Reddit mentions of TEKTON 6430 1/2-Inch Grommet Kit, 53-Piece

Full album.

We had an outdoor movie night earlier in the summer using a borrowed projector screen. It was entirely too small for the space in our garden, so I started to look around for something that would fill the space and collapse for easy storage. I got sticker shock and decided to just build my own with a budget of $50. Great for both indoor and outdoor use.

The original idea sketch is here. This is pretty much identical to the final product.

Step 1: Light blocking fabric for the screen. JoAnn’s sells cheapo light blocking fabric that works great. The spool width is 54”, so that became my screen height. I wanted a 16:9 aspect ratio at minimum so I purchased 3 yards of fabric (108”). I had a 40% off coupon so got all of the fabric for $12.60.

Step 2: I sewed 1” hems on the fabric for stability and aesthetics. I just used normal cotton thread. You may be able to skip this step, but I think you would run into problems later. The screen needs to stay in tension to provide a nice picture when you project on it and I was worried that the fabric may rip without the hem.

Step 3: Add Size 4 grommets (1/2” internal diameter) at equal distances around the fabric. I purchased this kit from Amazon for $8.67, and ended up using 16. Overall the kit was really easy to use. I cut small holes in the fabric using scissors since I didn’t have a hole punch.

Step 4: Make a frame using PVC pipe. I purchased four 1” diameter, 10 ft long pipes from Home Depot for $12.88 and fittings for the various connections, $8.91. I used a hacksaw to cut them then sanded the ends. I ended up with a piece of fabric that was 52”x100” after hemming. I wanted the frame to be 2” larger on each side so that I could pull the fabric taught. The final frame is 56”x104”, so I used the following cuts from the PVC:

• 4 x 50”, 1" PVC <-- 2 top and 2 bottom
  
• 2 x 54”, 1" PVC <-- 2 sides
  
• 3 x 20”, 1" PVC (from the scraps) <-- 3 legs
  
• Use the extra 1” PVC scraps for the feet
  
• finally, 1 x 54” from 1/2" PVC pipe (for the middle pole)
  
  Note: each connector adds an inch of length.
  
  At one point I had this set up. This is when I realized the middle bar needed to be 1/2” PVC to prevent a center line. Also I realized that I needed to use PVC glue on the top and bottom bar joints to prevent torque. This was a bummer because I wanted the screen to be fully collapsible. It is still compact, but the two long poles make it less portable. I used glue that was on hand and purchased a 10 ft long 1/2” PVC as well as two reducers for the middle joints, $2.52.
  
  Grand total for the frame = $24.31.
  
  Step 5: Attach with bungee cord. I purchased a box of mini bungee cords, which worked perfectly. I used two bungees through each corner grommet, so I needed all 20 bungees. $8.03. This step could probably be done more cheaply, but I like the convenience of bungees.
  
  Step 6: Invite some friends over to celebrate your birthday with beer, popcorn, and your favorite movie. ftw.
  
  Total screen cost ~ $53.61 This ended up being over my $50 budget, but I’m happy with the results.
  
  The test run was on a calm day (~ 5 MPH breeze) and there was no problem with the screen wobbling. If it were breezy, I would put weights on the feet and use eye-screws to run line from midway up the side to tent stakes in the ground.
  
  We used a basic projector and laptop and set up our Cambridge Soundworks 5.1 speakers around the yard.
  
  Very easy project with fantastic results.
  
  edit: formatting, clarity