Tuff-R or comparable source in the Bay Area

[Pinhole Camp]

Hello All, I am starting a bit late and I am trying to get my sheets
shipped from the Bay Area to BRC today. Does anyone know of a source
in San Francisco, (650) or (510) ? I would like to purchase 18 sheets
of 1" 4' x 8'

I will be building a darkroom with the material (pinholecamp.org)

Thanks for you help, jason +1 415 377 5005

[Pinholer]

Has anyone used Insulfoam R-Tech for a hexayurt?

[masala wallah]

Jason, I got my panels at Truitt and White 6

42 Hearst Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: (510) 841-0511
Toll Free: (877) 600-1470
Fax: (510) 845-2604

We got 1" panels there -- one consideration when considering shipping
there is how to make the cuts without generating moop. The thermal
sheath stuff is super crumbly and you know how the wind likes to blow
on da playa!

check out the other thread on meeting up and put your address there to
be included on the hexayurt list. Peace, Masala

On Aug 14, 3:32 pm, Pinhole Camp <jfrom...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Spiral Syzygy]

Please don't cut this stuff on the playa. It will make a moop nightmare. I found that it was super easy to cut the boards with out measuring anything by just using a chalk line snapped from corner to corner and then cutting everything with a circular saw. It went VERY fast. All our other holes are cut with a RotoZip.

Spiral

[Pinholer]

Do you have a recommendation for tape, to contain any potential moop?
It seems to me the 6" construction tape is overkill there. Jason was
thinking duct tape.

-karl

[Vinay Gupta]

lot of people are using Gorilla Tape for this purpose - it handles
heat and the dusty edges of boards way better than duct tape. Also
some folks have had issues with some boards needing to have their
edges wiped down with alcohol due to some kind of surface oil -
search the archives for details.

Good luck!!! Sounds like a really cool project.

Vinay

--
Vinay Gupta
Free Science and Engineering in the Global Public Interest

http://hexayurt.com - free/open next generation human sheltering
http://hexayurt.com/plan - the whole systems, big picture vision

Gizmo Project VOIP : (USA) 775-743-1851
Skype/Gizmo/Gtalk : hexayurt
Icelandic Cell : (+354) 869-4605

"If it doesn't fit, force it."

[Pro Nz]

--- On Fri, 8/15/08, Vinay Gupta <hexa...@gmail.com> wrote:

[RichShumaker]

Okay so I haven't posted in a few days because I have been building or
should I say taping.
cutting was easy(except I cut some rather squiggly straight lines so
far) taping is easy BUT time consuming.

I used foil tape. I have 2 kinds both work well. I call them
expensive 17 bucks a roll (2") and cheap 8 bucks a roll(1.83").
The expensive has a few more feet of length but not a lot. The
expensive is COLD weather foil tape and it has Tons for writing on
it(UL this, COMPANY name that).
The cheap tape has no writing(I like it more but it is smaller so you
need to be more exact when taping). They are both made by the same
company just one is more HEAVY DUTY and more expensive. I was
surprised how many boards I have taped with a single roll. I have
about half of it done so far. I have spent about 3 hours total. I am
solo in the cutting and taping process and making an 8 foot Hexayurt.
I have had NO sticking problems with the foil tape and I went to
Truitt and White to get my boards.
I did not get the tape from Truitt because I was looking for 3" foil.
The tape I got I think is there but I went to Home Depot.

I have had little moop and I am hand cutting the boards. I WOULD NOT
DO THIS ON THE PLAYA THOUGH. I can see potential for quite a lot of
MOOP especially using powered saws. I am using a retractable blade -
1 blade per board approximately. I used a 2 X 4 X 10 as a straight
edge and a Sharpie, easier for the soloist over a chalk line.

I would say it will take less than an hour to cut all 6 boards with a
tool or by hand(I am not talking about angle cuts - using power tools
angle cuts would probably take the same time). I would estimate 3
hours at least to tape the boards. I may be going slow but the boards
are BIG and BULKY making the taping a bit harder. Also the foil tape
has SERIOUS adhesive so it can get stuck weird if you are not careful.

That's my .02 on my project and I hope it helps on yours.

Rich Shumaker

[RichShumaker]

I forgot to mention that I am also going to try to build an interior
trap door or airlock.
I don't want to put anything outside the Hexayurt that could cause the
structures aerodynamics to change.
I was looking at maybe a smaller Hexayurt outside as an example.
The whole idea here is keep Playa OUT and keep me happy inside.

I finally just said 'why not build an interior Air Lock?'
I mention this because you are building a dark room and will need a
way to contain light.
I have a mock up on my model and will do a full version tomorrow when
I do the test build.
I will build a small 'room' just inside the door. in the mock up I
use 2' walls but I think I will cut 1 - 8 foot board into 3 parts and
then use a second board to finish up. So this would create a small 4
foot high by approximately 4 feet or so and will allow us to close the
door to the playa and take our shoes off and dust off if necessary.
I am building it so the exterior door folds in. Then the second door
will fold into the newly created room. So if wind blows in it will
shut that door and keep the interior of the hexayurt safe,
potentially. Also the door to the playa won't get ripped off by wind.

Will you be creating any pinhole cameras on the walls? My idea is
pick the coolest view and build a box on the inside hexayurt wall
around a simple pinhole. Probably a really really bad idea. But you
never know might be very cool.

Rich Shumaker

[Bill Wiltschko]

I also designed an airlock into my 6' hexayurt, and have set it up with
duct tape to see how it works. Actually, I'm calling it a foyer. Doors
open into the foyer from both sides, just like Rick described his. 4 ft
plastic hinges on the doors. The doors were a breeze to cut and hang.
It fits on a corner, meaning I had to cut about 2ft out of each of two
sides to make room for it. The trig was fun -- I haven't used those
Excel functions for years.

Bill
Ectropy Camp
AEZ

[Spiral Syzygy]

We made our door with a Rotozip. We have a slick arched top for more strength. We figured corners where tear points. We hung it with 6" tape. There is a lip to seal out dust made of Gorilla tape that goes around the door. We installed handles that attach to some nifty, thin aluminum plate on either side of the board. We need to construct a latch though. I noticed the door likes to open in the wind when we were at Chicago Pre-Comp.

I'm excited to take the tour and see who has what.

[thephoenix]

velcro might be an idea for  a simple latch assuming the adhesive on the back of it sticks well enough

--
thephoenix
718-384-3365

phn...@gmail.com

[Spiral Syzygy]

That doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually. Thanks!

[Vinay Gupta]

Maybe velcro on top of the tape? The tape will spread the load of the velcro.

Vinay

-- 

Vinay Gupta

Free Science and Engineering in the Global Public Interest

http://hexayurt.com - free/open next generation human sheltering

http://hexayurt.com/plan - the whole systems, big picture vision

Gizmo Project VOIP : (USA) 775-743-1851

Skype/Gizmo/Gtalk  : hexayurt

Icelandic Cell     : (+354) 869-4605

"If it doesn't fit, force it."

[thephoenix]

i am getting my sheets in reno. the home depots there seem to carry
only Rmax.
i assume this is ok but is there a list of what products are suitable
(and maybe what is not) and are some more suitable than others?

On Aug 15, 3:53 pm, Vinay Gupta <hexay...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Maybe velcro on top of the tape? The tape will spread the load of the  
> velcro.
>
> Vinay
>
> --
> Vinay Gupta
> Free Science and Engineering in the Global Public Interest
>

> http://hexayurt.com- free/open next generation human shelteringhttp://hexayurt.com/plan- the whole systems, big picture vision

>
> Gizmo Project VOIP : (USA) 775-743-1851
> Skype/Gizmo/Gtalk  : hexayurt
> Icelandic Cell     : (+354) 869-4605
>
> "If it doesn't fit, force it."
>
> On Aug 15, 2008, at 10:17 PM, Spiral Syzygy wrote:
>
> > That doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually. Thanks!
>

> > phnx...@gmail.com

[RichShumaker]

R-Max is NOT Thermax. Spelling could be wrong on Thermax.
I have been to Home Depot and looked at the insulation so much I think
I memorized the sku's.

R-Max is simply the inner part on the Thermax. Thermax gets an
aluminum backer put on both sides of the R-Max.
I am telling you this because we have 2 Home Depots here in Oakland.
One has ONLY R-Max - Big White Boards of Particalizing Insulation
Foamy nightmare.
The other Home Depot has both R-Max and Thermax. Of course they only
have 3/4" and 1.5" Thermax.
As long as they told you it is Silver coated you are good to go.
Thermax has R-MAX in big letters on the outside printed on the metal
foil.

Rich Shumaker

[Vinay Gupta]

Wait, there's a Home Depot in Oakland that sells Actual Thermax?

You're kidding. That's *great* news.

Vinay

-- Vinay Gupta
Free Science and Engineering in the Global Public Interest

http://hexayurt.com - free/open next generation human sheltering
http://hexayurt.com/plan - the whole systems, big picture vision

Gizmo Project VOIP : (USA) 775-743-1851
Skype/Gizmo/Gtalk : hexayurt
Icelandic Cell : (+354) 869-4605

"If it doesn't fit, force it."

[Tom Brown]

No, that's extremely unlikely.  Home Depot as a rule has discontinued all Tuff-R products, all Dow insulation as a rule.  They carry Rmax in various flavors.  Rmax Therma-Sheath 3 has foil on both sides but is not fiberglas reinforced like Thermax.  It's similar to Tuff-R, but shittier.  The foil is thinner and the glue job is less consistent, with random areas bubbling up and not adhering.

I assume some folks aren't good with names and confuse Rmax Therma-Sheath with Thermax.

 

The plain white polystyrene "styrofoam" is called R-Tech and it's completely unsuitable for a hexayurt unless you use it as a basis for a homebrew fiberglas layup.  It's the same brittle styrofoam everybody is familiar with.  No foil, no paper, not even as strong as polyisocyanate.

 

I did a far and wide search for anything resembling Tuff-R, and my cherished girlfriend found the only Home Depot Pro in the country, which is in Colma.  They worked with us, I did a group buy of over $2500.  They don't have Thermax.  Sorry Charlie.
 

The only places in NorCal I'm aware of that can even hope to provide you with Thermax are Service Partners and Truitt & White.  I wish someone had told me about Truitt & White a month or two ago when I put out my "help help!" distress signal.
 

[RichShumaker]

I did go to Truitt & White for my 1" Thermax. Asked for it by name
and the outside has big RMax then in smaller letters underneath
Thermasheath 3.. It can be seen in my video I just posted up.
I was lucky as I was seriously looking for this stuff and waited too
long to have it delivered and luckily someone posted up about it.
THANKS. They rock at Truitt and White.
I have a feeling more building supply stores have it and there is one
right next to where I did my build. I am afraid to go ask them as I
might kick myself if they say 'Yes we got that'.

I said 2 stores in Oakland. And that was a small lie. The store that
has white foamy particle death(R-Tech) is in Oakland. The one that
had what looks like the same stuff I got at Truitt & White(I need to
double check as I can not see it as clear in my pictures but it does
say R Max I am not sure if it was Thermasheath 3 or not) was from
'Emeryville' right down the street from Pixar. Skip a stone and you
hit Oakland but it is not actually in Oakland.
So you should be good to go if they said the have RMax and sorry about
raising a red flag.

Emeryville Home Depot have or had 3/4" as well as 1.5" but no 1". I
have a feeling it is not Thermasheath 3 but I need to check to know
for certain. I used 3/4" for my interior airlock as it was MUCH
cheaper and I didn't need the 'structural' nature of 1" Just needed a
playa dust trap.

So has anyone tested 3/4" V.S. 1" V.S. 1.5" for different Hexayurts?
So could you build a 6' out of 3/4" and an 8' out of 1" and a 12' out
of 1.5". Not sure if I would trust 3/4" on an 8' or 12' seems
flimsy.

Rich Shumaker

[RichShumaker]

The Home Depot in Emeryville sells R-Max "R matte plus 3" Not the
Thermasheath 3

Just checked what I bought.

Rich Shumaker

[masala wallah]

Do NOT bother with the Home Depot. We went there several times,
noticed the therma-whatever on the shelf, but only higgaldy piggaldy
pieces here and there. There were not even 12 pieces of foil backed
board of ANY size. Then somebody suggested we check out side the roll
up door in the loading zone...blah, blah, blah. Home Depot in general
and that store in particular is so unorganized, so understaffed, and
the staff generally speaking so underqualified that it is PAINFUL to
deal with them.
Do yourself a favor and go to Truitt, get all your pieces in one place
and be done with it. Masala

[Tom Brown]

Thermasheath is not Thermax.  Thermasheath does not have a thick foil face or fiberglas reinforcement, and it is not manufactured by Dow.  Thermax is a brand name for a Dow product which has a robust aluminum foil facing as well as fiberglas reinforcement.

 

Based on this email exchange it sounds like Truitt does not carry Thermax.

[Arthur Zwern]

Is anyone bringing an honest to goodness Thermax yurt? I'd like to see this magical mysterious ultimate stuff that seems to be available only at the end of some rainbow...

If you roll over in your sleep at night and hit your hand against the wall, it would be great if it did not create a new vent!

Sunshine

[Adam Gensler]

mine will be made from thermax (not hd).  i'm camping at g & 3:00. --- On Tue, 8/19/08, Arthur Zwern <art...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

From: Arthur Zwern <art...@sbcglobal.net> Subject: [hexayurt] Re: Tuff-R or comparable source in the Bay Area To: hexa...@googlegroups.com

[Bill Wiltschko]

Ditto. I'll be in the AEZ near 6:40 between Dart and F.

Bill Wiltschko
Pacific Grove, CA

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [hexayurt] Re: Tuff-R or comparable source in the Bay Area

> From: Adam Gensler <downw...@yahoo.com>
> Date: Tue, August 19, 2008 9:00 am
> To: hexa...@googlegroups.com

> mine will be made from theThermaxot hd).  i'm camping at g & 3:00.

> --- On Tue, 8/19/08, Arthur Zwern <art...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> From: Arthur Zwern <art...@sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: [hexayurt] Re: Tuff-R or comparable source in the Bay Area
> To: hexa...@googlegroups.com
> Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 8:29 AM
> Is anyone bringing an honest to goodness Thermax yurt? I'd like to see this magical mysterious ultimate stuff that seems to be available only at the end of some rainbow...
> If you roll over in your sleep at night and hit your hand against the wall, it would be great if it did not create a new vent!
> Sunshine

(snip)