DIY Lighted Facade

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I had a thought... and maybe you've already thought of this... but why not use mirror hanging clips to hold the light defuser in place but only on the sides and bottom that way you can just slide out the panels either for easy storage or for ease of changing them....

Just a thought.
 
I had a thought... and maybe you've already thought of this... but why not use mirror hanging clips to hold the light defuser in place but only on the sides and bottom that way you can just slide out the panels either for easy storage or for ease of changing them....

Just a thought.

It may work. What I found using the thinner stuff is that it needed a rail placed on the back side of it all the way or it allowed light to bleed around the edges. By securing the edges firmly down, it didn't.
 
Randy (and Kevin)
this is a great example of how something so simple (and cheap)
can make a BIG impact.
I'm thinking of making one now...
but I'm thinking of making mine just tall enough to cover the front of a standard banquet table.

Very cool idea, and nice job on the construction!
 
Excellent job, glad to hear someone was thinking the same thing I was when looking at the Dragon Facades. They are nice, but overpriced. I saw on Ebay, that an additional backdrop facade made for a real nice touch too. might want to consider checking that out. It puts for a nice element and opportunity for lighting behind you. I plan on doing something similar with sound activated lighting.
 
Randy (and Kevin)
this is a great example of how something so simple (and cheap)
can make a BIG impact.
I'm thinking of making one now...
but I'm thinking of making mine just tall enough to cover the front of a standard banquet table.

Very cool idea, and nice job on the construction!

I would not call it cheap.
4 - American DJ Mega Bar 50 RGB for quality uplighting (LED cans don't look good) plus the facade cost, custom made bag... 1k easy!
 
I would not call it cheap.
4 - American DJ Mega Bar 50 RGB for quality uplighting (LED cans don't look good) plus the facade cost, custom made bag... 1k easy!

good point
didn't consider the lights or the bag!

I just meant that you CAN make this and use this for less than what a professional company would charge for (almost) the same thing.
 
Getting excited. :)

I built a new proto-type this morning for a new facade. This one will have the back routed out and be built as a panel system. I have successfully figured out how to put the frame together to eliminate any braces and still maintain a strong frame. It will be very light and I'll have the ability to hinge as many of them together as I need. (I'll build five 2x4 panels first.)

I just got done ordering the hinges that I want to use and will be picking up the rest of the wood early next week. I'm going to try and build them next Thursday and Friday.

With several weddings and schools already calling and scheduling, this fall and early winter are going to be busy and I look forward to having the ability to change things up a bit from each party.

All of my 2010 weddings have chosen the lighted facade over the solid one. Go figure.
 
Construction phase pics:

I started this project yesterday morning around 8:00 am. I was complete with cutting all boards (2 1/2 in select poplar material), constructing and prepping for paint by 9:30 am. Then, it was painful having to wait on the paint to dry. It was humid, no sunlight and not much wind. Ugh! I didn't get started with putting things together until later yesterday afternoon.

Anyways, I got them all put together this morning after having to make a trip to Home Depot to get another panel because I cut one incorrect. (Measure twice, cut once!)

I used a industrial strength hot glue that I use at work to affix the panels with the frames. Securing it that way, added alot of strength to the overall system. Replacing any panels will be a bit more work, but there is a solvent that I can use to inactivate the glue and the bond will release.

You can also note the 3 1/2 screws I used to secure the mitered corners.

It's supposed to warm up with sun next week, so I want to give the face side one more good coat of paint and allow it to cure well. Then, I'll have a bag made for it and it will be ready to use in the show.

Cost:

About $75 for the board. (A bit more expensive because I chose the select poplar material that would look better since I was just going to paint these because I didn't have enough fabric material for the project.)

About $55 for the panels. These panels are being discontinued from Lowes and if you're lucky you can find them at a much lower price, but our Lowes didn't have any. Home Depot price is $8.99 a panel.

Hinges were about $2 a piece. I used 4 lift-off hings and used 4 regular hinges for the two panels on the end. So, there is actually 3 pcs to the setup. The two end pcs are hinged together permanent and can be put together to accomodate a 4 foot table setup or the middle piece can be slid in to accomodate a 6 foot table setup.

Weight: 35 pounds! Yeah!!
 
Randy - don't spend the bucks on a bag...Get a 4x8 sheet of sign board (correx/corroplast) and make a road case with...Cut sides and end to fit...use duct tape to connect the panels

Great idea, Steve.

But, I have custom bags for everything (except my full piece facade). They are made out of a heavy vinyl material that is easy to clean and look great!
 
You get a real nice effect when you project gobos on to the facade
 

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Randy, I'm going to need a custom bag as well. Let us know about your cost!
Thanks