I'm finishing my dark box and going to make up the shroud for it. I was wondering, should I make it like a solid tube or slit down the front with overlaping edges with ties inside.
If anyone has an intrest in the Confederate Sub Hunley, the History channel will air a new program about it on their "Digging for the truth" series. Monday night at 9:00 will the first airing. For the past 12 years I've been researching and building C.W Torpedoes and have been on some programs explaining how they worked. I'll be showing Hunter Ellis how the spar torpedo om the Hunley was detonated. You'll also see how much force was in the torpedo when 10 pounds of C-4 was detonated under water. Plus other facts about the Sub as well.
Mike Kochan

Mike:

Make it as simple as possible. The last thing you want to be futzing with is zippers and ties when everything else is going wrong. I have a tube/drape of cloth that I made real loose so it is easy to duck under with a plate in my hand. I pull it tight tuck between my waist and the darkbox. I have attached a picture that hopefully will help.

Good luck,

Ken

[attachment 495 KenBarrysmall.jpg]

Hi, yeah, I made my darkbox shroud out of vinyl darkroom cloth. I made a tube about 60 inches long. It hangs so that the top side of the tube is shorter than the bottom side, which at first I thought would be a problem, but isn't. I just stapled the tube into the darkbox. To keep the light out, I tuck the sides of the tube tight against my legs and step close to the edge of the darkbox in order to keep the folds in place. A tiny bit of light comes in through the seams, even though I had them professionaly sewed, and I coated them with vinyl goop, but it isn't enough light to cause any perceptible fogging.

Mike -

My dark cloth is three sided, with the opening facing the inside of the box. I throw it over my head, gather the sides around my waist and lean against the box to hold it in place. It's plenty light tight.

The reverse slit has the advantage of being "adjustable", so that if I need to pour a plate in windy conditions, I can "tent" to keep the breeze out, but permit daylight for viewing the pour.

NWG

Thanks for the help. Now all i have to do is do it. I bought the material and started on the box last thanksgiving...Here are 2 photos of a lens cover I made in the mean time. Having a hard time with photo
Mike

Mike, I saw you, I really liked the show. I think you should have filled your torpedo up with black powder and used that though instead of the C4 they used.