View Poll Results: Is stitching or taping the BEST way to secure CUBEN ?

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  • TAPING ONLY is the BEST way to secure CUBEN. WHY put holes in CUBEN

    6 35.29%
  • stitching ONLY is the BEST way to secure CUBEN?

    0 0%
  • Stitching with taping and stitching is ok as long as you seam seal the stitching

    2 11.76%
  • WHY mess around with CUBEN at all. TOO MUCH FUSS over it.

    9 52.94%
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  1. #1
    Senior Member TOB9595's Avatar
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    Question Do you stitch or tape CUBEN?

    I see some cuben bags are sealed with tape and some others are stitched.
    I've read that stitching is NOT the way to make these bags using cuben.

    Anyone have info on what is right or righter in the way of sealing these bags?
    Dry bags and stuff sacks.
    Tom

  2. #2
    Senior Member Poppabear's Avatar
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    I have not made any cuben dry bags myself. But it is my guess that taping would be a better option for dry bags. Sewing obviously puts holes in the material, and no matter how good your technique, leaves a potential for leaks.

  3. #3
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    I'm in the middle of some careful testing of two types of tape from 3M to see which is better, but it's pretty clear already that both are better than sewing. I returned from a trip today in which I used a 9' x 11' cuben tarp and several cuben stuff sacks - both taped and sewn. I tend to overfill stuff sacks, and the stitching on the sewn one is pulling small holes in the cuben, expanding the needle holes. I also managed to push too hard when filling a taped stuff sack, and I made a three-inch rip in the cuben, but the failure was not at the taped seam. This is consistent with my pull-tests of the two types of tape; the taped seam is stronger than the material being joined. Fortunately for me, I can use pieces of DIY cuben tape to fix both damaged stuff sacks, with almost no weight gain. (The tape is adhesive transfer tape, so only the adhesive is used, no actual "tape". I apply it to a small patch of cuben material and cover the rip or the expanding sewn seam.)

    The tarp is taped as well, and it has performed wonderfully so far.

    The forthcoming tape tests will compare two different adhesive formulations and two different thicknesses of adhesive for each type (2 mil and 5 mil). The last roll of tape is expected to arrive tomorrow, so in a week or two I'll have results.

    I have not tested Loctite epoxies or other bonding agents that have been used by others, but hope to do so eventually. I would expect that with the proper method of application, they would also be superior to sewing.

    FWIW, my sewn cuben stuff sacks have seen pretty hard use, and they are just now showing signs of weakness at the seams.

  4. #4
    Senior Member TOB9595's Avatar
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    Good thought Poppabear
    Nicely stated David

    Tom

  5. #5
    Senior Member Rain Man's Avatar
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    Don't mean to be a tease, but I didn't save the link. Just yesterday saw a YouTube video of a guy demonstrating Cuben fabric and a stuff sack made with it.

    He tore the stuff sack with no problem, right at the sewn seam. Stitching seems NOT the way to go with Cuben, from what I saw.

    I don't watch much YouTube, so don't even know if you can Google for the video.

    Rain Man

    .

  6. #6
    Senior Member TOB9595's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rain Man View Post
    Don't mean to be a tease, but I didn't save the link. Just yesterday saw a YouTube video of a guy demonstrating Cuben fabric and a stuff sack made with it.

    He tore the stuff sack with no problem, right at the sewn seam. Stitching seems NOT the way to go with Cuben, from what I saw.

    I don't watch much YouTube, so don't even know if you can Google for the video.

    Rain Man

    .
    BLAST YOU, you tease!!!!!
    Now off to find the vid......
    Grumble....mumble....

    Tom

  7. #7
    Senior Member Rain Man's Avatar
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    Talking

    Quote Originally Posted by TOB9595 View Post
    BLAST YOU, you tease!!!!!
    Now off to find the vid......
    Grumble....mumble....

    <Tail between legs Mode ON>

    If it wasn't via HF here, then it had to be via WhiteBlaze, ... if that's a help.


    Okay, okay, did your Googling fer ya and found it... and others. The first is the one I saw--
    Difference's in Cuben Fiber
    ZPacks Cuben Fiber Material Comparison

    Ask, and ye shall receive. Enjoy!

    RM

  8. #8
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    I talked to a MLD guy at Trail days, he said they sew the hem on their Cuben tarps for extra strength and the demo model they had there was defiantly sewn on the hem. I've seen the video Rain Man is talking about and I wonder why they think that sewing is a good idea on the hem?
    NO SNIVELING!
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  9. #9
    Senior Member d-p's Avatar
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    Cuben model/strength ?

    WV,

    Would it be helpful to state what model Cuben you are engineering with?

    Quest, the last time I checked, did NOT recommend the lighter of their two sku's Cuben for much of anything.

    Joe at Z-Packs has some interesting data with different strength Cuben on his site.

    I just want to share with the Forum, it's Engineers like WV that are so valuable to the HF's. Kudos to you Kid !

    And, have you thought about making a Cuben "doggie" pack ? Plus, the white fabric might let him/her run cooler? Might be a market out thar .............

    GM

  10. #10
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GramMan View Post
    WV,

    Would it be helpful to state what model Cuben you are engineering with?
    CT1K.08, which is about .5 oz/sq. yd.
    Quest, the last time I checked, did NOT recommend the lighter of their two sku's Cuben for much of anything.
    I believe that was CT.3K.08, which is about .34 oz./ sq. yd.

    GM
    Thanks, GM.

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