What kind of thread are you using? That will determine yore needle size. I used Gutterman Mara 70 and a microtex 12 or 14 needle.
I'd be happy to make them for others once I clear out my own to do list of stuff to make. Sadly for you, that means the wait time for my tarps right now will make Hammock Gear tarps look like they're in stock.
The pattern comes from diygearsupply.com. I started with 9 yards of silpoly and 0.5 yards of HyperD 300.
I have seen that RSBTR sells now Silpoly PU4000 2nd Gen too. This would be my personal preference for a tarp fabric.
To find the right triangle format for doors can be a bit tricky. It depends on many factors like tarp width, relation between tie-out distance and ridge length (distance and angle between tie-out corners and ridge end), personal preference about the question how much the door corners should overlap and catenary cuts. As always with tarps you can save a lot of fabric with diagonal cuts.
I used this pattern for my door kit first, but changed it later. (Now I'm more satisfied about the result and I still can pitch my doors much better than shown on my pictures. On the pictures I used only the Kam Snaps without further pitching). I recommend to make a paper model first. A much easier solution is to make a winter tarp.
Btw: I used a #12 microtex needle and Gütermann Tera 80 thread for sewing silnylon. I'm almost sure that a #10 microtex needle or a #11 Schmetz quilting or universal needle had worked too (with Tera 80).
Last edited by xxl_hanger; 07-23-2015 at 06:05.
That's because you lack an unhealthy obsession with olive yellow.Originally Posted by xxl_hanger
No, without any color preference only because of the better waterproof rating. I like your Olive Yellow color. I hope RSBTR will offer further colors for this new Silpoly later too.That's because you lack an unhealthy obsession with olive yellow.
As far as hydrostatic head is concerned I figured that ExTex sells a much better silnylon than RSBTR.
http://www.extremtextil.de/catalog/R...ml?language=en
The silpoly witch ExTex sells is only 2nd choice and a bit too heavy.
http://www.extremtextil.de/catalog/R...ice::1692.html
HH is basically dependent on how much silicone (or other coating material) is applied to the fabric. Heavier coatings will have higher HH ratings.
RSBTR uses a 30D base fabric weighing 1.1oz/sqyrd. The final weight is listed as 1.24oz/sqyrd, so it has a 0.14 oz/sqyrd coating. FWIW this is less than most typical 30D silnylons on the market (most are listed at 1.3-1.4 oz/sqyrd final weight).
The ExTex stuff is a 40D base fabric which is usually listed as 1.6oz/sqyrd (ExTex doesn't list base fabric weight, so I have to make an estimate). The ExTex final weight is 1.94 oz/sqyrd, so it has a 0.34 oz/sqyrd coating, 2.4x the silicone that the RSBTR fabric has. So your better performance comes with a significant weight penalty. It's up to you to decide if you need that performance or not.
FWIW the spec for the new PU4000 SilPoly look very promising, as the final weight is only 1.4oz/sqyrd (not much more than typical silnylon), and it has a very high HH rating (higher than both those fabrics). The only real question is the durability of the PU coating.
Last edited by Boston; 07-23-2015 at 06:53.
A difference of about 10oz max for the finished tarp sounds much but would be no significant weight penalty for me (as a biker no hiker) if I would get (hopefully!) a more than 2-fold better waterproof performance, a better durability, a better stability for severe weather conditions, most likely an easier and better sewing result and finally a nicer appearance of the finished DIY tarp.
I have a much heavier winter tarp (ripstop polyester with a undefined heavy coating ~4.2oz/sqyrd). This was one of the easiest fabrics I ever have sewn and you can see no single fold if I pitch this tarp. I can pitch it much stronger than my new silnylon tarp. Even the weight of this fabric is no big problem for me. The only problem I see is the fact that the coating is too stiff. This creates problems when I pack/unpack this tarp. A light silnylon or silpoly tarp in snakeskins is much easier to handle.
Btw: ExTex sells a lighter 1.27oz/sqyrd silnylon with 2000mm HH too.
http://www.extremtextil.de/catalog/R...ml?language=en
This fabric would already too light and also too expensive for me. I had even thoughts whether this fabric would be strong enough to withstand some severe weather conditions.
The problem is silnylon in general. I prefer silpoly too and would buy and most likely prefer it if it would be 1.94oz/sqyrd instead of 1.4oz/sqyrd. Even 3.2oz/sqyrd would be no problem for me if I would be sure to get 1st class quality.
I personally think that silpoly for tarp purposes will have no long future. It will survive silnylon but I think (based on my experience I got as hobby artist with different acrylic mediums) the future in the long run will be ripstop polyester with a thin durable acrylic coating. It's imo easier to manufacture, more user- and eco-friendly. I also think we will see tarps with very nice acrylic paintings in the future.
Have you considered HyperD 300 for your applications, XXL? It is ripstop polyester with a PU coating, and HH of 4000. Sounds like it would be right up your alley. It is 3.9 oz/sqyd.
It’s what my first tarp is made from and it does stretch when wet and that is why I wanted to try a SilPoly tarp somewhat similar to Wafflebox’s tarp.
If there is nothing left to learn it’s time to die.
Live and learn.
Thanks WB! I switched my fabric last night after my post and ended up sewing a stuff sack that looked better than I could buy.I guess that other super light ripstop I was using was totally junk. I will look into getting a little bigger needle also. On yeah, how small does your tarp pack down? By looking at the unfinished fabric I have I'm thinking about 1L nalgene size. Of course that's without tie outs and the like.
I guess the lighter the silnylon the bigger the problem!
Before I make a new decision I will see first what happens during one of the next thunderstorms or windstorms with medium wind speed. Up to now I have only the experience of a nice weather hanger. But I know what can happen at wind forces 8-9 to sun umbrellas even and especially if they are tied very solidly. This can be no fun for any tarp if the wind finds much resistance or some gaps in your tarp which are not completely sealed up. Could be that I still need a bivy solution or at least a heavy groundsheet for certain emergencies.
Last edited by xxl_hanger; 07-23-2015 at 11:58.
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