How to bond DCF sections together

Don’t sew! Bonding is stronger and sewing weakens it, as well as makes holes you have to seal. Take a look at cubenmaker.com and locusgear.com  Tim Evans at cubenmaker.com makes kayaks with bonding only. Locus Gear makes alpine expedition tents with bonding only. These are very high stress/high load situations, so I’m pretty sure it would be enough for whatever project you can think of.

Doesn’t solve your problem about videos of the technique though. Email Tim at cubenmaker: Tim_Evans@shaw.ca (it’s on his website)

He’s an interesting and helpful guy. I bet he can steer you to some.

Gaiters, tarp, or tent?

“Fabrication” is somewhat dictated by intended use.

what type of materials will you use? typically 1.0oz and above will hold OK for general force applications with sewing. By general force i mean not a strong force as seen in e.g. shelter tieouts.

First, use strip of DCF to make the tape single-sided

Then tape on (to cover) seams where necessary. Sew and tape could be the most reliable way, though it may not be the strongest connection in some cases.

Maybe some of these “cuben fiber” videos will help:

I am not a DIY person, but sometimes I’m good at finding stuff on the Internet.

Good luck.

— Rex

Actually, I just reviewed one of Tim Evan’s YouTube videos linked to his website, and he demonstrates his technique.

Rex, great minds think alike.

I made an excellent tarp/poncho with double sided tape. What the videos. Plan well. You can do it. It won’t be perfect but it will be good and you can be proud of what you accomplished.

ps: I agree don’t sew.

Hey John, tell us more about that tarp/poncho! Similar to a Gatewood Cape?

Diane did you get my PM?

Depending on the project I too recommend bonding, although I lost alot of fabric learning the technique on a round bottom stuff sack. Try this youtube video at 2:55 min

https://youtu.be/g_0f8DM9Ab4

Just a tip. You will need to work on a surface that supports the weight of the two pieces being bonded. If you are bonding two full size pieces for a tarp, a hardwood floor might be the best surface.

A paper clip holding both pieces on the opposite end from where you start with the double sided tape will help keep the line straight.

Don’t rush.

The project is to add an extended beak to my Pocket tarp. I’ve made a lot of makeshift doors and I think I can use one as a pattern, cut some DCF in the same shape and then tape it on to the edge. The edge of the tarp is folded over and sewn already. I’m not sure the best way to tape the pieces together. And I only bought double-sided tape. It’s all .51oz DCF.

Idester, I had no idea I had 5 PMs. There’s never anything to alert you to the fact. Thanks for letting me know. I replied to you.

And thanks, Rex, I will start watching these videos.

Here’s my makeshift door. I’ll put it on the tarp and then tape it on with masking tape. Then I will be able to draw a line where it meets the tarp. Then when I create a pattern I can use the makeshift door as a template and add a little allowance for the overlap where I will bond it to the tarp.

I want to make an extended beak that is permanently attached because when I camped there, the wind picked up and it was clear that in a storm with wind and rain this door would provide zero protection from rain. I’d like something like the old Hexamid extended beak that people could just roll up and out of the way. I don’t want doors because I have bad luck with zippers.

Hmmm, the video Rex posted on rain pants has me thinking.  I got some 20″ wide remnants of Cuben on this site a few years back, and perhaps I should try making rain chaps out of them. I’d need to tape two seams running down either side of the leg, but should raw edges, (like from belt loop down to crotch seam, or bottom edge “hem” at ankles) be folded and stitched, or taped, or left as a raw edge?

Folded and taped

My Pocket tarp raw edges are all folded and sewn. No tape. Interestingly my GG One from 2008 is the same. The raw edge is folded only once and sewn. After 12 years the raw edge is fraying. I do not understand why it wasn’t done better, although one thru-hike’s worth of use seems like it’s not a big deal.

Chaps are a good project. I made bug pants chaps and they turned out great. Even a dumbmass like me could figure it out. Rain chaps would be great to try, too. My partner had a pair of Zpacks cuben rain chaps but the rubbing of the legs together when he walked caused them to peel apart. So I would make sure that this is not possible with however you put them together.

This entire thread has been a revelation! I can hardly wait to see Diane’s door/beak. Check out the website: Cubenmaker

I made a small splash/spindrift guard cover for a hammock underquilt using .51 with double sided tape and rolled/folded edges. About as basic as you can get so it’s really nice to see proven techniques/methods. Nothing beats experience.

I just got some 1.1 silnylon in olive green that I totally impulse bought. 3 yards. It’s real purty. What should I make??

What do you need, or most want to upgrade?

Well originally I was going to try to make a better door for my pocket tarp (the one in the picture is tyvek) and then I decided, after seeing my add-on door suffer in the wind, to just go for it and make a taped-on DCF extended beak. But there was a time I was going to try to make a “batwing” for my flat tarp. The Jardine’s refused to sell me the batwing kit. Can you believe that? So I thought I might be able to copy similar door add-ons that I’ve seen on hammock gear sites. Now that I have this Pocket tarp I’m unsure how often I will use my flat tarp, though.