Can you get rid of smell from glass bead projector screens?

[Bill Burk]

Every glass bead projector screen I've owned has had that distinct acrid smell, some more intense than others.

The one I have now is so intense it practically makes my eyes tear up when I unroll it.

Is there anything that can be done to eliminate or minimize that smell? Is it from prior owner being a smoker? Mold/mildew? The glue/fabric decomposing?

Airing it out doesn't even seem to get rid of the smell. Is there anything that works?

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Maybe unroll it and let it air out? Plastics and adhesives out gas for a long time. Some plastics are in a constant state of decomposition and will always smell.

 

[Rick A]

I know what you mean, I bought a yard sale screen from a smoker, it stinks of stale cigarettes and old musty basement, among other things. I set mine up and let it air out on the back porch and sprayed it with Febreze, it helped a bunch.

 

[Henning Serger]

Every glass bead projector screen I've owned has had that distinct acrid smell, some more intense than others.

The one I have now is so intense it practically makes my eyes tear up when I unroll it.

Is there anything that can be done to eliminate or minimize that smell? Is it from prior owner being a smoker? Mold/mildew? The glue/fabric decomposing?

Hello Bill,

I had some smell (not too bad) with my former MW screen.
I've completely solved this problem (and some others) by upgrading to the best screen on the market:
Da-Lite Picture King with High-Power surface.
It's the best screen I have ever seen (compared with others which are used by friends and other photographers).
High-Power surface is patented with special, tiny glass beads:

+ no smell at all
+ best brightness and brillance, very high gain factor
+ the glass beads are extremeley small, that results in better sharpness and significantly higher resolution compared to conventional glass bead screens
+ no horizontal stripes as with lots of other screens
+ accurate, neutral colors
+ very solid built
+ washable
+ nice black frame around the screen.

I am extremely satiesfied with this screen. I bought it new. It was expensive, but worth every cent.
It is a once in a lifetime purchase.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Francis in VT]

My experience years ago was to unroll it and expose it to the SUN. The more the better.
This will also Whiten it if it has started to Yellow.
It might take a few days so watch for wind and rain.

Francis in VT

 

[Worker 11811]

If your screen has a high gain surface, glass bead, reflective coating, etc., I don't recommend you use any liquids to clean it. Doing so will likely cause the surface to look splotchy when it dries. This damage will likely be permanent.

Most screens in movie theaters have matte surfaces. There is little or no coating on them except for a surface treatment to make them reflect evenly. Matte or "low gain" screens can be cleaned with mild soap and water by carefully wiping from top to bottom then wiping again with just a wet cloth to remove the soap and residue. If they are merely dusty, they can be brushed with a special anti-static brush.

If your screen has a coating of titanium dioxide, glass beads or silver, any liquid on the surface will only make a "clean spot" which will look worse than the dirt.

Have you ever gone to a movie theater where some idiot threw Coca Cola at the screen, leaving a giant splotch in the middle of the charater's faces? That's probably because the screen was cleaned improperly. That stain is going to take a professional screen cleaning company to get it looking right again.
(Yes, movie theaters often hire professionals to clean their screens.)

Probably the best thing you can do for a screen is to leave it alone. If it looks so bad that it needs to be cleaned, do the best you can with DRY methods. Use a brush or a lint free cloth to wipe it in even, vertical strokes.

If you believe that you must clean it with liquid, use residue free soap like Castile soap, etc. Just dampen the surface. Wring the cloth out as much as possible. Then use another damp cloth with water only to remove the soap and dirt residue. Try to keep the strokes even and overlapping in order to minimize streaking.

Otherwise, just air the thing out, best as you can.

Most people in the movie business consider glass beaded screens to be uncleanable. That's one reason why you see very few of them in commercial movie theaters. (Narrow viewing angle is another big reason.)

 

[Bill Burk]

Problem seems to have solved itself out...

Was airing it out under an umbrella and had tied it to the umbrella to keep it from blowing over.

Blew over anyway and ripped the screen at the top stitch all the way across.

Might be able to sew across the top making the old Da-Lite Pacer 10 inches shorter.

Plus I now have a 5-inch section to experiment cleaning with. Tried bleach and Mr. Clean so far.

Neither approach gets rid of the yellow, but soaking seems to cause glass beads to loosen from their bond a little worse than they already were.

 

[Bill Burk]

Well... It's 10 inches shorter and still stinks. Think I may just leave well enough alone.

But I do have a 5-inch strip to test with when I feel like it.

Maybe I'll treat myself later this year with a new one.