Black Widow (paint mix)

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Black Widows (mixed paint) (also Black Widow AS and Black Widow EU) is a non-commercial open source project, led by mechman (USA), wbassett (USA) and custard10 (EU), for create a paint mixture for DIY projection screens (do yourself) from easily accessible materials throughout the US and EU, which can outperform some commercial projection screens.

Video Black Widow (paint mix)

A brief history of DIY painted screens and some of the more popular methods and mindsets

Over the years many have tried to create a 'perfect' DIY screen, which will come up with ambient lighting as well as in a dark and dedicated environment. Over the years the debate has been White vs. Gray . White is easy, more forgiving and can be more and does not look like a gray screen that is not a balanced color. The better balancing screen white , the more accurate the results. Still, even with the white screen, the closer to D65, the more accurate it will be. The same goes with the gray screen: the closer they are to the neutral the better and more accurate. But what exactly is 'neutral'? There are many parameters but the main ones are color balance (L * ab and xyY value), spectral curves, and color temperature.

One of the biggest problems and debates is what is actually gray? This is completely moot over the years and instead of explaining it once again, the best thing is to refer to a neutral gray thread.

The most popular way to increase simple neutral grays up to now is to use mica (pearlescent) and poly layer. The problem is the mica by nature causes a shift in color. So, how do I improve a balanced neutral gray color, without introducing the color shifts known to mica and interference pigments? By using non-interference pigments instead... It was found that by adding aluminum-based paint (which is a water-based paint made primarily of aluminum and no other dyes) gray was invented. It has been used for years as a 'silver' replacement, and has even been used to make mirrors. Very bright and reflective. Aluminum is a very bright and universal element. That and the fact, that it is a non-interference substance, gives amazing results and benefits:

• Better Black Color
• More Thick Colors
• White Whites
• Extraordinary performance with ambient light and turn on custom settings
• Lighter and more vibrant images without color shift problems caused by color games
• Sharper image quality and shadow details

Maps Black Widow (paint mix)

Black Widow US

Black Widow US is a mixed version of the projection screen paint for the US. The formula is

• 1 quart (946ml) of "Valspar Ultra Premium Super Flat Finish" color (PPG Pittsburgh Paints color code: 427-2 Bermuda Beige) paint from Valspar.
• 8 oz (227ml) from "Auto-Air Aluminum Base Fine" (code: 4101) paint from Createx Auto Air Colors.

Note: The new Formulation of Auto Air Aluminum requires a new base. Bermuda Beige will not work with new formulations.

When viewing UPC, there are numbers in the following format:

WDxxxx - ## Bx

Look at the 2 numbers after the hyphen, "##" above. Old Formulation = 80 or under New Formulation = 81 or above

Current recommendations for new formulations are:

• 1 quart (946ml) "Valspar Ultra Premium Super Flat Finish" color (Glidden "Veil") paint from Valspar.
• 8 oz (227ml) New Formula "Auto-Air Aluminum Base Fine" (code: 4101-04) paint from Createx Auto Air Colors. Available online from Airbrush Paint Direct.Airbrush Paint Direct

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Black Widow EU

Black Widow EU is a mixed version of the projection screen paint for the EU.

The formula has changed, as the Auto-Air Aluminum paint composition changes. See below for more details. The old formula is:

• 4 parts (960ml) of "Johnstone's Covaplus Vinyl Matt Finish" color (color code NCS: S 0907 Y70R) paint from Johnstone's or Leyland Trade.
• 1 part (240ml) of "Auto-Air Aluminum Base Fine" (code: 4101) paint from Createx Auto Air Colors. (AAA)

Previously, AAA paint had a blue color on it, which required the main paint to have a pink color, so the combination produced a true Neutral Gray; However, the AAA batch since 2013 has a different formulation that does not have significant color. It is now recommended to use Neutral Gray paint as the main paint - as below, many have used Dulux Gray Steel 2, which has the NCS 00NN 53/000 code equivalent to N7.8 on the Munsell scale. The same ratio of paint is used instead.

Note 2: In the UK, automatic aluminum can be sourced from 120 ml bottles; the only source for a good version seems to be the SM Design in Northern Ireland. Do not use another variant, it does not work as well.

Note 3: If you can not find "Johnstone's Covaplus Vinyl Matt Finish" try "DULUX Vinyl Matt". I do not know if it works exactly the same as "DULUX WASH & Wear Flat" for AU recipe but DULUX code in Europe is:
Gray Steel1 00NN 31/000 (it is the darkest one) > Gray Steel2 00NN 53/000 (RGB (184,184,182) - N7.8)
Gray Steel3 00NN 72/000 (RGB (219,220,219) - N8.8)
Gray Steel4 00NN 83/000 (it's the lightest - N9.3)

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Black Widow AU - Formula for Aluminum Auto-Air Base

• (960ml) from "Dulux Wash & Wear 1L Plus Kitchen & Bathroom Vivid White Low Sheen Paint" colored into 'PN2G5 Milton Moon' (this is DULUX color) from Bunnings. (https://www.bunnings.com.au/dulux-wash-wear-1l-plus-kitchen-bathroom-vivid-white-low-sheen-paint_p1370126)
• (240ml) from "Auto-Air Aluminum Base Fine" (code: 4101) paint from Airbrush Megastore: http://www.airbrushmegastore.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id = 1118 & amp; Itemid = 1)

This new formula produces a fairly dark end result (roughly N7.4 based on the neutral gray Hometheatreshack forum). Or, replace 'Tranquil Retreat' or 'Ashville' for 'Milton Moon' (these are all DULUX colors), to end up with results around N7.9 or N8.1, depending on the darkness of the screen you want. For a darker range of approximately N5.5 use Dulux Color PN2A4 'Timeless Gray'

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Painting techniques suggested and security

• Spray with HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) paint spray gun. If the paint is too thick - dilute with distilled water up to 20%. Use appropriate protection.
• Use a good-quality low-quality roller. Avoid foam rollers because they tend to cause bubbles that leave bright spots on the surface of the screen.

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References

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External links

• US Forums
• The EU Forum
• Suomalainen keskustelu
• [1]
• [2]

Source of the article : Wikipedia