have any of you made your own tarps from silinylon ? I will be looking at getting 3 hammocks and would rather make my own tarps. I can get the Silinylon but what is the best way to seam it and reinforce it ?
Thanks Bill
have any of you made your own tarps from silinylon ? I will be looking at getting 3 hammocks and would rather make my own tarps. I can get the Silinylon but what is the best way to seam it and reinforce it ?
Thanks Bill
Check out this thread on DIY Tarp Designs...
+1! It doesn't get any easier! The hex is perfect size IMO.
Sew the ridgeline seam FIRST! I learned this the hard way :embarrassed:
I sew the ridgeline with a flat felled seam, then double roll the hem along the perimeter. I reinforce the corners with a heavier piece of silnylon if I have it, or a couple of extra layers of the tarp material. I use 3/4" wide grosgain for the tie-outs. Many folks add a plastic D-ring there. Here's a picture of one of my tie-outs ...
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...p?i=11963&c=15
Mike
"Life is a Project!"
Making a tarp requires confidence in being able to handle huge expanses of fabric. It is a reasonable easy process, but not for the faint of heart. When finishing the flat felled ridge seam you will need to keep careful track of the right side panel so it does not get caught in the seam. Some folks roll it up into a long tube to make it easier to handle (their opinion... I find it easier to leave it loose and watch it carefully.) The DIY tarp is a mainstay amongst the DIY folks here. Plenty of advice and moral support. Have fun.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
In addition to the DIY Tarp Design thread (where I posted my results and tips) mentioned earlier. I also referenced these threads:
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=3947
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=49882
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=35718
I didn't find it too difficult, although I was familiar with a thread injector and had previously made SteelerNation's Pack Cover/Gear Hammock/Camp Chair in silnylon.
(http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=36518)
That helped learning to deal with the slippery fabric.
It's not to difficult, once you get the wife convinced that it's OK to call the thread injector by it's proper name! I based mine loosely on pics I'd seen here:
http://www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com/diy-guides/tarps/
It's a rectangle with extra tieouts so I can have "doors" of a sort. I ran a piece of this: http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-...kuId=202891112
through the all the seams so that I could hang it really tight. Here's a couple of shots:
full deployment:
quick "hex" like spread(the one on the right):
Mine is large, 10x12. I made it from seconds, 62" wide sewn side by side. It only weighs 19oz. I also siliconized that nylon myself. I recommend the extra 3 bucks a yard unless you like laminating everything in your back yard 8-\
Dude, tarps are really easy, especially sil nylon! Its easy sewing, just alot of it! --probably 20-30 feet of seams when youre done! Just a couple of tips---spend the money on good materials---lots of people have been burned buying cheap materials, only to find out they leak! Also, take your time---I do my best work when only sew 3 or 4 feet at a time---sew a little, take a break etc. Also, on the ridgeline seam, the flat fell seam, I know technically you should be able to do it all in one step, folding it over it self---but I've never ben able to do that--I just add a few more steps and stitches to the project. Have fun---cant wait to see what you come up with!
FYI: If you want to know what type a certain bear is, sneak up behind it and kick it. Then,
run like crazy and climb up a tree. If the bear climbs the tree and eats you, it's a black
bear. If the bear just pushes the tree over and eats you, it's a grizzly bear : )
Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either, just leave me alone.
--unknown
Originally Posted by stevebo
My advice is to not try and sew that 3-4 feet in one swell foop. You should plan on repositioning your hands every 6-12 inches, stopping with each reposition. Once you get the hang of it it almost becomes second nature. That said I watched my professional seamstress wife zip a _second line_ of stitching about 15 feet long at full speed, non stop. But she's been sewing for ~45 years and can do simple stitches with her eyes closed.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
+1. Such good advice. I used to sell the Winter Dream tarp, and I lost a few to this very mistake. With that large expanse of fabric, it's easy to get some of it under the needle when you don't want it there. Just be careful. And since you're not selling it, it's not the end of the world if you do, just use some of your seam sealer on the little holes if you accidentally poke through.
Also, the advice on ridgline first: +1 to that too. Do the ridgeline before hemming the edges. You'll regret it if you don't.
All in all, not the most difficult project. Just take your time.
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