Vacuum Blanket

[ZooCity]

A 'pro' blanket is definitely better than the sheet neoprene.  They will typically be just the right thickness, stretch, perfect face material to grip just enough, etc.  Both work great, I diy'd one of ours long ago with neoprene and had no qualms with it, but you get a much deeper draw in my opinion from the better stuff.  They do cost an arm and a leg it seems, especially if you have a big vac frame but it's worth it if you run a lot of screens.

[Screen Medics]

When the vacuum blanket on out unit got holes in two corners preventing a vacuum from forming we placed bicycle tube patches and auto tire patches over the holes, which were about the size of a dime, on both sides and a second larger patch over the first one on the top side.
That was 3 years ago and it is still providing a good vacuum.
I recall we spent about $5.00 on all of the patches.
We placed the patches on a Friday after work and let everything set until Monday morning to be certain all of the adhesive was thoroughly cured.

[Screen Medics]

Another rubber light table blanket repair success story!!!  Late last week a friend related to me how he had just fixed the rubber blanket on his large vacuum light table.  He had a nearly half dollar size hole near the middle of the blanket he thought was likely caused by a sharp corner on a screen being "burned".

He used a large automobile tire patch and prepared the bonding surface and bonded the patch into place same as an inner tube repair (adhesive included in the patch kit).  He let it dry all weekend and this morning (Monday) resumed burning screens as usual.

He called me shortly afterward saying the patch is holding just great assuring a good vacuum.  We repaired two holes in our rubber light table blanket earlier and it is still going strong too.

Don't overlook this inexpensive permanent repair to an expensive rubber blanket.

The patch kits should be available from any automotive supply store for just a few dollars.

[markdhl]

Douthitt can make a vacuum blanket for any frame in under 1 week.  Our exclusive material gives the best contact and last longer than any other blanket.  Complete the form on our web site www.douthittcorp.com .
Mark Diehl

[mimosatexas]

Well I just got a tear in my 69"x58" blanket.  I can't find any neoprene wide enough on the cheap sites and there is no way in hell I am paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars for the name brand on a unit that cost me $250 total that I use once or twice a week...no offense to Douthitt.

Anyone know of a source for wider neoprene than the 51" stuff?

[Frog]

Can you glue two pieces together either butted with a another strip as an overlay, or just overlapping an inch or so? Contact cement can make some awesome bonds.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Pond Liner works, and so does Roofing Rubber. (EPDM) I forget the acronym.

If you have a landscaping company that does KOI ponds, you can probably pick up a scrap for next to nothing.

Is it as good as the highly elastic purpose made stuff? Nope.

Does it work? Absolutely.

Do you have a Lowes or a similar big box company that does gardening supplies and pond stuff? If so, you're all set.

[mimosatexas]

I guess I can try two sheets contact cemented.  The seem at 8 inches or so from that edge will be out of the image area anyway.

Tried the big box store options (roofing liner, pond liner, shower liner, etc)  They suck.  They don't pull close enough to the frame, tend to wrinkle, some have weird textures that they show up in the mesh (both brands of pond liner were the worst), etc.  I actually tested 3 other kinds of rubber off ebay as well and they all had issues with stretch or tearing.  The nylon backed 3mm neoprene really is the best "cheap" option out there...just too small for those of us with huge frames.

[Homer]

I guess I can try two sheets contact cemented.  The seem at 8 inches or so from that edge will be out of the image area anyway.

Tried the big box store options (roofing liner, pond liner, shower liner, etc)  They suck.  They don't pull close enough to the frame, tend to wrinkle, some have weird textures that they show up in the mesh (both brands of pond liner were the worst), etc.  I actually tested 3 other kinds of rubber off ebay as well and they all had issues with stretch or tearing.  The nylon backed 3mm neoprene really is the best "cheap" option out there...just too small for those of us with huge frames.

mmm...sounds like all the time and money you wasted could have bought you a douthitt liner...

I have a douthitt 1k unit here, taking up space with an integrator I will GIVE you, if you want it...it has a nice blanket

[mimosatexas]

haha!  That testing was when I was building my smaller DIY unit a while back.  Much smaller blanket so the testing didn't really cost much, definitely nowhere near what people are saying the Douthitt blankets cost for a larger frame like the one that tore.  I think I spent a total of $80-$90 on 3 ebay listings and the home depot stuff before I settled on the nylon backed neoprene half sheet which I think was around $30 shipped, so $120 all in to rule out a bunch of stuff.  My blanket is attached with adhesive backed velcro so switching the blanket takes about 5 minutes and the velcro releases from the material without much issue when you peel it straight away from the material, but stays stuck well with the horizontal force when the vacuum pulls.  Most of that other stuff I tested has actually come in handy as well.  I made an all over printing surface with one of the foams that compresses awesomely when printing over seams, and one of the liners is currently being used as a blockout curtain

These days I don't have as much time to do that kind of testing, and now I know the nylon backed neoprene is really the best "cheap" option as far as what I have seen others suggest.  Sucks the nylon backed stuff doesn't come in a 72" wide roll like the unbacked stuff does....

Thanks for the offer on the 1k.  The light you sent me a while back is still going strong on my smaller diy unit (and so is my neoprene blanket) and I am getting either an 8k or 5k olec this week or next (waiting to figure out a few little things first). 

[LocalColor]

This is gonna sound CRAZY but. Best replacement blanket ever, a waterbed mattress. We had an 8ft by 10ft Richmond tilt frame. Bought a Queen size waterbed mattress and cut to fit the frame and  voila a true fix. Pulled hard vacuum on every frame. Left old blanket on the inside to cushion frame/blanket. Using roller frames is deadly to neoprene.

[mimosatexas]

intertesting!

[Frog]

Going to act more like pond liner material than neoprene foam, but could certainly do the job.
The less stretch a blanket has, the more clearance around the frames it needs.

[markdhl]

As stated earlier, Douthitt can manufacture any size vacuum blanket in about one week.  Our material will give much better contact than neoprene which is porous ....

Mark Diehl
Douthitt Corporation
313 515 8635

[mooseman]

check out the rubber sheets available here


https://www.mscdirect.com/

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/?searchAheadTerm=rubber&searchAhead=true&hdrsrh=true&typahddsp=Rubber+Sheets&navid=12101792

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/31939630

mooseman