Tripod Mount for Digital Projector

by minorcatastrophe in Workshop > Home Theater

14964 Views, 49 Favorites, 0 Comments

Tripod Mount for Digital Projector

_DK81177.JPG
_DK81161.JPG
 Part three of my series on abusing camera tripods is a simple mount for my digital projector. This instructable requires welding, and, potentially a lathe if you make the same mistakes I did. It's probably a good idea to use a heavy duty tripod for this project because this is adding about ten pounds to the top of your tripod.

Safety

_DK81162.JPG
 I use an angle grinder pretty often because I haven't gotten around to getting a bandsaw yet and I'd rather not use a hacksaw. The problem is that cut off discs get worn out quickly and can get dangerous fast. If your discs even start to look like the one shown here, DO NOT USE! It's not worth the grief if one of these explode on you. 

Please be safe with power tools people.

Layout and Measuring

_DK81165.JPG
_DK81164.JPG
 The first step in this project is to measure your particular projector. Because this mount is a tray, the height of the sides is less important. You have to remember to leave any vents uncovered. For materials, i used some bits of scrap angle iron, and some steel strapping. You probably want to use mild steel for the strapping, I used spring steel because I had some lying around, but this turned out to be a mistake.

Test Fit

_DK81166.JPG
_DK81167.JPG
 Some c-clamps are useful for weld prep. Make sure you remember your projector dimensions properly. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that my smaller rack dimension here is 1/4" smaller than it should be. Don't do that, because it wastes your scrap. It also helps to align the angles perpendicularly to the crosspiece.

Tripod Interface

_DK81169.JPG
_DK81171.JPG
_DK81172.JPG
This step involves drilling and tapping a 1/4" - 20 threaded hole in the center of the tray you just welded. This is the step where using spring steel is disadvantageous. If you don't have a drill that you can set the proper speed on, it's easy to work harden and break bits on. I ended up turning a plug on a lathe because it was simpler than annealing the steel after it hardens.

Tie Down Points

_DK81173.JPG
_DK81174.JPG
_DK81175.JPG
_DK81176.JPG
A requirement for my mount is to have tie downs for the projector. I had a couple of these steel chunks with nice holes lying around. A couple of quick welds to the side of the tray and I have some tie down points.

Paint!

_DK81179.JPG
_DK81180.JPG
 The final step is to make the stand pretty. I was too lazy in the beginning to grind off the surface rust on my mount so I used rust converting paint first. You do probably want to use a wire brush or something on the parts that will be inaccessible after welding. 

Finish

_DK81177.JPG
Now you're ready to go watch your movies anywhere. (or video games, or web browse) It's much more adjustable that the upturned plastic bucket I was using previously.