silnylon reinforcement

[Michael Baker]

I have learned a lot from this thread. I am really getting an idea of what needs to be done with a tarp.

My plan for just getting a 3yd piece of sil-nylon is primarily for ease of sewing. Running the numbers in my head shows me I don't really need much of a bigger tarp. It will protect me from the rain as long as I set it up properly. The main thing for me is that a tarp this size will be much lighter than my tent. Plus I think making my own tarp will greatly enrich my time in the woods.

So for the edging I just fold the material over an inch and sew it down? On the corners I cut the material at an angle and sew the edging down and run a seam over what I cut so everything is flush? I then attach the grosgrain loops on the edging using an xbox stitch on the underside of the tarp and coat the stitches with a silicon sealer also on the underside?

I am excited to get started on this project. I think it will be pretty fun.

[Tim Marshall]

for the hem on the edge fold the material twice so the raw edge is concealed inside the folded hem. This gives 3 layers of material to sew tie-outs through.

-Tim

[Vick Hines]

Like Tim says, fold the hems double to bury the raw edge. That is, unless you are putting some curve into it. Then 3/8" grossgrain makes a good edge. You will not have room with a 9×5 tarp to put in the curves, so you can use straight rolled hems all the way.

One thing to watch, though. Nylon stretches and polyester thread does not. So if the hem gets a hard pull, the threads can snap. A simple way to avoid this is to use a shallow zigzag stitch. With your stitch length set medium (8-10 per inch), set the zigzag to the smallest setting. That will give the stitches enough slack.

[Michael Baker]

Thank you Tim and Vick. Is the grosgrain necessary for a good edge? I was planning on just using the grosgrain for the guy outs in order to make it has light as possible.

[Tim Marshall]

what Vick is suggesting by using gg on the edges is for use on curved edges. It is very very hard to hem a curved edge so the gg covers the raw fabric and adds tightness to the panel as the force from the tie-out is taken along the whole edge. This does add weight to the tarp and that is why most people only do it on curved edges. on a rectangle almost everyone i know of would just roll a hem.

-Tim

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