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Sewing the Premium Dacron


toddn.robinson

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Hi Jeff.  I have re-read the book and watched your videos several times, and I don't think my question is answered. It is my understanding that the premium 6.0 oz Dacron you sell is "preshrunk" and so must be sewed on tight.  Fair enough. I am still getting puckers and wrinkles, cause I'm not great at sewing.  But my big problem is at the end of the deck. No matter how I stretch or pull I cannot get the fabric to lay flat from keel to deck, let alone along the deck seam.i have checked the centering twice. The fabric is straight.  Pulling up along the keel to the gunnels I still get puckers.  Am I supposed to iron this fabric after it's sewn?  Will it shrink at all, or should I rip out my stitches and try again?  After four hours of trying to figure this out I am so Frustrated I'm about to chuck the whole damned project.   Someone please HELP.

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Sewing is a learned skill and there is unfortunately no substitute for practice. Keep in mind very few people sew their first boat without some wrinkles.

 

Are you trying to set around the curve of the stern or bow at the end? If so there is no way that is going to make that curve without sewing around and part way down the end. The fabric is to tight weave to conform to the ends without a seam.  The loose weave fabrics can shifted around without a seam but the tight weave can not.

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Thank you so much for the reply!  I was and have been trying to follow the instructions on the video to see straight down the deck beam to the end.  Thank you for confirming that the technique in the video doesn't work.  I'm not clear on what to do instead. Sew the running stitch along the keel up past the prow, then have the seam down the deck beam cross it?  Or just sew a good straight seam to the end and then down the front  as far as necessary to get the fabric to lay flat?  Then sew the beef roll down from the prow to the end of the seam, before rolling the top seam? None of the videos or instructions seem to address skinning a boat with this fabric.  I don't know any of the steps. I truly appreciate the help and advice. Thanks. 

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Okay all.  Jeff's replies, though a bit cryptic gave me enough of a clue so that I could get to the point shown in the attached photos.  The seam will run about 3/4 of the way from deck to keel, both front and back.  My plan is to seal the seam with a thin coat of silicone, the roll the thick seam and sew it as in Jeff's instructions.  But I am not sure how to roll around the prow and up to the deck.  This step is entirely absent from the assembly manual.  Just trim excess, and roll it up and over the prow?  Ideas or links to a video showing how others have addressed this would be helpful.   Thank you all so very much for your help.

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I was prepared to argue with you but there seems to be a section missing from the manual. I will have to look and see what happened.

 

You are doing it right, just pull it the tight with the stitches.  And watch the sewing video on my web site, it is aimed at the loose weave but the basics are the same. The finishing method for the seam is shown there.

 

 

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Jeff; Thanks for your help.  I have watched and re-watched the videos. I am confident that I can get the coaming installed.  Here is my question:  For the whip stitch, how would you recommend going from the deck over the prow, and down towards the keel?  Cut the whip stitched fabric long enough to go over the prow, and be folded into roll of trimmed fabric laying down towards the keel?

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Just pulled up an old version of the manual and there was a section on Finishing the Seam. How it got left out of the current version I have no idea!  But writing a book is SOOOO much harder than you would think, I have been amazed at the things that pop up 2-3 year down the road. Thanks for letting me know, I would have never caught that.

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I'm glad to help. Got the coaming on today.  It went on smooth as could be.  All that's left is to trim and the roll the center seam.  Your help has been invaluable. Would you be good enough to forward to me the pages missing from my manual?  Still not sure how I'm going to make the turn off the deck and down the prow. Probably have to wait until I get there. Have to put this project aside for a week or so.  I'm moving.  Just had to get the boat to a point that it was transportable.  So excited to finish and launch that I can hardly stand it. 

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