DIY 3/4 Differentially Cut UQ - Finished!

I finished my UQ this week - wohoo!

Thanks go out to everyone who shares information on these forums, which without, I never could have imagined taking on such a project. This is my 1st DIY ever and I have no prior experience behind a thread injector. It took me a long time to wrap my head around some of the concepts involved, but well worth the effort. Special thanks go out to my wife who put up with me taking over the dining room table and kitchen floor for a week during construction! :lol:

Number of baffles: 7.00
Baffle height: 2.50 inches
Underquilt width: 42.00 inches
Underquilt length: 52.00 inches
Seam allowance on long sides: 1.00 inches
Seam allowance on short sides: 1.00 inches
Width inner fabric (toward hammock): 42.00 inches plus seam allowance = 44.00 inches
Length inner fabric (toward hammock): 52.00 inches plus seam allowance = 54.00 inches
Width outer fabric (away from hammock): 54.00 inches plus seam allowance = 56.00 inches
Length outer fabric (away from hammock): 57.00 inches plus seam allowance = 59.00 inches
Baffle spacing for inner fabric: 6.00 inches
Baffle spacing for outer fabric: 7.00 inches
Outside chamber width inner fabric: 6.00 inches
Outside chamber width outer fabric: 9.50 inches (7" +2.5" loft)
Darts on the inner: 1 inch (total 7 inches)
Darts on the outer: 2 inch (total 14 inches)
For the head end I made these 10 inches long, and 15 inches at the foot end.

Down Fill Calculations
Volume based on trapezoidal pyramid shape of radial baffles calculated above
Down fill power: 800.00 inches³/ounce
Percent overfill: 0.20
Volume per baffle: 844.83 inches³
Total volume: 5913.79 inches³
Down per chamber: 1.27 ounces
Total down: 8.87 ounces

The above calcs started out using Meteors UQ Calcs:
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...d.php?p=553311
And were then modified slightly (using 160 degrees instead of 170) to simplify dimensions for easier construction. (Thanks Meteor and Mad777!)

Ripstop and Noseeum purchased from: http://www.diygearsupply.com/
Down harvested from a Bloomingdales My Luxe pillow.

On to the pics!

Laid out and marked

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0255_thumb.jpg

Baffles and darts sewn to outer

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0264_thumb.jpg

Baffles sewn to foot and head end, also showing corner detail

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0266_thumb.jpg

Shell completed, baffles sewn to inner and outer shell, 3 sides hemmed

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0268_thumb.jpg

Shell filled with 800 FP down, Grosgrain channels added

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0280_thumb.jpg

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0281_thumb.jpg

And finally, suspension added and attached to hammock!

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0287_thumb.jpg

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0289_thumb.jpg

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...0291_thumb.jpg


I hope in the future someone will find a small nugget of info somewhere that helps them as much as it helped me looking through other projects!

Awesome! Thank you for all the numbers - that really helps others to recreate!

Looks Good

Happy Hangin'
Ben

Great looking piece of gear. You didnt make 2 of them did you? :rolleyes:

Outstanding job, HappyHiker!!!!! You made a fantastic UQ!
I made one with about the same statistics and it gets me down into the teens easily!

That's a perfect looking quilt for a seasoned artisan - beyond incredible for a first timer!
I can't wait to see your work a couple of years from now, although, I don't know how it could be improved upon :thumbup:

Great looking UQ, now time to make yourself a matching TQ :thumbup:

VERY nice :)

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Originally Posted by sclittlefield

Awesome! Thank you for all the numbers - that really helps others to recreate!

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I hope so, if not for others who have done the same I never would have attempted it. Yay for HF!

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Originally Posted by EastCoastFeastCoast

Looks Good

Happy Hangin'
Ben

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Hehe, just don't look too close ;)

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Originally Posted by littlebigpole

Great looking piece of gear. You didnt make 2 of them did you? :rolleyes:

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:laugh:

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Originally Posted by MAD777

Outstanding job, HappyHiker!!!!! You made a fantastic UQ!
I made one with about the same statistics and it gets me down into the teens easily!

That's a perfect looking quilt for a seasoned artisan - beyond incredible for a first timer!
I can't wait to see your work a couple of years from now, although, I don't know how it could be improved upon :thumbup:

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Perfect! That's the temp range I was shooting for.

It fits the 5 foot rule well (don't get closer than 5 feet and it looks pretty good) Maybe in a few years I'll be able to stitch a straight line. :laugh:

Really the only reason it turned out so well is because of yourself and others who posted info on their projects so that others could see how it's done.

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Originally Posted by Catavarie

Great looking UQ, now time to make yourself a matching TQ :thumbup:

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I think my next couple of projects will be much much simpler (need a bit of a break haha). I have a new appreciation for how much work goes into some of this gear!

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Originally Posted by two isles

VERY nice :)

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Thanks everyone for your kind words and feedback!

Good looking work there! Hope you get many warm hangs out of it.

If there's one thing I haven't ever made that I've always wanted to, it's this kind of project. You've done a top-notch job of it and should be very proud! Kudos to you.

Congrats on a great job. I am feeling the need to make a UQ, and you pics and specs will be most valuable. Thank!!!

That looks Fantastic HappyHiker! Very professional job, good work!

Cheers :D

Thanks all!

That's a great looking quilt! Nice work!

How do you find the 42" width? Too wide? Too narrow? Just right? I will soon be starting a full length UQ and have yet to decide how wide to make it. The cottage makers' quilts seem to vary between 42"-48", but I have seen DIYs as narrow as 34".

Thanks!

wow, great thread, great work. I'll be making a pair of UQs in the next few weeks, so I'll definitely come back to this for some great info. Thanks

Amazing work! I'm sure you will enjoy that :)

and great instructions

Sweet UQ man! I hope my first project looks half as good. :)

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Originally Posted by goatnuck

That's a great looking quilt! Nice work!

How do you find the 42" width? Too wide? Too narrow? Just right? I will soon be starting a full length UQ and have yet to decide how wide to make it. The cottage makers' quilts seem to vary between 42"-48", but I have seen DIYs as narrow as 34".

Thanks!

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Its just about right for me. Keep in mind with the darts added, the head and foot end end up ~34" wide - just wide enough to cover my shoulders with a bit to spare. Leaving it wider would definitely give a little more "wiggle" room.

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Originally Posted by philthy

wow, great thread, great work. I'll be making a pair of UQs in the next few weeks, so I'll definitely come back to this for some great info. Thanks

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Originally Posted by ShadowAlpha

Amazing work! I'm sure you will enjoy that :)

and great instructions

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Originally Posted by Drifter D

Sweet UQ man! I hope my first project looks half as good. :)

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Thanks for the compliments!

After sleeping with my UQ on a few trips (lowest temp ~24 degrees F, windy) I am generally pleased with it's performance.

The biggest problem I experienced is the seal at the foot end (across my calves) on my gathered end hammocks. The ridge that runs down the length of the hammock causes a gap that the suspension doesn't seal completely, and let cold air trickle in and pool inside the UQ causing major CBS. In the field I plugged the gap with a spare sock, and could also solve the issue by sliding the UQ up to where the foot end rested under my knees, rather than under my calves where there was less of a gap. So I added a draft tube on the foot end that will hopefully address this issue by providing a better seal.

I used a 34" x 8" piece of 1.1 ripstop to form a 32" x 2" tube, filled with 6 grams of down (thats about a 100% overstuff, but I wanted to make sure that draft tube was puffy) - probably overkill. Debated making it removable, and finally decided to just permanently attach it.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/p...ictureid=11857

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/p...ictureid=11858

Nice add on. Should be gap proof now, great job.

Looks great. Thanks for updating us on this thread... I missed the original post and this project is exactly what I was looking for!

How much loft and what is your estimated comfort temp?

Thanks for the tip on the pillow! Found a king size quilt with 30oz of down on ebay right now for $60... Says same 800fp down... sounds like a steal if somebody wants to pick it up!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLOOM-HOME-M...ht_2656wt_1644

John

EDIT: Had to do it, I Just bought the materials I need to make my version of this UQ from Scott! With Hernia surgery coming up in a month, I might as well have something to do while I recover... I figure after a few days of ice-packs I can get to sewing!

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Originally Posted by HappyHiker

Special thanks go out to my wife who put up with me taking over the dining room table and kitchen floor for a week during construction!

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Is that all??!? Looks great!!! :boggle: Thanks for all the info and inspiration!!!

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Originally Posted by JohnSawyer

How much loft and what is your estimated comfort temp?

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I'd say the loft is between 3.5 - 4 " (hard to accurately measure, for me anyway). I'm aiming for between 10-15 degrees F, and I'm a cool sleeper. So far only tested to ~25.

I used the ratings from: http://thru-hiker.com/projects/down_quilt.php to guesstimate what loft I needed, and those seem to be inline with most of the commercial UQ offerings available. So 2.5" baffles should give about 3.5" of loft. The differential cut seems to increase that loft a bit more.

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Thanks for the tip on the pillow! Found a king size quilt with 30oz of down on ebay right now for $60... Says same 800fp down... sounds like a steal if somebody wants to pick it up!
John

EDIT: Had to do it, I Just bought the materials I need to make my version of this UQ from Scott! With Hernia surgery coming up in a month, I might as well have something to do while I recover... I figure after a few days of ice-packs I can get to sewing!

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Those pillows are a fantastic deal IMO. I think you'll be pleased with the results. You do fine work btw, you'll have fun with this.

Ouch on the surgery - heres hoping it goes smooth and easy, and for a fast recovery!

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Originally Posted by Pipsissewa

Is that all??!? Looks great!!! :boggle: Thanks for all the info and inspiration!!!

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Ha! The hardest and most time consuming part - besides planning - was measuring(and re-measuring), marking and cutting. Once I had all of my pieces putting them together was pretty straightforward.

Thanks all for your kind words.

question for you, did you sew the baffles first the do the darts or the darts first then the baffles? I have not yet done a baffled UQ sew I do not know which should be done first. I assume you would do the baffles first while you still have straight lines but would like someone who has done this to confirm or deny.

Thanks and great job btw!:thumbup1:

I did both. :D

On the outer layer I attached the baffles 1st, added the darts and then attached the baffles to the ends. The inner layer I did the darts 1st, and then attached it to the baffles already on the outer.

There was no way around that since I ran the darts deep into the channels. I could have attached a baffle, and then sewn a dart, repeat - but that would only make one baffle easier and you would have to deal with both layers of fabric twice as much. It's hard controlling that much fabric, at least for me with a small table and sewing machine.

If you used short darts, they could be added after the baffles are complete, or no darts would be even easier.

I hope that makes sense!

Wow that is a fantastic looking quilt and a very nice write up on the process.

Very Nice :D Me Likes

I know I am reviving an old issue, but I am still having trouble visualizing the closing of the baffle and I am not quite sure what I am looking at in the pictures.
I have revisited many of the UQ threads, looked at GLP's (I think) pictures and the pictures here and I think I have it figured out, but I wanted to make sure.
If you are attaching the baffle to the outer layer first (away from the hammock), one would sew the long length of the baffle piece along the prescribed line --got it.

My best understanding is near the end of the outer shell, one would stop stitching along the long length of the netting and begin stitching up the short side of the baffle piece (trimming the baffle material to an appropriate length) thus creating an 'L' or an angled end in the outer shell.

Is this correct?
If so, where do you make the transition (how far away from the edge-- would it be the baffle height?) ? This would give the outer shells a 90 deg corner that wraps around the loft to meet a flat inner shell. That is what I think I see in the pictures. Also is a true right angle better than a bit of taper (would not compress the loft at the joint between the shells.)
Thanks for answering this question yet again.
jason

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Originally Posted by jwright

My best understanding is near the end of the outer shell, one would stop stitching along the long length of the netting and begin stitching up the short side of the baffle piece (trimming the baffle material to an appropriate length) thus creating an 'L' or an angled end in the outer shell.

Is this correct?

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You got it!

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If so, where do you make the transition (how far away from the edge-- would it be the baffle height?) ?

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Correct - baffle height inside of the seam allowance.

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This would give the outer shells a 90 deg corner that wraps around the loft to meet a flat inner shell. That is what I think I see in the pictures. Also is a true right angle better than a bit of taper (would not compress the loft at the joint between the shells.)
Thanks for answering this question yet again.
jason

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I don't really know which would be better, the ends will experience some compression due to the shockcord adjustment. I did it this way because it just seemed more logical to me than just cutting the baffle to meet the hem stitching which *might* allow down to shift from chamber to chamber. A simple short stitch negates that possibility.

Thanks HH!

Jason

Great Job!
I made one with the same dimensions, looks like yours with the Grosgrain edging and all. Your right, these are a ton of work. I think buying one would be worth the price.

Im thinking of trying to make this with some inlisted help from a buddy .

What is the purpose of the "Noseeum" and im guessing you sewn it to the underside of the UQ?

The noseeum was used for the baffles.

Imagine the horizontal top and bottom are nylon, and the vertical is the noseeum wall between chambers if viewing the quilt from the end:

[ I I I I ]

so the noseeum baffles are inside of the quilt, sewn to both the inner(top) and outer(bottom) layer - effectively making tubes which are then filled with down.

Hope that makes sense!

gotcha, i'll let you know how it turns out and post it on here..

HappyHiker


Considering your construction and the need to add an air stopper what would you different to try to eliminate the need to add it to your next UQ?

I’m wondering because I am emulating your UQ design, except I’m going for full UQ, do you think that the cold air would have spilled in on yours if it was a full UQ?

Also do you think that darts were necessary, and could the darts have been the reason the cold air spilled in?

Sorry to be chatty!

Thanks for posting what you did with pics!

Fantastic! Let me know if you go into production....

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Originally Posted by flying_bobo

HappyHiker


Considering your construction and the need to add an air stopper what would you different to try to eliminate the need to add it to your next UQ?

I’m wondering because I am emulating your UQ design, except I’m going for full UQ, do you think that the cold air would have spilled in on yours if it was a full UQ?

Also do you think that darts were necessary, and could the darts have been the reason the cold air spilled in?

Sorry to be chatty!

Thanks for posting what you did with pics!

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I think the need for the draft tube is caused more by the hammock type (gathered end) than the UQ itself. The hammock fabric inherently has hills and valleys that are difficult to seal, especially underneath your legs/feet. Under the shoulders, I had no problems getting a good seal. As noted earlier, if I slide the UQ up to where the end is under my knees rather than my calves, I get a decent seal as well.

Was it truly neccessary to add? Not really. Just something I wanted to try and see if it was an improvement, and IMO it was. Seals up the end very nicely and prevents any drafts from sneaking in on me. That said, if I were to make another, I'd shorten the length by ~10" to match from back of my knees to over the shoulder and it would have no issues under most conditions .

A full length UQ *could* experience the same issue (and probably would have under the conditions it became an issue for me). It just comes down to getting a good seal between the hammock and UQ. The pod approach seems to be about the only way to ensure minimum drafts.

The darts did not contribute to or cause the issue, and the UQ could certainly be built without them. Perhaps with simply bunching the width of material on the drawcord rather than using darts would add more material that could fill the hills and valleys on the bottom of the hammock? I don't know for sure.

Personally I like the draft tube - it reduced the amount of "fiddle factor" when setting up/during use and I haven't experienced any issues since. It was a simple addition that enhanced the performance of the UQ to meet my expectations. Thats the great thing about DIY - make it how YOU want it, and if that fails you can always modify :lol:
HTH

Great info, I want to make one but using down scares the crap out of me. Mess and not filling evenly.

about how long did you make the shock cord lengths for the long sides? I'm about to start my first UQ and was wondering whether or not to make them as long as your hammock, or as long as your ridgeline.