Rotofast Standard Anchors

Its not how fast you Roto but how well you RotoFast! These things are outstanding and while there are alternatives, these are by far the best solution for any application.My application: Securing my panels to my 10 foot theater ceiling with fiberoptic stars borrowing through the panels.

These are incredible. In many situations they're the best way to mount cloth-wrapped 6-lb rigid fiberglass acoustical panels. Surprisingly, the big yellow screw (about 2" in diameter) screws firmly right into the fiberglass (so you would need exposed panel on the back), and this may be the only mechanical fastener for these standard rigid panels. Two mounting methods are available -- "standard" as pictured here, and "snap."The Standard fastener uses a standard gypsum-board anchor in the wall, and then the big yellow Rotofast is screwed into the panel using the same positioning template. The matching anchor screw is first inserted into the Rotofast. Then a fine philips screwdriver is inserted through the panel from the front (between the weave of the grillcloth), right through the Rotofast, and screws the anchor screw into the anchor. This makes for a very solid mounting, but if the original holes can be located, the panel is easily unscrewed from the wall for repair.The Snap fastener is a powerful snap-on / snap-off system. The yellow Rotofast is screwed into the back of the panel, one at each corner, and a locator pin is put into each Rotofast. The panel is pressed against the wallboard, leaving four locating marks. The gypsum-board anchors are then installed at those marks, and the Rotofast locator pins are replaced by black snap barrels. The barrels have angled ridges around them, when the panel is pressed against the wall, the barrels fit very tightly into the Rotofasts and hold the panel semi-permanently in position. No evidence of the mounting is visible from the front. Removal requires getting a good purchase on the panel, and pulling surprisingly hard to dislodge the ridged barrel from the Rotofast.We're in the process of mounting 47 panels in our theater to eliminate problem reflections. I'll post a follow-up after the project is complete, with some photos of Rotofast fasteners in use. Both Rotofast options are semi-permanent -- that is, either one requires some attention to remove. But it's much better than glue, which usually ruins the gypsum-board (or at least the paint), so in public spaces the Rotofast approach may be the best compromise between permanence and serviceability. In a home environment, Z-hooks are often used, and removal is so easy that panels can be accidentally dislodged by bumping or sliding, just as a hung picture might be. But if the panels are likely to be bumped, as in a narrow hallway, even home use might well call for Rotofast.