AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › Screens › Vutec Bright White Tensioning
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Vutec Bright White Tensioning  

post #1 of 6
9/15/00 at 3:55pm
Thread Starter 
Has anyone made their own screen using the Vutec 1.5 gain fabric ?

If so, how did you achieve even tensioning for a flat screen ? I realize Vutec makes tab-tensioned screens, but I have no space to the sides where I need to put the screen -- I want the whole 8' of the alcove I've got. The side walls of the alcove will form part of the shadow-box. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif

------------------
Thanks,
Kirk

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 6
9/15/00 at 4:04pm
My Vutec Brite White uses Velcro to attach to the frame. I wonder if you can order a Velcro'd screen from Vutec? Then all you have to do is add the companion strips to the back of your shadowbox. Sure sounds easy when I have no idea how you built your shadowbox http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif
post #3 of 6
9/18/00 at 12:34pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry, Anson, I should have mentioned that I want to make a retractable roll-across screen, not fixed. But I was afraid I'd get no responses.

But with yours, did you run Velcro along the entire edge, on all four sides ? I'm envisioning having to stretch the screen material as I attach it to the Velcro and then the Velcro will crinkle up and have to be stretched as it is attached to the mating Velcro on the frame. Is that what happened to you ?

I'm trying to figure out if weighting the bottom edge and pulling on the sides with vetical dowels will provide even tension across the screen. But I know this material requires a black backing, and I'm thinking that if I sew the backing to the material, it will be the backing that will limit the tensioning.

------------------
Thanks,
Kirk
post #4 of 6
9/18/00 at 4:31pm
The Vutec arrived with velcro attached to both the front of the screen and the back of the frame, so there was nothing that I had to add myself. Believe me, Vutec would not have used Velcro if it wasn't adequate, and once the screen material has been attached to the frame, it ain't coming loose! My screen is very taut, although it took some effort to make sure I got all the Velcro attached properly.

As for backing, the brite white doesn't require additional backing as it is quite thick already and fully opaque.

By roll-across, you mean from left to right or vice versa? How are you going to do that, manually? Will the screen be attached to something at the top? If not, I don't see how you'll make it taut in the vertical direction.
post #5 of 6
9/18/00 at 7:03pm
Thread Starter 
Anson,

When you got the screen with the velcro already on it, did it look like it was crinkling the velcro from being under tension when the velcro was attached ? Or am I missing something ? Maybe the velcro tape itself had the same elasticity as the brite-white fabric ?

What I'd like to do is have the Vutec fabric attached to a black felt backing that wraps around to the front and provides a black masking border. The top edge of this border would have nylon "J" shaped (but flipped over into hooks) that would ride in a track at the top. It would roll up onto a dowel on the right side of the screen and unroll through the track and roll back up on the left side dowel to provide tension. The bottom edge would have tall skinny weights sewn in to keep it taut vertically. Yes, it will pull across manually, although I'm wondering if I can have it rewind spring-loaded -- I don't want to have to crank it back.

I wonder if Vutec sent me what I asked for ??

The sample swatch I got from Vutec was very flimsy of the bright-white and had no backing -- it was really just a bit thicker than latex dish-washing glove material, although not as elastic.

I also got a sample of the Vuflex Pro, which is very stiff, and has a black coating on the back. It would probably work great for me, but I don't like the texture it imparts to my DILA image.

Mark Foster recommended the Brite-white because it has no texture, I thought. My sample fits that description, but it does seem like it needs backing.

------------------
Thanks,
Kirk
post #6 of 6
9/19/00 at 3:23pm
Ok, now I understand what you're trying to do! Sounds interesting, and definitely calls for pictures when you're done.

The velcro came attached to the screen when it was delivered (rolled up around a tube). There was some very minor "wrinkling" on the edges near the velcro but it all disappeared after I cranked the material tightly onto the frame. I believe the velcro is put on just tightly enough so that when stretched during attachment, the screen is just fine. No mean feat, I bet.

FYI, my frame had the felt option, so on the back of the frame, the male (?) velcro counterpart was attached to first the felt and then to the frame. I don't recall how it was so firmly attached, but suffice it to say that it is not coming off!

I can only speak for my screen, but it is definitely thick enough to not require any backing material. Certainly more than twice the thickness of a typical rubber glove! I'm telling you, it's not flimsy, no matter what the sample was like. The material is indeed textureless when viewed from more than a couple feet away. Nothing is completely textureless, but of all the screen samples I've seen, the brite white is the most textureless outside of the matte 1.0 screens.

Best of luck! Hope the screen material arrives to your liking.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Screens
This thread is locked  

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › Screens › Vutec Bright White Tensioning