Blackout material, is, to my understanding, available in only the one color, but many grades. It's primary intent is to be used as a liner material in curtians, to make them opaque. They heat treat different layers of woven plasitcs together, and then impregnate the mix with different lo-grade acrylic mixes, (basically chalk) to try and get to a mixture that works,and is fairly stable on the long term. Some blackout cloth is better than others.
Most blackout is strechable in only the one direction, so,it can give you the fits if you are not familiar with stretching tecniques.. Always start in the middle when streching it onto a frame. bot in the horixontal and vertical axis. then, when halfway through (radiating out from the centers, in both directions) consider anchoring the corners in what is near their final strech positions. Then work towards the corners again, from your center points that you where previosly at. When you finally get to the corners, your streching should come out wrinkle free. If you don't pre-anchor the corners when half-way through, it can give you trouble when attempting to finally do the corners properly. That's abot it for tips, except the fact that the blackout that is the best constructed can be about $12 per linear yard, and can be stretched a bit in both directions. It also has the better made and adhereing acrylic topcoat. That's what that funny smell of the stuff is, it's the acrylic goo that has been bonded to the woven substrate. The acrylic is so badly made that it 'powders' under stress loading, so be careful.
Wash your hands before handling, and try and get the suff that appears to be the most intense 'true' white in color and brightness. Make sure you get it OFF OF THE ROLL, and make sure it has ZERO wrinkles, and spotting of any type, as it WILL show when you attempt to stretch it, or use it. Don't buy it off of the BOLT, as the fold marks will NEVER fully dissappear.
------------------
goosystems.com
Ken Hotte
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by KBK (edited 05-15-2001).]
Most blackout is strechable in only the one direction, so,it can give you the fits if you are not familiar with stretching tecniques.. Always start in the middle when streching it onto a frame. bot in the horixontal and vertical axis. then, when halfway through (radiating out from the centers, in both directions) consider anchoring the corners in what is near their final strech positions. Then work towards the corners again, from your center points that you where previosly at. When you finally get to the corners, your streching should come out wrinkle free. If you don't pre-anchor the corners when half-way through, it can give you trouble when attempting to finally do the corners properly. That's abot it for tips, except the fact that the blackout that is the best constructed can be about $12 per linear yard, and can be stretched a bit in both directions. It also has the better made and adhereing acrylic topcoat. That's what that funny smell of the stuff is, it's the acrylic goo that has been bonded to the woven substrate. The acrylic is so badly made that it 'powders' under stress loading, so be careful.
Wash your hands before handling, and try and get the suff that appears to be the most intense 'true' white in color and brightness. Make sure you get it OFF OF THE ROLL, and make sure it has ZERO wrinkles, and spotting of any type, as it WILL show when you attempt to stretch it, or use it. Don't buy it off of the BOLT, as the fold marks will NEVER fully dissappear.
------------------
goosystems.com
Ken Hotte
[email protected]
[This message has been edited by KBK (edited 05-15-2001).]
