Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get my projector setup off the floor for ages. It’s been sitting on a stack of books, and honestly, it looks terrible. Plus, I’m always worried someone’s gonna kick it over. So, I started looking into those motorized scissor lifts – you know, the kind that can raise and lower your projector with a remote? Yeah, those things are cool, but also kinda pricey.
I did some digging, watched a bunch of videos, and kinda pieced together my own plan. My main goal was to keep it cheap and, most importantly, safe. I didn’t want the whole thing crashing down on my head mid-movie.
The Scavenging Begins
First things first, I needed a scissor lift. I looked around online, but new ones were out of my budget. Then I thought, “Hey, maybe I can find something used?” I checked out some local online marketplaces, and bingo! I found a used, manual scissor lift – the kind used in workshops. It wasn’t motorized, but it was sturdy and way cheaper than anything else I’d seen.
Next up, I needed a motor. This took a bit more thinking. I toyed with the idea of using a car window motor, but then I stumbled across an old electric drill I had lying around. It was powerful enough, and I figured I could rig something up.
Putting It All Together
This is where things got interesting. I attached the drill to the lift’s mechanism. It took some MacGyvering, I’m not gonna lie. Lots of trial and error, zip ties, and some scrap metal. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked! I could raise and lower the lift using the drill’s trigger. Awesome!
But I didn’t want to stand there holding the drill the whole time, so I needed a way to control it remotely. I grabbed an old remote control car, ripped out the receiver and motor controller, and wired it up to the drill. I won’t bore you with the electrical details, but let’s just say there were a few sparks involved. I am in no way an expert, but after some tinkering, I managed to get the drill to spin forward and reverse using the car’s remote!
- Item 1: Used manual scissor lift.
- Item 2: Old electric drill.
- Item 3: Remote control car guts (receiver and motor controller).
- Item 4: Scrap metal, zip ties, and a whole lotta duct tape.
The Final Result
After a few days of messing around, I finally had a working motorized scissor lift for my projector! It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, and it definitely wouldn’t pass any safety inspections, but it does the job. I can now raise and lower my projector with the press of a button, and it feels super fancy. Plus, I saved a ton of money by building it myself.
Would I recommend this to everyone? Probably not. It takes some basic knowledge of tools and electronics, and there’s definitely a risk of things going wrong. But if you’re on a tight budget and enjoy a good DIY challenge, it’s a fun project! Just be careful, and don’t blame me if your projector ends up on the floor (or worse, on your head!).
