Building bass traps, shopping list.

R

RAMI

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OK, help me out. I just bought 16 panels of Roxul R-22. I couldn't find any OC, and my only other choice was rolls of the fluffy pink stuff.

These Comfortbatts are 5" thick, 48" high, and 16" wide. I've already used 6 of them to make superchunks in the 2 corners in front of me, 2 to make clouds over my desk and drums, and I already have 5 6'X2.5'X2" rigid fibreglass panels on my walls.

So now I have 8 more panels that I'm going to start building frames for.

I just wnat to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

This is what I bought so far to hang the 8 remaining panels:

88' of wood (thick, molding-type but not flexible)
60' of breathable fabric (I'm going to need a shit-load more)
16 eye-hooks
16 closed round hooks
16 S-hooks
Lots of chain
Circular saw, Heavy-duty staple gun, wood screws, etc.....

I'm the least handy guy in the world, so this is a major project for me.

Let me know if there's anything else I need to get these things hung up around my room.

Thanx
 
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I'm sort of following this guy's guide to building bass traps:

http://www.basstraps.net/DIY-BASS-TRAPS-MADE-EASY.pdf

The only thing is, his frame is more of a "backing" for the fibreglass. I thought the wood frame would be around the fibreglass, not behind it. He seems to be building his more like one would build a box-spring/mattress, with the fibreglass sitting ON the wood, as opposed to inside it. Is this the way it should be done?
 
RAMI said:
I thought the wood frame would be around the fibreglass, not behind it. He seems to be building his more like one would build a box-spring/mattress, with the fibreglass sitting ON the wood, as opposed to inside it. Is this the way it should be done?
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Yeah, I think this is actually the way the majority of people do it! It just kinda supports it from the back and the fabric pins it to the frame! I'm about to embark on this same thing you're doing...stashing up the cash for supplies (I'm taking the Roxul route too...so much cheaper!) and scouting out where to buy them! :D
 
guitaristic said:
Yeah, I think this is actually the way the majority of people do it! It just kinda supports it from the back and the fabric pins it to the frame!
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Now that I think of it, it makes total sense. I was looking at it as more of a frame, as opposed to a backing.
I'm about to embark on this same thing you're doing...stashing up the cash for supplies (I'm taking the Roxul route too...so much cheaper!) and scouting out where to buy them! :D
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Good luck man. I'm excited to get it done. I found that the fabric is the biggest expense. Even the cheapest stuff adds up tothe biggest expense in all this.
 
I just did the same thing for 16 panels and I still have big issues in the corners there is probably a better design for real "bass traps" specifically. I used mine as broadband absorbers and traps and although I'm happy with the mid/high absorption the law end 300 and below leaves something to be desired, for now this will do though.
 

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I didn't see spray-on adhesive, but I may not fully understand how you intend to build your panels. The adhesive would be to hold the fabric to the panels, but you might not need it. Maybe that's what the staple gun in for.

Have fun with it.
 
After 16 of these fuckers I would say you really only need adhesive for the panels inside, the stapling holds them to the backing, wasted a lot of adhesive on backing only to have it give way while stapling on the covering.
 
I don't necessarily think there's a wrong way. You do need something to make the insulation stick to the wood if you make the frame around it or put a support piece on the back to keep the insulation from sagging. I did mine this way, simply because it seemed logical at the time. The most cost effective way is definitely what you're planning to do, less wood and no adhesive to account for.
 
Thanx guys. I didn't even think of adhesive. It didn't cross my mind that I might need it. I'm thinking that pulling the fabric tight enough and stapling it to the wood would hold the fibreglass in place.

Now I'm thinking of putting a couple of drops of crazy glue on each corner of the panel to hold it to the wood.
 
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Made 3 frames this afternoon.

Here's some studio pics, followed by the frames I built.
 
Frickin' attachments are going weird on me. Sometimes it shows all3 pictures, sometimes it doesn't.
 
I don't know, man. Fist, every picture I posted was there. Then, they disappeared.

Weird. Wild.
 
The attachment function has been hosed for a while. Use photobucket.

You are doing it right. I ran into the same questions when I did mine. Wound up using strapping (furring) as a backing instead of a frame. Something to screw hooks or french cleat halves onto. The fabric, wrapped and stapled, holds the insulation in place just fine.

For pathcub - look into "superchunks" for wall corner treatment.
 
RAMI said:
This chick gives a geat demo of how to put a bass trap together. I did mine alomost exactly like this, but I didn't use any adhesive on the wood, just staples.

How to build a bass trap or an acoustic panel - by Nenne Effe - YouTube
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That is almost exactly the way I built mine. One major (to me) difference is that I used a sheet of plastic between the frame (painter's drop cloth) and the OC703 panel to trap any fibers from getting out the back afterward. I wasn't as picky on my corners either - just fold and staple.
 
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