Quick DIY Screen Tensioning Design

[InToOut]

Thought I'd share my screen tensioning design that I created at the weekend. I was expecting it to be a laborious effort where I had to go through multiple designs.

I have a Supertex screen that hangs via EMT conduit (wrapped in pipe insulation) that's threaded through the top pocket in the Supertex. The same EMT and insulation is installed in the side pockets. The bottom isn't fastened, with the excess fabric just draped on the floor (helps to collect the balls.

The issue I had was that impacts would pull the left and right sides of the screen closed together and I'd have to keep manually pulling the sides back to their rightful place to make the screen taut again.

On the right side I tethered the screen to the nearby wall with no spring tensioner (easier because the screen edge is very close to the wall - maybe 5 inches). I installed the tensioner only on the left and side and - as things worked out - that was enough to keep a perfectly tensioned screen.

[SimJim]

Can you post a pic?

[InToOut]

Can you post a pic?

Sorry - tried to embed a video, but maybe it didn't take...

[SimJim]

Ahhhh so moving theblock further left or back tensions the screen could correct?

[InToOut]

Ahhhh so moving theblock further left or back tensions the screen could correct?

That's correct. Between the tension of the spring you choose and the distance that you set between the block and the edge of the screen you vary the tension until you have a screen that's under good tension, yet doesn't create bounce-back with the ball. You can set the tension so that the ball just drops straight to the ground.

I bought a roll of tacky toolbox drawer liner from Lowes or Home Depot and glued a square of that to the base of the concrete block to eliminate any possibility of the block shifting. For spray glue I used 3M Super 77, but Xfasten double-sided carpet tape would have worked equally.

Lowes sells two-packs of springs for a few bucks, so I just bought a couple of packs to trial different spring strengths. In reality, a low strength spring turned out to be ideal..

[SimJim]

Nice! Seems like it works well, curious did you ever try tensioning with ball Bungees before and they just had too much bounce back?

[InToOut]

Thanks. I have very little room on the right side of my screen. It's maybe 4 inches from the wall. For this reason I needed a very compact tensioning system on that side and that got me thinking springs vs. bungees.

I also had no idea about the tension I needed, so I likes the Idea that I could simply swap springs without change the rest of the system.