Where to buy 80 PPI reticulated foam?

[saschagabor]

I´ve just sent about half a dozen emails to both manufacturers and resellers of reticulate foam. Hopefully someone can supply me with what I need. I might have to order a bunch, but then I´ll have enough for a lifetime (and probably also some to sell, for others in search of the stuff).

Thank you for all the help so far, I´ll keep you guys in the loop.

[saschagabor]

Still no luck getting hold of a reasonable amount of 80 PPI foam. I can have it manufactured in large (!) quantities (both cut to size or large sheets), but I have yet to find someone that can supply me with smaller amounts. I am willing to buy considerably more than what I need, but there are limits...

Any advice on foam sources would be much appreciated!

[john & Jake the dog]

Hi, Have you tried contacting foam manufacturers and asking for a sample of 80ppi foam in the size you require.
You will need this sample for your prototype***insert the product you are working on*** and any helpful company should gladly send you some.
You may have to be a company but I am sure you can come up with a name.

just a thought

[saschagabor]

I actually thought about that a while ago, but I felt it would be too deceptive. I might reconsider if something doesn't happen soon. The problem is that I need a minimum of six strips, preferably eight or ten. Hmm...

But thanks for the tip, I'll consider it.

[Richard]

I'm a bit late to this but my transmission lines used plastic foam in their ports for a similar reason of spoiling the damping with the outside air. In that case the light yellow foam 1" thick was specified. Pink and grey foams have different densities and all of them will pass air (or water) as you can see if you use them as a wash sponge or try to blow or breath through them. Not many have closed cells. I've also used thin yellow as a motorcycle air filter before now. Point being try other foam. If you want it grey/black it can be dyed in Dylon solution. Or use double thickness of 30ppi etc. Other thing is that this is often tuned to a room anyway and makes quite a subtle differnce so I'd not agonise too much at this stage and would experiment once set up and playing.

[saschagabor]

Had it only been me, that would be a viable option. However, my friend is not the adventurous type, and fooling too much around outside proven grounds is not his thing.

[Richard]

How is it fooling around too much Buy a few different foam samples (colours and thicknesses) and cut to size. Pull out and try the next type I wonder if your friend is going to be happy with diy speakers if he canot embrace the reasons for building them! Many diy speaker articles suggest the bass tune-it-in-room approach as being one of the reasons for getting a better result than buying off shelf. Sometimes it's the port damping (even some manufacturers supply removeable foam bungs) sometimes its the cabinet or line damping (I had to adjust mine quite a bit) and sometimes even the cab volume using an inert filler (bricks!). This really is a non-problem.

[saschagabor]

I'm sorry, I should probably have said "fooling around".

The fact that we need to find the right stuffing for our needs/preferences is one thing, but using another foam type would be more like changing the port length of a bass reflex system.

If it should turns out to be impossible to get a hold of 80 PPI reticulate foam, then we'd be forced to look elsewhere. But if I start to buy several different types of foam now, I might end up burning more money than if I just pick up a larger quantity of the right stuff from the beginning.

Also, as we need to glue it stuck, changing it won't be a breeze.

Understand me right, I highly appreciate your tips, they might come in handy if I fail to get the right stuff. But I'm not about to give up quite yet

[Richard]

Ok, did you try these 2,

http://www.foamengineers.co.uk/manuf...iculated-foam/

http://www.acoustaproducts.com/Reticulated_Foam.html

I'd phone, explain your difficulty in finding it, and be totally up front and offer to pay whatever it costs (it won't be much I'm sure) for a small sheet or offcut or ask if they can suggest one of their users/customers who may be able to supply if they feel they cannot post you a small piece. I've always had good response from manus that way.

[saschagabor]

I've tried the first one, but they would only sell to businesses. I'll check out that last one, thanks!

From my mailing spree I've found out that I can get a 2 m * 1 m large sheet for £130. But £245 gets me ten sheets of the same size from another vendor, and €500 gets me fifty sheets from Germany.

I've found numerous vendors that sell reticulated foam in small quantities, but not a single one of them has anything over 45 PPI...