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Can’t Sew Silnylon…HELP!


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Home Forums Gear Forums Make Your Own Gear Can’t Sew Silnylon…HELP!

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  • #1716146
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    > I looked up the 120 Rasant and it has a cotton coating surrounding the core of polyester.
    > Is this right? I thought cotton was a poor choice because of how it would break down.

    Ah, now we get technical. Let's look at 3 options:
    1) Pure PE: strong, doesn't degrade, but can tangle and be tricky to handle. Can melt when going through a hot needle – after high speed sewing. That is disastrous!
    2) Blended cotton/PE: cheap to make, can melt at speed. Many consumer brands.
    3) Core-spun PE/cotton: strong PE core with cotton fibres wrapped around the outside. The cotton protects the PE core against the hot needle at high speed. The cotton does not contribute all that much strength, but the PE core provides that anyhow. The cotton can protect the PE core from other hazards like UV.

    So professionals often use core-spun PE/cotton for high-speed sewing where strength and quality matters. Rasant is this.

    If you want greater strength the right move would be to a bonded nylon. That is what I use for packs. Nylon has a higher melting point, and heavy sewing is usually done at a slower speed. But nylon thread is dearer.

    Cheers

    #1716148
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    > I realize this is a silly question, but does it make a difference if it's scissors vs shears?
    > I have scissors and they are wicked sharp, but they don't have the flat side that shears have.

    I don't think there is a lot of difference. Scissors with two tapered blades may be able to wander off the cut line a bit more easily. This might matter if you are relying on the weave to guide the scissors, but that can be unwise anyhow as the weave is not always square!

    I think it is more a matter of skill – or practice.

    Cheers

    #1716566
    josh mcginnis
    BPL Member

    @joshm

    +1 To Roger

    I'm saving your description of the threads

    Thanks!

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