Vacuum Blanket

[T Shirt1]

I need to find a vacuum blanket for our Armergraph Advantage 150.  Amergraph can have them made but it's a four week lead time.  I've searched this site and the old one but didn't find anything current.  Thanks.
steve

[mk162]

rick at aero-inc.com

[blue moon]

I just installed our backup blanket that was bought on ebay about a year ago. It was neoprene and cots about $60 or so . . .  works great and from what I remember it was shipped promptly. One side has fabric on it, the other is bare neoprene. Make sure you install it with the fabric towards the glass.

pierre

[Frog]

I just installed our backup blanket that was bought on ebay about a year ago. It was neoprene and cots about $60 or so . . .  works great and from what I remember it was shipped promptly. One side has fabric on it, the other is bare neoprene. Make sure you install it with the fabric towards the glass.

pierre

Wait a minute, Seems to me that we had a discussion on this and some thought that the fabric covering keeps from getting a good seal.

[T Shirt1]

rick at aero-inc.com

Just called and they've dropped them.

[tonypep]

Steve I had this same problem with Amergraph some ys ago. It doesn't make sense........standard model quite popular and you don't keep even one spare blanket? If I remember right I got a hold of a higher up and asked him to explain this to me. Got the blanket in a week. Anyway hopefully an aftermarket company can help just don't expect it next day!

[tpitman]

I need to find a vacuum blanket for our Armergraph Advantage 150.  Amergraph can have them made but it's a four week lead time.  I've searched this site and the old one but didn't find anything current.  Thanks.
steve

A suggestion for the future. I've got the same unit, and from the get-go I place some 4" squares of dense foam, about 3/8" thick, on all 4 corners of my frames before lowering the blanket. A couple of layers of mousepad foam would be good, too. I use roller frames with the square bar and that thing has sharp corners that'll probably wear out a blanket in no time. As much as blankets cost, and the fact that I position my frames in the exact same spot on the glass everytime, was why I'm trying to save my blanket if possible. I'm also a cheap bastard.

[Denis Kolar]

I've heard that Pond liner from Home depot should work.
About $35 and you get enough for two exposure units.

Did not try, but I have seen comments from people and it works.

[tpitman]

I've used that on homespun units. Doesn't suck into the corners as tight as the neoprene, but it would work in a pinch while he waits for a new blanket.

[blue moon]

we use a nuarc 3140 which has holes around the perimeter and does not require the little string. When I installed the neoprene with the cloth up, the suction was having a hard time reaching all the way through. When I added the piece of rope, it pulled so hard it cut the neoprene. By switching it around it eliminated the need for the rope and the cloth was enough to get the vacuum throughout. The seal is pretty impressive. Not sure if it is holding down as tight as the rubber, but it does seem to conform to the frame a lot tighter than the rubber blanket.

When I was shopping for a backup blanket, I was told that Douhit (or what ever they are called) was the place to get them and it would take about a week to get it made. Even M&R did not stock them and had to have them custom made.

In the end, I bought the neoprene. It was 1/5th the cost and shipped quickly.

pierre

[tonypep]

Douthitt 313-259-1565 Awesome people

[3Deep]

I bought the same blanket as Bluemoon off ebay, got tried of taping holes in my old one, hes right about 60 some odd bucks,  but I installed mine with the rubber side toward the glass, fab side up and it work fine.  They shipped in a few days

[ZooCity]

We have a big 'ol Millington frame that I need rubber for.  I'll post what I come up with when I get to it.  I don't want to use neoprene on a unit that size, I think the rubber would generate a better seal over an area like that.

The neoprene works great on our current homebrew unit though.  I've had the same blanket on there for 4 years now I think.  We use M3s.  Got it from materialscraps.com, another Frog suggestion, so in addition to being cheap and effective, it's even upcycled.  Can't beat that. 

Probably the best idea is tpitman's one of protecting the blanket.

[blue moon]

I've made this topic sticky so it stays readily available. It is turning into a good resource on the replacement blankets.
If you have more sources or advice please post it.

thanx,

play nice!

[Frog]

I've heard that Pond liner from Home depot should work.
About $35 and you get enough for two exposure units.

Did not try, but I have seen comments from people and it works.

The more space between the vacuum frame's sides and the screen the better with this stuff as it has limited "give". I think that when I once asked for those with experience to chime in, it was suggested that at least 4 or 5 inches of clearance was desirable.
Anyone with experience?