DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I want to build my own portable scrim using PVC. Building the frame is not difficult. I want to buy a silk material, ideally with 1 stop diffusion. I'm thinking parachute material. I know the movie industry makes large scrims so someone must have a material source somewhere but I have searched the internet to no avail. I want to buy enough material that I can make a 8x8 scrim and have the ability to double the diffusion or add a subtractive material at my whim. Westcot makes a scrim Jim cene but I think it's too expensive. Has anyone tried anything like this?

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

I purchased some white sheer fabrics on clearance from a manufacturer. It's double wide (108" instead of the normal 54") so I find it useful on frames and also for diffusion of sunlight coming in through windows. Luckily, the fabrics have no real color cast and that makes it easier knowing the color temperature is basically unaltered from the source. I lose a little more than a stop, close enough to call it one stop, but that would depend on what you can find. I bought mine through my wife's business account with the manufacturer, so clearance pricing is really dirt cheap. You would probably find similar at fabric stores with their markup for end of bolt or discontinued.

I also have bought 30x48 flexible translucent poly sheets from Tap Plastics that I find extremely useful for table setups and product/food shoots.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Voile maybe but your width is going to be awkward, it's commonly sold in 1.5 meter widths about 5 foot wide. Typically about $4 a meter 5 foot by 8 foot is easy. You will normally find fabric shops all over. If thats not sheer enough places that make communion and wedding dresses may have something more sheer. Voile tends to be used for very fine curtains. Obviously these places are not going to know how many stops of light the material blocks but you can meter it yourself.

There are cotton and linen back drops you can buy online but they tend to be thicker than what you require. try to buy on the roll rather than folded getting creases out is a right pain. Although if you can get it stretched out , a water mist bottle can be used to wet the fabric and with a bit of luck it will dry crease free. Synthetic fabrics are much harder to remove creases from than natural ones. Theatres might be a good source of knowledge for local suppliers of fabric.

http://www.homestoreandmore.ie/flat-sheet/so-soft-percale-white-flat-sheets/invt/tursosoftwhi02

Super king size is 310cm by 275cm (10 foot by 9 foot). I don't know if that's fine enough for your use. But you should easily source from many department stores. around $25 a sheet seems reasonable.

Good luck with it (Voile curtains may be handy as they maybe stitched for a pole to go through on one side any way). you might use velcro fasteners to attach to a frame.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I used to use drafting film made of mylar. There are vellums that have different transparencies and translucencies. Just a thought.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Thank you.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Thank you.

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

My first was an almost new, fitted, twin sized sheet... it popped easily on/off the PVC and stayed tight. It worked rather well... but get a new one, the one I stole off my brother's bed was a little warmer in the middle than the sides....

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

This person who's already done this says white rip stop nylon, available in any fabric store.

https://www.slrlounge.com/make-diy-scrim-50/

KenBlackwell Loc: Killeen, Texas

I just looked on Amazon and found white rip stop fabric for $ 5.09 - $ 5.59 per yard. The white sheet would also work well to diffuse light.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Thanks everyone. I used a Scrim Jim by Wescott at Texas School and I really enjoyed the soft light for portraits (main light). Grid hair light and back drop lights. The scrim Jim is just too expensive (6x6).

StevenBrownPhoto Loc: Excelsior, MN

Adorama has the 6'x6' fabric for $149. If you manufacture your own frame, this seems like a reasonable price for knowing what the fabric will do, light wise I mean.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

David,

I will not go into the building of the frame, you seem to have that well in hand. The material is another matter, you can select any of the materials you see posted in this thread. One not mentioned is Cheese Cloth, and it can be found at most fabric supply stores. The one thing that is not mentioned is the setting of the F/Stop light reduction.

You will need to test your materials for the effect you wish to achieve, this can be accomplished on small test sizes before you build your large frame. When you visit the fabric store for the material, also look at the various sizes of bulk Cheese Cloth, purchase a small size, 1 square yard. Also look for a set of Embroidery Hoops. The hoops will enable securing several layers of cloth, stretched drum tight to test the material and the required reduction in F/Stop.

If you purchase the larger size of hoops you will be able to use these as a Sun Filter on small subjects outdoors, and where necessary as a reflector.

Michael G

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

How about googling "white sheeting". It comes very wide.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Most scrim makers will also sell the material in bulk, just contact them or get a catalog!