Gear-Making Instructional Video Series

I have completed the We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! series and have added the Zipper video to the collection. In terms of generic techniques or broad based tutorials is there anything else people think would be helpful for the forums? I have been having a lot of fun with these.

1. Intro

2. Meet the Beast

3. K.I.S.S

4. Behind the Mysteries

5. Making it Real

6. Troubleshooting

7. The Floor Ain't Big Enuf

8. Hang in Under an Hour

9. Tarp Tips

10. Make it Your Own

11. After Thought

..and two more companion videos...

Perfect Zipper Installation

Gathered Round Bottom Stuff Sack

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Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

I have completed the We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! series and have added the Zipper video to the collection. In terms of generic techniques or broad based tutorials is there anything else people think would be helpful for the forums? I have been having a lot of fun with these.

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ah, video-making withdrawal begins to wrap its tentacles around you. "What am I going to do with myself now???" Seeing any pink elephants? <grin>

seriously though, this was a herculean effort with great benefit to the budding DIYer. Despite the miles of thread I've injected, I picked up some tips myself!

Grizz

I would also like to express thanks for your efforts in making the whole series. I've learned quite a lot from it.

Thanks for the kind words. I am between jobs at the moment. So I have time. If I can use it productively so much the better. I am sure there are other things that could be included, I'm just not sure what they would be.

Efforts appreciated on my end!!! It is fun creative and labor-intensive work to do.......
Shug

Yep, a big thanks Rev!
Those vids should help lots of us out when we start to wonder about certain aspects of sewing... I mean gear making<G>.

I enjoy learning from your videos, they have been a lot of help and entertainment. I have dusted off my sewing machine and oiled her up. Just waiting on supplies to come in for my first UQ. Thanks

Thanks for all your work Rev... great job...

I had missed this great series till now

Thanks for sharing this Rev.
Tom

Thanks Rev!
With all the DIY projects here, I was thinking I ought to go back and try sewing again.
I did a few camping projects 20 yrs ago, but after I ran the needle from the machine through my finger, I figure it was too dangerous. That machine just scares me. :scared:(although I have no problems using a table saw, bandsaw, router, or any number of other sharp woodworking tools. Go figure.)

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Originally Posted by canoeski

Thanks Rev!
With all the DIY projects here, I was thinking I ought to go back and try sewing again.
I did a few camping projects 20 yrs ago, but after I ran the needle from the machine through my finger, I figure it was too dangerous. That machine just scares me. :scared:(although I have no problems using a table saw, bandsaw, router, or any number of other sharp woodworking tools. Go figure.)

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Grampa always said, 'you gotta be smarter than what your dealing with'. ;)
He said alot more than that, but this is the only one I can repeat here.:eek:

Its a power tool, treat with the same respect as your other shop tools.

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Originally Posted by canoeski

Thanks Rev!
after I ran the needle from the machine through my finger, I figure it was too dangerous. That machine just scares me. :scared:(although I have no problems using a table saw, bandsaw, router, or any number of other sharp woodworking tools. Go figure.)

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A thread injector needle is much less maiming than the other you mention.

Thanx for putting together these videos.
They have been extremely helpful.

Bump for sticky. This how-to series is a good resource for the incoming DIY crowd.

Rev,
Thanks for your hard work on helping a sewing newbie like me get started. I finally finished all of them and really think they do help. I was having some difficulty visualizing the seams and hems as you described them because I am such a visual learner. I did find some illustrations on seams that helped me a lot. Especially the one for a felled seam.

Now back to trying to sew straight! I think I'm improving...

Some of you may know I have moved recently. The apartment is a disaster and I lost my work space. However my wife and I have located a corner where I can set the thread injector up. I may be able to get back to producing some more vids in the near future. The corner has been identified... but it is still occupied with unpacked boxes. :)

Whew ... Rev ... good luck on that ... moving sucks on the best of days. Unpacking is worse in my experience! Look forward to more of your videos.

What would be the best seam for a tarp to join the 2 halves together?

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Originally Posted by jeepcachr

What would be the best seam for a tarp to join the 2 halves together?

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Most people use a flat felled seam or a variation of it which is essentially a french seam folded and stitched down.

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Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

Most people use a flat felled seam or a variation of it which is essentially a french seam folded and stitched down.

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Thanks that worked. Took me 8 hours and my 11 x12 tarp is now a 10x12 tarp but I got the two peices seamed together. :thumbup:

Still need to hem the sides and add the tie downs.

Edit: video 9 talks about flat felled seams, I hadn't gotten that far yet. I really like the videos and it's obvious that a lot of time went into making them. The only thing I would say is that some things like the flat felled seam would be really helpful if you zoomed in or held the fabric up to the camera when talking about the folds. Please don't take that as a complaint, I really like the videos.

What an accomplishment! Manythanks. What a forum, Hugh?

Thanks for these videos, they are helping a lot with my projects!

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Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Whew ... Rev ... good luck on that ... moving sucks on the best of days. Unpacking is worse in my experience! Look forward to more of your videos.

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I moved every 2-3 years since I was 2 years old except for one 5 year stint. It stinks to unpack!!!!!

LOL, just watched part 4. I loved Grizz's section :)
Thanks RamblinRev

Kudos and much gratitude to ya Rev!

That is a fine series of videos and I can't imagine any DIYer not learning a thing or twenty from it.

Happy Trails to all...

Thanks Rev for the series and filling in some of the gaps my survival sewing skills have left me with. Why I didn't take this home ec class when I had the chance, well, I didn't. I thought Pre-Calc would be more important.

I do take issue with a statement you and others make. Will you save money wiith DIY gear. The common answer is "NO, not when you figure in your time."
Time, is the one thing I DO have, and it's not worth that much. I could use it to watch another documentary on The Hitler(History) Channel or REALLY waste it with an episode of Snooky¹ vs The World(which I've never seen.)
The second thing listed is the quality of items produced by the manufacturers. No doubts there. With few exceptions (Yugo) the manufacturers of all products excel in what the DIY guy can do. However, the difference between having a mosquito netted tarp with a zippered side, rainfly, and, for the sake of a patent Spinaker Sleaving (you didn't think HE came up with that did you?) for the cost of a few yards fabric compared to dang near 4-500 dollars?

Let me rephrase that. However, the difference of making everything for the cost of a few yards of fabric and hours of maybe even enjoyable creating to NOT having any gear. Well Sir that is just Priceless. Will my stitching be as even and as fancy as the manufacturer? Nope. Will it get the job done? Ya Buddy.

Make no doubt, I know that given the tools and time my version of a Mercedes would make a Yugo look like a Lincoln. But if it only cost me materials and a little time, I'd be driving the Clean-mobile. I'll never pay that kind of money for a car. (probably never HAVE that kind of money)

You've added to my knowledge base sir, thankee. I hope to actually get out there and create with that knowledge. That's worth more than any 500 dollar, lookie what I bought, sleeping system ever could be worth.

Sides, I haven't seen one of those manufactured Hammocks come in Bright Red and Yellow. It's not like I want to get shot during deer season ya know!

¹ For posterity as her 15 minutes should soon be up, "Snooky" refers to a character who "stars" along with the rest of the cast on a "Reality TV" show on MTV. Here, various individuals are gathered in front of a camera, given a "plausible" set of circumstances and told to "Act Natural". TV Execs in their desire to make as much money possible with as little money expended decided to fire most of the writers and staff and do away with things like, plot, substance, mental abilities over Howler monkey. (normally say Chimpanzee but it turns out they are relatively smart. At least they choose not to watch "Reality TV".
The Execs and most of their now waining audience failed to take into account two things.

1. Act Naturally. Normal people not only do not "Act Naturally" when they know a camera is on them it has been proven to be contrary to the laws of both Newtonian and Einsteinian space, and 3 or the known 14 higher dimensions. There are or rather were, a specific breed of human who COULD "Act Naturally" in front of a camera, they were called actors. They are also, unfortunately, a dying breed, so much so that if you can find an Actor that is any good at their craft, they are automatically paid outrageous sums of money to perform, achieve status that could never be achieved if Joseph Stalk and Jesus, the son of God himself, miracled a direct offspring. They there-upon develop a Super Ego complex and generally set out to solve all of the worlds "problems" while neglecting their acting skills. Usually convinced they poses project decision capabilities regarding the cloning of Human dedicated intellect with Deity offspring.

At least they don't achieve Sports Hero status.

2. Most importantly for this discussion EVERYONE, Sports Heroes and Wild Amazonian Natives in breech-clothes and face paint alike not only have a flip cam, but they've got Twitter and You-Tube accounts. They unintentionally and accidentally produce "Reality TV" without pay or profit, and produce it not on a Weekly basis, not on a Daily Basis or even an Hourly basis. They produce, edit and deliver sometimes with really rocking stolen music on a Moment to Moment basis. Thereby eliminating the need of Studio Executives and their non-acting, self-proclaimed celebrities and undercutting their outrageous profits. They've eliminated the need for TV itself, now relegated to the task of viewing movies delivered on disk by mail or over the internet itself (might as well, nobody would pay to watch this junk in a theater) but also given the option of displaying Twitter and You-Tube Videos. Its thought that by 2015 the demand for TV usage will be so low that the lack of current draw to power now unplugged tv's will eliminate the need to upgrade the worlds electrical grid.

So it ain't ALL bad.

Side note: The former writing staffs have been located now living in Bora Bora and having a "Splendid" time. They were found due to a rather unfortunate, self-gloating moment in which one of them, not to be named, shared by sending a postcard to a former and now suicidal TV Executive with the simple caption of, "Absolutely Enjoying Life. Glad you're NOT here."

They always were a cheeky lot.

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Originally Posted by MrClean417

I do take issue with a statement you and others make. Will you save money wiith DIY gear. The common answer is "NO, not when you figure in your time."
Time, is the one thing I DO have, and it's not worth that much.

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MrClean417.. The reason I put it that way is so many people think DIY is going the cheap way to get a good product. It can be. You are correct about that. IF you already have the equipment and the skills to do it then yes you _can_ save some money. But I have found for myself that by the time I buy all the notions at retail and pay retail prices for the yards of fabric used I really haven't saved that much. If you have the time and the inclination to build the skills then you are not _really_ doing it to save money. You are doing it to escape snookie and the rest of the tripe on the idiot box. There's nothing wrong with that... and if you really wanted to watch snookie and Let's Make a Deal you can still have the TV on while you work.

So not to pick your comment apart... But you are saving money. But _that_ is not your primary motive. That's all I'm saying.

True, I base my evaluation on already having the necessary equipment and some materials. I can't imagine living in a house without a sewing machine, not that I use it all that much. But I've always had at least one. My mother had two, one we used and a portable that evidently 'wasn't that good'. My wife has had at least one plus the hand me down Singer from her Grandmothers porch. It's just like any one of the other 4 million Singer pedal sewing machines out there. Worth 5 dollars towards the purchase of a new machine at Sears. Plus a portable of the same model with electric motor. Her first machine, the machine I bought her when we were just married and both the current machine I bought her and the more expensive one that's actually my daughters, but she doesn't have a place to use right now.

Heck, I'm typing on a cabinet and if i reach up in it, egads, theres one in there! Don't know which one but it's probably in need of a good servicing. I'm tripping over the things.

Could use a good pair of Pinking shears though. Always thought that was to put an edge on pinking tape used on fabric covered aircraft to give the Dope a better edge to hold onto. So it's a ravel stopper. Something else I didn't know.

We're a nation of doers. Given a couple of hours and some just empty beer cans we make stoves. O sure, some make them for others just because they didn't think they could BUY a Foster's and pour it out, but that would cut down on the cost effectiveness.

I've got that one whooped though. I pour it on my compost pile. It aides in the breakdown of clippings to Gardenin Gold.

And while I did vent my dis-approval on your thread, it was meant for a couple other mentions I've come across already. You just got it in a rather long winded, insomnia inspired, back handed compliment.

Ya done good and Thanks.

hey, I actually dosed off there. I might just get a nap in before little miss sunshine wakes up.

Thanks RamblinRev for the fine, huge collection of DIY videos. Great project I'll put to good use for many many moons.
You and some of the other DIY'rs out here are what got me motivated to put together some of my own little items I can't find for sale. Projects in motion...

Still getting used to a newly purchased older model Kenmore. Love the time and learning I'm getting spending time in front of the "Thread Injector". Your collections of how-to's are a great resource.
Good luck on getting situated in your newest home & corner for your gear.

Happy New Years' to you and your family.

Thanks for all you do here on the forum.

I enjoy the DIY aspect of making gear. Sure, I have less than $200 total invested in materials for all of my gear I made, which in my mind most of it stacks up pretty well against the store bought models, but to me it's the sense of learning skills, applying these skills and passing them along to others that are the true rewards of a DIY project.

Thanks to folks like Rev, Grizz, Shug and a bunch more for sharing their knowledge in the most entertaining ways imaginable.


Happy Trails...

This is a great series to learn from. Good job!

havent seen all yet, but is there anything about sewing netting (mosquito netting, etc)?

Just finished my first DIY project and I have to tell you it would have been a mess without the information I found in these videos. Thanks for taking the time Rev.

Thanks these videos are great!

Thanks for the videos, Rev.

I just purchased a thread injector and am in the middle of my first experimental project, a hammock sock. After several mistakes and much ripping apart undoing stuff, I decided to look for beginners advice on the internet.

Luckily, I remebered browsing through your vids about a year ago. They are perfect for a beginner like me. Thanks!

Thanks from a noob, who wants to DIY a bunch of stuff. It is things like this that keep those of us who haven't tried this yet to avoid a lot of oops!, what went wrong moments. These vids may be a few years old but are just in time for a lot of us, Thanks, Rev.

REV you got any suggestions on sewing with mesh. My present attempt at making mesh bags, in this case to keep snorkle gear in, was a disaster. I just could not get the mesh to cooperate. I know, I know you can buy cheap mesh laundry bags at the $ store, but I wanted to try making my own. Even if i did buy the laundry bags i would have to add straps if the bag needed to carry any weight at all. I'm thinking that knowing how to deal with mesh might come in handy for future projects.

Just finished several projects using felt. That material had its own learning curve as well. Seems each material requires different methods. Its all fun though, and helps to pass the winter months.

All the links seem to be broken.

The videos got turned off with the gallery if I understand correctly. My videos are available on my Youtube account. I assume the links will be restored when the gallery is working again

ehhhh, little help on the link to your channel please.......

nevermind, found it http://www.youtube.com/user/ramblnrev?feature=watch

I just discovered the sewing series you have put together. Thank you for making this available to everyone. I will be gleaning all I can from your teachings...

Groovy

Thanks for sharing your qoute with us , Kindly visit our youtube channel for same discussion :- youtube.com/user/jvengineers .Thanks:laugh:

Just watched the series, thanx for posting I learned alot

Your videos are very helpful. Thank you for making these.

Yeah thanks for sharing! very informative!

What a duff I am! I've been hanging around this forum for five months now and only today did I think of looking into these videos. I have already done a few small thread-injector projects, but I approached them shaking with fear. Now if feel much more confident and willing to try bigger and better projects. Thanks so much!

And by the way, this is a lesson for me to explore all the sticky threads in the forum.

A lot of great info, these videos have just saved me a lot of time!

Thanks,

I recently found and joined the Hammock Forum. It seems like most the store bought (fabric) gear can be improved or customized with a little sewing so some DIY knowledge is needed. You provided us with just that. I just finished watching your sewing series. Thank you so much for the great information which will definitely help me with my projects.

I do have one request that I think future views would love. Your current sewing series is displayed at 240p on Youtube. If you were to grab your original video and convert the series to 720p that would be awesome! It would make it visually much more enjoyable and we could see better what you are doing.
Thank you Rev!

Tagging this thread so I can watch all of these videos this weekend!

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Originally Posted by MountainMan1

Your current sewing series is displayed at 240p on Youtube. If you were to grab your original video and convert the series to 720p that would be awesome! It would make it visually much more enjoyable and we could see better what you are doing.
Thank you Rev!

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Nice thought but I don't know how practical it would be. The original recordings were done on VHS tape cassette. Yep you read that correctly. That's one of the reasons for the poor camera work. Ever tried to get a tractor trailer rig between you and the sewing machine? It ain't easy. Plus you can't see what you are recording and without an assistant you get what you get.