Homemade VFlats

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thedogsdanglers

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Carl
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Hi all, just curious if anyone has made their own VFlats and if so how did you go about it?

What materials and if necessary black paints or covers did you use?

Sizes etc?
 
Hi Carl,

I didn't make them into a V but I did paint some 1.5x2m pieces of cardboard packing from a furniture delivery. It's a 15mm thick board, two layers of cardboard with a cardboard honeycomb-like structure in between. Might be worth ambushing some people at your local recycling centre - although they'll most likely have folded pieces this big to get them in the car.

I painted them with regular emulsion, with a roller. One side white, one side storm-grey (paint I had left over from the studio walls). I left them to dry in the sun. Some observations:-
  • The Valspar storm-grey paint I had mixed at B&Q is way better than the regular pure-brilliant white, both in coverage and drying times. I barely needed two coats of that, whereas I was slapping on the white for a long time!!
  • The board will curve as it dries. When you paint the other side, it flattens out again
  • Beware of flies if you do this outside!
As the grey is a match for the studio walls, you can create some nice depth by lighting the boards at various angles to the background wall. And of course, as a mid-grey, I can easily texture these surfaces in Photoshop.

I could V them just with some black gaffer tape I suppose, but I like having them separate. I have enough grip in the studio to rig up arms and clamps to hold them where they need to be.

Owen
 
I made mine from 8' x 4' sheets of the 30mm or so thick insulation from Wickes, can't remember what it's called.
Hinged them together with gaffer tape, painted one side black and left the other side white.
 
Thanks Owen & Garry. Both sound like viable options.

Garry, I take it as it's insulation it is fairly easy to cut down if needed?
 
thedogsdanglers said:
Thanks Owen & Garry. Both sound like viable options.

Garry, I take it as it's insulation it is fairly easy to cut down if needed?
Click to expand...
I'd guess what @Garry Edwards was referring to was Celotex, which is a foam insulation board with an aluminium foil facing on both sides.
It's easy to cut with a standard hand saw, very little effort required - but you do get a pile of 'dust' when you cut it, so do it somewhere where it's easy to clean up afterwards.
There are equivalent products by other brands, which will probably be cheaper and do the same job in this case.
 
Faldrax said:
I'd guess what @Garry Edwards was referring to was Celotex, which is a foam insulation board with an aluminium foil facing on both sides.
It's easy to cut with a standard hand saw, very little effort required - but you do get a pile of 'dust' when you cut it, so do it somewhere where it's easy to clean up afterwards.
There are equivalent products by other brands, which will probably be cheaper and do the same job in this case.
Click to expand...
No, no backing of any kind. I think it's called polystyrene.
thedogsdanglers said:
Thanks Owen & Garry. Both sound like viable options.

Garry, I take it as it's insulation it is fairly easy to cut down if needed?
Click to expand...
Yes, just a sharp knife/razor blade and a pack of Elastoplast:)
 
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