Acoustic Panel Build

machone

It has always been my plan to add acoustic panels to my listening room. I decided on DIY panels.

I mean why should I pay retail when I can build them for twice the price?

I ordered a case of Dow Corning 705 rigid fiberglass. Each case has six 24 x 48 x 2 inch panels.



First, I am building two free standing first reflection panels. I need these panels to be mobile and decided to use mahogany for the stands. I started with a tripod plan but decided to go with a simple design using two feet, two posts and x-members.



Shade tree wood shop.



The frame for the fiberglass is also mahogany for the free standing version but just 1 x 2 pine for the wall mounted panels.



I used jersey fabric to cover the fiberglass. Not good! I wanted something stretchy but jersey stretches too much and shows every little detail though the fabric.

I need some fabric advice from anybody who has built similar panels.

I wiped on the first coat of poly and they are going to look great (thanks F1). I will post more photos as I progress.

When I finish the first reflection panels I'll build bass traps doubling the fiberglass to 4" or maybe I will build a couple of clouds for the ceiling.

One thing is for certain. Acoustic panels have made an immediate improvement in SQ and I cannot think of money better spent on a sound system.

Joey_V

I like it

Hermitism

http://www.joann.com/coupon/

Hermitism

machone wrote: »

I need some fabric advice from anybody who has built similar panels.

I used a microsuede with a paisley pattern for my 6 inch bass traps.
(Wood Embossed Paisley Black)




Used a stretchy plain microsuede for my 4 inch panels.
(Wuji Caviar Solid Black Microsuede)


And used a two-tone fabric similar to microsuede for my 2 inch panels.
(Wuji Charcoal/gray solid Alova) -but it's not as breathable of a fabric as microsuede. You want something that you can blow through easily if you put it up to your mouth. A tighter woven fabric will be more reflective and not absorb higher frequencies as well. From what I've read, pretty much any fabric will do for bass traps, opinions may vary on that. People may look at you strangely as they walk by when you are trying to blow air through the fabric when you have it up to your mouth. You should see the looks I get when I shop in a lingerie store.


All purchased from Joann Fabrics. After my first purchase, I found out they have a coupon page on their website (posted above). Paid full price on my first purchase, but I got 50% off my second and third purchases from them. All panels have OC703 inside. I scored two boxes of 4" OC703 on Craigslist for $40 from ATS Acoustics (someone had helped a musician friend move some furniture during relocation, and received two boxes of OC703 as payment to use or resell) after my first panel build project, so... had to build more!

Hermitism

You recommended Hancock to me and I drove 45 minutes to their location with coupons in hand, only to find out that location had gone out of business. I had a few four letter words for you on the drive back. I should've called them first. Joann was my only other choice unless I drove further away.

hochpt21

I used patterned burlap for mine.

Hermitism

Not mine, but these are wicked cool.


http://www.avsforum.com/forum/19-dedicated-theater-design-construction/1316623-diy-custom-printed-movie-poster-acoustic-panels-cheap.html

Mike Reeter

Loving the Panels, they look great! My next project is Bass Traps, floor to ceiling.

Carry on...

Joey_V

Where are you located? You make some wicked panels.

I would commission you to build my bass traps.

Hermitism

Joey_V wrote: »

Where are you located? You make some wicked panels.

I would commission you to build my bass traps.

If you are referring to the original poster, I completely agree. His stands are fantastic! A+

I just realized the first pic I uploaded for the bass traps are 4 inch panels. I uploaded the wrong file. Here are the 6 inch; They look like a couple of twin size mattresses.

machone

Joey_V wrote: »

Where are you located? You make some wicked panels.

I would commission you to build my bass traps.

If you are talking to me thanks for complement.
I live in SC near Savannah.
I got my hands full with all the projects (rabbit holes) started because of all you guys.
I still need to get the fabric under control to complete the first two panels.
Here is a photo of the stand with three coats of poly.

F1nut

machone wrote: »

Shade tree wood shop.

I've got one question, are you a shorter kind of guy?

Panels are looking good!

hornyhippo

machone wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

Where are you located? You make some wicked panels.

I would commission you to build my bass traps.

If you are talking to me thanks for complement.
I live in SC near Savannah.
I got my hands full with all the projects (rabbit holes) started because of all you guys.
I still need to get the fabric under control to complete the first two panels.
Here is a photo of the stand with three coats of poly.

Very Nice.
Do you deliver?
Excellent info. Movie themes, great look for home theater.

machone

F1nut wrote: »

machone wrote: »

Shade tree wood shop.

I've got one question, are you a shorter kind of guy?

Panels are looking good!

Thanks.
I need a portable bench or new knees

machone

Hermitism,
Did you have any trouble with the fiberglass shifting when double and triple stacking for bass traps?

SCompRacer

machone wrote: »

I need some fabric advice from anybody who has built similar panels.

Guilford of Maine FR701 acoustically transparent fabrics. Some places have minimum orders, others do not. Many, many colors available.

Hermitism

machone wrote: »

Hermitism,
Did you have any trouble with the fiberglass shifting when double and triple stacking for bass traps?

I built mine two different ways and had no problems with shifting. I'll try to explain how I did mine. My bass traps are made of one 4-inch and one 2-inch thick fiberglass panels and once wrapped, I can't slide the individual fiberglass panels even if I wanted to.

I built panels three different times. After buying my speakers and equipment and setting them up in a small room, the brightness of my speakers were a bit of a problem. Acoustic panels were one of the things I used to control that. Skip had suggested looking on Craigslist for the fiberglass because you can find some awesome deals on there. So month after month I watched and nothing came up, so I decided to order a box of insulation online because no one locally carried that type of insulation. So my first panel project came from one box of six 2-inch panels which I made two 4-inch 2' x 4' panels and three 2-inch 2' x 2" panels and two 2-inch 1' x 2' panels. All those panels were made frameless. I just used long staples to attach the fabric. You can also use fabric spray glue. The large four inch panels I cut a piece of plywood for the bottom edges 4" x 24" that would touch the ground (between the insulation and fabric) so it would have a perfectly flat bottom. Then later cut a couple piece of scrap 2 x 6 pine, routed the edges and painted black to sit the panels on. They stand perfectly straight without falling over. These were meant to go behind the speakers where there was no risk of someone bumping into them. To anyone wanting to make frameless panels, I wouldn't recommend using stretchy fabric like I did, because it makes it that much harder to pick up the panels, since you don't have a frame to grab hold of. I just use my palms on each side and squeeze inward, not using my fingers. You don't want to make permanent finger impression in the insulation. I can imagine if you didn't have the stretchy material tight enough the individual fiberglass panels could start to shift. The stretchy fabric was much harder to work with. Those were the only panels I need an extra hand on when stapling the fabric. To get it tight enough, you really need to have the fabric stretched back on both sides of the stapler before stapling, which required a third hand.

Couple years later a guy put up on CL six 2' x 4' 2-inch thick panels for $10 each that he had used in a home studio. I bought all six.

He said he had more, but he had thrown them in the trash dumpster weeks before because he didn't think there would be much interest in them. I would have bought everything, just because the shipping cost of ordering the insulation is so high. His panels were covered with an almost see through material, muslin maybe, and were framed in the back of the panel, not along the sides.

So I took them apart and doubled up the insulation to make 4 inch panels. No problems with the fiberglass shifting. I reused his fabric because he never cut off the extra fabric in the back, so there was still enough to cover a 4-inch panel. In fact, you have to align the panels perfectly before stapling the fabric because they are almost impossible to realign them after stapling. But this wasn't stretchy fabric. Also, that guy wrapped his fabric too tight and slightly rounded his panel edges, so I turned the insulation around to have good crisp edges toward the fronts. I was never happy with that fabric. The grey almost looked faded. Later realized that the color of the insulation was bleeding through the thin fabric making the color look faded.

Then two summers ago (I think), I found another CL ad for two boxes of 4-inch insulation and bought that and also took apart the grey panels from that guy's home studio from a couple years before and recycled 100% of the material: fabric, insulation and frames, since I was going to be buying more fabric anyway. I took that gray fabric, laid it down on the floor, clean side down, then laid down the frame and wrapped the fabric around the frame and stapled it on the inside of the frame, then cut off the excess So that fabric would be used for the back of the panels. After wrapping the panels with the good/new fabric, I learned a little trick. After stapling the fabric, when you go to cut off any extra material in the back, leave a couple extra inches on each side. Then take your fingertips and tuck the extra fabric underneath the frame (between the frame and insulation) which pulls the frame slightly away from the insulation, tightening up the fabric evenly. It made the fabric tight, but not too tight crushing the edges.

Hermitism

SCompRacer wrote: »

Guilford of Maine FR701 acoustically transparent fabrics. Some places have minimum orders, others do not. Many, many colors available.

When researching panels, this came highly recommended and they come in extra wide widths. Not cheap, around $25 per yard plus shipping, I think.

machone

Thanks for info Hermitism. Very helpful. The traps I am building have a simple 1x2 frame like your photo.
I just need to buy some fabric and get to work.

Hermitism

You're welcome. It's a rarity around here when I know anything that can help someone in this forum. I'm like the intern. I'm like the guy that gets the coffee for the intern. I'm the intern's intern.

If you need to order more insulation, check this place out:
http://www.buyinsulationproductstore.com/

At the time when I made my first panels and ordered online, this site had the best deals I could find on acoustic insulation. Not sure how their prices compare today. They also carry Guilford of Maine FR701 Acoustic Fabric.

machone

That's where I bought mine. Their prices are the best but shipping sucks.

Joey_V

All my panels have GOM fabrics, it's a little extra but I like it

SCompRacer

High marks on your DIY!

I inherited four of the GIK panels many years ago with their basic cloth and recovered them with GoM fabric. This is how GIK builds them.



My wife picked the color, Silver Papier. I bought four Tri-Traps to match. Two are stacked, other two in opposite corners. 14' ceilings.

Joey_V

I have silver papier... Good choice

ptrooper

Great stuff in this thread,I also loved what Joey did to his ceilings!,I pretty much soundproof my whole room and i will be adding the reflective furnishings in the future.

machone

Finished a 4" bass trap. I use a material called Olyfun. Easy to work, breaths and is not expensive.

It's half-xss mounted on the wall. I'll finish it up tomorrow and post more photos.

Just adding one bass trap has improved the sound quality!

machone

Finished two bass traps and got them mounted.

machone

Dual purpose

machone

I used 1" pipe insulation to cover the bungee cords.

machone

Found some missing bass last night.
Return To Forever-Romantic Warrior
In the first song "Medieval Overture" towards the end there is a organ note that drops down very low. In this room it has always been weak in the listening position. I could walk up to the front wall and it would be stronger.
With the addition of only two bass traps the bass is much stronger in the listening position.
I like it!

machone

I recovered the two first reflection panels with black.