SBPS Laser Projector

assembly instructions

Fleming (2012)

version 1.0

Free Instructions

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SBPS Laser Projector and SpectraBeat Software

The SBPS laser (text and animation) projector is designed to be used with SpectraBeat software
www.spectrabeat.com

SpectraBeat is a free software program that will convert text and

drawings into a special kind of music.

This music contains all the necessary information to reproduce any

given text or drawing onto a screen (e.g. a wall or tree) by using a
laser projector.

The SBPS projector is a laser projector that is designed to convert

SpectraBeat music back into text and drawings. It uses commonly
available very low-power laser pointers. The SBPS projector is very
cheap to self-build and is easy to assemble. No specialist knowledge
is required. It has been designed to be as simple and as cheap as
possible.

SpectraBeat generated music files can be projected using a SBPS

projector that is powered by connecting it to the headphones
output of a MP3 player,the stereo audio output of a computer or
any other media device.

The SBPS projector is made from typical household items such as a

cheap pair of old headphones, a laser pointer, a pocket mirror, soft
earplugs, plastic drinking straws and mechanical pencil leads.

Few tools are required to carry out the instructions: water based
wood glue (like the kind supplied with flat-pack assemble-yourself
furniture), a pair of scissors, a needle, nail clippers, a hammer,
and a large nail.

The SBPS design and assembly instructions are provided in this

document. SpectraBeat software can be downloaded for free at
www.spectrabeat.com

Enjoy building your own

laser projector
publishing tool.

Follow the instructions

carefully. Improvise if
neccessary.

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SBPS Assembly Instructions

This disclaimer is for any instructions given in this document. No warranty or guarantee is provided for these instructions;
you follow them at your own risk. For safety reasons these instructions must only be carried out
by persons older than 18 years of age.

Parts list
headphones soft earplugs wood glue, match

pocket mirror grahite leads, plastic straw Spectrabeat software

Assembly Instructions

Complete instructions for the SBPS assembly are still in

progress. In the meantime a summarised version is
provided here. More details can be found at
w w w. s p e c t r a b e a t . c o m

The first steps (A to D) are to prepare the headphone

speakers for the next steps. Each speaker needs layer of
g l u e o v e r i t s d o m e t o m a k e t h e d o m e h a r d e r.

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A.
Yo u w i l l n e e d a s e t o f
cheap headphones

Small multimedia
headphones type are ideal.

B.
Remove the speaker grill
using a pair of clippers.

Carefully remove speaker

f r o m h o l d e r.

C. Apply wood glue to speaker

dome (a 1mm thick layer
when liquid). Let dry hard.

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 Use a water soluble glue
that dries hard (e.g. wood
g l u e ) . Ta k e c a r e n o t t o s p i l l
o u t s i d e t h e c o i l c i r c l e . To
correct mistakes first let
glue dry fully and then
apply a wet paintbrush to
the glue and after 5 min.
gently peel off glue from
the edge using a sharpened
matchstick (apply wet
paintbrush again if needed).

D. R e p e a t A C w i t h o t h e r s p e a k e r. Ta k e c a r e h a d l i n g
speakers once removed from holders (wires are
delicate). A suggestion is to glue the speaker cables
near their solder points.This will give the connection
more mechanical strength.

If needed, remove speaker wires from the rest of the

h e a d p h o n e s c a s e . Ta k e c a r e n o t t o b r e a k t h e f r a g i l e
wires.

The next steps (E to K) are to

build two identical speaker
mirror assemblies using two
mirror flakes, plastic drinking
straws, graphite leads, two
matchsticks and a pair of soft
earplugs.

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E. Remove the flat mirror from
its holder and secure it
standing on its edge.

Punch a large nail

through a card and use a
hammer to break of 2
small 3-4mm flakes
(flints) from the painted
s i d e o f t h e m i r r o r.

F. Carefully clean paint off

mirror flake with nail
varnish remover or paint
s t r i p p e r.

Tr y t o r e m o v e a s m u c h
paint as possible without
scratching the clean shiny
surface under the paint.

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G. Cut 4 lengths of straw (2
long, 2 short) and break-
off 3 lengths of thin
graphite lead.

Use a pin or fine guitar

wire to pierce a hole
slightly smaller than the
diameter of the graphite
leads to be inserted. Make
extra small holes in straw
sections so glue can dry
(see K).

H. Glue the mirror flake onto

one of the graphite lead
lengths.

Insert the mirror graphite

lead into the straw
a s s e m b l y.

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I. Te s t i f s t r a w - m i r r o r
a s s e m b l y f i t s t h e s p e a k e r.
Tr i m l e n g t h s a c c o r d i n g l y.
Make sure the central straw
lies in the centre of the
speaker dome.

Apply glue generously to

straw ends (without
dripping). Place centred
onto speaker and gently
press to ensure glue flows
onto surface.

Let glue dry partially and apply more, in small

amounts, using a matchstick. Let glue dry hard. The
speaker-mirror assembly is now complete.

At this stage mistakes can be easily fixed by painting

problem areas with a wet paintbrush. Use a sharpened
match to gently peel off glue sections. Re-apply fresh
glue.

It is possible to use the speaker-mirror assembly as-is at

this stage, without further modification, to project simple
geometric shapes. To do this arrange the mirror graphite
leads so that they are mutually perpendicular. Bounce a
laser beam from one mirror to the next, while playing a
SpectraBeat music file through both speakers. The
distance between the speaker-mirrors should be kept to a
minimum.

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 The steps J and K
are to attach a
damping mechanism
to each speaker-
m i r r o r a s s e m b l y.

The final step will

be to cut the
layers of cardboard
that will be
layered to form a
case that can hold
mirrors firmly in
place.

J. For better quality

projection, especially of
text, most (if not all)
speaker-mirror assemblies
will require damping.

Ta k e a p a i r o f s o f t
squeezable ear plugs and
cut into an hour glass
shape (squeeze flat and cut
out v-shape sections, turn
90 and repeat).

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 K. Glue the hourglass shaped
damping to the centre
s t r a w.

Tr i m t h e c u t - o f f s f r o m t h e
ear plug to fit level with
the top of the hourglass
shaped damping. Glue in
place.

Remove the top

of a match and
lay it level over
the three earplug
components and
glue it place.

This scanner unit

is now finished.
Repeat again for
o t h e r s p e a k e r.

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L.
The last step is
to construct the
SBPS case from
layers of
cardboard (or
other material).

actual version

early prototype

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