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  1. #1
    Senior Member ~Reason~'s Avatar
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    how to put a fixed loop in seatbelt?

    Can someone point me to the best way to put a fixed loop on the end of a piece of seatbelt webbing (2 inch) ? I guess 18 loops in 18 seatbelt ends to be precise.

    I planned to sew them, but my sewing machine is balking at the task. Any advice there would be welcome.

    I have tried a few different knots. They work, but are so wasteful and bulky with this wide of material. Maybe I'm not using the right knot for the strap or not knowing how to dress it correctly.

    This is for the tree end of sets of tree straps for girl scouts. We are using rings for the other end.

    Thanks in advance
    ~ʎpuıɔ~
    If you teach a child to reason they'll think for a lifetime.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
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    Sewing is probably your best option if its 2" seatbelt webbing if you don'y want the bulk of the knots. If yout machine is not working, hand sewing would work but it much more labour intensive and would take forever for 18 sets. You could make them sew their own straps.
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

  3. #3
    Senior Member ~Reason~'s Avatar
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    Am I giving up too fast on the sewing machine?

    I have new needles and upholstery thread and I kept ending up with a mess of thread on the underside of the webbing and a messed up bobbin no matter what I did with the tension. It was even happening when I stepped down to heavy duty thread.

    Maybe I shouldn't attempt rigging with a nasty head cold.
    ~ʎpuıɔ~
    If you teach a child to reason they'll think for a lifetime.
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  4. #4
    Senior Member oldgringo's Avatar
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    Don't give up on the machine. There are several folks on here that will walk you through troubleshooting your problem. Have a cup of coffee, and be patient. You are, after all, a leader of Girl Scouts.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member namnat's Avatar
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    Re: how to put a fixed loop in seatbelt?

    Quote Originally Posted by ~Reason~ View Post
    Am I giving up too fast on the sewing machine?

    I have new needles and upholstery thread and I kept ending up with a mess of thread on the underside of the webbing and a messed up bobbin no matter what I did with the tension. It was even happening when I stepped down to heavy duty thread.

    Maybe I shouldn't attempt rigging with a nasty head cold.
    What size of needle are you using? I would recommend using a size used for denim. Also make sure your tension is set correctly, which is different for every machine.
    "Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth." - Jules Verne

  6. #6
    Senior Member namnat's Avatar
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    Re: how to put a fixed loop in seatbelt?

    I forgot to mention you can also use the machines fly wheel to place each and every stitch. Very time consuming, but still gets the job done. You may want to stretch every 10 minutes or so.
    "Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth." - Jules Verne

  7. #7
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    There are a couple of issues here. The size of the needle should not give you the problems you are having.
    Thinner needles will break easier, but you are experiencing a tension issue. So here are things to look at. Heavy thread in heavy material needs high tension on the top thread. For now, leave the bobbin alone. _Do not_ mess with the bobbin tension at this point.

    Crank the top tension all the way up to the top and see if that helps at all. How many layers of webbing are you trying to sew through? Put the folded webbing into your machine and lower the presser foot onto the webbing but _don"t_ stitch anything. Make sure the take up arm is at the highest point. Grab the thread through the needle and pull on it. It _should_ present very high friction and be difficult to pull. Assuming it does not, then you have exceeded the capacity of the machine in terms of thickness and the tension is disengaged. You will have little choice but to hand sew, or contract the loops out to a leather shop or coobler if you can find one who will do it for you.

    If the thread does not move with the pull test, something else is going on. But try that first, report back and we'll go from there.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

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  8. #8
    Senior Member namnat's Avatar
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    Re: how to put a fixed loop in seatbelt?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    There are a couple of issues here. The size of the needle should not give you the problems you are having.
    Thinner needles will break easier, but you are experiencing a tension issue. So here are things to look at. Heavy thread in heavy material needs high tension on the top thread. For now, leave the bobbin alone. _Do not_ mess with the bobbin tension at this point.

    Crank the top tension all the way up to the top and see if that helps at all. How many layers of webbing are you trying to sew through? Put the folded webbing into your machine and lower the presser foot onto the webbing but _don"t_ stitch anything. Make sure the take up arm is at the highest point. Grab the thread through the needle and pull on it. It _should_ present very high friction and be difficult to pull. Assuming it does not, then you have exceeded the capacity of the machine in terms of thickness and the tension is disengaged. You will have little choice but to hand sew, or contract the loops out to a leather shop or coobler if you can find one who will do it for you.

    If the thread does not move with the pull test, something else is going on. But try that first, report back and we'll go from there.
    And third.... I was going to say ask this guy. He has a plethora of info on anything about thread injection.
    "Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth." - Jules Verne

  9. #9
    Senior Member ~Reason~'s Avatar
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    Ok, I gave the machine another go and was able to do a loop. My machine is a solid old singer that seriously needs some maintenance. My tension knob is wonky, but if I get the room really cold it seems to work better. Cranking up the tension made the top thread not get caught in the bobbin area, but it is slow work. At this rate it shouldn't be a problem to get them done before the meeting though.

    Thanks for the help and encouragement. I'll keep plugging away.
    ~ʎpuıɔ~
    If you teach a child to reason they'll think for a lifetime.
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  10. #10
    SnrMoment's Avatar
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