Sewing ripstop

[Backpack Jack]

I'm going to try my hand at making my first teepee type tent with ripstop nylon, and I was wondering what type of thread to use when sewing? What works best in the weather and holds up to water and uv rays? Is there another way to do this besides sewing, ie bonding or glueing? Any suggestions are appreciated and helpfull. I have a coupon this weekend for Joanns 50% off and I can get the ripstop nylon for $3.99 a yard. Is this a good price, or is there something beter and cheaper for this type of project? I'm looking at making an 8×8 or 10×10 with one door and one pole in the center. Any suggestions on no seeum netting, where to buy it? I didn' see it at Joanns. Thanks Jack

[Gary Boyd]

regular ripstop is not waterproof right?

[Backpack Jack]

I bought a piece at Joanns this week and put water in it over a cup and it held water in it all night.

[Ken Thompson]

Gutermann polyester thread at Jo Anns and some #9 sharp needles. not ballpoint. Haven't been able to find coated ripstop nylon at our local store.

[Travis Leanna]

As far as waterproofness, there will be a difference between it holding water in a cup and shedding a hard downpour. Even Silnylon is not waterPROOF; as it has been know to "mist" in hard rain. I personally would not use plain ripstop nylon, since it would most likely not do well in prolonged or hard rain…. but I haven't seen the exact material you're dealing with. I would spring for some silnylon–you can get seconds for around $6.50 a yard at Quest Outfitters. Just my 2 cents.

I second the Gutermann's recommendation. I just used their heavy-duty thread for doing some pack modifications, and that stuff is tough!

[Brett Rasmussen]

I have purchased some of the ripstop sold at the local Johhans. It would hold water in a cup without leaking, but is significantly heavier then the common 1.3oz silnylon and in my opinion much less water resistant/proof.

When I want non-waterproof ripstop I can usually find it for $1.50/yard at walmart.

[John Donewar]

Jack,

>>what type of thread to use when sewing? What works best in the weather and holds up to water and uv rays?<<

Easy answer, 100% polyester, strong, durable thread by Gutermann is the thread of choice.

>>I have a coupon this weekend for Joanns 50% off and I can get the ripstop nylon for $3.99 a yard. Is this a good price, or is there something beter and cheaper for this type of project?<<

Is $3.99 the 50% off price or will the price be @ $2.00 / yard?

At the price you mentioned I'm guessing that if it holds water it is probably PU coated ripstop. If it is PU coated ripstop then your price seems very good even at $3.99 / yard. Appy Trails makes tents out of PU coated polyester.

During your experiment did the water soak into the ripstop at all? Does it have a shiney and a dull side? Does it feel stiff like copier/printer paper?

Try taking a piece outside and try to simulate rain on a piece of your material using a garden hose or water sprinkler.

You can copy and paste this link into your address bar to see a tarp that I made as an experiment with $1.50 / yard nylon material from Wal-Mart. I think it was PVC coated nylon because it seemed quite heavy compared PU coated and silnylon.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=28651&skip_to_post=238801#238801

>>Any suggestions on no seeum netting, where to buy it? I didn' see it at Joanns.<<

Quest Outfitters is where I order most of my MYOG materials.

http://www.questoutfitters.com/mesh_fabrics.htm#NO-SEE-UM MESH

+1 BTW on the silnylon 2nds from Quest Outfitters. I used it to make my final tarp. The pictures are on this website if you are interested.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=29236&disable_pagination=1

Good luck on your project. :-)

Party On ! 2010

Newton

[Travis Leanna]

John,
Is your avatar a photo from your last trip? ;)

BTW, I've ordered from Quest many times. You'll deal with a woman named Kim who is incredibly helpful and quick in answering your questions, as well as making last minute changes to the order. Sometimes they even reduce the quoted shipping, like when I order just a few buckles that weigh next to nothing. The almost always ship same or next day, and my order always arrives within 3 days. Outstanding company!

[Backpack Jack]

I just ran it under our faucet, it has a sray nozel with fairly good pressure, it didn't mist threw and it didn't fill wet on the other side. It fills pretty soft and plyable not stiff like paper, seems pretty light I will take it to work on Mon. to weigh it. The bolt of ripstop didn't have any info on the end other than it was ripstop nylon. You can see what looks like threads that criss cross in the material to make little squares abuot 3/16"x 3/16", one side does look more shinny than the other but I can hardly tell the difference. The $3.99 price was after the discount,I still have to make a mock up model to see how much materail I will need. I thought for my first time this might be fairly inexspensive MYOG attempt. Thanks for the tip on the thread and needles. Thanks Jack

[Backpack Jack]

Nice tarps John. Travis and John thanks for the info to Quest Outfitters.

[Javan Dempsey]

Alot of the ripstop at jo-anns is DWR coated and will "hold" water.

The trick is to put a cup of water and then try to squeeze it out.

Silnylon you have to squeeze the everlivinghell out of it to get anything through it. All the stuff I've had from jo-anns squeezes out pretty easily, although it will hold it indefinitely without pressure.

[John Donewar]

Jack,

More and more I'm believing that you have some PU coated ripstop. Quest sells 2.2 oz PU coated for @ $7.25 / yard normal price. PU coated ripstop at $3.99 / yard is a pretty good deal if it serves your purpose.

Remember you'll have to seal your seams. McNett has good info on seam sealing both PU coated ripstop;

http://www.mcnett-outdoor.com/Repair-Guide/Tents/Seam-Sealing/673.aspx

and silnylon;

http://www.mcnett-outdoor.com/Repair-Guide/Tents/Silicone-Tents/237.aspx.

Check out the articles by Jay Ham in the MYOG section. He has a lot of good info on setting up your sewing machine and different styles of seams and stitches. :-)

Travis,

MYOG = Make your own gear. MYOA = Make your own avatar. ;-)

Party On ! 2010

Newton

[James D Buch]

Polyurethane coated nylon is traditionally coated only on one side. The texture of the coated side is less evident than is the texture on the uncoated side. The threads are less distinguishable because they are "buried" under a polyurethane coating.

Is you fabric pretty much the same on both sides?

Do you have anything made of coated nylon to which you can compare what you find at Jo-Ann's?

At my Jo-Ann store, there are a few very knowing people in the fabric department and they always tell me that what I want to buy requires going online to a specialty store.

The not so knowing sales staff will not know the difference between coated and uncoated, and will often just try to sell you what is in stock.

The reason it is important is that you will spend time and money on a "leaky" tent construction project. That is the downside.

The upside is that even constructing a "leaky" tent from uncoated nylon will teach you many sewing skills, and it will be the beginning of your learning about "fabric" and that "girl stuff" that you previously avoided.

Have fun. I have never been able to actually find polyurethane coated nylon at either Jo-Ann or Handcock. But I have been told that the uncoated fabric they have is "waterproof" (enough). Very rarely have I found it at the bargain bins in WalMart, and I buy a lot whenever I do – no matter what the color.

Enjoy your learning experience, and keep on sewing.

[Roger Caffin]

Most 'coated nylon' sold at these sorts of shops has an acrylic coating. This cheap and fragile coating is really there to bond the fibers together. It is NOT a good waterproof coating like PU. Showerproof – for a while, maybe.

I doubt you will find a PU-coated fabric at any of these shops. Wrong market.

Cheers

[JR Redding]

Jack – I am going to assume this is your first project? We made 4 tarps off the Joann ripstop learning to sew proper seams, reinforcements, etc. You can always get the 40-50% coupons steadily and makes buying this material cheap.

It's great material to get started with. And for reference, last spring we took one of out tarps made with this material on the LT in Vermont. The first 5 days were rain and we pitched twice. It will keep you dry underneath for the most part but can easily wet through, which creates a heavier tarp to carry the next day.

Having said that, if this is your first project, I recommend using the cheaper fabric to get your sewing legs. My first project was 3 years ago and utilized silnylon. It was a pain to learn on and took the patience of Job ;)

Good luck!

[Backpack Jack]

Well I bought some ripstop today but only enough to make some stuff sacks. After further testing using some of the methods mentioned earlier in this thread, the ripstop I bought this week is not completely water proof. Thanks for all the tips, at least I can practice sewing on some stuff sacks to get me ready for the big job. I do have some experience in sewing just not a lot, will see what happens. Thanks again to everybody for all the input and info. Jack

[jeremy duncan]

Noah Lamport has silnyon for $3 a yard. They only have a few colors, (black, silver/grey, royal blue, blaze orange to name a few) but that is an unbeatable price. 10 yard minimum and $5 cutting fee.

You have to call them, no online orders. Hope they still have it. (800) 548-6940

I bought 10 yards of the black and I love it.

BTW, ripstop from Joannes is NOT treated, if you haven;t already figured this out.

[JR Redding]

"BTW, ripstop from Joannes is NOT treated"

Yeah that's been pretty much established several times over :0)

[Brett Rasmussen]

Jeremy

Is this 1.3 oz/yard silnylon?

[Backpack Jack]

Thanks for the info Jeremy I'll keep it on my favorites so I can call him when I'm ready. Jack

[jeremy duncan]

To be honest, I forgot to ask. I don't have much experience with sil, but it is REALLY thin. I would guess 1.1 or 1.3.

…but again, an uneducated guess at best.

BTW, if you have some shipped, remember to ask them to take it off the roll. No need for extra shipping costs.

[Roger Caffin]

> if you have some shipped, remember to ask them to take it off the roll.
+1 Stuff it into a box – rather than fold it.

They will moan that it will get crumpled. So what?

Cheers

[Tim Marshall]

Noah Lamport sells 2nd quality silnylon (1.3-1.5oz yd2) but like J. said you must call as they don't have any online info.

I got stuff from them a few years ago and the impregnation (coating) was great. It did have some marks on it from what looked like large rollers. The fabric was used in a tent and many bug insert floors. As far as i know it worked as it should.

For the price it is hard to beat.

-Tim

[Frank Deland]

A good site for materials, thread, buckles, sewing tips, such as how to sew a "felled seam" necessary for the ridge line of your tarp goto http://thru-hiker.com/materials/index.php

The forum there has lots of experienced sewers of outdoor gear. ("sewres" as in people who sew!)

[Brett Rasmussen]

Forest green 2nds. Sales person confirmed that it is the 1.3oz/yard fabric. Said it would ship tomorrow. Very quick and easy.

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