Teleprompter Assisted Recording Device in Shipping Crate

I built this video booth as a promotional tool for my CC-licensed novella, Boggle and Sneak, in which inventor trolls travel to our house in jury-rigged vehicles and subject us to Rube Goldberg practical jokes. Most author readings feature the author reading. I want my readings to feature the readers reading.

This project is a mashup of Build a Basic Crate 2.0 by Overclocked and Teleprompter DIY for $50.00 by hersheymagic.

Step 1: Cut Panels

Panel dimensions:
- Floor: 1/2" plywood, 40" x 48": standard GMA pallet size.
- Ceiling: 3/8" plywood, 40" x 48"
- Side Walls: 3/8" plywood, 40" x 82"
- Back Wall: 3/8" plywood, 44.25" x 82"
- Door: 3/8" plywood, 43.75" x 80"

The panels were too big to cut indoors, but it was thirty below outdoors. I need a new pair of gloves.

Step 2: Move Indoors

Our house came with a free-standing workshop containing a potter's wheel, a kiln and (most importantly) a wood stove.

Step 3: Build Pallet

The floor panel is the top of the pallet. The rails are 2x4's. The cross-members are 1x4's. Everything is held together with deck screws.

Step 4: Cut Stringers

The stringers are 2x2's except for the door stringers, which are 2x4's. I cut the vertical stringers full-length, and cut the horizontal stringers to fit between the vertical stringers.

Step 5: Drill Bolt Holes in Stringers

Drill 5/16" holes to accommodate 1/4" carriage bolts.

Step 6: Attach Stringers to Panels

The stringers are attached to the panels with deck screws.

Step 7: Assemble Crate

Get a helper to help you balance everything, then bolt everything together using carriage bolts, washers and wing nuts.

Step 8: Install Door

Shim the door into position, and install the hinges. The hinges are screwed in on the door side and bolted in on the frame side.

Step 9: Install Doorknob

Use the template and instructions that came with the knob. You'll need a hole saw and a spade bit.

Step 10: Install Flooring

I used a carton of inexpensive no-nail, no-glue, snap-together laminate flooring. I cut the pieces to length with a chop saw. You want to monkey with the lengths to avoid having them look like they're laid in a grid.

When you get close to the door, stop and install the bracket for your transition board, then rip the last piece of flooring to width so it runs up to the bracket, then snap the transition board onto the bracket.

Step 11: Prepare Ceiling

Before we paint the ceiling, we want to install T-nuts for the Vaporproof light and cut the hole for the ceiling light box.

Step 12: Paint Ceiling

I rolled the celing with water-based latex primer, then taped the edges, then rolled it again with a mix of primer and Sand-Tex.

Step 13: Prime Walls

Prime Walls

Step 14: Paint Walls

Paint Walls

Step 15: Dither Walls

I mixed some green paint and some primer, then dabbed the walls with a paint-soaked rag until I had to go ice my arm.

Step 16: Install Molding

I mitered the molding with the chop saw (not your best option for a pro-quality job) and glued it to the walls with construction cement.

Step 17: Build Prompt Box

Size the prompt box to contain your flatscreen monitor, a sheet of one-way glass held at forty-five degrees to the monitor and a camera staring through the clear side of the glass. You will eventually want the box to be light-tight.

I built a little adjustable wooden rig with a 1/4" bolt as a camera mount.

A wireless lavalier mic will help keep spaghetti to a minimum.

Step 18: Attach Prompt Box

The prompt box bolts onto a U-shaped frame of 2x2's that are deck-screwed onto the left-hand wall. A window is cut in the wall, inside this frame. I cut the window using plunge-cuts, which is dangerous and not recommended!