Old masonry to recording room

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:52 am

Music_Junky wrote:

Are you recording yet?

Hi Halldor,

Unfortunately, no. I'm stuck. Not finished, it's still the same as on upper photos. I was waiting for delivery from supplier but he screwed me really well and I loose too much time. Damn, it sucks. I bought mineral wool and covering cloth, now I'm looking for some dried planks to make absorber frames.

This summer is sooooo hot here I barely can breath. It’s hard to work on 39 degrees unless you’re the camel. You're lucky up there on the north, you know. Wink

I hope I will continue to deal in the next week or two. It's about time.

Glad you find interest in this thread, you are welcome.

Best regards

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:58 pm

Groff wrote:

Music_Junky wrote:

Are you recording yet?

Glad you find interest in this thread, you are welcome.

Best regards

mi imati tračak nade ide dobar!

(Loose translation from online dictionary! I don't know Serbo-Croatian, so the grammar is blaaaah)

We have a glimmer of hope it will go well!

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:28 am

MadTiger3000 wrote:

mi imati tračak nade ide dobar!

Nice try Tiger.

(Literally translated: We have a glimmer of hope going well)

But you make my day. Thumbs Up

Thanks for support

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:37 pm

Finding dried fir wood here in my county is like searching for the gold. On the North Pole. Here I can buy only green/wet fir wood but dried ... no way. Occasionally it's possible to find class-A fir wood, but it cost 3-5 time more than the wet. The reason is simple, we are using the fir boards only for roofing and to make a kind of concrete forms for pouring foundation, so the wet wood is good enough for that.

Sure, it’s possible to find any other kind of popular dried refine wood (oak, chestnut, ash …) and pay - a fortune.

Without a question, this is my fault. I could buy wet boards much earlier, in the spring.

Finally, I collected stupid wood from private storages. On that road I met heaviest red neck people you can imagine and higgling with them was … kind of hemorrhoidal disease.

After using jointer and thicknesser machines in local carpenter shop, I proudly present …

The boards

The next pain in the @ss were resin glands. The heat gun was used to warm (boil) the resin then sand abrasive to open a bit more and clear the ducts.

Some of those were big and ugly faced

The scars will be filled with mixture of glue and saw dust.

After drying and sanding, results are acceptable.

Next step will be staining. Could be tricky, it’s foggy and wet with temperature under 10* C.

More time for drying? Again?

Pure dehydrophobia.

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 5:20 am

G,

What a pain in the butt!

I would have suggested building a small cheap sun-kiln, but it looks like you've now gotten your wood reasonably dry... which is a GREAT thing! Thumbs Up

Here in the states, we have the majority of our fir come in to the distributors already kiln dried. It's not always consistent moisture content, but at least it's pretty dry, and sometimes it's even reasonably straight!

I like your idea of boiling out the sap pockets! That's a slick little trick I'll try the next time I need it.

With your staining... Rather than using a brush to put it on and then rubbing the excess off; try using a cloth to rub on the stain in the first place.

It has a tendency to not be quite as much moisture at one time, and will dry quicker. You may have to put two layers of stain on, but the overall dry time is quicker in most cases.

What are you going to use for the actual sealing finish on the slats?

Good luck my friend!
Max

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:39 am

Welcome Max,

MadMax wrote:

What a pain in the butt!

O yes, it always is when you're on the budget. It took me a week to treat near to hundred ducts/pockets. Never mind, I'm glad it's done.

Thanks for staining advice, I will try it for sure.

MadMax wrote:

That's a slick little trick I'll try the next time I need it.

I got the wink about it from carpenter, so I'm sharing now. Be sure to wear the glasses, it's not spitty, but ... who knows. The gloves too. It's hot and messy.

MadMax wrote:

What are you going to use for the actual sealing finish on the slats?

I'm planning to build open back broadband absorbers, nothing spectacular. Fir frame, rope net on the nails inside to hold the back of the wool, thin PE foil to preserve bleeding from the back, then 3'' mineral wool on top of that, and kind of burlap for covering the front face. No front slats. Simple broadband. I'll built it in three different sizes: for corners, ceiling and walls.

Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:32 am

Nothing special, just a small update.

Few days ago I put first layer of stain on, and today the second. Now it’s draying time again. This stain is hitting damn hard in closed space. I'm stoned Confused

No beer this evening.

the second

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:36 pm

Your live room is getting very pretty Smile

I like your design. But I have just one question. Won't there be a window to the control room? I find it really hard to work with artists without eyecontact.

Are you going to acoustically treat the control room too? Or have you maybe done that already?

Keep up the good work. I love watching this thread Wink

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 6:46 pm

Thanks for kind words Gnarr, I'm glad you like it ... and welcome to this board ... not just as a lurker Thumbs Up

Previously I worked at places with and without the window. The first switch to bat-world was weird but after a while, I realized that my ears are everything I really need. Sure, with the window it looks fancy, professional, sometimes easier to work and to have better supervision on the whole session. After few years of experience in recording without the window I don't feel I miss it that much. The second reason is, of course, the price.

Besides, it's more than enough just to listen what they are playing, no need to look their performing grimaces. I can sleep better, no more nightmares. Smile

gnarr wrote:

Are you going to acoustically treat the control room too? Or have you maybe done that already?

In the control room I'm done with window plug (triple drywall on batten frame inside the window cavity plus insulation), wall painting and laminate flooring. The walls are partially treated with 10 cm acoustic foam to decrease flutter echo. I have to treat corners and RFZ with broadband absorbers.... but I will save it for another topic. Short one this time. Wink

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:19 pm

Finally ... all ingredients are here!!! The third layer (mixture of stain and lacquer) gives a nice gloss. The photos are too bright because of different camera. Confused

Here comes my first absorber and it was a joy to build:

Measuring and applying „U“ shaped nails.

Assembling the frame

The rope net

Those screws are very important, I realized that later....

PVC and the wool

The rear side

Next part and it's done!!! Smile

No dressing today.

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:54 pm

Hello there !!!

Nine frames in three days. Done.

Big step. Very Happy

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:19 pm

Update

Here is the hanging system, before filling up the absorbers. First, for corners, hinges were bended to match the angle and the rest was easy to install.

For the wall absorbers the L-bracket were used but also somewhat adapted.

Now, as usual, comes the weird part. I haven't found soft rubber for dampening in the local stores, so this is my improvisation, not how it should be. Leftover carpet pieces, small nails and a tape.... what a wonder. It holds tight and well without the resonating noises. I hope it will last.

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:08 pm

They are all filled and ready for covering. I decided not to use PVC foil for the back sides, instead I found reasonably priced dense cloth (80 cm width) and my wife helped me sew it. Also no rope, the screws hold better than the flabby net.

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:33 pm

Nice! What are you going to use to cover it with?

Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:21 pm

Thanks!

The front cover will be in two layers, one similar to the rear side (cotton/linen based) and the second will be kind of dense burlap.

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