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  1. #1
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    Speak to me of thread?

    I have my table cloth, I have my sewing machines, I have some gutterman 100% polyester sew all. I want to make my hammock with sewn end channels... is the sew all strong enough? I see various things when I search older posts, and most people seem to use a stronger gutterman thread?

  2. #2
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    I have found standard sewing thread to be more than adequate. YMMV
    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."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

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  3. #3
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
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    Guterman is not a strength. Go to DIYGEAR and see that Scott carries 2 (of dozens) of Gutterman's threads, in a total of 4 different thread weights, 2 of the light ones pretty similar.

    Lock-stitches are rated at 1.7 x the thread strength. Say the strength of your polyester thread will be 4 - 8 lb, (Tex 35 - Tex 75), you sew channels @ 12 per inch, 2 rows, across a (narrow) 48".

    Yes that 1.7 x 4 x 12 x 48 x 2 is a large number, about 10,000.

    Even after some degradation from UV, you have a very large operating margin of safety.

  4. #4
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    I get my 100% polyester thread from Joann's, in the standard thread section, and have yet the have a stitch pop on me. I sew three seams on each end channel, spaced 1/4" apart.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    IMO it is not the strength of the thread that gives a seam its strength. That comes from the weave itself. Especially in a folded application like a channel fold. The thread serves to hold the whole mess together. I don't have the physics for it, but that is my observation. I find the whole "heavy thread" conversation to be much ado about nothing. Unless one is doing commercial product production. Then liability might dictate evidence of due diligence. But for your own projects... high quality thread is all you need. And the quality probably matters most in the area of machine performance rather than seam strength
    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."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by DemostiX View Post
    Guterman is not a strength. Go to DIYGEAR and see that Scott carries 2 (of dozens) of Gutterman's threads, in a total of 4 different thread weights, 2 of the light ones pretty similar.

    Lock-stitches are rated at 1.7 x the thread strength. Say the strength of your polyester thread will be 4 - 8 lb, (Tex 35 - Tex 75), you sew channels @ 12 per inch, 2 rows, across a (narrow) 48".

    Yes that 1.7 x 4 x 12 x 48 x 2 is a large number, about 10,000.

    Even after some degradation from UV, you have a very large operating margin of safety.
    This is why i'm confused and asked. I know that they make a bunch of different stuff from reading the forums, but I can't find a strength rating on any of it. The math does make me feel better since i'm a math geek

  7. #7
    Senior Member JohnSawyer's Avatar
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    What Rev said.. I have several hammocks who's end channels are sewn with off-the shelf Gutterman's sew-all thread...

    To date, my 210+ lb bulk has been well suspended...
    "Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda


  8. #8
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigevilgrape View Post
    This is why i'm confused and asked. I know that they make a bunch of different stuff from reading the forums, but I can't find a strength rating on any of it. The math does make me feel better since i'm a math geek
    Good, feel better.

    You can find thread strength with your favorite search engine. Conservatively, I used a lower bound strength and thread from among those DIYGEAR.com offers. Usefully, Scott provides the spool sizes / lengths and thread weights. Your favorite search engine will turn up estimated strengths, also called "tenacity." (Oh, not so easily, I see Chinese mfgs and suppliers are using search optimizers to put themselves at the top of the listings.)

    eg. http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TTE&Category_C ode=polyester-thread-information


    Of course, strengths vary with thread design, so just choose a lower bound for polyester or nylon, ignoring thread-maker. Joann's reports Gutermann "Sew All" is Tex 30 weight.

    There are many who don't believe hammock channels are strong enough and who use other methods of grabbing the end. So, it is worthwhile seeing the strength in numbers.....of stitches.
    Last edited by DemostiX; 09-16-2012 at 00:00. Reason: Sew all weight.

  9. #9
    Senior Member bowl-maker's Avatar
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    Of course there are wiser people on HF than me, so listen to them first. But my $.02 is this:

    I use the all purpose coats & clark polyester, and have not had it do anything bad to me. It goes in easy, and I haven't seen it fray or break on anything I have made so far (stuff sacks, bugnet bottom entry hammocks, winter tarp). All of my stuff has had plenty of stress applied to it and seems to be holding up very well. I don't get too stressed about the thread.

  10. #10
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    To Speak of Thread

    Thread, thy slender countenance
    is a wonderous thing.
    Wending and weaving,
    you make my heart sing.

    Together with piercing Needle
    we three fabricate,
    Joyously, we tend and bind
    the heavenly hammock we create.

    Tho I speak of Thread,
    it is a pale placebo.
    For it won't be long
    before a-Hammocking I will go.

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