Elastic fabric question

kovrov · Post by **kovrov** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:11 am

a question for all of you out there, but especially for those into psychedelic party decoration arts. I am trying to find out the name of a particular type of fabric, which you often see used in decorating outdoor dancefloors, especially at large psytrance festivals. This fabric looks very elastic and mesh-like, but it's pretty opaque, usually white, and often stretched out over dancefloors and/or stages, most characteristically in funky para- and hyperbolic shapes.

A couple of examples:

http://www.goagil.com/photogallery/Germany2007/DSC09316
http://www.goagil.com/photogallery/italy2007/DSC09814

I am looking for an opaque fabric that would be permeable to air for a Burning Man art installation my friends and I are working on, and I am under the impression that this might work.

Anybody know what I am talking about? Thanks for humoring what I suspect sounds like a stupid question.

Kovrov http://dreamgarden.deneg.net

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:25 am

That looks like spandex. It's not particularly permeable, but you can do some pretty cool stuff by stretching it out.

If you don't need much stretch, you can use pretty much any fabric. Shade fabric, aluminet, and canvas work pretty well out there.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:10 am

I'm not sure you need any special fabric, you just need to have a design in mind and good grommets and supports for it. (The photo is where Louise and I were having lunch.)

Louise and I bought opaque fabric at OSH or some other big-box hardware store. It's woven fabric impregnated with rubber. Totally opaque to IR and UV, but also waterproof, so be careful how you hang it. With it off the ground by 6 feet or so, you get no heat from the sun when you stand in its shade, and air flows around it just fine - no need for air to flow through the fabric. (That's not the fabric shown in the photo above.)

bigbluedoggy · Post by **bigbluedoggy** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:17 pm

Yes, the fabric you are referring to is Spandex, just like the stuff bike shorts and the like are made from. It comes in a few colors and widths as well as premade geometric shapes and structures. It is also a little expensive (I am currently working on getting a piece for our camp) The best source I have found so far is http://www.rosebrand.com Anyone know of a better place, please let me know! Thanks!!!

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:41 pm

What price are you getting per yard from them? I've been getting it for $2-5 per yard for small quantities (including shipping) on Ebay. This seller in particular can get any quantity you need:
http://stores.ebay.com/uBet-uWin

bigbluedoggy · Post by **bigbluedoggy** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:30 pm

They ain't cheap.... The price for a 24' x 20' silver piece (pre seamed and unstretched) is about $850.00 I am gonna check out your source. I need it for our new game. Thanks for the tip!!!

DoctorIknow · Post by **DoctorIknow** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:45 pm

kovrov wrote:I am looking for an opaque fabric that would be permeable to air for a Burning Man art installation my friends and I are working on, and I am under the impression that this might work.

I have a 2 yard high piece of spandex around the bottom of a 30' diameter dome, and in high winds, the spandex will fill like a condom fills with water: it just keeps expanding and expanding. VERY LITTLE air can go through the material,,,,

Although one would think (as I did when I saw it happen the first time 40mph winds hit the playa) that this huge bulbous fabric would act like a sail and blow my dome apart, I believe what happens is, that instead of a "sail" which has a leading edge and laminar flow creating lift, this "bag" of spandex doesn't really seem to have lift characteristics. It fills with air and "extra air" just goes around it.

I obviously have no engineering knowledge, or a wind tunnel, but I do know that my flimsy 1/2" conduit dome (here in its unfinished state)held up during many high wind episodes.

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MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:10 am

kovrov wrote:a question for all of you out there, but especially for those into psychedelic party decoration arts. I am trying to find out the name of a particular type of fabric, which you often see used in decorating outdoor dancefloors, especially at large psytrance festivals. This fabric looks very elastic and mesh-like, but it's pretty opaque, usually white, and often stretched out over dancefloors and/or stages, most characteristically in funky para- and hyperbolic shapes.

A couple of examples:

http://www.goagil.com/photogallery/Germany2007/DSC09316
http://www.goagil.com/photogallery/italy2007/DSC09814

I am looking for an opaque fabric that would be permeable to air for a Burning Man art installation my friends and I are working on, and I am under the impression that this might work.

Anybody know what I am talking about? Thanks for humoring what I suspect sounds like a stupid question.

Kovrov http://dreamgarden.deneg.net

that sounds like tent liners

I would check with your local tent rental.

some website wrote:Ideally suited for use in tent liner applications

Phil-TexÂ® FR66

Poly-Poplin PFP-72

Rollout Cloth

Super-Wide 122

Satin Twill

Spandex 120

Elastic fabric question

Elastic fabric question

Re: Elastic fabric question

Re: Elastic fabric question