Fabric ID Help????

**GvilleDave** · 05-31-2010, 19:00

I went to my local Walmart and found two different fabrics in the bargin area for $1.50 / YD. I think both are coated ripstop (visible squares in the weave of the fabric). How do I verify the type material and the type coating? One fabric is heavier than the other. I think one is maybe 1.1 oz and the other is 1.7 or 1.9 oz. How do I determine fabric weight?

Here's a pic of the heavier fabric (digital camo pattern):
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Here's the lighter fabric (muted olive green / grey solid color):
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Help or suggestions are appreciated!

**gargoyle** · 05-31-2010, 19:25

I have some of the digital, made a tarp with it. Works fine.
Haven't seen the olive, do a watertest on it to see if it is water-proof or water resistant, or not at all. Good find. Also check it for breathability, hold some over your mouth and try to breath thru the fabric.
I'd say 1.7 coated on the digital. I never weighed it, just a guess.
Weights are determined by how much a square yard (36 x 36) weigh.

**jdempsey** · 05-31-2010, 19:30

I'm pretty sure the gray fabric you have is the same stuff I bought a bunch of if it's 1.1oz.

It's DWR 1.1, very similar to the Olive 1.1RS 2nds from BWDD. Check the right or left side not far from the selvedge for a couple of dark lines running the length of the fabric. 54" wide?

**hangnout** · 05-31-2010, 19:32

How do I determine fabric weight?

(Total length inches x total width inches)/1296 = Total square yards

Total Weight in ounces/Total square yards = weight per square yard

**GvilleDave** · 05-31-2010, 19:46

So far a test peice of the digital camo has held waterproof taped across the top of a glass of water with the glass upside down for 40 minutes. The fabric appears like it has not penetrated at all.

I just atred a similar test on the lighter olive/grey fabric.

How do you tell if the coating is DWR or Sil?

I tried to breath through the fabric and could not through either.

The grey does not have any dark lines at the edges.

**GvilleDave** · 05-31-2010, 19:50

Thanks for the help so far.

The olive/grey fabric is 52" wide.

The digital camo fabric is 66" wide.

If that helps ID...

**jdempsey** · 05-31-2010, 20:17

ooops, sorry, mine is 52 also.

Anyway, lines or not, I think it's the same stuff. If you make a pouch out of it with your hands, and fill that pouch with water, and try to squeeze it out like one of those frosting guns, you'll know if it's sill or not.

If you can get water through it with force, anything more than a few drops, it's definitely dwr.

The stuff I have is highly water repellent, but not water proof.

**jdempsey** · 05-31-2010, 20:21

BTW, that cup of water test isn't really effective, I've seen plenty of dwr that would hold it, or really lightly coated stuff.

You need some real water pressure to test it. Sil shouldn't do anything more than lightly mist under a heavy spray. That's why the squeeze test is good. The 1.1 sil I have wont release much water even when I'm really torquing it.

**slowhike** · 05-31-2010, 20:59

The digital camo looks a lot like what my current hammock (been using it for well over a year, nightly), except for the shininess, but that could just be your camera flash.
If it's the same, I was told it was polyester, but I couldn't swear to it. But I can say that if I found more of the same stuff my hammock is made of, I would buy as much of it as my cash would allow.
It's got a good feel for a hammock & shows no sign of wear after supporting my 200+lbs for so many nights

As someone said, hold it tight over your mouth & try to breath in. If it's waterproof, it'll be like trying to breath through plastic... no go.
If it's water resistant to some degree, you will be able to draw air through it, but it will be hard.
If it's untreated, you will be able to breath freely through it.

There was a formula in Ed Speer's book that helps determine the fabric weight. It's been posted here in the past. Maybe someone can find it.

**GvilleDave** · 05-31-2010, 21:01

OK, I have now completed the "frosting gun" squeeze test. The digital camo pattern held waterproof no matter how hard I squeezed. Does that mean it is sil?

The olive/ grey material must just be DWR because when I squeezed it the same way pin points of water drops started coming through the fabric.

Thanks to all for the help!

Now, what projects to use this stuff on...