hockey puck question (Alton Everest)

[xy]

Hi guys,

I've been reading the Alton Everest Book "Sound Studio Construction on
a Budget".

To float a floor, he talks about using polypropylene "hockey pucks" as
the flexible supports.

Does he mean actual hockey pucks? I grew up playing ice hockey, and I
can't remember the pucks being polypropylene or flexible/absorbant.
Stiff, ridgid rubber is my recollection.

I would like to think it is as simple as scrounging up some pucks from
my old hockey bag, but life can't be this easy....... or can it?
(start suspense music cue)

[DJ]

I have used 3/4" horse matting for this. It's made from recycled car tires
and a 4' x 6' sheet costs about $50.00
at my local farm and ranch supply CO-OP (yeah, I live in the sticks and have
a few of barnyard critters so I'm familiar with this stuff). A 4' x 6' sheet
also weighs about 100# and requires three people to manhandle one of these
sheets up to where you can quarter it with a powerful bandsaw. Once that's
done, it's easier and easier to handle as the sections get smaller. Surgical
masks are recommended for the fumes. This stuff works great when cut to size
for floor supports an as decouplers for just about anything imaginable.

;O)

Doug Joyce
Animix Productions
Durango, CO

"xy" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi guys,
>
> I've been reading the Alton Everest Book "Sound Studio Construction on
> a Budget".
>
> To float a floor, he talks about using polypropylene "hockey pucks" as
> the flexible supports.
>
> Does he mean actual hockey pucks? I grew up playing ice hockey, and I
> can't remember the pucks being polypropylene or flexible/absorbant.
> Stiff, ridgid rubber is my recollection.
>
> I would like to think it is as simple as scrounging up some pucks from
> my old hockey bag, but life can't be this easy....... or can it?
> (start suspense music cue)

[Neil Henderson]

>I've been reading the Alton Everest Book "Sound Studio Construction on
>a Budget".
>
>To float a floor, he talks about using polypropylene "hockey pucks" as
>the flexible supports.
>
>Does he mean actual hockey pucks? I grew up playing ice hockey, and I
>can't remember the pucks being polypropylene or flexible/absorbant.
>Stiff, ridgid rubber is my recollection.
>
>I would like to think it is as simple as scrounging up some pucks from
>my old hockey bag, but life can't be this easy....... or can it?
>(start suspense music cue)

(cue in suspense music... heavy minor third dominant over ascending riff in the
dorian mode) I grew up playing hockey too, and when the ice was gone and
there was only asphalt to play on, we used something called a "street hockey
puck" manufactured by Mylec (yes, the same folks that made the plastic blades
that you could heat over the burners of your gas stove & curve to amazing
degrees of lift). Those pucks were far more resilient than regular hockey pucks
(and were pretty much useless for actual hockey playing... they finally came up
with a hardened version of a street hockey puck that would actually slide
across the tar, as opposed to simply bouncing ridiculously), however, I think
the original "bouncy" versions are the ones that would work in the application
you mention.


Neil Henderson
Progressive Rock...
http://www.saqqararecords.com

[Arny Krueger]

"xy" > wrote in message
om
> Hi guys,
>
> I've been reading the Alton Everest Book "Sound Studio Construction on
> a Budget".
>
> To float a floor, he talks about using polypropylene "hockey pucks" as
> the flexible supports.
>
> Does he mean actual hockey pucks? I grew up playing ice hockey, and I
> can't remember the pucks being polypropylene or flexible/absorbant.
> Stiff, ridgid rubber is my recollection.
>
> I would like to think it is as simple as scrounging up some pucks from
> my old hockey bag, but life can't be this easy....... or can it?
> (start suspense music cue)

I'm under the impression that suitable concrete slab floors are
sufficiently massy that they can make ordinary hard hocky puck seem to be
quite flexible.

[EganMedia]

<< Does he mean actual hockey pucks? >><BR><BR>

Most likely he's talking about something like the Auralex U-Boats. There can
be problems using products not specifically designed for acoustic isolation.
Certain rubber compounds can degrade over time, especially under a load they
aren't meant to bear. When your HVAC ducts separate from your floated ceiling
by an inch or so, you'll know what I mean. You also have no real idea of how
much isolation unengineered materials are providing. If they act as mechanical
couplers under a certain load, you might find you have less isolation than with
no floating floor at all. Every element of construction- from walls to HVAC to
ceilings to floors should be calculated to provide similar isolation,
otherwise, you're wasting money and materials. If you're going to go the extra
mile to float a room, I think it would be foolish to not seek out the advice
of an acoustic professional.


Joe Egan
EMP
Colchester, VT
www.eganmedia.com

[georgeh]

In the olden days, they made some practice pucks out of a spongey
rubbery material. They weren't much good for hockey, but they didn't
hurt the kids that played with them. I don't know if they're still
made, but I suspect they'd work great for this app.

>> I've been reading the Alton Everest Book "Sound Studio Construction on
>> a Budget".
>>
>> To float a floor, he talks about using polypropylene "hockey pucks" as
>> the flexible supports.
>>
>> Does he mean actual hockey pucks? I grew up playing ice hockey, and I
>> can't remember the pucks being polypropylene or flexible/absorbant.
>> Stiff, ridgid rubber is my recollection.
>>
>> I would like to think it is as simple as scrounging up some pucks from
>> my old hockey bag, but life can't be this easy....... or can it?
>> (start suspense music cue)

[Rob Reedijk]

How about the Fox glowing puck?

Rob R.

[xy]

thanks for the u-boat idea. those look totally cool. i went to the
website. i'm sold.

[googacky]

"I grew up playing ice hockey, and I
can't remember the pucks being polypropylene or flexible/absorbant.
Stiff, ridgid rubber is my recollection."

the pucks you played with were frozen, hence more rigid than they are
at room temperature. pucks are not polypropylene, they're vulcanized
rubber. i'd imagine actual hockey pucks would be better than nothing,
but it's probably like using a rock to hammer in a nail when you could
use a hammer. the right tool for the job is definitely the way to go
on a project as large as floating a room.

[Buster Mudd]

(xy) wrote in message >...
> thanks for the u-boat idea. those look totally cool. i went to the
> website. i'm sold.


You might want to look into products by Kinetics Noise Control before
springing (no pun intended) for the U-Boats. They make a number of
isolation puck-type systems, including the KIP Floating Floor Pad &
the RIM Floating Floor System, lotsa other cool stuff.
http://www.kineticsnoise.com

[Kevin Kelly]

<< They make a number of
isolation puck-type systems, including the KIP Floating Floor Pad &
the RIM Floating Floor System, lotsa other cool stuff.
http://www.kineticsnoise.com >><BR><BR>

That floated floor system is mighty interesting. Has abyone hear used it? Any
idea on cost?



Kevin M. Kelly
"There needs to be a 12-step program for us gearheads"

[Scott Dorsey]

Kevin Kelly > wrote:
><< They make a number of
>isolation puck-type systems, including the KIP Floating Floor Pad &
>the RIM Floating Floor System, lotsa other cool stuff.
>http://www.kineticsnoise.com >><BR><BR>
>
>That floated floor system is mighty interesting. Has abyone hear used it? Any
>idea on cost?

I've been in a lot of studios that float rooms. It's very effective, but also
fairly expensive. Remember, you're floating an entire structure on top of that
floor. The difficult part invariably becomes the doorways and the HVAC ducts.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[xy]

wow,cool link. thanks.

really "heavy duty" site!

[EganMedia]

<< That floated floor system is mighty interesting. Has abyone hear used it?
Any
idea on cost? >><BR><BR>

We used the Kinetics RIM system in our studio and have been quite happy with
it. We're located in an industrial area and ofetn have 18 wheelers rumbling 30
feet from our main recording space. Additionally, we're in the approach path
to an airport used by the Vermont Air National Guard. F-16s roar overhead
three times a day. None of it bothers us a bit.

It is an expensive system when coupled with the construction necessary to
exploit its STC rating. A floor with an STC of 73 is a waste of money if the
walls have an STC of 50 or the HVAC whistles or if the doors are inadequate.

Like I said before, if you're going to go as far as to float your studio, have
it engineered by someone with the practical experience and ol' fashioned
book-learnin' to get the job done properly.


Joe Egan
EMP
Colchester, VT
www.eganmedia.com

[Buster Mudd]

(Kevin Kelly) wrote in message >...
> << They make a number of
> isolation puck-type systems, including the KIP Floating Floor Pad &
> the RIM Floating Floor System, lotsa other cool stuff.
> http://www.kineticsnoise.com >><BR><BR>
>
> That floated floor system is mighty interesting. Has abyone hear used it? Any
> idea on cost?
>

I only have access to a Dealer Price list, don't know what MSRP
is...so while this won't reflect street price it could give you some
negotiating leverage when you talk to a retailer!

The RIM Floating Floor System comes in 4' wide rolls, with the iso
pucks embedded at either 12" or 16" intervals.
50' roll (200 sq. ft.) of 12" RIM costs $1010
25' roll (100 sq. ft.) of 12" RIM costs $660
50' roll (200 sq. ft.) of 16" RIM costs $670
25' roll (100 sq. ft.) of 16" RIM costs $435