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chuckknight
Joined: 28 May 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Bonham, TX, USA
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 Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 9:28 pm Post subject: Fabric Structures -- The Devil is in the details |
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This will be an unusual question, as it doesn't involve a tensile building. It involves a fabric structure within an existing building.
I have been charged with designing and building the sets for my church's vacation bible school. As the theme is "time travel through the Bible" I can either build a different "location" set for every day, or build a single (more involved) set that represents a "time machine."
Since I have access to several DLP projectors, I am building the time machine, and will use stock footage from "The Ten Commandments" and similar movies to display on the "viewscreen."
Anyway, my concept involves stretched membranes (I'm using a tight knit for the fabric so patterning won't be a major issue...just simple hypars) and projected images from the DLP projectors to produce the overall effect. BUT, it's the details that are killing me. Little stuff like attaching the fabric, and the cable.
This is my first tensile structure larger than a table-top model -- I understand the basic theories, but lack practical experience.
Our church is a modern A-Frame, with paralam arches in the sanctuary. The "stage" area I have to work in is approximately 32 feet wide by 30 feet high by 10 feet deep. I can use eye bolts as secure attachment points for the fabric, to the arches. That's no problem. BUT, how do I make the attachment to the fabric itself?
I have tarpaulin clips that may work, but my concern is that they might slip when put under some real tension. And, it seems like even though the attachment point for the fabric and the cables is the same, the method of attachment would be different. Getting back to basics, theoretically I could just tie a knot in the corner of the fabric -- but talk about a "mickey mouse" solution. The engineer in me won't let me do that.
I'd rather do it right, as I suspect this will evolve, over time, into the beginnings of a house design for myself. This project being just a first "experimental" step. What can I say...I have a weakness for thin shell concrete domes and tensile membranes.
Anyway...I have about 1.5 months before this project is due...and I would appreciate any help y'all could provide. Let's start with methods for attaching a relatively thin fabric to those arches. Any good ideas?
-- Chuck Knight |
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P.C.
millennium club
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 2163
Location: Denmark
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| Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:38 am Post subject: |
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Hi
interesting project , but please tell me if the fabric is acturly to be used to display patterns of light .
Case so you shuld look up various screen types, their material and preparation is very important for how it will act. "How to" is a trivial issue, you proberly would profit from a sawing mashin or the round brass fittings you can see with standard covers ---- just remember that there are cramp brass rings to, some are rather Hobby quality ,what you shuld look for is brass rings Plus tools to shape these as you see in old sails .
Beside glue isn't a bad choice --- remember that you can decide a huge surface between the fabric and what is attached to it, brass rings is usealy supported with an extra layer of fabric to distribuate the forces, if you combine these methods and is just sure the surface with glue is big enough there shuld be no problems. |
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chuckknight
Joined: 28 May 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Bonham, TX, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 7:51 am Post subject: |
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Yes, the fabric will be used to display patterns -- in fact, we have an LCD projector and 2 DLP projectors that will be used to help create the effect. Digital wallpaper, if you will...
The theme for the Vacation Bible School this year is time travel, so for the central screen I have a graphic of a wormhole that will be running. The oter two screens will be showing stock film footage...Charleton Heston in the Ten Commandments, parting the Red Sea...that sort of thing.
This, plus a liberal helping of silver paint and cardboard, should produce the efect I want. I'm aiming for something halfway between the Enterprise and the TARDIS.
BUT...please remember, this is a Vacation Bible School, so my budget is limited. I don't need the screens to be the most effective glass beaded materials, etc. It would be nice, but it's not necessary. I just have some nice stetchy knit fabric from WalMart (yeah, I know) that I'm going to use...the knit should elimnate the need for patterning.
Remember, my audience is going to be completely under the age of 14, except for my Preacher.
-- Chuck Knight
P.S. Details like the attachment may seem trivial to you, but I'm neither an architect nor an engineer by trade. I'm just a congregation member, doing this out of the goodness of his heart. I understand basic geometry, catenoids, hyperbolic paraboloids, etc. I understand about double curvature and anticlastic saddles. But, the practical aspect of actually making them happen is what I need help with. |
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Yakza
Joined: 21 Sep 2006
Posts: 7
Location: Bangkok
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:34 pm Post subject: """ |
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| try looking at a Renzo Piano's project(something like a waterfront design)his fabric detail is brilliant! |
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