Velcro and Cuben

[Jay L]

I have tried searching for this answer on here, but have not been able to use the search function very well (newbie to the site).  I have worked with cuben on a number of projects, but I have always bonded it.  I am wondering if that would work with attaching velcro to the cuben as well?  I need a roll top bag and I want to have velcro at the top.  If I have to sew than I can (though not very well), but would much rather tape.  BTW I am using 3M 9460.  Thanks.

[Jerry Adams]

if you have scrap of cuben, velcro, and tape, just try it

Try to pull it apart like it was a roll top bag and see if it holds, and then pull it worse than you ever would in actual use

Use “velcro cuben site:backpackinglight.com” in google or your favorite searcher

for example, returns http://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/108551/

[Jay L]

I don’t have any scraps, I gave them all to a friend a while back.  I have ordered everything, but was wondering if anyone had any experience with it.  Thanks for the search tip! That will be very useful.

[R]

Some inexperienced advice based largely on theory:

If you separate the velcro by pulling on the material it’s bonded to, you will load the bond in peel, its weakest mode.  The rest of your bonded seams should load in shear.  This means the peel loaded bond is likely to fail sooner.  It might not, but it’s not a good design.

Here are 3 design options that avoid loading the bond in peel.

1. Put the velcro at the very edge of the cuben.  This forces you to pull on the velcro directly, applying almost no load to the bond.  But this is not very user friendly.  It will be difficult to do this with gloves on.
2. Along with #1, shave off some of the hooks to make it easier to grab the velcro.  This can be done across a portion of the width of the velcro for a few inches in the middle of the opening, creating a lip to grab on to. This requires that your velcro is adequately wide and may still be difficult with gloves on.  This can also be done across the full width of the velcro allowing you to stick your fingers all the way through the opening to hook the edges and pull.  This will be the best solution for gloves, but removes more hooks, weakening the closure.
3. A different solution is to put flaps across the velcro in the middle of the opening, sticking out the top.  They should be attached on the inside of the pack, below the velcro.  If you grab the flaps, they act as if you stuck your fingers through the velcro, hooked your fingers and pulled. A dab of cement where the flap lays across the velcro will keep them pointing up. If you make one flap stick up angled to the left, and the other to the right, they’ll be easier to grab.

You should probably do #1 to prevent peel loading no matter what.  #3 will leave the most velcro intact for the most secure closure and is probably the easiest to use.

 

[Jay L]

Thanks, thats great advice.  I probably should just sew it, but my skills in that department are not very good.

[Jerry Adams]

they make velcro with adhesive on it.  I’ve used that.  Works okay.

[R]

Straight stitches are as easy as it gets.

Do your homework on needle, thread and stitch size/type. Definitely practice on your materials to get the machine dialed in – look at both sides of the stitch.

Avoid sewing through adhesive (it’ll gunk up your needle – lube w/ alcohol if you must) or close to an un-hemmed edge (may pull out).

Reversing for a few stitches at the end of your seams will keep them from coming undone.  So will a drop of super glue or taping over them.

Show us the final product!

[Author]

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