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  1. #11
    Senior Member swankfly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by barnabus1898 View Post
    Now that I'm sold on this DIY venture, is taffeta fairly thick? In Louisiana, the state bird is the mosquito, and they're out and about this time of year. Would one need to double up on the fabric to keep from becoming a pin cushion on the bottom, or would a single layer be sufficient?

    With that being said, if you're looking for material similar to what ENO's are made from, it's my personal experience that critters can bite you through the bug net AND the hammock if you're pushing up against the walls. Don't know if that's a factor for you Swank, but it's a priority for me.
    Yes I know what you are talking about. I have been bitten thru the ENO fabric. My Bias has their bugnet, that hangs low and loose. I have yet to get a bite while in that one.

    I am just thinking, naively, that the taffeta might be easier to sew than the ripstop. I plan on playing with several materials and getting it dialed in, then I will start my own hammock company to justify these expenses. I figure I can justify buying each and everyone else's models for personal use and write it off as R & D! It will definitely show a loss every year.

  2. #12
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    People use ripstop for a variety of reasons. One of them is the idea that it will stop tears from getting bigger. In the world it was intended for, garments and no load items, that is true. But for hammocks I think it is a false assumption. I can tear ripstop with my bare hands and do so frequently when I am working with it. I see no substantial benefit of ripstop for hammocks over the smooth taffeta used by many commercial manufacturers.

    Ripstop is a lighter fabric than taffeta by and large. But I don't like the feel of ripstop against my skin. It is more abrasive than taffeta.

    In fact, you can use just about any fabric for hammocks. China silk would be absolutely decadent. Cotton damask tapestry would be heavy but lovely. Satin is fun to use but don't expect a durable item that withstands abrasion. Satin is rather fragile that way.

    For the DIY maker, ripstop and polyester taffeta would be my main suggestions.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  3. #13
    Senior Member swankfly's Avatar
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    Thanks, Rev. Is there much difference in nylon vs. polyester taffeta?

  4. #14
    Senior Member Fish<><'s Avatar
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    Polyester won't stretch like nylon does. Just an FYI, I wrote ENO 3 months ago inquiring about the fabric they used...no response.
    "We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it."- G. W. Sears

    My forum name is Fish<><; I'm in the navy; and I hate sleeping on the ground. If I didn't need ground to walk on or measure resistance to, I think I could happily give it up.

  5. #15
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fish<>< View Post
    Polyester won't stretch like nylon does. Just an FYI, I wrote ENO 3 months ago inquiring about the fabric they used...no response.
    What Fish<>< said. Also, polyester won't absorb as much water--though, honestly, with the thicknesses of fabric we're talking about, the difference is probably not noticeable.

    For weight, go with ripstop. For feel against skin, go with taffeta. For mosquito protection, go with either a double layer or treat with Permethrin.

    For a good starting point of ripstop weights versus comfort versus occupant weight, Warbonnet has an handy chart. 30d is roughly equal to 1.1 oz/sq yd ripstop nylon, while 70d is roughly equal to 1.9 oz/sq yd in most cases.

    Hope it helps!
    "Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
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  6. #16
    Senior Member swankfly's Avatar
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    FLRider,

    Thanks for the info!

  7. #17
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by swankfly View Post
    FLRider,

    Thanks for the info!
    Not a problem!
    "Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
    --Floridahanger

  8. #18
    Senior Member swankfly's Avatar
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    Okay, I am getting there, slowwlllyyy......

    Nylon and Polyester are the main fabrics we utilize in Hammock and Tarp construction, some cuben, m90 and other high performance products also.

    Uncounted for hammocks, coated for tarps.

    Taffeta and Oxford refer to a specific weave, that MIGHT BE USED in either nylon or polyester.

    30D 70D 90D are measurements of the weight of the fabric.

    70D 210T would be a 70 denier fabric or 210 threads per inch?

    Now what the heck is calendared and down proof.

    If all this info is compiled somewhere else, please kick me towards the door.

    Thanks,

    Wes

  9. #19
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by swankfly View Post
    Okay, I am getting there, slowwlllyyy......

    Nylon and Polyester are the main fabrics we utilize in Hammock and Tarp construction, some cuben, m90 and other high performance products also.

    Uncounted for hammocks, coated for tarps.

    Taffeta and Oxford refer to a specific weave, that MIGHT BE USED in either nylon or polyester.

    30D 70D 90D are measurements of the weight of the fabric.

    70D 210T would be a 70 denier fabric or 210 threads per inch?

    Now what the heck is calendared and down proof.

    If all this info is compiled somewhere else, please kick me towards the door.

    Thanks,

    Wes
    Mostly correct. Ripstop is another weave type; it's more often used in nylon, but can be found in poly as well.

    Denier (the "d" in "30d") is actually a measure of the thread weight, not the fabric weight. However, in a ripstop pattern, most times there is a close correlation between denier and fabric weight. The reason for this is that ripstop is woven to industry standards (as much as the fabric industry has them, anyway), so the way it is woven is pretty similar between thread weights.

    Not sure whether "210t" would be the thread count per inch. It sounds right, but I've been known to be wrong before....

    Calendaring is a process in which a synthetic fabric is heat treated with high-pressure rollers on one side. This flattens the fibers out and locks them together (almost the same as heat sealing a cut edge does), making the fabric have a tighter weave. This makes it more wind- and down-resistant. It also makes the fibers weaker (so, the ratings mentioned above in the Warbonnet link may not apply to calendared fabrics).

    Most downproof fabrics are calendared (though not all calendared fabrics are downproof). Make sure you check with the supplier before buying (most cottage vendors will know for certain; most big-box stores won't have any idea what you're asking--leastwise, that's been my experience).

    Hope it helps!
    "Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
    --Floridahanger

  10. #20
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    Denier is yarn mass in grams per 9,000 meters, and originally was a comparison based on silk at 1 gram for 9,000 meters. It's used in a similar manner as tex, something I knew nothing about until I googled it after reading the thread. Tex is mass in grams per 1,000 meters. In practice it is common to see decitex, or dtex, which is mass in grams per 10,000 meters, so, numerically, it's almost the same thing as denier.

    Note that the same system applies to the whole yarn as well as the individual strands making up the yarn. Wikipedia gives an example of a six-ply 20 tex yarn all wound together to make a 120 tex thread.

    Thread count is another measure, but not as common for outdoor fabrics. Don't confuse thread, a cotton yarn measure, with thread count, which should be spelled out.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Units_o...le_measurement
    Last edited by Jimbo3b; 09-13-2012 at 16:22.

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