Fabric Frames - Page 23

I just built frames using both techniques. For the style I built similar to Gpowers methos (I used 2 layers of 3/4" thick stock for 1.5" finished depth), I did butt joints at corners with a Kreg jig. If you keep your butt joints at 90 degree angles it should square up nicely.

For the deeper panels (mine were 3.5" and 2.75" deep) I used ripped 3/4" stock on edge and mitered those corners. Just brad nailed them and then nailed a triangle on each inside back corner to help keep square.

Fotto,

Sounds interesting, do you have any pics?

Thanks fotto

I think i'll just stick to butt joints then an make sure things are nice and square. I'm going to go pick up a corner clamp tomorrow that should make the gluing and screwing a breeze

Cheers,
Simon

I agree with Greg. If you're looking for the simplest way to build frames, the lap joint works great.

I have been building a lot of frames in many different sizes. The system GPowers developed, I believe, will give you the easiest result to get a great looking fabric frame theater.

Good luck,

Pete

Thanks guys.

I've managed to get my hands on a little corner clamp that does a pretty good job. Like GPowers mentioned I have to make sure the ends are cut square but apart from that it makes the assembly pretty quick and easy!

I'll put up some pics when i'm done.

Cheers,
Simon

My design includes individual frames that are spaced 3" apart. The challenge was to attach them to the wall so that they are evenly lined up. Any variation in the angle of a cleat would be magnified 4 feet later at the bottom of the frames. I thought about a french cleat, but in addition to the problem of attaching them to the wall perfectly, another problem is that the height of the frame will be affected by anything that prevents the frame from seating fully on the cleat (e.g. variations in the wall, or the thickness of fabric wrapping the frame, etcetera).

So I came up with a modified cleat design. The cleat on the wall has a rabbit cut out at the top and against the wall. On the bottom of the frame's mating surface, I installed two screws so that they extend down and rest on the bottom of the rabbit. Now, I can simply turn the screws to make millimeter-scale adjustments to the height and angle of the frame. The screws slide along the rabbit to adjust horizontally. Works perfectly. The frames are heavy enough that they won't move easily. If movement were a problem, a small tab of velcro would solve it.

Hope that helps someone.

raZorTT, RichardU, do you guys by any chance can post some pics? Thanks!

I am ordering a bunch of sample fabrics and the GOM sample ordering website doesn't even show Spinel 3582 color 022 Garnet is available as well as Sensa 9218 color 718 Black. I did another search on google and found these fabrics listed on GOM's website but they are "code yellow". Does anyone know what that means? Are they on backorder, discontinued, etc? Were they replaced with other names possibly? Thanks!

I just ordered red and black from fabricmate, and I just got an email saying that my order is back ordered until 12/28/10, so it could definitely be that it is back ordered.

I really like the stuff fastcap comes up with.

I wonder if the FastCap panels will rattle? They look so tempting!

I highly doubt it if the tension in the screw head is good. I might have to try them as well. I don't like the idea of an added cost BUT the fact that you can lift them off and get access to hidden screws and such is a big plus. With a 3/16" liftoff I think you can adjust for the needed play pretty easily, even on a room like GPowers did.

I am going to order one of those to test out for my future panels. I might be cutting it up into 1" long pieces and getting extra screws which will make it reasonable in price.

I was thinking the same thing as far as cutting it up. It would really help cut the cost, well as long as the screws are ridiculous prices.

Here is what I tried to describe. It works better than I would have imagined. In my case, accuracy was critical and therefore adjustability was required. As soon as you start screwing a cleat into the wall, it will shift by some percentage of a degree. This let me compensate for that, and is quite secure.

cheap source for z bar hangers

http://www.unitedmfrs.com/cart/detail.cfm?item=5634

Ok, maybe I'll be getting Big's cleat suggestion. As long as they don't rattle, they should do the trick.

I've never seen Z cleats which gives dimensional drawing for a stacked/mated pair showing outside to outside dimension. That's been a bit disappointing as I have been looking for a solution for hanging my screen frame, and would like to know. The mfgs I've looked at don't even give a single cleat drawing showing that critical dimension.

Anyone come across that? Maybe you just have to buy a couple and measure.

I took Big's suggestion and bought those z bar hangers. I hung my center channel with them yesterday. They work great! They have a nice tight fit and won't vibrate because of the way they are made. When the two pairs come together, they wedge against each other. Thanks Big!

Fotto, do you need me to take measurements?

If it's not too much trouble Andreas, I'd appreciate it!

I'm working on mine now, but still early in the process - a few frames built, and no fabric yet (still waffling on fabric choices).

I'm using wide panels, typically 26" H x 66" W, made of two layers of 1/2" plywood, and mounting against 1/2" furring strips screwed/liquid nailed to the drywall - will be using either 1" OC 703 1/2" spaced off the wall, or 1 1/2" OC 703 - will decide what to fill them with once I have all the frames built and covered, carpet and furniture in, and I have measured the room.

Not sure whether to bevel the edges, or use a small roundover - I've used the roundover on my column face panels, so far I like it, so I might go with that.

So far I have all the furring up on the walls, and have build 3 of the wide panels (and all of my column panels) - hope to build a lot of frames this weekend - depending on how much time my wife lets me play.

Here's a few early pics:

Side surround column with removable panels on the face (attached using speaker ball/socket grill guides):





Rear corner surround / bass trap column:



Dummy column:



Furring - there will be three removable main wide panels, and then fixed smaller panels at the top and bottom (to allow for baseboard/crown if I decide to do so):



Two panels built (bottom two), just in place temporarily - and not routed yet. The first I built without a middle support, I will build the rest with supports, and add one to that panel as well, to make sure it doesn't bow under the fabric stretch:



And thanks for sharing your approach and keeping this thread going so long!

Here are a couple quick photos of what I have done so far. This weekend I will hopefully get a few more frames built.

I've gone with a deep Mahogany trim along the floor, 1/3 of the way up and under the soffit. For the bottom 1/3 i'm using black GOM panels for the top 2/3 I am using burgundy.

This pic shows the first two panels in place with a door to the equipment cupboard resting against one of my columns.

Close up of the two panels

Here's a pic with the door sitting in place.


Cheers,
Simon

I'm curious Brad, are you going to stuff OC705 with some paper on the frt to blk mid-hi but absorb some low freq in these mid-colums?

Seem like "free" bass trapping available to me....just a thought...
Or, you could leave that as an option after the HT is done and you take some in room acoustic measurements....


btw, very nice job you are doing.

Here is mine, not totally complete but when is it?










Cheers

I'm toying with that idea too - like maybe make the "short" panels at the top and bottom a different color, maybe just black. But sort of scared it might end up looking like a racing stripe, which is not what I'm going for.


Looks great - race ya? Lol, j/k, with not table saw and this as my brad nailer, I would definitely get smoked:




Great job Jeff


Thanks for the atta-boy! Not sure what I'll do with those columns - but that is definitely a good idea. Had thought of just stuffing them with pink fluffy (cheap), but maybe OC 703 or 705 - I guess I probably will wait until I've done measurements to see where I'm at. After carpet and furniture is in. I will definitely fill the bottom of the rear corner columns with more triangles after final inspection (don't need that many outlets, they're just to satisfy code).

i love that red theater