Motorising a blind using the motor from a remote controlled toy car?

hatrickpatrick · 27-02-2017 06:26PM #1

This will sound a bit odd but bear with me

I'm looking to use a blind as a projector screen and as such would like it to be remote controllable. I've heard from very good sources that an IKEA blind will work perfectly as a projector screen as long as it's blackout.

Now getting a blind motorised can be ridiculously expensive so I hit on a silly but feasible sounding idea: What about getting a cheap radio controlled toy car, removing its RC and motor system, and using this as the motor for the blind? Either by attaching the end of the blind to the motorised axle from the RC car, or actually taking the motor out altogether and attaching it (along with the comms parts) to the blind? Or option #3, having the wheels of the car beside the blind, so that when the wheels turn, the blind turns in the opposite direction like a pair of cogwheels?

Does this sound ridiculous or feasible as an option?

Andrea B. · 27-02-2017 06:40PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

This will sound a bit odd but bear with me

I'm looking to use a blind as a projector screen and as such would like it to be remote controllable. I've heard from very good sources that an IKEA blind will work perfectly as a projector screen as long as it's blackout.

Now getting a blind motorised can be ridiculously expensive so I hit on a silly but feasible sounding idea: What about getting a cheap radio controlled toy car, removing its RC and motor system, and using this as the motor for the blind? Either by attaching the end of the blind to the motorised axle from the RC car, or actually taking the motor out altogether and attaching it (along with the comms parts) to the blind? Or option #3, having the wheels of the car beside the blind, so that when the wheels turn, the blind turns in the opposite direction like a pair of cogwheels?

Does this sound ridiculous or feasible as an option?

Many unknowns and torque /trsnsmission may be an issue.
There are others like you with propsed solutions which you may have come across?

http://rollertrol.com/DIY-make-remote-control-projector-screen-from-blind

hatrickpatrick · 27-02-2017 06:58PM

Andrea B. wrote: »

Many unknowns and torque /trsnsmission may be an issue.
There are others like you with propsed solutions which you may have come across?

http://rollertrol.com/DIY-make-remote-control-projector-screen-from-blind

Hmm not quite what I'm after, but a good proof of concept all the same. Cheers!

sKeith · 27-02-2017 07:08PM

a window wiper motor would be much better suited than anything you would find in a remote controlled car.

The Red Ace · 27-02-2017 07:13PM

great thinking going on there re an electrically operated blind but will such a small motor be able to raise the weight of the blind. my suggestion would be go down to your nearest waste electrical yard and get a carbon brush motor from a washing machine and control the speed with a decent dimmer switch, most of the motors will have 6 or more connection but you will only need 2, a field coil and an armature connection thus a phase and neutral and an earth to the frame of the motor

Calahonda52 · 27-02-2017 08:08PM

As above, you need loadsa torque

colm_mcm · 27-02-2017 08:16PM

RC car motor wouldn't be nearly big enough.

Look at a linear actuator.

hatrickpatrick · 27-02-2017 09:12PM

Interesting suggestions, I'll look into all of these.

Would it be a big engineering challenge to remove the RC part from a car and use that just for radio control of the motor, as in, remove the car's inadequate motor and wire a larger motor into the same RC circuit?

(Probably getting outside the purview of this forum but if ye can advise that'd be great!)

Calahonda52 · 27-02-2017 09:25PM

You will need some form of relay that the RC will control.
Are you talking wireless RC or wired?

hatrickpatrick · 27-02-2017 09:28PM

Calahonda52 wrote: »

You will need some form of relay that the RC will control.
Are you talking wireless RC or wired?

Eh... Isn't RC wireless by definition...?

What I'm trying to achieve here is to make a manual pull down blind remote controlled, so for instance I can be on the opposite of the room and raise/lower the blind with a zapper. Hence the remote controlled car idea, for example.

27-02-2017 09:41PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

This will sound a bit odd but bear with me

I'm looking to use a blind as a projector screen and as such would like it to be remote controllable. I've heard from very good sources that an IKEA blind will work perfectly as a projector screen as long as it's blackout.

Now getting a blind motorised can be ridiculously expensive so I hit on a silly but feasible sounding idea: What about getting a cheap radio controlled toy car, removing its RC and motor system, and using this as the motor for the blind? Either by attaching the end of the blind to the motorised axle from the RC car, or actually taking the motor out altogether and attaching it (along with the comms parts) to the blind? Or option #3, having the wheels of the car beside the blind, so that when the wheels turn, the blind turns in the opposite direction like a pair of cogwheels?

Does this sound ridiculous or feasible as an option?

What you need is a remote controlled garage door motor and remote. A friend of mine retrofitted one to an attic trapdoor after he converted the attic to a spare room. WOrked great.

You'll get one for about 50 quid. It does everything you need, e.g.:
-The controller is a simple up or down
-The speed is quick enough without being too fast
-Fitting it is easy enough.

Eh... Isn't RC wireless by definition...?

No, RC can stand for Remote Control or Radio Control. Remote control usually means there is a wire between the controller and the car. Radio Control means radio-controlled.

dodzy · 01-03-2017 12:46PM

Do you intend using a blind that is on an existing window or are you purely looking to use a dormant blind and locate in on a wall for projection ? If the latter, then i'd just purchase an electric screen from amazon or ebay and ditch the "blind motor conversion" idea. You'd get one for about 70quid delivered. Remote control included.

sKeith · 01-03-2017 12:50PM

Where's the fun, excitement and sense of achievement in that?

sKeith · 01-03-2017 12:55PM

Here somebody uses an electric screwdriver to operate the screen.
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/110-diy-screen-section/617607-diy-electric-roll-up-screen.html
https://hackaday.com/2014/03/31/magic-screwdriver-decides-if-you-watch-tv-or-not/#more-118600

BrokenArrows · 02-03-2017 03:42PM

As said a car motor isnt going to work (In most cases, you may be lucky with the car motor)
They are for light weight and high acceleration.

You want something which turns slowly but with a decent amount of torque (depending on the weight of the blind that needs to be rotated).

You can use the car control & internals to control the voltage to the motor (forward, reverse and speed) but just go onto maplin.ie or find some other hobby shops to select a motor.

Workout the torque required ( http://www.blindshademotors.com/~motor/motor-selection-guide.html )

You will also have to pay attention to the voltage and rpm range of the motor.

Ideally your blind will be the type that just flips around indefinitely when it reaches the end and doesnt stop. If it stops then your motor could burn out if you dont turn it off or it will break the blind.

cml387 · 02-03-2017 05:00PM

Most projector screens are covered in reflective paint.
I'm afraid an ordinary window blind (albeit from Ikea) may give a disappointing result.

BrokenArrows · 02-03-2017 05:54PM

Maybe something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcingmap-Reduction-Electric-Gearbox-Centric/dp/B01KTZXZMK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1488473491&sr=8-2&keywords=motor%2Bgearbox&th=1

Motorising a blind using the motor from a remote controlled toy car?

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