My OGEE Tarp mod - advice wanted

[ironfish77]

"OH, WOW! I have been watching you on youtube. =) I was wondering how I would test out a scale mini model plus know sewing doll clothes is much more difficult than "real" clothes."

A small tarp, is a lot easier than a full size tarp, you are not dealing with all the little details of making doll clothes. You are simply sewing a few straight (hopefully) seams. Part of what you may run into with silnylon the bottom fabric feeds differently (not always, but frequently)than the top fabric, so you end up with the one side longer than the other. Add stretchy fabric to that, well practice is very helpful.

That is true about the stretchy. Has anyone tried using tissue paper to stabiliza (and then tear it off)? Tissue paper in my experience only helps when the fabric gets stuck or wants to get stuck in the feed dogs. The problem I ran into with one particular type of silnylon was the stuff stretched like crazy after the tarp was finished. I went back and put grosgrain ribbon around all edges and seams. Just about doubled the weight. Other members added supports, interesting and challenging.

As you look through past posts about the Ogee and Mega Ogee, you should find sources for wide silnylon, the wider the fabric the better for those who want a very ample tarp.

For me, I live where we have a lot of trees, finding trees far enough apart for a big tarp is problematic.

My Ogee out of 59 inch wide fabric is perfect for my needs, even with my bridge hammock. There are so many options with the design. Very clever and stingy with the fabric quantity, my mother and I both love the design. Thank you Gargoyle for sharing!

[gargoyle]

Old school tricks like tissue paper dont work well in outdoor gear. Any TP left in the seam/hem will collect moisture, leak or mold. Avoid completely

[hikerdelita]

Okay so no glue sticks and no tissue paper. ;-> However, I feel confident that my experience sewing with stretchy fabric plus using quilting pins (extra thin) to pin only in the seam allowance so no holes to the tarp will work. But, I do plan to practice first. My son picked up some extra silnylon at walmart for $1.50 a yard so we can both practice! LOL

I like the idea of using 1/4" grosgrain sewed to the edge then rolled in to make a rolled hem to finish all around.

I didn't notice people were using nylon gros grain and got polyester. Is that not good or just not as good. It was only 5$ so wouldn't mind going for nylon.

Planning to use the flat felled seam. Which is easier or stronger, the traditional or the combined french/flat felled? I have done the french/flat felled before.

Is there any reason to reinforce the seams with gros grain or is just the sewn down seam enough?

I won't be able to start sewing until next week so this is the time to think about the details. First, I am thinking now about ditching my mod and going for a mega-mega with instructions from Gargoyle on how to pitch it.

thanks to all who read and especially any with suggestions on these questions!

hikerdelita,
Sanford, North Carolina

[Redoleary]

I prefer a flat felled seam. This is not my video but it's how I make them.

[hikerdelita]

this is a very helpful vid, thks. I will practice this before cutting into my sil! thks

[hikerdelita]

Ok, forget my OGEE mod. Plan now is mega OGEE using 64" sil, with max triangles cut from 64" square. Not sure yet on length. 13'? 14'? 15'? Leaning toward 13'.

Is there any reason a single hammocker might need more. Hammocks used (separately) are one 10' and one 11'. Once settled on a length will start laying it out.

[CamoDeafie82]

Ok, forget my OGEE mod. Plan now is mega OGEE using 64" sil, with max triangles cut from 64" square. Not sure yet on length. 13'? 14'? 15'? Leaning toward 13'.

Is there any reason a single hammocker might need more. Hammocks used (separately) are one 10' and one 11'. Once settled on a length will start laying it out.

64" wide silnylon should be AMPLE.....you're getting a lot of coverage from the main panel and the side triangles... I don't think you need more than 12-13 feet for the main ridge line... my DIY Ogee styled tarp was made from 59-60" wide fabric, and is made out of only 4 (yes FOUR) yards of silnylon....has a ridge line of 9 feet, and a total width of only 7 feet something....with two 18"x59" triangles. It is basically a Minimalist Ogee tarp, and the smallest I can see being useful for only one hammock at 9 ft hammock length...

my next Ogee tarp project with 6 yards of 60" wide fabric coming in...is going to be 17 ft overall length with an 11 ft ridge line, and a 11 ft width... and 18 tie outs instead of the 10 on the Minimalist Ogee tarp.
My point I am making is...12-13 ft on the ridge line should be more than ample....but 11 ft could work, because with 83% ridge line length to hammock length, for a 11 ft hammock, your ridge line should be around 9.13 feet, a tarp ridge line of 11 feet to 12 feet would be very good, especially with the beaks/doors on the ends extending the coverage. 13 ft ridge line would essentially make it much more roomier, and you could in theory hang two hammocks side by side with NO problems under that tarp size, and as Gargoyle showed with his 11 ft Mega Ogee, its going to be ample spacing underneath.
When you speak of length ,you are referring to ridge line right?
(Gargoyle, that pattern of yours is a little off, it's not 12 feet overall with an 11 ft ridge line and 1 ft x 5 ft triangle cut outs on each end, that would mean either the overall length is 13 ft or the ridge line is 10 ft )