenQ W5000 or a projector with similar specs, who have done a BW screen with it. Or could you guys tell me whether or not the BenQ W5000 would benefit from the BW screen in my setup. I know it can somewhat depend on the person, and what that person considers important/not important when talking about PQ. But i can tell you that, for me...i like an image that really POPS, with great contrast and 3-dimensionality, vivid colors and deep blacks...that's the best i can describe what i'm looking for in image quality. So, i'd love to here from some of the experts! Any suggestions, advice, and/or answers would be greatly appreciated!

[mechman]

Christopher,

With BW, painting the walls flat black isn't really a necessity. You could go with a lighter color if you wish. The purpose of flat black on the walls/ceilings around the screen was to absorb the reflected light from the screen so that it doesn't reflect back in a negative way and wash out the screen. Maybe do the mid to dark gray on all of the walls.

The Benq has more than enough lumens for BW - 14fL for a 110" screen with the pj mounted 16' back. If you move the pj 6 inches closer you can bump this up to 15fL.

Your brother must have borrowed you a conventional spray gun for a compressor. I'm unaware if anyone has ever tried it with a conventional spray gun. I don't think there will be any problems though.

As for the painting of the screen before the rest of the room, the only thing I can recommend is that you wait for the screen to fully dry/cure before taping it off. That way you run less of a risk of peeling off paint with the masking tape.

But i can tell you that, for me...i like an image that really POPS, with great contrast and 3-dimensionality, vivid colors and deep blacks...that's the best i can describe what i'm looking for in image quality.

There's absolutely no reason you wouldn't like it then.

Sorry for the delayed response. And welcome to the Shack!

[Harpmaker]

It would really help to know the make and model of the sprayer you are going to use. Is it air powered (needs a separate air compressor) or electric?

While I have never tried it, I would think that shooting latex paint through a standard conventional spray gun would be a nightmare - if it is even doable. They are designed for spraying very thin liquids.

I strongly recommend renting or buying an HVLP gun. We know they work well with latex paint and they don't have a lot of overspray.

[mechman]

Harpmaker wrote:

It would really help to know the make and model of the sprayer you are going to use. Is it air powered (needs a separate air compressor) or electric?

Excellent point Harp. I assumed it was a compressor model when more than likely it'd be something more along the lines of an electric Wagner. I think an electric Wagner would work fine. But there would be a lot of over spray.

[custard]

sorry to hijack the thread but can you guys elaborate on the problems with using an electrically powered hvlp gun? as i am looking at buying one in the near future.

something like this:

[Harpmaker]

Custy, in the States we call that type of sprayer a "Turbine HVLP" and it is different than the electric Wagner guns. Turbine guns work in a similar way to compressor-based guns, the difference is that instead of the gun being hooked to an air compressor by a thin hose it is attached to a high speed fan (the turbine) by a large diameter hose. This works because of what HVLP stands for (High Volume Low Pressure).

While I have never used a turbine model sprayer, my understanding is they work just fine. The only "problem" I have heard is that after awhile the air coming out of the turbine fan gets a bit warm. I don't see this as hurting latex paint at all, it could even be a good thing.

[staindrocks]

Hey guys, thanks for the response. I was wondering about that very question, of whether i can paint the screen with the kind of spray gun i have. I do know that my brother used it to paint every room of his house that he just built, and he said that it's extremely powerful and with a lot of over-spray(he said to be prepared for the paint "cloud"). The owners manual actually says to be careful not to spray yourself with it, because it's powerful enough to inject the paint underneath your skin.

Here's the make/model:
SprayTech "Apex Series" Model 1420 - Piston Pump Paint Sprayer

And yes, it is electric. I've already gone way over budget on my HT project, so i was hoping to not have to buy a new sprayer(especially since this is the only thing i'll ever use it for). I'm afraid of rolling it because i've never painted anything in my life(although, the same is true for spraying), and i'm concerned that i'll leave roller marks or bubbles/bright spots. I just figured that spraying would be easier for a beginner, but i could be wrong about that, also. Mechman, my thinking about going with flat black(particularly on the side walls), is because i'm concerned about the width of my screen(96") being so close to the walls since my room is only 111" wide. You don't think i have to worry about any light reflecting off the walls and washing out my picture? I actually wanted to go 120", but that puts the screen width out to 105", which would only leave me 3" between each side of the screen and the wall. And just to let you know, my main goal is to have the best image i can possibly have, no matter what needs to be sacrificed. So basically, i want the room to look as nice as possible, but not to the extent where i have to compromise the picture quality. So any advice and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I did just do a search on the make/model of my spray gun, and it does say it can spray latex paints. Here's a short copy and paste:

Made For:
Homeowners
Serious DIYer's
Part-time Contractors
Property Managers


Spray Materials:
All Latex Paints
All Oil-Based paints
Lacquers
Stains
Sealers

The SprayTech 1420 is for handymen or serious DIYer's who require spraying capacity and performance. This unit compares to the Titan XT250 and the Wagner 9140. This is the new style version of the SprayTech Apex series with a more ergonomic handle and more rugged feel.

[Harpmaker]

I just did a search and found this - http://toolsmartusa.com/wagner-spraytech-1420-airless-paint-sprayer-factory-reconditi1420.html

It seems SprayTech may be a sub-brand of Wagner.

If this is the sprayer you have Christopher, I have serious doubts about it being suitable for painting a screen. Room walls, yes, but for a screen I think you will need more control than this will give you. It would also waste a LOT of paint due to overspray and bounce-back (that "paint cloud").

This sprayer has a tube that fits directly into a 1 or 5 gallon paint can. I don't think it would work will with quarts.



And yes, this sprayer is dangerous! If you get a body part in the way of the spray anywhere near the spraying tip paint will be injected INTO that body part!

I know you are wanting, or needing, to save money Christopher, but if this is the sprayer you have it may be like trying to crack peanut shells with a 20 pound sledge hammer. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it will take practice and finesse.

Perhaps I'm overestimating the power of this sprayer, but the specs say it operates at 2800 PSI and will spray a gallon of paint in 4 minutes.

[robert_1967]

I cant help my self but just do the Mr Bean trick. A large bucket of paint some serous fire cracker...BOOOM..all done

Seriously though, all this trouble you are going through to purchase a sprayer etc....I belive you will get more "bang for the money" by paying a pro with pro equipment to do it for you.

Unless you plan to manufacture several screens that is...

[Harpmaker]

robert_1967 wrote:

Seriously though, all this trouble you are going through to purchase a sprayer etc....I belive you will get more "bang for the money" by paying a pro with pro equipment to do it for you.

Unless you plan to manufacture several screens that is...

Not in the US. It's way cheaper to paint yourself, even if you have to buy a spray gun to do the job.