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  1. #1
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    I "think" I found a way to tell shiny side of silnylon.

    I've been doing some serious DIY. I know there has been many, including myself, who can't tell which side is the shiny side on silnylon. I noticed that when I marked the silnylon with my fabric marker that there was one side that the marker would leave a better visible mark. I did an experiment and started marking both sides of the fabric and wow could you see the difference. I believe that the side with the most silicon does not take the mark as well so I'm figuring this will be the shiny side and placed on the top side of the tarp. What does everyone think about my theory?

  2. #2
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    With the silnylon I have, I can't tell any difference using both black and silver Sharpie markers, even with magnification. I wouldn't expect there to be a difference as the silicone should be impregnated throughout the nylon.

    FWIW...the discussions I've read about "which side is the shinny side" have been about calendared one side ripstop nylon and not silnylon.

  3. #3
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    Isn't silnylon "shiny" on both sides?

  4. #4
    Senior Member Mrprez's Avatar
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    The sil is not a coating like PU. It is impregnated into the material.

  5. #5
    Senior Member XTrekker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gmcttr View Post
    With the silnylon I have, I can't tell any difference using both black and silver Sharpie markers, even with magnification. I wouldn't expect there to be a difference as the silicone should be impregnated throughout the nylon.

    FWIW...the discussions I've read about "which side is the shinny side" have been about calendared one side ripstop nylon and not silnylon.
    Quote Originally Posted by sdf View Post
    Isn't silnylon "shiny" on both sides?
    Quote Originally Posted by Mrprez View Post
    The sil is not a coating like PU. It is impregnated into the material.
    Was thinking the same thing. The only fabrics that I have noticed a difference in was with some PU coated Ripstop Nylon fabric I got from Magna and some 1.1oz Calendared Ripstop. Other than that, all the other fabrics I have worked with, including Silnylon, have not had a shiny/dull side to them.

  6. #6
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    I'm going on what I had read on this forum about the shiny side being on the top position when making your tarp, I've also read that some say it doesn't matter which side is up. This is my first experience with silnylon, but I can say for sure there is a difference when marked with a fabric marker on each side, at least with this fabric I have. I got the silnylon from DIY Gear Supply (Scott) great service by the way.

  7. #7
    Senior Member craige's Avatar
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    I'm in the same boat as some of you guys... the sil I have is the same on both sides.

    I also didn't think that a fabric could be calendered on one side, I thought the process of calendaring was to pass the fabric through hot rollers, doing both sides.

    I was under the impression that having a "shiny" side is when the fabric has a dwr coating on one side.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by craige View Post
    ...I also didn't think that a fabric could be calendered on one side, I thought the process of calendaring was to pass the fabric through hot rollers, doing both sides...
    You are correct for fabric calendered two sides. For calendered one side, two pieces of fabric are run through together. While the sides against the rollers are calendered, the sides with fabric against fabric remain non-calendered, thus the dull and shiny sides.
    Last edited by gmcttr; 12-06-2013 at 17:56.

  9. #9
    Senior Member craige's Avatar
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    Ah, I see, thanks for clearing that up.

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