Melting Instead of Hemming

[dyee]

I made my first hammock and found sewing the hems the most time consuming. Thin slippery fabric with nylon thread and an old sewing machine does not make good hems. Do you think melting the edge is durable enough for regular use? I was thinking running the edge near a hot soldering iron.

[FanaticFringer]

I dont know about using a soldering iron but you should use 100% polyester thread such as Gutermann brand instead of nylon thread.

[stoikurt]

If you are going to whip the ends of the hammock you'll need the hems to keep the whipping from sliding off.

[funbun]

I'm using an old machines and it sews fine. May not the the best thing but it's fine. My favorite thread is the thread stuff Ed Speer sells. It's a light to medium weight thread which is good for light and medium fabrics. I've even sewn 8oz packcloth just fine with it. And it comes in 6,000 yard cones. You won't have to worry about running out of thread mid-project.

[slowhike]

i've herd of hammocks ripping at the edge (hammock engineer i believe) because the sides were not hemmed.
you could actually get away w/ not hemming the ends. i used one for quite a while w/o the ends hemmed. it just frayed some.

with the right rope & a larks head, the rope will grip the hammock end so tightly that it shouldn't even push very hard on the whipping.
but it's probably better & safer to hem the ends too.

i'm afraid just cutting/sealing it w/ a hot knife, soldering iron, etc, is just not going to hold.

you may want to see if some of the folks here that have become pretty familiar w/ sewing machines, see if they can help you figure out why your machine's not acting right.

if all else fails, you could probably fine someone near by that will hem the 4 edges for you... a seamstress, some one's wife or mother???

[jlb2012]

One thing I was thinking of here is to melt a hole through the end of the hammock below the whipping in a manner similar to what a HH has - use the hole in tying the support rope - for example a larks head where the two ends go through the hole - note this is nothing I have actually tried - its just an idea for discussion

[Cannibal]

i've herd of hammocks ripping at the edge (hammock engineer i believe) because the sides were not hemmed.

Just happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Mine was cotton not nylon, but the bruise on my arse is a constant reminder to finish those raw edges!

[terceiro]

One thing I was thinking of here is to melt a hole through the end of the hammock below the whipping in a manner similar to what a HH has - use the hole in tying the support rope - for example a larks head where the two ends go through the hole - note this is nothing I have actually tried - its just an idea for discussion

I'd say it only makes sense if you're using a HH-style attached bug net. If you've got a Speer-style, then I don't see it being worthwhile.

I tried Headchange's technique of the knotted cord through the whipping and it works great. I thought I'd have to anchor it to the supports, but that proved (or at least has proved thus far) unnecessary: the strength of the stopper-knots was sufficient.

[thereisnospoon]

I tried Headchange's technique of the knotted cord through the whipping and it works great. I thought I'd have to anchor it to the supports, but that proved (or at least has proved thus far) unnecessary: the strength of the stopper-knots was sufficient.

I have also found this to be true. if you really hate hemming the edges, get a Hamming foot.

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/hemming.html

These are realtively inexpensive AND do the job-FAST!

I am making a Hammock for a thru hiker and I have used the Hemming foot to my advantage, as I have built 4 versions trying to save weight ....it really is a great product for the $$$$ if you do a lot of sewing.

[Rapt]

Also a hemmed edge will be stronger and help distribute loads better than a melted, unfinished edge. Less likely to have wear or a wiggle in the cutting initiate a tear.