light trap velvet sources

I just received a box full(6) 9x12 plate holders in pretty good shape except the light trap velvet is unuseable. Does anyone know of a source for this material?. I've tried several fabric shops here in Toronto but none of them have this material that matches the stiff backing that the velvet has.

Any help is appreciated.

Doug

maybe Jon Goodman knows some place?

http://www.protostar.biz/flock.htm ?

I've used self-adhesive velvet (I don't know where it came from; it was part of my wife's cache of miscellaneous fabrics) for this purpose. It clearly isn't the same stuff that was originally used, but it works.

-NT

pdeeh said:

http://www.protostar.biz/flock.htm ?

Click to expand...

Flock is diferent from velvet. It is not made for mechanical stress.

I've had success with black felt contact cemented to craft foam sheet. cut the foam first slightly smaller then glue the felt on and wrap the leading and trailing edges. Then glue in with contact cement. Do a neat job and it will work fine. I first learned about this technique here at APUG i think.

Local fabric joint. Joann's Michael's etc.
It's just velvet ribbon different widths and easy to use.
The edges are made so they don't fray. I use contact cement, only on one surface so it can be removed if needed

Thanks all for the information. John I never thought about Michael's. There is one about 20 minutes away by transit. I'll check them out in a day or so.

Doug

I have two suggestions, perhaps more useful for the larger light traps in the camera than the film holders, but use them at your own risk. I have used each with some success, but others have suggested there might be issues with the materials fragmenting and causing dust in the holders. The first is to cut down the soft (loop) side of velcro tape. I did this on a 9x12 Rietzschel plate camera and it has not caused any problem, but it gets very little time out on the job. There may be more chance of breakage in heavy use. The second was suggested by John Wojtowicz, another PHSNE photographer, in his article on plate cameras for the PHSNE Journal, and that is to find an automobile restoration shop that does upholstery with velour fabrics. He says he has some picked out of a scrap heap at one shop that works on cars from the 30's and 40's and that it works great as a light trap. It's much heavier and more wear resistant than velvet.