1.5" Strapworks seat belt webbing

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02-21-2008, 20:19
TiredFeet

1.5" Strapworks seat belt webbing
Received the webbing from Strapworks today.

I really like this webbing.

Strapworks rates it at 3,500 lbs which is real overkill, but it is real nice stuff. Not as stiff as the 1" seatbelt webbing I got from them and easier to work with, sew etc. It feels to be little thinner than the 1" stuff. Weighed both the 1" and the 1.5" I have:
1. 1" -- 20' 5", 5.35 oz, 0.262 oz/ft
2. 1.5 -- 27' 3" (I ordered 25' so they sent me a bonus :D ), 7.30 oz, 0.268 oz/ft
The weight difference isn't great because the 1.5" stuff is thinner. The thinness make it more supple in the hand.

The extra 1/2" width will benefit the trees.

I had been using the Harbor Freight yellow straps and really didn't like the color. This seat belt webbing from Strapworks is black. Much better. The harbor Freight straps I have weigh 0.226 oz.ft. So the Strapworks 1.5" seat belt webbing is slightly heavier, making 2 5' tree huggers a little under 1/2 oz heavier. Still I like the 1.5" seat belt webbing much more.

I didn't have Strapworks sew the loops for me because I decided to sew custom loops like I saw somewhere else on the forums. I have seen the same thing done in the polyester straps used for towing cars.

The webbing in the loops is folded in half and sewn so that the webbing is doubled. By folding in half, I mean fold both sides towards the middle, meeting in the middle and then sew flat. The loops are then sewn. I like the crossed box stitches for the loops.

That makes the webbing in the loops 3/4" wide and easier to use in the carabiner and SMC ring I use. Also, I think that may make the loops even stronger. Not as much concerned about strength as I am making it easier to use the carabiner and SMC ring. I girth hitch one or both end loops to the ring and the narrower loop material makes the girth hitch easier to do.
02-21-2008, 20:36
hangnout

The 1.5" is great. I have the 1" seatbelt poly also but it weighs .4 oz. I weighed again to make sure. I wonder if strapworks has different 1" seatbelt poly?
02-21-2008, 20:48
TiredFeet

Quote:

Originally Posted by HANGnOUT

The 1.5" is great. I have the 1" seatbelt poly also but it weighs .4 oz. I weighed again to make sure. I wonder if strapworks has different 1" seatbelt poly?

Look at the weave to make sure the 1" is seat belt poly.

If the weave is straight back and forth across the width, it's not seat belt webbing.

Look at the seat belts in your vehicle. The weave doesn't go straight back and forth across the width of the webbing, but rather like arrow heads end to end with reversed directions across the width of the webbing.

I think there must be something about the weave pattern that gives it the strength (other than it being polyester) and the soft feeling and the thinness. Their regular polyester webbing that I have is much heavier and much, much, much stiffer for the same strength. I bought some of the regular polyester webbing from them in the past, but wouldn't use it because it is just far too stiff for my use.

This 1.5" seat belt polyester webbing that I got from them today can be folded flat back on itself easily. I couldn't do that with the regular polyester webbing I got from them. I mean the regular webbing was so stiff that it took a lot to make the fold flat.

Also, the 1" seat belt webbing was a little stiffer than the 1.5". I guess they had to make it a little thicker and stiffer to get the strength for the 1" width.
02-21-2008, 21:04
TiredFeet

Also, with their regular 1" polyester webbing, it is so stiff that girth hitching the end loop to an SMC ring is impossible.

It is possible with the Harbor Freight webbing, but still not real easy. The webbing is just stiff enough that the girth hitch tends to open up before a load is applied to the hugger.

The seat belt webbing, especially the 1.5" seat belt webbing, is so supple that doing the girth hitch to the SMC ring is much, much easier. A real pleasure to use.

I just wish Strapworks had sold the 1.5" seat belt webbing 2 years back when I was looking. Tried for several days to find seat belt webbing, couldn't. Searched the web, but the price for seat belts is very high. Called several auto body shops in the area and asked if they would sell the seat belts they took out of cars they worked on. One flatly refused. They throw it away and wouldn't bother - I think they were concerned about liability. All the others were willing, but the lowest price I could find locally from the body shops was $60 for the belt from one seat. I got the impression they get a lot of calls. At that price, tree huggers would have cost me over $100.
02-21-2008, 21:07
hangnout

Quote:

Look at the weave to make sure the 1" is seat belt poly.

I have the regular poly also. I ordered the 1" seatbelt thinking it would be lighter than the 1.5" seatbelt. I am sure that what I have is the 1" seatbelt. I cut a 1' peice off and weighed it again to eliminate the math and it is .4 oz. It is thicker than the 1.5". Mainly posted this in case someone else orders the 1" seatbelt they could call strapworks to see if they have different lots.
02-21-2008, 22:17
Redtail

One source of real seat belt webbing is old child safety seats. They expire after so many years and you are supposed to throw them out. I have several 1.5" wide straps I salvaged for tree huggers. They are 3-4 feet long and already have loops sewn in each end.
02-21-2008, 22:24
Preacha Man

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redtail

One source of real seat belt webbing is old child safety seats. They expire after so many years and you are supposed to throw them out. I have several 1.5" wide straps I salvaged for tree huggers. They are 3-4 feet long and already have loops sewn in each end.

Thanks for the tip, Amanda and I have LOTS of those lying around that we cannot use anymore.