Blank Studio Canvas - Where do I start

[Sam Spoons]

An additional strip wood frame over the fabric might work, it could also hide the mounting brackets?

[Fishnish]

I have a room of similar proportions -a bit bigger, but with a similar issue where a window sits almost in one of the mirror points.

I followed the very helpful SOS portable absorber guide (link below) to make up some panels for wall mounting, then made a couple of extra ones with feet and solid backs, so they could sit on the window sill when the need arises. They can also be deployed as gobos/screens for other recording tasks.

(https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... -treatment)

[James Perrett]

You are going to need nearly 2 metres for a single panel,

Am I right in thinking that this allows for covering the back as well as the front? You can save a bit of money by using hessian on the back.

I usually get my Cara fabric from Soundproofingexpert on eBay but it looks like prices have increased a bit since I last bought some so your price looks pretty good - especially if it includes VAT.

[Drew Stephenson]

I used weed blocker material on the backs of mine, cheap, breathable and stretchy enough to be easy to work. If it wasn't only available in black I'd have used it all round!

[Sam Spoons]

I used cheap decorators dust sheets on the back, if I'd been strapped I'd have used it on the front as well.

[Scouser]

The depth of the panels is 2,1/4 "

Hugh mentioned, that the distance from the wall should be the same again ( If I remember correctly ) which would make it 5" total, what would be the best fixings for something to keep them a distance from the wall ?

I was thinking I might a an additional outer frame at 5" depth Perhaps that may cut down on waste ? As it seems a bit pointless wrapping it around any further that it needs to be. But then that wouldn't keep it away from the wall, sounds like I'm making life complicated !

[Martin Walker]

I hung my traps using picture wire and a hole drilled into the wall containing a Rawlplug and suitably-sized screw.

Then I spaced the traps from the wall quite simply by placing three chunks of suitably-sized foam behind them (at top left, top right, and bottom middle) - the tension from the picture wire and trap keeps them from falling out.

Don't build a 5-inch frame, as that will prevent the air getting to the sides and back of your trap.

Martin

[Scouser]

Just wondered, before I make this order how much smaller the panels would need to be, to have less waste ?

If it is just a small amount then maybe I could consider that before ordering.

Currently I think it stands at 2 linear mtr per panel ( Panel size 80 x 180 cm )

[Luke W]

It depends on how you're planning on covering the panels. At the moment your longest panel dimension is 100mm bigger than the width of the fabric, so you'd have to run the fabric "length-ways" along the panel to cover it, which would leave you with a big strip of waste from that entire length.

To run the fabric "width-ways" and minimise waste then you'd need your longest dimension to be less than the width of the fabric (plus however much you need to overlap the edges by). So for example, a panel of 1600mm x 800mm could be done with a single width of fabric at 900mm long, and that would leave you 50mm on every side to wrap around the edges.

Something that I think Sam mentioned earlier here is that you could fix the fabric straight to the front of your frame and then use a trim to cover the edges up. If you were careful with your cuts, two 1800mm x 800mm panels could be covered with just over 1800mm of fabric. What you save on fabric may well leave you some change after buying some trim.

I find that when I'm planning things like this then drawing them out really helps. You may find that seeing it in front of you helps make sense of all of the numbers.

[Drew Stephenson]

What Luke said ^^^.
It all comes down to how / where you're going to attach it. Cara only stretches a little; enough to make it straightforward to get a decent finish, but not enough to think about eeking extra distance out of the cut.

[Luke W]

Cara only stretches a little; enough to make it straightforward to get a decent finish, but not enough to think about eeking extra distance out of the cut.

Absolutely. I find that it's worth being careful to make sure you're stretching it very evenly as well, the weave looks rather strange if it's pulled tight in some places and left a bit looser in others. Getting the centre of the panel looking nice and straight and then working out towards the edges seems to work well for me.

[Sam Spoons]

My panels are mostly based on 1200 x 600 mm Rockwool slabs, with the extra length added by 2 x 1 (~ 44 x 22 mm) timber framing I could get enough wrap over out of the width of the fabric to fix it to the back and needed approx 800mm linear for each panel so it worked out pretty efficient use of materials. The other advantage of working to the slab size was that the frame could be a simple perimeter frame with no extra braces and the fabric was enough to support the Rockwool even when the panels were ceiling mounted.

[Scouser]

Hi Luke W, I was trying to send you a PM, but not having a lot of luck ?

Perhaps you don't accept pm's ?

[Luke W]

Hi Luke W, I was trying to send you a PM, but not having a lot of luck ?

Perhaps you don't accept pm's ?

I've checked my settings, unless I'm missing something then it's set to allow PM's from all users. Strange...

[Scouser]

I've tried again, not the first time I've had this problem.

Hopefully you have got that, this time

[Scouser]

Has anyone made the panels, without an outer trim, So all you see is the fabric, ie frame is on inside and covered.

Or does this require special upholstery skills

[Music Wolf]

Frame is on the 'back' with Cara fabric stretched across. Not the neatest but easy and less wood (therefore lighter).

[Drew Stephenson]

See also page 12 here: https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/view ... &start=165

[James Perrett]

Has anyone made the panels, without an outer trim, So all you see is the fabric, ie frame is on inside and covered.

Yes, all my panels are like that. I just stretch the fabric around the frame and staple it at the back.

[Scouser]

Ok so the goal posts keep changing here,I have decided to start again and not recycle existing panels, as they are filled with rockwool off a roll and i would have ended up filling new panels with bits and pieces.

So I thought it best to buy 1200 x 600 slabs, as they seem to be the biggest sizes, I have seen. So this poses yet another question 50mm or 100mm thickness ? Would 50mm suffice or is 100 the way to go ?

Also I seem to remember that they needed to be RW3 ? Many of the packs I have seen, seem to be RWA45 which seems to be lighter or less dense ? Is there a big difference between the two ?

[Luke W]

RW3 is definitely the one to go for, RWA45 isn't as dense so it's a quite a lot less effective. It also makes it harder/more of a pain to work with as it doesn't hold its shape very well and needs more supporting braces.

100mm thick would probably be my choice if you've got the room for it, you'll tame the low end a lot more with thicker panels.

I went with 50mm for my side panels but only because space was a real concern. My flat mounted ceiling panel is 100mm and my sloped one is 300mm in the middle (with an air gap behind) going down to about 50mm at the edges.

[Drew Stephenson]

I'd echo the RW3 and 100mm options. Easier to work with, largely self-supporting and effective to lower frequencies. The pics in my thread (linked above) show exactly that.
I found Jewson to be the cheapest supplier who could actually get them in stock.

[James Perrett]

I actually went for 50mm panels with the idea that I could double them up where I wanted the extra thickness.

[Sam Spoons]

As I said in out PM exchange (for the benefit of anybody finding this thread in the future) I used 50mm RW3 and spaced it around 50mm off the surfaces.

[Scouser]

Hi Folks, I am now in the process of covering my panels and will be following Martins suggestion to hang panels with picture wire and hooks.

Just wondered what gauge of wire to use and how taught they should be wired, to accommodate sponge spacers ? Does it matter where the hooks are placed on the rear of panels, so it hangs correctly ?