Why throw stuff out?

[Nataku]

While I used to work for Tiger Direct, Someone was going to throw out a 17" compaq LCD that had a bad screen in it. I don't let anything go without checking my self (that's how I got my free projector), so I stopped them and asked if I could have it. They asked what I was going to do with it and I said I would find something.

Well I finally got around to taking pictures of what I did with it.

http://hatrackdesign.com/personal/monitor_pegboard/IMG_0167.jpg
http://hatrackdesign.com/personal/monitor_pegboard/IMG_0168.jpg

You can see here the buttons are missing as the case is now hollow.
http://hatrackdesign.com/personal/monitor_pegboard/IMG_0170.jpg

Here you can see where the cables used to go.
http://hatrackdesign.com/personal/monitor_pegboard/IMG_0172.jpg

[cfairchild]

pretty priceless, nice job of recycling:thumb: :)

[3DGuy]

Tjhere wshould bea designated thread to this.... Like sticky to because recycling is a good thing to do with so much stuff getting wasted. Should bea threat where people can show the best mods of junk they done to make things usefull from basically scrap...

Very nice job dude i like :D Pateent it and sell it

[Zefram]

Well i would reuse the cold-cathode florescent light inside and lit up that darn post-it board ;)

And why dont you put glass, hollow up the behind, and then you could have a more nicer screen :D

[Dizzious]

hahaha nice.

we've got a 15.4" dell laptop screen at work that works perfectly... mobo on it died, the guy decided to get a new lap one instead of replacing it. I'm toying with the idea of taking out the cathode, building an enclosure for the panel, ripping out the diffusion layers, and putting a few dozen 3-watt white LEDs behind it... thinking maybe it would work as a projector.

[Nataku]

It made it on MAKE: http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/02/why_throw_stuff.html

[PimpMySystem]

they should make contests for such solutions, great job idd

[PCgeek]

hahaha nice.

we've got a 15.4" dell laptop screen at work that works perfectly... mobo on it died, the guy decided to get a new lap one instead of replacing it. I'm toying with the idea of taking out the cathode, building an enclosure for the panel, ripping out the diffusion layers, and putting a few dozen 3-watt white LEDs behind it... thinking maybe it would work as a projector.

I've helped a friend build homemade projectors before. Its not quite as simple as you think it is, but it is by no means difficult. You need a light source at the rear, (and no LED's are not powerful enough, you need at least a 300 watt halogen.) 2 fresnel lenses in the middle, one facing in each direction, on each side of your screen, and a projector lens at the front, mounted in a way that you can slide it so you can adjust the focus. You can google it and come up with plenty of easy to follow guides. The problem with laptop screens is that they are not at all wired to a VGA standard. In order to connect it to either a computer or some other kind of video source you have to find a converter that is specific to the screen you're using, and they are so expensive that at that point you're better off buying a computer LCD and taking it apart. If you just want to make a projector to play movies, and not use it as a computer monitor, the little 7" or so car screens can be had for about $100 and work very, very well. Resolution is too low for a computer, but for home theater its awesome. When we built one with my friend we where able to project it on the trees in his backyard. Oh I almost forgot, while it wouldn't be as convenient as having everything neatly contained in a single box, you can just get an overhead projector, strip down a screen, and throw it on there. Works great. ;)

[gbruno]

Then why is that monitor a compaq?

[Nataku]

Then why is that monitor a compaq?

cause I was half asleep when writing this, thanks for noticing.

[stlouis1]

that sir, is awesome. i wouldnt have come up with any better ideas