Insta-Foam for Acoustic Treatment?

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Gear_Junky

Gear_Junky

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Insta-Foam is a packing material used by shipping companies. It's a liquid sprayed from a nozzle (comes from 2 separate drums, Component A and Component B). When exposed to air (or each other, i don't know) it expands manyfold and becomes solid foam (like styrofoam). It's somewhat like insulation too, it fills all the gaps.

I have a friend who owns a warehouse and the Insta Foam system.

What if I could make corner-shaped pillars (cardboard) and fill them with insta-foam. Do you think that would be better or worse than Home Depot fiberglass insulation?
 
Gear_Junky said:
Insta-Foam is a packing material used by shipping companies. It's a liquid sprayed from a nozzle (comes from 2 separate drums, Component A and Component B). When exposed to air (or each other, i don't know) it expands manyfold and becomes solid foam (like styrofoam). It's somewhat like insulation too, it fills all the gaps.

I have a friend who owns a warehouse and the Insta Foam system.

What if I could make corner-shaped pillars (cardboard) and fill them with insta-foam. Do you think that would be better or worse than Home Depot fiberglass insulation?
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Gear,

That would be worse than ANY fiberglass insulation for sound attenuation.

The home despot insulation is not really what you want either - you should be searching for rigid fiberglass or rockwool.

Sincerely,

Rod
 
Gear_Junky said:
Insta-Foam is a packing material used by shipping companies. It's a liquid sprayed from a nozzle (comes from 2 separate drums, Component A and Component B). When exposed to air (or each other, i don't know) it expands manyfold and becomes solid foam (like styrofoam). It's somewhat like insulation too, it fills all the gaps.

I have a friend who owns a warehouse and the Insta Foam system.

What if I could make corner-shaped pillars (cardboard) and fill them with insta-foam. Do you think that would be better or worse than Home Depot fiberglass insulation?
Click to expand...
If it is what I think it is it sort of forms a hard shiny surface and is fairly stiff. In other words it would be nearly worthless.

What you are looking for in an accoustic treatment is something that lets the pressure waves into it and then disrupts them among myriad passages and channels. That is why you want about three to five pound per cubic foot material. It has just the right mix of porosity and energy dissipation.
 
That's more or less like "Great Stuff" foam right? Yeah, that's not going to do crap.
 
Innovations said:
What you are looking for in an accoustic treatment is something that lets the pressure waves into it and then disrupts them among myriad passages and channels. That is why you want about three to five pound per cubic foot material. It has just the right mix of porosity and energy dissipation.
Click to expand...

Nice technical explanation, thank you! Stops me from even thinking about it ever again. I like logical answers that I can apply and make other conclusions from (as opposed to just "use something else").

Considering that packing materials are made to be as light as possible I can now see why peanuts and bubble-wrap will not be great either.

So something like rockwool or rigid fiberglass... Now what about enclosing these in a cardboard box, would that prevent the pressure waves from going in?

What i'm trying to gather here is not just a list of things to use, but concepts, so maybe I can come up with a handy economical solution based on what i can get.

Appreciate the sound advice (pun intended). :-)
 
Gear_Junky said:
What i'm trying to gather here is not just a list of things to use, but concepts, so maybe I can come up with a handy economical solution based on what i can get.
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Your best bang for the buck is shown in Figure 3a.

corner-trap.gif
 
So is that just a matter of buying a sheet of that rigid fiberglass that size and sticking it in the corner? Or do I have to build this box?

I'm also concerned about fiberglass dust and health hazards.
 
Gear_Junky said:
So is that just a matter of buying a sheet of that rigid fiberglass that size and sticking it in the corner? Or do I have to build this box?

I'm also concerned about fiberglass dust and health hazards.
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Your box idea won't work because it will reflect the sound waves.

There is a binder that makes rigid fiberglass rigid, and it keeps down on the dust.

We never worried about stuff like that when we were 15.
 
And you can wrap the fiberglass in fabric, furthe cutting on down on dust.
 
At first you said you didn't want to spend any time or money on making it right, but I'm glad that you now want to get the concept down and you're willing to try it the right way. Buying the material and making a bass trap isn't all that expensive, plus who doesn't love a good project??? I LOVE making things and working on stuff. :)
 
SonicClang said:
At first you said you didn't want to spend any time or money on making it right, but I'm glad that you now want to get the concept down and you're willing to try it the right way.
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I still don't, but maybe I'll have to. I'm still not buying any commercial products, unless I can spend $100 or less total (to avoid the hassle of building them).

I know where you're coming from. It's like when someone asks me to help them buy a guitar (even for a beginner) I always have trouble recommending anything, because they want to spend $50. But I understand them too!

SonicClang said:
Buying the material and making a bass trap isn't all that expensive, plus who doesn't love a good project??? I LOVE making things and working on stuff. :)
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Right, but between being married, working full-time (I'm actually not 15 :) ) and having other responsibilities I just can't spare any time. And I don't have a shop or even a workbench to work on. And frankly I don't even like projects all that much :D I'd rather actually practice the drums or play my guitar.

But that's not to say that I don't appreciate all the advice. It's kinda like with buying an instrument (or a mic or a piece of equipment). Sure, I don't want to spend any money, but after realizing what's involved I find a happy equilibrium, something in my "price range".

I came to realize that one doesn't need a Gibson Les Paul Custom (ok, maybe an Epi) to have a great guitar sound and one doesn't need a $2000 Gibson jumbo to have a nice sounding acoustic guitar. So I'm sure I'll find an incarnation of this concept in sound treatments too.

Let's keep the ideas rolling! :)
 
But what we're trying to tell you is that you'll spend LESS money if you make them yourself. If you buy bass traps, you're looking at $200 a piece. Whereas if you make them, and we're talking making them as simply as possible, you're talking pennies on the dollar compared to that. Get the materials and take an afternoon with the guys you jam with and build them.

And BTW, most of us are married here and have full time jobs. We're all in the same boat. I don't have time to build a studio but I find it anyway. :)
 
I appreciate your devotion, Sonic. I'm not discarding any of your advice, I'm just gathering the options list. I might just do as you say in the end. Thanks!

:cool:
 
That's exactly what we've been suggesting... :)
 
Junky,

First off - fiberglass can cause some irritation in the human body - but it is not a true health hazzard....... read this thread to learn the truth.....

http://recording.org/ftopict-21013.html

But, as far as your question on a cardboard box...... it would tend to reflect some mid and more high frequencies - but will still work well with low frequency treatment.

It isn't that hard though to make some good looking glass with just a fabric wrap - and once wrapped loose fibers aren't an issue any more unless you plan on beating the product with a stick.

Rod
 
Rod Gervais said:
unless you plan on beating the product with a stick.
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Take that!!! and That! You stupid trap!!! Whack!!! Whack!!! Let the bass go!!!!
 
BAD Panel! Oops! RPG already has that one trademarked... ;) :D
 
Rod Gervais said:
...and once wrapped loose fibers aren't an issue any more unless you plan on beating the product with a stick.
Rod
Click to expand...

"BassTrapPinatas.com" :D

Just don't put those things close to the drummer, then, huh?
 
I guess it depends on how much he thrashes around while playing.
 
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