Burlap!!!!

[Gorty]

I am ready to start making my broadband absorbers and have read all Ethan Winers articles etc etc and it seems that Burlap is the right choice for covering up the OC703.
The question I have is : Does the material come in different colors or is it generally a standard color?

I want Black!

[travelin travis]

It comes in colors.

[Gorty]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

It comes in colors.

Cheers Travis.

I just realised that my post above is just screaming for someone to say: "BLACK IS NOT A COLOR, IT IS A SHADE"........

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I just realised that my post above is just screaming for someone to say: "BLACK IS NOT A COLOR, IT IS A SHADE"........

No, I'm screaming.......BURLAP SUCKS!

[Gorty]

Originally Posted by RICK FITZPATRICK

No, I'm screaming.......BURLAP SUCKS!

Tell me why Rick!

What is your preference?

[c7sus]

It comes with Juan Valdez or Acapulco Gold stenciled on the sides.

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

What is your preference?

It is what it is. Burlap. yech! Like covering gold with a potato sack. This is what I did. I went to JoAnn Fabrics, and spent an hour feeling, looking, and BLOWING through various fabrics. Of course, I was looking for a bargain as well. Found a nice black polyester(heavy but slight stretch without opening the "interstices" of the weave. Stretched slightly over a bolt of bright yellow fabric to simulate 703.
Couldn't see through it, yet it "breathed" nicely. Remeber, were talking air MOLECULES here...and sound propagation doesn't work like blowing anyway. As to the burlap, pretty much its just my opinion. Burlap is rough, rough looking, and not very elegant. I was looking for something more akin to a fine speaker grill cloth or fabricwall system type fabrics. I found it...on sale for $4 a linear yard..60" wide. Bought 10 linear yards. Now if I could only afford the damn 703. I was quoted a price this morning for 4"thick at...get this...$2.40...A SQUARE FUCKING FOOT!!!!!....YIKES!!! For the quantity I need...it was a WHOPPING $1200.....my ass. Fucking theives. I may change my plans to mineral or rock wool. Although its harder to contain.

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

It comes with Juan Valdez or Acapulco Gold stenciled on the sides.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Obi-Wan zenabI]

I bought the 36" wide muslin for $0.99/yd @ joann.

oh, and at spi, I paid about $120 for two bundles of 9 sheets of two inch 4'x2' 703 (actually it was the johson Mansville version, same stuff.) I'm using it doubled up in the wall corners, and single thickness everywhere else. I think I'll need another bundle, but my studio is 20x30.

[timboZ]

I am thinking about building some also.
But I was gonna cover the 703 with 1 inch wedge foam from f***bymail.
I know that f***bymail gets a bad rap and fudges the specs, but for less than a $1.00 sq ft It will look better than burlap. (only using the wedge foam for looks. )

[apl]

I found fabric for $1/yd at Wal-Mart and it was wide enough to cover the 48" dimension.

[apl]

And burlap can look cool.

[travelin travis]

here's something you might want to think about. everyone says to use a breathable fabric for covering the 703 or rockwool. the number one complaint about the diy broadband absorbers that i've read around here is that they tend to absorb too much of the rooms mid and hi reflections. maybe a fabric that isn't breathable would work better. maybe something that's in between.

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

And burlap can look cool.

Everyone has a right to their opinion. Mine just happens to be opposite of Apl's I guess its because my EX wife made Burlap curtains in the 70's. She was into Macrame and natural fabrics. I hated those curtains.

[Gorty]

I have a million miles of black material, it is slightly thicker than the average bed sheet. Very easy to breathe through. That's what I am going to use................I think!

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I found fabric for $1/yd at Wal-Mart and it was wide enough to cover the 48" dimension.

You are da man Apl. I came very close to buying exactly the same thing at Wal-Mart, but before I could make up my mind, some Halloween party wannabe bought it.

I have a million miles of black material, it is slightly thicker than the average bed sheet.

Hey gorty, whatta ya got to lose. Strech that baby over a 1/2 dozen cheap yardsale picture frames and hang em up around the room. That'll tell ya.

[bpape]

Check out the lightweight Muslin and JoAnns. Comes in 2-3 colors and the white can be dyed easily with RIT dye. Only about $1 per yard.

Bryan

[Gorty]

Originally Posted by RICK FITZPATRICK

Hey gorty, whatta ya got to lose. Strech that baby over a 1/2 dozen cheap yardsale picture frames and hang em up around the room. That'll tell ya.

I have a couple of Big Foot pictures in frames I could stretch the stuff over Rick!

[Gorty]

Originally Posted by bpape

Check out the lightweight Muslin and JoAnns. Comes in 2-3 colors and the white can be dyed easily with RIT dye. Only about $1 per yard.

Bryan

Muslin!....I'll check that one out Bryan. Thanx!

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I have a couple of Big Foot pictures in frames I could stretch the stuff over Rick!

Go for it. At least it will tell you if you like the look/feel/color/transparancy. If you see Bigfoot through it, then you'll understand what I saw at night. And while were on this subject, you might be interested in some other fabric over frame concepts that I am experimenting with.

Basically, I don't want the look of rectangle frames. My strategy in regards to covering absorption media, is to fabricate frames that become part of an overall wall/fixture design scheme. In some places, the attachment of fabric will be via FABRICTRAC sytem For most people, it is a simple matter to build a frame, put a ply/other back on it, lay a 2x4 panel of 703/other within the frame, and then stretch and staple(on the back fabric over the entire unit. There are a zillion pictures here showing this typical approach. For me though, once I came across the concept of FABRICWALL systems, it opened a whole new approch for me.

Imagine a system of plastic extrusions that allow manipulating the design of walls by use of fabic in unusual and visually stunning ways. All the while making it easy to insert a fabric into a self closing fabric LOCK. Its a bit like when you re-screen a screen door or window screens in aluminum screen frame systems. The extrusion has a slot along the length of the extrusion for rolling a small continuous round serrated vinyl tube,, which comes on a roll. Using a special roller, this tube is used to force the screen into the slot, stretching the screen in the process, afterwhich the tube holds the screen in place. Similar concept with fabric track systems, however, there is NO tube. The extrusion profile includes a flexible "lock", which traps the fabic while you use a similar tool to insert the fabric in the slot. This also stretchs the fabric. Wall/ceiling design using this system is only limited by your imagination. You can do inside/outside curves and corners, and everything in between. These extrusions come in so many profiles, detailing a fabric covered wall design becomes....well, mind boggeling. Unfortunately, there are two disadvantages to some designs. First they are permanent. Second, they are expensive, and unavailable to the average HR enthusiast as you normally have to hire an installation contractor who is also the vendor for the particular manufacturer of the product he uses on his installations. Usually, these designs are architectural in concept and are part of a larger construction project, or smaller interior design firm projects, where the designer is familiar with the system, and specifys which manufacturer/installer, extrusion codes, fabric etc. I am no different. I've contacted a dozen manufacturers reps, who are also the installer. No dice, they won't sell the extrusions for DIY consumption. Assholes.

Sooooooooooo, to circumvent this little delima, I sat down and thought about it. Took me a few weeks to figure out a system to do the same thing, by fabricating an extrusion that would do the same or similar thing. Watch for my thread when I start installing my fabric

BTW, I don't know if you know what the State of Oregon, US is like. I believe you are an Aussie, is that right Gorty? Well heres a pic of my back yard when I moved in. There is a trail that starts at the rear of this "shed". Its still there. I can see it right now from my console. See my studio "view" here
http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=162858

Anyway, this trail leads a long a 100'deep ravine, of which the shed is cantelivered out over. You can't see it because of the dense forest. It was on this trail, approx 25' beyond the shed, where I had my "encounter", just at dusk. It haunts me daily here. I'll never forget it. Just wish I could. Hmmm, its almost dark and I have to go cut firewood.
fitZ

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Opps, forgot the "shed" pic. I've already uploaded it once so you have to see it here:
http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=168001
sorry.

[Gorty]

Originally Posted by RICK FITZPATRICK

Go for it. At least it will tell you if you like the look/feel/color/transparancy. If you see Bigfoot through it, then you'll understand what I saw at night. And while were on this subject, you might be interested in some other fabric over frame concepts that I am experimenting with.

Basically, I don't want the look of rectangle frames. My strategy in regards to covering absorption media, is to fabricate frames that become part of an overall wall/fixture design scheme. In some places, the attachment of fabric will be via FABRICTRAC sytem For most people, it is a simple matter to build a frame, put a ply/other back on it, lay a 2x4 panel of 703/other within the frame, and then stretch and staple(on the back fabric over the entire unit. There are a zillion pictures here showing this typical approach. For me though, once I came across the concept of FABRICWALL systems, it opened a whole new approch for me.

Imagine a system of plastic extrusions that allow manipulating the design of walls by use of fabic in unusual and visually stunning ways. All the while making it easy to insert a fabric into a self closing fabric LOCK. Its a bit like when you re-screen a screen door or window screens in aluminum screen frame systems. The extrusion has a slot along the length of the extrusion for rolling a small continuous round serrated vinyl tube,, which comes on a roll. Using a special roller, this tube is used to force the screen into the slot, stretching the screen in the process, afterwhich the tube holds the screen in place. Similar concept with fabric track systems, however, there is NO tube. The extrusion profile includes a flexible "lock", which traps the fabic while you use a similar tool to insert the fabric in the slot. This also stretchs the fabric. Wall/ceiling design using this system is only limited by your imagination. You can do inside/outside curves and corners, and everything in between. These extrusions come in so many profiles, detailing a fabric covered wall design becomes....well, mind boggeling. Unfortunately, there are two disadvantages to some designs. First they are permanent. Second, they are expensive, and unavailable to the average HR enthusiast as you normally have to hire an installation contractor who is also the vendor for the particular manufacturer of the product he uses on his installations. Usually, these designs are architectural in concept and are part of a larger construction project, or smaller interior design firm projects, where the designer is familiar with the system, and specifys which manufacturer/installer, extrusion codes, fabric etc. I am no different. I've contacted a dozen manufacturers reps, who are also the installer. No dice, they won't sell the extrusions for DIY consumption. Assholes.

Sooooooooooo, to circumvent this little delima, I sat down and thought about it. Took me a few weeks to figure out a system to do the same thing, by fabricating an extrusion that would do the same or similar thing. Watch for my thread when I start installing my fabric

BTW, I don't know if you know what the State of Oregon, US is like. I believe you are an Aussie, is that right Gorty? Well heres a pic of my back yard when I moved in. There is a trail that starts at the rear of this "shed". Its still there. I can see it right now from my console. See my studio "view" here
http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=162858

Anyway, this trail leads a long a 100'deep ravine, of which the shed is cantelivered out over. You can't see it because of the dense forest. It was on this trail, approx 25' beyond the shed, where I had my "encounter", just at dusk. It haunts me daily here. I'll never forget it. Just wish I could. Hmmm, its almost dark and I have to go cut firewood.
fitZ

Awesome view Rick!...Is that Bigfoot halfway up that tree on the left???

Yes, I am an Aussie and your idea is a great one. I have a design for my broadband absorbers that is going to be absolutely fantastical. I will take pics and post them up as soon as I have them made. You will like them I guarantee it!

[Innovations]

My favorite material for making absorbers is the polyester felt available at fabric stores such as Joannes. Many colors and cheap.