Sewing Thread....A discussion on making your own adventure textile gear.

[BritKLR]

Wowza. Can you keep a build like that all in your head, or do you need an assembly checklist? (I needed a list for my much simpler rectangular bags.)

Generally speaking, once I’ve sketched it, patterned it, cut it I can assemble without a cut/sew assembly sheet. Doesn’t mean to say that from time to time I assemble something too soon in the manufacturing process and then have to rip some seams to add or remove a piece.......all part of the fun of custom gear!
BTW, the outer panel will have 16 pieces giving these bags a total of 31 pieces not including the strap.

 

[rayra]

BritKLR, I've got some zipper sewing questions for you, but I really don't have them formulated yet, or any design sketches to refer to. It will be for a 1000D cover/bag for my carrier-mounted winch. Zipper will be about 2' long and run along three adjacent edges in three axes. And I either want it sewn 'hidden' or maybe add a snapped flap that covers it. Or at least the upper startign portion of it. Haven't decided.
I'm thinking a large-toothed zipper, something akin to YKK, something that can take some grit and grime without jamming up. Any advice or tips or directed questions would be appreciated. I hope to sew it sometime in June.

 

[BritKLR]

BritKLR, I've got some zipper sewing questions for you, but I really don't have them formulated yet, or any design sketches to refer to. It will be for a 1000D cover/bag for my carrier-mounted winch. Zipper will be about 2' long and run along three adjacent edges in three axes. And I either want it sewn 'hidden' or maybe add a snapped flap that covers it. Or at least the upper startign portion of it. Haven't decided.
I'm thinking a large-toothed zipper, something akin to YKK, something that can take some grit and grime without jamming up. Any advice or tips or directed questions would be appreciated. I hope to sew it sometime in June.

Sound‘s like a fun project!
Will the bag have a top flap door (like a foot locker style) with the hinge in the back or front loader flap (like a pizza oven style)with the hinge on the bottom front?
Incorporating a rain fly cover (hidden zipper) into a top flap is straight forward And would look the cleanest. Certainly a zipper snap cover could be added aswell. The front loader can be a little tricker. Either way, post up the overall dimensions and I’ll sketch something up with a rainfly for you. Good luck.

 

[rayra]

Sound‘s like a fun project!
Will the bag have a top flap door (like a foot locker style) with the hinge in the back or front loader flap (like a pizza oven style)with the hinge on the bottom front?
Incorporating a rain fly cover (hidden zipper) into a top flap is straight forward And would look the cleanest. Certainly a zipper snap cover could be added aswell. The front loader can be a little tricker. Either way, post up the overall dimensions and I’ll sketch something up with a rainfly for you. Good luck.

It's going to slide onto the winch/carrier like a sock, from the left (when facing the vehicle) and wrap up from the front and bottom, with the zipper starting in the top front right corner, going rearward along the right handle of the carrier, then turning 90deg down and 45ded to the left down the diagonal of the handle, then finishing along the back bottom of the carrier, butting up against the hitch tube. The bag will have a reinforced edge around that tube.
I'll try to get some illustration sketches done tonight. Whole shape is sort of an inverted trapezoid viewed frontally. Thinking the fabric seams will go around the outer edges of the carrier, pieced together somewhat like a baseball covering. Or more likely in one large panel, wrapping from the front, sewn at the ends. And it puts the zipper on a 'natural' seam line as it were. And puts the zipper mostly on the back, away from most weather junk.
I'm thinking to just do the zipper as a 'hidden' and just stick on a snapped covering flap over the upper more exposed portion.
I'll make some sketches and take a couple illustration pics tonight.

 

[shade]

Try to stay away from modern Walmart, mass produces machines due to their weak drive trains and throw away designs.

Does that apply to the current Singer "Heavy Duty" machines, like the 4423?

Heavy Duty 4423 Sewing Machine

Heavy Duty 4423 Sewing Machine

www.singer.com

I have a light duty Brother that I've used for repairs on bags & straps, and it doesn't like that very much.

 

[rayra]

shot of the winch carrier, working up the sewing plan for the zippered cover. The blue tape traces the path of the zipper.

I'll try to get a sketch done of how I see trying to make the thing out of a single piece of fabric. Not even sure that can work but will be trying to suss it out and execute a scale mockup in paper.

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Glad you are way younger than me. Bad enough to wrestle with, without a cover. I can't visualize your cover idea. Why are you wanting to cover it anyway? Is it a means of deterring snatch and grab thefts?

 

[BritKLR]

Does that apply to the current Singer "Heavy Duty" machines, like the 4423?

Heavy Duty 4423 Sewing Machine

Heavy Duty 4423 Sewing Machine

www.singer.com

I have a light duty Brother that I've used for repairs on bags & straps, and it doesn't like that very much.

I‘m not familiar with that machine so can’t really say. Reading the specs would led me to think it would be a good home/hobbies machine but could be frustrating with large projects or heavy materials. A couple things that could cause issues:
Not a walking foot machine, so the material is pulled through the machine by the bottom feed dog and will create fail to feed issues with thick or heavy materials.

Small motor, could stall or just not have enough umph to put a needle through thick materials.

”internal metal frame”, not really sure how strong the overall machine is.

Built-in automatic stitches, normally wouldn’t be used for large projects and the system tends to rely on a delicate mechanical system to do the more elaborate patterns. Not sure how long it would last.

Im not saying it’s a bad machine, but if your having issues with your Brother you may have similar issues with this small machine.

BTW, I was in Walmart today and they’ve removed all their sewing machines, not sure why.

good luck!

 

[shade]

I‘m not familiar with that machine so can’t really say. Reading the specs would led me to think it would be a good home/hobbies machine but could be frustrating with large projects or heavy materials. A couple things that could cause issues:
Not a walking foot machine, so the material is pulled through the machine by the bottom feed dog and will create fail to feed issues with thick or heavy materials.

Small motor, could stall or just not have enough umph to put a needle through thick materials.

”internal metal frame”, not really sure how strong the overall machine is.

Built-in automatic stitches, normally wouldn’t be used for large projects and the system tends to rely on a delicate mechanical system to do the more elaborate patterns. Not sure how long it would last.

Im not saying it’s a bad machine, but if your having issues with your Brother you may have similar issues with this small machine.

BTW, I was in Walmart today and they’ve removed all their sewing machines, not sure why.

good luck!

Thanks for the response.

I'll root around some reviews on the Singer HD models and see what's not working well. I'll also see if Walmart is clearing out their stock. I know it's not likely, but maybe I'll stumble onto a good deal.

 

[sonarman]

Sewed my first pouches, the big one holds my solar extension cables.

 

[rayra]

Glad you are way younger than me. Bad enough to wrestle with, without a cover. I can't visualize your cover idea. Why are you wanting to cover it anyway? Is it a means of deterring snatch and grab thefts?

Mostly to keep crud and weather off it, and yes, to minimize the visual attraction of it. Not that I intend to leave it mounted often. But planning some long range driving / trailer camping trips this Summer and Fall, so figured a cover would be useful.

 

[rayra]

Spent some time midday proofing a sewing pattern idea for making the heavy fabric cover for the winch in its carrier. Idea is wrapping one piece of fabric around the winch/carrier, from the back bottom edge, up the front, over the top and down the back. With the bottom potion folding up on the ends to follow the inverted trapezoidal shape of the carrier. Zipper on the right end along the upper carrier handle and down diagonally on the back and bottom to the receiver hitch tube. The whole cover going on like a sock from left to right.
Sacrificed a roll of paper towels to serve as a mockup for where the ends of the winch will protrude from the carrier.
Not the best idea to cut and sew before I actually have the winch, but I have its dimensions and am sanguine about fitment.
I need to study up on sewing in zippers and how I want to arrange that seam. Either 'hidden' zipper or maybe incorporating a flap on what will be the 'upper' side, so moisture etc is shed over / past the zipper. And I still need a zipper. Looks like it needs to be about 25". but a 24" can be made to work, if there is such a constraint in what is available.
The fabric requirement is about 37"x37", including overlaps for seams. May also sew in some interior reinforcement over the carrier handle edges, area of worst wear and greatest aerodynamic load. Might incorporate some 1" webbing straps that wrap around at about the 1/3 intervals and buckle at the rear, sewn attached to the front face, so all the slack can be cinched out.

The blue squiggles are the zipper interface, the red will be sewn seams

@BritKLR any advice on interior reinforcements or gussets and especially on sewing in a zipper that makes a couple changes in axis would be appreciated.

Fabric will be 1000D. Still have to find a good zipper. Good for outdoors, dirt / mud / grit, weather exposire. big tooth YKK sort of thing.


eta another sewing project in the very near future is a 'cozy' to put over the three fuel / water jugs in the rear box tray in the Sub, pictured years ago. As long as I'm dicing up this 1000D and setting up all the equipment, I can knock out both projects.

 

[BritKLR]

Had fun making a HD Jack Kit bag for a young man heading out west this week. He wanted something a little more heavy duty and easier to use then the factory bag.

A couple of sewing points -
1) In order to strengthen all handles and strap attachments I sewed in re-enforcement patches that also got bar tacked and "X" boxed.
2) The bottom has a 3 mm nylon plate sewn in to help reduce punctures.
3) The bottom has 4 layers of materials (waxed canvas, nylon plate, 1000D Cordura and 1500 D rubberized nylon bottom.
4) Due to the weight and sharp edges of the jack it had punched through the oem bag so I made a special rubberized and ballistic nylon cover to go over the jack to reduce the chances of it cutting through the bag.
5) A small zippered bag was made for the jack adapter and connects to the internal retention straps so it wont move around.
6) The tool pocket is made of the 1500D rubberized material and velcro secured.
7) The dual mesh pockets are made from TP-21 mil-spec mesh and 1" nylon webbing to hold work gloves and shop rags or tire repair kit.

Look forward to see how it works out for him!

 

[Riptide]

Love this thread. Like many, I've been wanting to learn how to sew heavy duty stuff for years. The last straw was this year, when I went put our little Whaler in service this spring, and looked with horror at my expensive canvas top that was brand-new last year: a mouse had apparently gotten up in there, and decided to tunnel thru all the layers of the rolled-up, such that there was a row of about 6 or 7 holes.

When I went to order another top, I was shocked. I said, I already have the frame, I just want the canvas. She said, I know.

I don't mind paying good money for someone's time, but it's usually going to be for something that I can't do myself. So, for the cost of a new top, I bought a Sailrite LSZ-1, and one of their duffle bag kits. The video walked me thru how to make the bag, and it teaches you some basic skills. It came out pretty good, and I had a good time. So now I'm cutting the seams on my old boat top to use as a pattern for the new one, noting how it was put together, and what seams were used. I'm pretty confident I can make something passable, and I'll have nice machine in the end.

I've already used it for other stuff, like rejiggering some ratchet straps to fit my needs better, and patching some gear bags. I can see a new bag for my Oztent too; the OEM one is just too tight to get the tent in and out of.

 

[BritKLR]

Size matters......

Working on some custom projects and was doing some pocket mods on a gore jacket for one of those 3-letter agencies. Had to pull the zipper (pull and coil) to access the inner panels. Putting it back together it became clear the difference between the #10 YKK pulls that we use and the #4 on this jacket.....Kinda cute.

Hope everyone has been having some fun with your projects!