Fabric for Hammocks?

**Mule** · 02-27-2011, 20:16

I have done some searches and came up with nothing so far. Where are you getting your 1.1 Polyester fabric for making hammocks these days?

Is anyone using ripstop nylon at all?

Thanks

**jbo_c** · 02-27-2011, 20:30

I think most are using rs nylon. Seems like maybe Rev uses poly.

Jbo

**Bradley** · 02-27-2011, 20:58

I have been using regular 'ol Nylon . . .

. . . 1/2 the price . . . and some one once told me that RS is not stronger
It just doesn't fray/rip further,

Or something like that . . . ???

**inspectorguy** · 02-27-2011, 21:06

I just made a "homemade" gathered end out of polyester taffeta from Hancocks Fabrics 2.99 a yard bin.

Nice green color.

Works for me.

**Mule** · 02-27-2011, 21:28

Originally Posted by inspectorguy

I just made a "homemade" gathered end out of polyester taffeta from Hancocks Fabrics 2.99 a yard bin.

Nice green color.

Works for me.

How did you figure out what weight per yard it was?
Thanks, Steve

**Ramblinrev** · 02-27-2011, 21:58

I like polyester taffeta for hammocks. I like the feel better than nylon. Ripstop is great for clothing and items that will catch on thorns or briars and the like. A small tear will not expand under normal use. But the forces on a hammock would overpower the ripstop threads. The polyester is commonly used for many commercial hammocks.

**Mule** · 02-27-2011, 22:27

Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

I like polyester taffeta for hammocks. I like the feel better than nylon. Ripstop is great for clothing and items that will catch on thorns or briars and the like. A small tear will not expand under normal use. But the forces on a hammock would overpower the ripstop threads. The polyester is commonly used for many commercial hammocks.

I agree, That's why I asked the question. The last one I made was a WBBB clone and I uses all taffeta, but it was too heavy and the hammock came out weighing about half a pound more than my double 1.7 from Brandon. When I go to the fabric store they have all kinds of Taffeta but no one can tell me the weight per sq yard.
In fact most of my hammocks have been taffeta from Wally World but I cannot find that anymore either, so I am looking for some 1.1 taffeta and cannot seem to come up with any but googling it. It's hard to know what you are getting, and I don't want to go to all the trouble of making another BB with the wrong weight stuff and it not be what I want when it's done. Guess I will just buy another one off Brandon.
Thanks everyone.
Mule

**Ramblinrev** · 02-27-2011, 22:34

You might be able to contact the manufacturer and inquire as to the Denier rating of the fabric is question. Or alternatively ask which prodcuts fall into a certain Denier range. If you were to contact the proper person they could give you this information. Denier is only tangentially related to ounces/yd but roughly 30 denier ~ 1.1 70 D ~ 1.9 and so on.

It is highly unlikely the clerks in most fabric stores would know this information. Weight is not a crucial piece of information for most fabric users. Of course you could purchase some fabric and weigh it. "Quarters" are commonly sold by fabric shops for quilters. They are a quarter of a running yard. 36*36= 1296 sq/inches. Do the math and adjust the results accordingly.

**Mule** · 02-27-2011, 22:37

Originally Posted by Ramblinrev

You might be able to contact the manufacturer and inquire as to the Denier rating of the fabric is question. Or alternatively ask which prodcuts fall into a certain Denier range. If you were to contact the proper person they could give you this information. Denier is only tangentially related to ounces/yd but roughly 30 denier ~ 1.1 70 D ~ 1.9 and so on.

It is highly unlikely the clerks in most fabric stores would know this information. Weight is not a crucial piece of information for most fabric users. Of course you could purchase some fabric and weigh it. "Quarters" are commonly sold by fabric shops for quilters. They are a quarter of a running yard. 36*36= 1296 sq/inches. Do the math and adjust the results accordingly.

That helps a lot, 30 and 70, I think I can get there from here now. I uses to do the math on the stuff I got from wal mart and it was usually 1.7 or 2.2 or 2.5 or something. Thanks