Tarp edge question:

[6 feet over]

I’m sure this has been covered, but I’ll throw it out there anyway.

If making a home made tarp, is edge material (gross grain?) necessary, or merely used to make it look better?

I wouldn’t care how it looks; I am only worried about function.

6

[headchange4u]

Grosgrain is cosmetic IMHO. When I build my next tarp I'm gonna leave it off.

[Mrprez]

No, it isn't necessary. Just roll them and sew it up.

[Ramblinrev]

The edges need to be treated in some way for stability and strength. But it makes little difference in my mind how that is done. Edging/bias tape is contrasting and cosmetic and maybe easier to do, but a folded hem is just as functional. I usually end up putting twill or something in the folded hem to add stability and strength as I showed in my vid We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! - Tarp Tips. But as long as the edge will not ravel and does not tear one is a good as the other.

[te-wa]

i only do it on catenary cut edges. if you try to roll one of those, be prepared for headaches. growgrain is useful in that sense.

[Ramblinrev]

My experience is that adding something like narrow twill tape to a cat cut makes it easier to handle. The narrower the better in that case. A narrow hem is easier to fold on a curve. I find either process a pain in the tush on a cat cut.

[Raven-US]

I just folded the edges when I made my catenary silnylon tarp. No regrets... works great.

Cheers,
jeff

[warbonnetguy]

it doesn't have to be just for looks. i think it can help alot in getting a tighter pitch if used on a curved edge (not bias tape, but something with some stretch resistence). if you direct force from the guylines to the edge binding, it helps pull the tarp taut. look at a maccat or one of mine or the granite gear white lightning, all are capeable of pitching very tight because of the way they use the edge binding. i don't think i could get nearly as tight and wrinkle free without it. you can definately use a rolled hem, but the edge will be alot stretchier and you won't be able to load it like you can edge binding, so you'll have to use a little corner patch to distribute force to the tarp, this doesn't do as good a job of getting a perfect taut wrinkle free pitch in my experience.

[te-wa]

Brandon that is pretty much how mine came out (the 3 or so that I made)
I just looked at the way Brian did his, and followed suit. It helps if you fold the grosgrain in half and then iron it so it forms a crease.

[Ramblinrev]

Interesting note on the bias tape... I'll remember that... I've had nothing but trouble using grosgrain but maybe I have been doing something wrong

[warbonnetguy]

it's definately harder to put on than bias tape, but it enables you to use shallower curves too and that makes it a little easier.

[Ramblinrev]

I'm thinking the twill tape I use as a rolled core may be a step between the bias tape and grosgrain. It is stretch resistant but easier to use around the curves. food for thought... at least for me.

[Youngblood]

I've never used any auxiliary edge material on a tarp, just a folded hem or a rolled hem. I have not had a problem getting a tarp pitched taut as long as it was designed with enough pullouts or shaping via curves on ridgelines, edges, darts, etc. and was pitched in a way that utilized enough of those features.

I think the issue with silnylon tarps is mostly with how you handle the characteristic stretch along the bias of the fabric. Larger pieces of fabric have more bias stretch, a lot more. How you place tieouts, how you tension them, and their relationship to each other and the fabric bias determines how taut you can pitch a tarp.

In some ways curves remove loose fabric along the edges that you just can't pull taut because of the way you have to tension the tarp. In some ways curves also allow you to tension areas of the tarp that you couldn't get tension to without the curves.

Once you get a silnylon tarp pitched taut you will need low stretch guyline and shockcord (or tube type tensioners) to help keep the tarp taut overnight or when it gets wet.

[warbonnetguy]

the pics of your swt does look nice and tight, i've still not had a chance to see one in person. how much weight is tied up in the pull tabs on that thing?

[gnome]

re edges tarp/ use cuben can't ravel needs no sewing at all,(the edges are left raw!) two sided tapes do it all! in joining 2 pieces together,, gnome

[warbonnetguy]

did you not use stitches on the rl or on the pull tabs? i thought the stitched and taped when they made sails with it.

[Ramblinrev]

Cuben = $$$$$$

Wally world silnyl = $

No brainer choice for someone with no money