Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11
  1. #1
    Senior Member uncle_ray_ray's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Baltimore MD
    Hammock
    WB DL 1.1
    Tarp
    WB superfly
    Insulation
    DIY-900 down UQ-TQ
    Suspension
    DIY Whoopie-
    Posts
    249
    Images
    54

    How does one fill down into the baffles?

    I'm new at this. I understand baffle construction; but once it's constructed whats the best way to fill the baffles with the down? Is it basically a manual/visual operation or are there some tried and true techniques for getting the job done without having your home looking like a chicken coop? How do you determine wether there is sufficient down in the baffle?

  2. #2
    Senior Member dejoha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    So. Utah
    Hammock
    Most
    Tarp
    Sea to Summit
    Insulation
    Down
    Suspension
    Becket Hitch
    Posts
    2,184
    Images
    207
    Adam from HammockGear.com will package the down you buy from him into small tubes, each weighed to specifications. I think you can request tubes down to the ounce a piece, if I remember correctly. Using the tubes makes it a little easier to measure and stuff the down into the baffles.

    One tip I read about down was to pitch a small dome tent and seal yourself in and do all your stuffing there. That way you won't lose as much down as it floats and lofts away.

    If you bought your down in bulk, I'd ask some of the cottage manufacturers like Adam how he does it. For my next down project, I'm going to buy the tubes pre-stuffed to make my life easier.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    MurfreesBoro, TN
    Hammock
    WWBB
    Tarp
    UQ.com Maxtarp
    Insulation
    DIY TQ & M50 UQ
    Suspension
    Dutchness + Straps
    Posts
    1,174
    Images
    5
    I salvaged a bunch of down earlier this fall and used a tent. Collected as much as possible by hand and stuffed my desired weight per baffle into a plastic bag. Then swept up the loose stuff with a CLEAN vaccum.
    To stuff, I found it works well to Throw your quilt over a chair or something and then open and pinch the bags one at a time and slide it as far as possible down into the baffle then carefully turn the bag inside out and slowly pull it up and out of the baffle. Then pin the baffle shut, Rinse and repeat.
    I did the stuffing in my basement with no tent and had little to no leakage.
    I also tried the pantyhose (Noseeum) vacuum nozzle trick but discovered my vacuum was too wimpy. I think this would work really well with a ballsier machine.

  4. #4
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Illinois
    Hammock
    GrizzBridge Ariel
    Tarp
    HG Cuben Winter
    Insulation
    DIY UQ
    Posts
    4,777
    Images
    564
    I've done this a couple of ways. The first I was quite successful at avoiding much of any down escaping. I had a vacuum cleaner with mesh at one end of the tube so that some down could be sucked into the tube. Had a 3 oz size bag of down on a scale accurate to 0.5 grams. I could get maybe 3 grams up into the tube before the vacuum wasn't strong enough. I'd then move that 3 grams inside the tube, insert the open end into a baffle, close off the fabric around the tube, and blow it in.

    I put 12 or so ounces into a quilt that way. That's over 100 loads transfered. I am not revealing any trade secrets when I tell you that Adam and Jenny ARE NOT stuffing the HammockGear quilts this way!

    In recent projects I stuff more into a transfer tube out of that same bag, by hand. I can push up the amount moved in a load to a lot more. The fastest way is to get my hand down in the bag and stuff, but then some of the down floats out. Now the vacuum cleaner is used to chase down the strays. With a little attention, the down that does come out is due only to static electricity causing it to cling to the hair on my hands and wrists.
    Grizz
    (alias ProfessorHammock on youtube)

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    MurfreesBoro, TN
    Hammock
    WWBB
    Tarp
    UQ.com Maxtarp
    Insulation
    DIY TQ & M50 UQ
    Suspension
    Dutchness + Straps
    Posts
    1,174
    Images
    5
    I once found pics of an down eductor made from pvc on this forum that seemed like a promising idea. search Eductor

  6. #6
    Senior Member Joey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Western Maryland
    Posts
    1,719
    Images
    51
    This sounds like a fun DIY video for someone to make.... hint, hint....

    I tried a search on youtube, nothing. Good luck with this project!

  7. #7
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    White Mountains, New Hampshire
    Hammock
    DIY, WBBB & Switchback
    Tarp
    HG cuben,OES Spinn
    Insulation
    DIY 3/4 UQ/TQ, UGQ
    Suspension
    Dynaglide / Dutch
    Posts
    10,950
    Images
    39
    I do the mesh covered vacuum tube technique. Like Grizzly said, it's a lot of trips back & forth from the bag to the quilt, but NO down escapes. OK, maybe one cluster per ounce.

    Look in my gallery and you will see my "rack" I made from PVC pipes. I hang the empty quilt on that with office clips or clothes pins, then fill away!

    I tried stuffing by hand once - never again!

    Enjoy or projest
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

  8. #8
    Member bluefields181's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Northern Kentucky
    Hammock
    diy hammock
    Tarp
    diy 10x10
    Insulation
    homemade UQ w/sock
    Suspension
    rings and webbing
    Posts
    95
    hmm, i see. I love the feel of down all lofty and warm but it sounds like surgery getting it in place lol. Now What say you on finding some thrift store down coats and emptying them for a quilt project? I guess I'm just a little ignorant still on the subject as far as oz per baffle per loft per degree range. What if i just got the down damp before transfer?

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Canton, Ga
    Hammock
    WBBB
    Tarp
    DIY Cat
    Insulation
    DIY UQ TQ
    Suspension
    WS to Ridged Strap
    Posts
    245
    Images
    18
    Quote Originally Posted by HomeMadeHiker View Post
    I once found pics of an down eductor made from pvc on this forum that seemed like a promising idea. search Eductor
    Down eductor is the only way to fly....

    http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...hread_id=33573
    - William -

    How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. - Psalms 119:9

  10. #10
    Senior Member Joey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Western Maryland
    Posts
    1,719
    Images
    51
    This does seem simple and mess free


  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Adding fill to a quilt: Fill power question and others!
      By Meriadoc in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 9
      Last Post: 02-19-2014, 21:01
    2. How many baffles for a diy UQ?
      By Armor Like Fire in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 12
      Last Post: 08-26-2013, 09:37
    3. UQ stuffing baffles and what fill power down?
      By Armor Like Fire in forum Bottom Insulation
      Replies: 6
      Last Post: 08-05-2013, 13:28
    4. Fill type vs. Over Fill
      By Bradley in forum Hammock Gear
      Replies: 13
      Last Post: 12-14-2010, 16:39
    5. Any need to hem baffles?
      By Lando in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 11
      Last Post: 10-21-2010, 07:46

    Tags for this Thread

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •