Making a homemade projector at home

Making a projector with your own hands is much easier than it seems at first sight. If you want, everyone, even a teenager, can put together the simplest version of the design. This does not require expensive components, you can find the necessary parts cheaply or even for free, it all depends on the chosen project.

This is how the simplest projector from a shoe box looks like.

Calculation of parameters and peculiarities of implementation

To assemble the system, it is necessary to understand the principle of operation of the device. It should be noted at once that it is impossible to make a projector, which will be similar in characteristics and capabilities to ready-made models. These are complex devices, consisting of many nodes and providing an ideal image quality. But to get a workable system that will give a good picture, it is possible without much trouble.

More often than not, a smartphone or tablet is used as an image source. smartphone, tablet or laptop. All options are suitable, but it is important to understand that the larger the size of the base image, the higher the quality of the picture on the wall or screen will be. It is necessary to determine in advance the type of device to be used, as this determines the choice of necessary materials. The following will be needed:

1. A box of suitable size is used as a base. It is important that it is sturdy and does not let light in. It is best to take a ready-made, made of rigid cardboard. But if there is no suitable solution at hand, you can make it yourself, for this you will need to collect cardboard of a suitable size and assemble the body from them.
2. To enlarge the image in a homemade video projector uses a magnifying glass or Fresnel lens. The size is chosen depending on what will be used to transmit the picture. You can purchase a pre-made product or use what you have on hand. Adjusting the size is easy by choosing the distance from the screen to the magnifying glass.
3. If you don't have a magnifying glass, a projector used to show slides can do the trick. They are most often A4-sized, but may be of a different size. In this case, you need to pick up the screen from the tablet, comparable in size. You can buy an inexpensive used model, the main thing is that it has a working screen, the body can also be damaged, it is still not needed.
4. To connect the elements use any suitable glue. You can also use a glue gun with rods, it is convenient because the glue hardens in seconds, thereby significantly accelerating the work. You may also need duct tape or duct tape, it is better to have different options on hand, as you have to choose the best one according to the situation.
5. Sometimes large paper clips or other similar devices are used to install the smartphone and fix it. And for marking and measuring it is better to take a tape measure and a pencil.

Such a simple set is necessary for making a movie projector.

By the way! When choosing a magnifying glass, give preference only to variants with a magnification of 10 times or more. The higher the quality, the better the image will be, don't skimp on that.

How to make a projector for home cinema on the phone

A projector from a smartphone is the simplest and at the same time affordable solution, which allows you to quickly and qualitatively carry out the work. If you spend one evening, you can provide watching cartoons or videos not on a small screen, but on the wall or a prepared surface. This is convenient and much healthier for the eyes. And if you connect a wireless speaker or stereo system to the phone, you get a home theater. The work is carried out according to these instructions:

1. The box should be chosen according to the size of the smartphone, it should become exactly in width. Suitable variant from the shoes or other products long enough. The greater the distance from one wall to the other - the wider the range of settings, which will achieve the best results in any room.
2. If there is no box of the right size, you can make it with your own hands. It is a little more difficult, but it is possible to make a design that will fit the size of the smartphone. To begin with, you need to cut blanks for all the walls, but it is not necessary to staple them, at first the preparatory work described below is carried out.
3. In the wall opposite the screen of the smartphone, it is necessary to put a magnifying glass. Here it is very important to determine the exact location of the element, the center must coincide with the center of the screen on the phone, so it is better to make measurements. The more precisely the hole is cut - the better. The lens should be inserted evenly and secured with either opaque tape or sealant. It is important that no light penetrates through the joint, this will impair image quality.
   The lens must be positioned clearly in the center and securely glued in place.
4. Next you need to assemble the frame, if the cardboard is separate, glue the walls and the bottom. When using a ready-made box, you need to think about how the smartphone will be fixed inside. The easiest thing to do is to make small ledges on both sides, so that you can insert the phone and it will be evenly positioned without any extra effort. If you don't want to make dividers, you often use a large paper clip as a stand, which is easy to bend at the right angle.
   If small strips are glued to the walls, then the smartphone can be inserted into the grooves without additional fastening.
5. For the desired effect, it is desirable that there is a tightly closing lid. It is best to make it as in a shoebox - so that there are protrusions on the outside, securely closing the joint. Also, don't forget that you have to make a neat hole in the back to connect the charger.

The projector from the phone turns the image upside down when it hits the magnifying glass. So you have to download an app in advance that allows you to flip the picture upside down so that you end up with the right one. There are a lot of options and they are not hard to find.

Laptop based projector

This option is good because it allows you to get a good quality image due to the fact that the screen in the device is much larger than in a smartphone. But in this case you need to find a magnifying element of large size, the best approach is a Fresnel lens or a special element for full-page reading books. As for the work, it should be organized as follows:

1. The main thing is to find a box of the right size. One side should be slightly larger than the laptop monitor, and the distance between the walls - at least 50 cm, in order to provide a normal increase in the image. At the same box should be strong enough to withstand the laptop lying on it, this is an important point.
   You will need a bigger box and lens to use a laptop.
2. In the wall opposite to the one on which the laptop screen will be, you need to carefully insert the lens, pre-cut a hole of suitable size. It is worth thinking about how to fix the element in advance so that it is held firmly, and the tape does not go over the edges of the magnifying glass. The lens should be strictly in the center so you don't have to adjust later.
3. In the opposite wall cut a hole for the screen. There is one peculiarity - the notebook will be placed on top of the keyboard down, the image is inverted, which is necessary for the projector, you do not have to use any applications. Simply put the gadget, mark the position of the screen and cut exactly along the contour.
   This is how the laptop is positioned on the homemade projector.
4. Then it is necessary to check the work of the system. You put the laptop and turn it on, you can take out a mouse and then control the device is not difficult, even if it is upside down. It is important to determine the optimal distance from the wall or other surface.

Some make the box sliding so you can adjust the image and change the distance between the screen and the lens. To do this, you can pick up two boxes that fit snugly into each other and cut off the two walls that are located inside them.

Using a device for viewing slides

If there is a ready-made device that is not used, it is not difficult to make a projector at home with good image quality. In this case, everything is calibrated and you do not have to adjust the picture, which makes it easier to use. When assembling, follow these instructions:

1. First, find a tablet with a screen that is as close as possible to the size of the window in the projector. You can buy a second-hand model in a shabby housing, the main thing - so that the display was intact and worked properly, the rest is unimportant.
2. The screen must be carefully removed, it is important to be careful not to deform the matrix and not to damage the connectors. You will need a board, as it controls the screen and can be used to connect to a smartphone, laptop or other device. Or you can receive the signal to a tablet and watch movies over the Internet.
   Care must be taken when removing the matrix.
   The first layer (the one that is slightly bent) is a matte film, and under it is the matrix.
3. The removed matrix cannot be placed on the glass, you need to adapt pieces of any suitable material to leave a 5 mm gap between the surfaces. It is needed for cooling, because during the long work heat will be formed, which must be removed. The easiest way is to put a computer cooler on one side.
   For cooling, a fan is placed in front of the gap between the screen and the projector.
4. For normal operation it is enough to choose the height of the location and the distance to the wall, often the device has the ability to adjust, which further simplifies the process.

There are slide projectors of small size, so it is easy to find a suitable model for a smartphone as well. In this case, you can not disassemble the gadget, just put it through a small gasket to prevent overheating.

Thematic video:

Ways to improve the quality of the picture

Since the homemade projector out of the box is not characterized by the breadth of settings, it can be difficult to achieve good image quality. This is due to mistakes made during construction and not following recommendations. But if you know a few simple tips, you can achieve a better picture:

1. On the device that transmits the picture, you need to adjust the contrast and brightness. The higher the resolution - the better the result will be, it is important to deal with this aspect, many overlook it.
2. The fewer slits and openings in the box, the better. The inside of the case must be completely dark, even the slightest glare can cause severe image degradation. The easiest way is to look from the inside to the light, so you can detect even the smallest problems and fix them.
3. The light should not be reflected from the walls inside, this is also a factor that badly affects the final picture. Therefore, it is undesirable to use glossy cardboard, a cheap matte one will do. It is most reasonable to paint the entire interior with black matte paint, you can buy it in a spray can, so it is easy to do the job. And ideally cover the walls with black velvet or a similar cloth, then the light will be absorbed completely and the image will be much clearer.
4. The darker it is in the room, the better. Therefore it is desirable to put on the windows blinds or a system of "day-night", reliably closing the openings. At night, turn off all light sources so they do not brighten the image.
5. The distance from the lens to the wall is also important, the bigger it is, the bigger the picture, but the quality will be worse. It is important to find a distance at which both the size is appropriate and the sharpness will not decrease too much.
   The size and quality of the magnifying glass also affects the image.
6. In order for a cardboard movie projector to show video in high quality, it must broadcast it on a flat, light surface. This can be a painted wall or a light cloth. But it is better to use a special screen or make it from a piece of tent material.

It is worth periodically checking the cleanliness of the lens, because if it gets dirty, the quality will also decrease.

At the end of the video instructions for making a screen for the projector.

It is not difficult to make a projector from a box with your own hands, if you have the necessary materials at hand. It is important to follow all the tips given in the review and use the recommendations to improve image quality.