Kudzu Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 I am reskinning my Sling Shot with the new 11.5 oz fabric this week and replacing the stern with the new design while it is apart. This morning when I started I decided to check the weight and then when it is reskinned to see how much difference the new skin made. While I was at it I weight it's components as I stripped it. This is a 'wet' frame that has been used recently. Boat weighted - 33.5 lbs before I did anything.Rigging - 5 lbs That includes seat, 2 hatches, back band, all deck lines, painters, bungee's etc.Painted skin - 3 lb (+/-) It was very hard to weigh accurately! Frame should weigh 25-26 lbs. I didn't weigh it but that includes footrest. Rigging and skin surprised me. I expected more weight in the skin and less in hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JReed Posted June 28, 2013 Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 Interesting. Wonder how much of a difference the the 11.5 skin will make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted June 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 We should know in a couple of days. I had to paint some parts yesterday that I had not thought of. So this morning I expect to start skinning. 'Should' finish that tomorrow and start painting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted June 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2013 This is taking longer than expected... but that is almost always the case. So far I am very impressed with this fabric. It is a very tight weave so it is a little hard to sew. I decided to do the double rowed stitch (I don't know if it has a name) so it is a slow process. Sewing through 4 layers of thick tight weave fabric, my fingers are sore! I have played with the method changing it a little to speed up the process. It wouldn't take nearly as long with a lighter fabric. Sore fingers aside, this is the tightest skin I have ever put on and I have not started to shrink it yet. The skin is being pulled tight on the boat with the stitching. with the boat half done, it is all ready drum tight. I figure all the shrinking will do it remove the small wrinkles I have. I can't see it pulling any tighter than it is. It's more work but I think this is the way to do a skin. No chance of it stretching out after you shrink it. Plus I like the look of the seam better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bcone1381 Posted June 30, 2013 Report Share Posted June 30, 2013 Jeff, do you think your 11oz. Fabric will tighten after heating it with an iron like the fabric in my test? It was heated with an Iron to 220 degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted June 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2013 The last step or finishing step on the fabric is calendering. As I understand it, the fabric is pressed between two hot rollers and compressed. So I imagine that shrinks it good bit as well as compresses it. So I am going to say it pretty much pre-shrunk. I have played with some scraps on the bench and it shrinks with an iron or my cheap heat gun. Not nearly as much as the either of the 8 oz. polyesters though. I will know more once I get this boat finished and ironed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted July 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 Frame with footrests weighted 26 lbs. Now with 11.5 oz skin in place 30 lbs. with no paint. Looks like finished weight will be around 35-36 lbs. or about 2-3 lbs heavier with makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Mellema Posted July 3, 2013 Report Share Posted July 3, 2013 That is not bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JReed Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Not bad at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted July 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 OK, finished and ready to head to the water. Weighted 35 lbs. minus the seat. I used it in another boat so it was AWOL at the weight in. But at most it would add 1/2 lb. If we assume 35.5 lbs that means the fabric added 2 lbs over the old 8 oz that was on it. I am impressed with the new fabric. It's harder on the fingers and since it has very little stretch, it requires a little more care to sew on but I still wouldn't call it a difficult to work with fabric. It shrinks some but not as much as either of the 8 oz fabrics. As for durability only time will tell. Photos were taken in my over stuffed shop. I will be glad when I have the Chris Craft finished and can get my floor space back! No life lines yet. I like the look without them, but they make grabbing the boat so much easier I will probably add them latter on. I have become a big fan of toggles. You can put one end of you paddle under these, spread them out locking the paddle to the deck. With the other end in the water it adds considerable stability for reentry in deep water. Recessed front hatch. Cockpit minus the seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayak278 Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Looks great! I love the matching deck lines and coaming! I'm really curious about how you stitched this one up and tried to figure it out by looking at your pictures... Could you do a short write up on how you did the sewing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted July 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2013 I filmed this and will be putting up a video .... well, sometime. Getting ready for the class I am teaching but will try to work on that at night. I really like this stitch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Treichel Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 I'm back in business, following some carpel tunnel and elbow surgury, and finishing the Poca Barta frame at my home in Anacortes, WA. Just about ready to start the skinning, and will follow up with photos and writeup when finished. Question: I am afraid my coming ring is a little too stout and will resist bending. I am considering planing it down a bit. Just wondering how easy yours was to bend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 Question: I am afraid my coming ring is a little too stout and will resist bending. I am considering planing it down a bit. Just wondering how easy yours was to bend. Mine doesn't bend much if at all, not sure why it would be better if it did. I don't think it hurts if it bends some, but can't see why it would be beneficial. How would you plane it down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Treichel Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 I was looking at Jeff's boat and noticed a significant "bending" which, I presume, is to assist in the tensioning of the fabric when he removes the clamps that probably held the sides of the coming even further downward. By planing a little off the top and bottom of the coming it would be easier to bend, or I could just plane off a little of the bottom atl the front and back to make it a little easier to bend. I am not sure of what is an appropriate amount of bending or how important it is to tension the fabric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted July 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 The bending of mine has a lot to do with my wood choices, or lack of in this case. Your right that the bend does help tension the skin. If you can bend it some and pull the fabric tight when you sew it that should work. My Orange one really needed a new coaming I came to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Treichel Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 I think I will be able to bend it down about 1/2" per side. Hope that will be enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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