Can I make frames for acoustic panels from 7/16 in oriented strand board?

JG96

JG96

Active member
Hi everyone. I am making acoustic panels next week. I have wanted to do this for quite some time and I am excited to see the results. I was thinking of using OSB instead of your typical 1X2's as they are cheaper, lighter and I can cut them to the exact dimensions needed. I am slightly concerned about them being thinner though. Would they be harder to put together or more prone to damage?
 
They won't be as rigid, so might tend to sag. Also. screws driven through them to join them at the corners don't have much to work with and could split the wood (you could try L brackets with stubby screws instead, but that increases your cost).
 
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If you go to HD or similar they should have two grades of S4S pine. The more expensive grade will be mostly clear with few knots, while the cheaper grade will have a lot of knots.

If you are going to cover the entire frame with fabric the cheaper grade is fine.

A 1 x 3 S4S board is actually going to be 3/4" thick and 2-1/2" wide. For a two-inch trap I would go with that.
 
Sag could definitely be a problem. I want these to be portable gobos that fold up to 6' deep bass traps. I know some people drill holes in the sides of panels to keep the weight down. Maybe I should do that?
 
Are you using a specific design for these traps?

Check out the section on Panel Absorbers under the Low Frequency tab page.

Recording Drums
 
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Just to be clear - you want to make three 2" panels that when folded together are 6" total depth? Be aware that lumber dimensions are nominal, not actual. A 1"x2" board measures about 5/8" x 1-5/8" actual.
If you want ACTUAL 2" boards, you'll have no choice to split some sheets, but I wouldn't do anything thinner than 3/4" (18mm) wood to retain rigidity.
 
If you decide you want to build wall-mount absorbers instead you should look into designs by Ethan Winer.
 
mjbphotos said:
Just to be clear - you want to make three 2" panels that when folded together are 6" total depth? Be aware that lumber dimensions are nominal, not actual. A 1"x2" board measures about 5/8" x 1-5/8" actual.
If you want ACTUAL 2" boards, you'll have no choice to split some sheets, but I wouldn't do anything thinner than 3/4" (18mm) wood to retain rigidity.
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I don't think that would be a very efficient design. The panel membrane is as important as the soundboard. The vibration of the membrane and the insulation combined is what absorbs the energy.

Maybe if the fronts were built with Helmholz resonators that would improve the efficiency.
 
I am making imitations of these: GIK Acoustics Screen Panel Gobo
I am using Roxul safe n sound which is 3 inches thick. I plan on building panels 70 inches high and 16 inches wide and two will be connected by a hinge. My current room is not suitable for super chucks so I am using these instead since they can be repurposed once I move out.
 
Ok, use 1x4's - they're about 3-5/8" wide, so you could strip them down to 3" for tight-fitting finish, otherwise the S&S will be loose inside them. I wouldn't bother with the 'future idea' of folding them together for a 6" trap, instead keep them as they are (16" is narrow for traps) as part of a ceiling cloud or as first-relection-point traps.
 
Thats not a bad idea. I suppose I could always cut them down and use them in any configuration. I know bass traps are supposed to be 2 feet wide but my room has stuff in all four corners so full size traps are not very feasible. I may put some small traps where the corners meet the ceilings since there is actual free space up there.
 
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