HOW TO: Save yourself thousand$ with $2.38

[Mike Prevette]

I Love the Red On-board. It's amazingly light and thin, adequately bright, and sooo sharp. BUT it also terrifies me by being so svelt. I am still waiting on my EVF so it's my only onboard viewing system unless I want to rent another onboard or someone else EVF or On-board. If it gets trashed I would be up shit creek.

So I started thinking about screen protectors. The stick on kind that you use on something like the I-phone aren't tough enough for production, and I know of no other pre-made protector good enough for on set duty. Luckily in Seattle I'm very close to a few very nice custom plastics shops. So I made a date to pick up some tough plastic in order to make my own. Well it never happened.

I found myself in Home Depot today and wandered by their plastic section. Low and behold they had some 8x10" x .093" sheets of Lexan for $2.38. I'll take two please!

Two 8x10" sheets is enough to make 6 On-board covers and 6 covers for the rear LCD. THAT'S 39 CENTS A PIECE PEOPLE! Making a couple only took 10 minutes, and is dead simple. Hell, even Finner could probably do it.

1) Get some tools (see photo)
2) Trace the LCD onto the protective plastic on the Lexan
3) Score the longest line first, Use a matte knife then the plastic cutter to get the best results. You have to take LOTS of small passes at it to get a good score.
4) Snap the Lexan over a sharp edge. Use Vice grips with tape on the jaw for the thinner pieces.
5) Round the corners to match the LCD, and bevel the outside edge with some sandpaper. This is quicker than you think, 80grit will slaughter the Lexan very quickly.
6) Remove the protective plastic, and attach with the adhesive of your choice. Mine is Gaffers tape Be sure to make sure the screen surface, and the back of the Lexan are nice and clean.
7) Stick the extras out of the way in your case, and laugh as you throw sharp rocks at your screen.

EXTRA CREDIT: Make a 4x5.65" size piece to use in your matte box as an optical flat. Just as good as Tiffen, and 1/200th the price!

HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER ('cause it ain't getting cheaper):

1) If your really cool, like REALLY cool (cooler than Finner and I put together kindof cool). You would use a Matte protective plastic like what is available here: http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=349& OR this one: http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=455& It would really cut down on glare.
p.s. Tap Plastics kicks ASS!

2) Find a fancier way to attach the screens. I've seen places use velcro around the edges but the problem with that is it makes everything much thicker, and lets stuff get trapped behind the screen.

 

[Mike Prevette]

Fancy $3.00 plastic cutter:

 

[Mike Prevette]

After removing the protective coating, gently rinse the piece and give it a wipedown.

 

[Mike Prevette]

These weren't perfect, I was in a little hurry. After hearing of someone having to send their camera in because of a cracked rear LCD I'm willing to live with ugly. This was the test fitting, I later cleaned up the corners.

 

[Finner]

and is dead simple. Hell, even Finner could probably do it.

(cooler than Finner and I put together kindof cool)

Ouch, are you still bitter Mike? Like I said before I had no idea she was your wife. :tongue:

Are you getting much glare with it outdoors?

Nice thought on the lexan Mike. Lexan can also work well as a cheap B glass filter for the lens when on an indie budget. Since I quite SPFX I have not done near as much fabrication but I may still be able to cut some lexan.

You never did explain to me what you used to build 12v block batteries.

cheers
Daren

 

[Mike Prevette]

she wasn't my wife, that was my mom! also notice I said "probably do it"

The glare can be an issue, but the second photo of the screen is about as bad as it gets. It seems very similar to my glossy Macbook screen. I was in a darkish room and I aimed the screen out the window at the sky and trees. It was still very readable with the brightness at max. IMHO people should have a hood. (see next "how to")

I also included some links to Tap Plastics they have some protective Matte plastic that might be a better choice, but I'm to impatient to drive the 15 blocks to get some but I'm sure it would greatly improve the outdoor readability.

The glare is a small price to pay for a bullet proof screen.

SHIT I forgot about the battery "how to" I'll have to revisit that when I have the supplies around.

 

[Finner]

The red LCD's are definately a bit fragile and screen scratches happen quite easy so this is a great thought. I felt an I-pod style plastic protector or the snowmobile visor protector peel offs may work well. Any way you slice it the screen definately needs some kind of protection.

What Batts have you been running with your red?

 

[Evin Grant]

she wasn't my wife, that was my mom!

Again?!

 

[Mike Prevette]

I felt the stick on I-phone style protective sheets wouldn't help much againts impacts.

I had a Panny 8" on a large Noga take a dive into a F900 because the director was fucking with the arm. It was not cheap, and Bexel LA was not happy. I'm now much more afraid of dramatic impacts or shipping impacts than I am of scratches, but this protects against both.

Finner: Currently I'm running Red's batteries. I just got a few more so I'm stocked for now, but I'm working on a new brick design for a custom dolly block.

 

[Mitch Gross]

Some double-sided tape should hold it cleanly in place yet make it easy enough to remove when you need to replace it.

 

[Mitch Gross]

Abel puts plexi protective covers on all the LCD monitors we rent, and these covers are available for purchase as well. I think the cover for the Panasonic LH900 8.4" LCD is under $10. We use Velcro or Dual-Lock so it is easy for the client to quickly remove if the glare is an issue.

 

[Finner]

Does anyone know the pros/cons of plexi VS lexan?

 

[Mike Prevette]

"I'M NOT TOUCHING YOU"

I'll try some double stick tomorrow, I was out of it at home today. The velcro/plexi on some monitors always bugged me for some reason. It always seemed to make things to thick, or let schmutz get in between the two. Gaffers tape really comes off almost as quick as Velcro. And I get to tape things

 

[Finner]

Snot tape is the easiest clean up and seals well and holds strong. I wish I knew the correct name for snot tape but that is all I have ever known it to be refered to.

 

[Mike Prevette]

Carpet tape? hmm I always called it snot tape too. I have a rotten roll of it in my kit somwheres.

 

[Finner]

The carpet tape I have used is different then the snot tape I have used. The snot tape I have used comes in 1/2 inch widths and is rubbery and can be rolled into nice little balls just like a good solid nose pick. I will try and google it.

 

[Mike Prevette]

I know what snot tape is. The carpet tape part was a stab in the dark.

 

[Finner]

Cool Mike, I figured you knew what snot tape was. For people who don't here is a link.

http://www.filmtools.com/34scotatgtap.html

 

[Erik Bien]

Does anyone know the pros/cons of plexi VS lexan?

Plexiglas is acrylic (brittle, better at resisting scratches, more easily thermo-formed and "welded" with solvent adhesives such as methyl chloride), Lexan is polycarbonate (slightly rubbery, better at resisting impacts).

Polycarbonate is generally the preferred choice for things like race car windshields and bulletproof glass.

 

[Damon Meledones]

Snot tape is the easiest clean up and seals well and holds strong. I wish I knew the correct name for snot tape but that is all I have ever known it to be refered to.

I'll second that ATG/snot tape is probably a better way to go. Gaffer's tape uses a temporary adhesive, and as anyone who has had to remove old pieces of it can attest to, it leaves a nasty mess of crumbly white goo.