DIY Panel & Corner Traps, Detailed Step-By-Step Instructions & Photos

[vonrichter]

Phase 1: UltraTouch Panel Trap Tools & Materials

1. Ghetto mitre kit from Ace Hardware. Includes saw and mitre box. Cheaply made but it only needs to last through this project.
$12.99

2. Cheapest woodglue I could find at Ace hardware. 8 oz.
$3.29

3. Hammer.
Borrow one/enlist a pal if you don't have one.

4. Staple gun (if you've got a compressor and a pneumatic gun, all the better, but this works fine for a one-off project)
Borrow one/enlist a pal if you don't have one.

5. Tape measure.
Borrow one/enlist a pal if you don't have one.

6. Antique advanced writing utensil from Tiffany's of New York. Serial number 03.
$1,000,000

7. A buncha boards ripped from a sheet of plywood.. You can use pretty much anything here, like cheapo molding strips or packing crates. It doesn't have to be great or dense wood since it'll be covered. This is just what I had. 5/8'' thick. Ripped to about 1.25'' wide.
Free from my dads shed.

8. Chicken wire from lumber yard. 24''x 50'. I found a crapload of it in my aunts shed right after puchasing this roll. Oops!
$19.99

9. UltraTouch insulation. 5.5''x24''x8'. 4 batts per bag.
$64.99

10. Box of 1250 staples. 5/16'' 8mm.
$4.29

(Caveat: I do not claim to be an acoustics expert. Just a guy trying to build these as cheaply as possible with local supplies who decided to share his experiment with fellow Slutz.)

[vonrichter]

Phase 2: Building The Protoype Panel Trap.

Cut 4 length strips, 4 top/bottom strips, and 6 side strips. If you're using inconsistently ripped boards like I am, be sure to measure to the LONG edge, or it'll be all out of whack. Adjust any all all dimensions as needed to suit the room/wood you have access to. I am not concerned with making these perfectly square, just close enough that it looks nice when covered.

1. Apply glue to edges.

2. Butt joint together tightly and staple one side of the frame together. It helps to put a good amount of weight on the stapler when pulling the trigger.

3. Once all 4 corners are stapled, hammer the staples flush if needed.

4. Carefully flip over frame and staple the other side.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the rear frame.

6. Carefully set completed front and back frames aside to dry. Depending on your climate, they can take a lot longer to dry than what it says on the bottles. Better to play it safe with glue and give it an extra hour at least.

(Curvature/bowing illusion on last photo is caused by a wide-angle lens)

To be continued when the sun comes up...

[flober1970]

hey von,

that's mines..



F

[flober1970]

[vonrichter]

...continued.

7. If you're doing something else, you can "train" unrolled chicken wire for awhile to make it easier to handle.

8. Cut chicken wire to length. I used a cheesy little pair of needle nose pliers/wire cutter. Stretch and staple it nice and tight to the inside front and back frames. Chicken wire is dangerous stuff. A person could easily poke their eye out with it!

9. Glue up the corner strips and hold them in place with something. I used a staple. Tape would work.

10. Flip the frame over and screw or nail the corners in place.

11. Flip the assembly over again, glue and screw/nail the back frame in place. Add the middle strip on one side but leave the other open for now.

12. Slide the UltraTouch into the open side. Glue and screw/nail the other middle strip in.

Still to come: Fabric, Corner traps...

[Glenn Kuras]

Looking good so far. thumbsup

[Implicit]

Looking good!

[vonrichter]

Cool Flob!

Thx Glenn and Implicit.

Still waiting for another day of sun or two to finish the corner versions and cover these.

[vonrichter]

Finally got a couple hours of sun!

One of four finished panel traps. The other three are installed. I used fabric I had lying around. When/if I have some spare change I plan to recover with a darker color.

I'm estimating that when all 8 traps are installed the minor flutter echo in the room will be tamed as a side effect. It's already smoothed it out perhaps 25% with just three.

Next up: four corner traps and the finished room.

[vonrichter]

Phase 3: Building The Corner Traps.

1. I used a board to lay out the angles. Two of the traps are not perfect triangles because a door and window are in the way on two corners of the room, and I'm not about to attempt cutting UltraTouch lengthwise

2. Top and bottom of corner traps drying.

3. First corner trap assembled.

(Again, wide angle lens makes the pictures look distorted.)

[speakercoil]

Awesome thread so far!!!!