Opaque projector - DIY

[pilot_bear]

posting here because chances it is useful for plane building.

Read a book on building plane with plan, and the author suggest buying a opaque projector so we can scale it accordingly. A projector itself is just to expensive so decided to diy one.

things needed
1 used box
1 mirror
1 magnify glass
1 tube (near diameter of magnify glass)
1 strong light source


1. Try to get a rough focus distance of the magnifying glass.
Use of a light source will be good.
For example a fluorescent lamp


2. Cut a hold roughly the size of the tube

[pilot_bear]

4. Plan the location of the mirror.
The distance from the top of the box to the mirror reflection point (vertically) + the distance from the mirror reflection point to the cut hole (horizontally) must be LESS than the magnifying glass focus distance


5. Plan the location of the light source.
The light must be strong enough to shine onto the image but will not be reflected by the mirror.
A good old table lamp will do the job, you just have to find a way to shine the light in. i am lazy here so i use a small LED light.

[pilot_bear]

6. Secure everything and you have a working projector.


The projected image on the wall is not bright enough to be capture by my camera, but is more than enough for my eye to see clearly.

end up I can only show what is shine out of the box.
And yes the image projected is in color.


Note:
If you keep having blurry image after adjusting the magnifying glass, then you might want to try shifting the mirror away or nearer to the magnifying glass.


not good looking but it works.
best part is most of the things is "free"

[pilot_bear]

pic out of the "lens"