I bought an old metal sewing machine. D Casey, the guru, recommends this in
most of his sailboat maintenance books.

Casey has a few ideas about projects to start with; cockpit cover, etc.
But no exact plans.

Are there any books that have plans, designs, good project instructions for
sailboat canvass projects?

"NE Sailboat" wrote in message
news:0kbth.3909$o31.2780@trndny04...
I bought an old metal sewing machine. D Casey, the guru, recommends this
in most of his sailboat maintenance books.

Casey has a few ideas about projects to start with; cockpit cover, etc.
But no exact plans.

Are there any books that have plans, designs, good project instructions
for sailboat canvass projects?




Plans to fit your boat are unlikely. Wanna know how the pros do it? They
(many of them, can't speak for all) bring a roll of Sunbrella to your boat.
After installing snaps and fittings on your boat, they unroll the Sunbrella
over the area to be covered, drawing on it where necessary with chalk. They
poke holes where snaps and fittings will go, and cut slits where they need
them. With all the pieces cut out and labeled, they take it all back to the
shop and sew it up. When they come back, it actually fits.

I wouldn't recommend that we unwashed masses attempt to mimic them with
Sunbrella, but if you follow the same procedure with cheap lightweight
muslin, you can make your own patterns, then transfer to Sunbrella. Follow
Don Casey's information on seam allowances and what-not. Bob's your uncle!

For bags and stuff, I'll draw paper patterns to size, or just sketch out
what I want and then wing it.

Karin

"KLC Lewis" wrote
They poke holes where snaps and fittings will go

Quick-fits are handy for that:
http://www.rochfordsupply.com/produc...SubCatID_E_451

A few years ago I bought an old industrial sewing machine, a German
"Adler". They go forever, it still produces a nice stich today. My
experience was nil when I started, but over the years I made several spray
hoods, a canopy, various covers etc.
One of the best tips I got from the canvas shop where I bought my first
material. It has helped me a lot, especially in my first attempts:
Buy yourself a cheap hot glue gun if you don't have one already and glue the
Sunbrella first, before sewing it. Only use a little glue, just to keep the
material from shifting when you're sewing. Apply the glue close to where the
stich will be, on the side where it does not show, of course. Success
guaranteed!
plano



"NE Sailboat" wrote in message
news:0kbth.3909$o31.2780@trndny04...
I bought an old metal sewing machine. D Casey, the guru, recommends this
in
most of his sailboat maintenance books.

Casey has a few ideas about projects to start with; cockpit cover, etc.
But no exact plans.

Are there any books that have plans, designs, good project instructions
for
sailboat canvass projects?

Ansley .. that is unbelievable. Not worry if it is raining and you are
sitting by the mooring.

Question: where did you purchase the material? And, what kind, or brand
...such as Sunbrella .. is it?

Thanks for the help.

================
"Ansley W. Sawyer" wrote in message
...
Look at Sailrite. They have some plans and kits and they are very helpful
on the phone.

Sailrite Self Reliance Under Sail - www.sailrite.com

Attached is one of the projects that I have done. It started as an awning
and finally morphed in to a 18 by 11 foot deck room with zip on side and
front panels with plastic window panels. The picture was taken in Nova
Scotia with a 25 foot tide. We have also done sail covers, jib bag, and
fender and docking line bags.

Cheers

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem

I came across a great book called "On Rope" about various rope handling
techniques for mountaineering or spelunking. I recommend this book for
anyone who is a sailor as well, as it has some very excellent technical
descriptions about rope handling, but also a very detailed description
of what stitching techniques works the best and why. I think you might
find it useful when making your projects.

I've read the "Sailmaker's Apprentice" and thought it was good
information, but obviously more geared towards sails. I also read "The
Complete Canvas Guide" by D. Grant and thought it had some good
information but I thought it lacked enough detail for someone who might
be new to the task.

I have several industrial sewing machines, now, including a "SailRite"
walking foot that includes a hand crank. I think you'll find that a
walking foot is almost a necessity when building complex pieces, as both
top and bottom feet move simultaneously, keeping the fabric layers in
place. This avoid having to "tack" or pin the material as much, if at all.

I would also recommend that you start small, get used to how your
machine behaves, and make simple projects first. Save the cockpit cover
for when you've made all of the beginner mistakes already. Also, when
you do attempt it, I suggest you make the first revision out of cheap
denim or muslin. You will definitely make mistakes on the first couple
of projects, so leaving the harder stuff for last is probably best.

Also, pay attention to what type of thread you use. As an upholsterer
what they use. You want something that will not deteriorate in
sunlight. Experiment with your machine to make sure it can feed
properly through it though. My experience has been that only the most
industrial of machines and handle the heavier threads without jamming.

Happy sewing!

Robb


NE Sailboat wrote:
I bought an old metal sewing machine. D Casey, the guru, recommends this in
most of his sailboat maintenance books.

Casey has a few ideas about projects to start with; cockpit cover, etc.
But no exact plans.

Are there any books that have plans, designs, good project instructions for
sailboat canvass projects?

On Jan 22, 5:58 pm, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought an old metal sewing machine. D Casey, the guru, recommends this in
most of his sailboat maintenance books.

Casey has a few ideas about projects to start with; cockpit cover, etc.
But no exact plans.

Are there any books that have plans, designs, good project instructions for
sailboat canvass projects?

If you are interested in learning more about canvas fabrication, try
http://www.canvastrainingworkshops.com. Russ and Roger are great guys
and they can teach you tons of stuff. They're located in Port Clinton
OH. They also have DVDs that you can purchase if you are not inclined
to attend their classes. I just came back from a class on enclosures.
Great stuff!

Good Luck.

I have bought sunbrella on ebay twice. You have to wait and watch but what
you want will come up. I talked to my local canvas guy and the local price
for sunbrella was $26-27/yd and I have made two ebay purchases for about
$8/yd. You can see that I use burgundy for everything so I buy a large
amount when I get a deal. I still have about 26 yds in reserve.

I also made new covers for all the below deck cushions a couple of years
ago.

Having a heavy duty sewing machine changes the way you think of things. I
have also made change bags for the guys in my poker group!

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem

Ansley W. Sawyer wrote:
I have bought sunbrella on ebay twice. You have to wait and watch but what
you want will come up. I talked to my local canvas guy and the local price
for sunbrella was $26-27/yd and I have made two ebay purchases for about
$8/yd. You can see that I use burgundy for everything so I buy a large
amount when I get a deal. I still have about 26 yds in reserve.

I also made new covers for all the below deck cushions a couple of years
ago.

Having a heavy duty sewing machine changes the way you think of things. I
have also made change bags for the guys in my poker group!

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem

We bought a roll (40 yards) of Sunbrella "Captain
Navy" for $7.25 / yd last year. Needless to say
we still have plenty left for our own projects for
some time to come.

I've looked at Sunbrella on Ebay, but sellers are
usually asking a lot more than the price you can
find if you are willing to buy "roll" quantities
from industrial suppliers. I'd say you did pretty
well at $8/yd.

Anybody that tries to sell you Sunbrella for
$27/yard is guilty of price gouging since that is
4x the high volume rate, and nearly 2x the normal
going rate (~$14/yd).

Don W.