Sewing Canvas Brisbane

[discotek]

Hi All

I bought an el-cheapo chinese rooftop tent from ebay.

The tent is great, but the zip on cover is stuffed after 6 months.

Thought I might have a crack at wipping up a new one.

If I pick the old one to bits, a pattern should emerge. The zip is reusable.

Any tips on where I can get hold of (rent, lend, buy) an industrial sewing machine in and around Bris-vegas. :cool:

Still investigating the grade of canvas to use. Need to be obviously waterproof, as the rig sits on trailer out in the street.

[Blknight.aus]

If your only going to do the one zip goto a chandlers (boat shop) and get a sail stiching kit, basically an overgrown needle + thread set with a bobbin and a palm protector. it might take you a couple of hours but its easier than trying to set it up on an industrial sewing machine for a one off. It also gives you the ability to sew a canvas on the side of the road if you need to.

[discotek]

Thanks for the tip Dave.

In this case, I do need to reproduce the whole tent cover, which is ripped in two places around the folded ladder on top. I plan to re-use the original zip however.

If you leave your sleeping bags etc in the roof top tent, it puts pressure on the tent cover. So I plan to make it oversized.

I will shop this job around at a couple of canvas trimmers first. But it could be a good skill to develop. I noticed that a single piece of zip on tarp (with 3 standard poles and ropes) from one roof top manufacture, was an extra $650. And 3 zip in sides under the roof top tent were an extra $1000.

[tony]

Get youself a cheap industrial mechine, and go for it I picked up a old brother DB2 for 100 bucks, so far I'v made canvas seat covers for the rangie, sound proof cover for the seat box on a SIII, re trimed a sports seat for the III, and numerious bags and straps great fun

T

[Reads90]

I have a Reads Sailmaker sewing machine . Designed for sewing though 5 sheets of sail cloth at once. will do what you want easy .
But nothing personal but not letting it out of my site as worth over $1000. and very hard to get hold of as used on the Volvo round the world challenge and the BT challenge :)

So you will have to come round my place and we can do it . Will take 5 mins

[Blknight.aus]

IMHO the smart thing to do here would be to put what you plan to put in when you fold it up, fold it up then sew in expansion sections where its ripped, a simple double overlap with a cross stitch using a waxed string then rubbed down with a soft candle should do you nicely.

[discotek]

Some good tips there. Thanks Fellas.

I think I'll shop around for a secondhand machine, so I can set it up downstairs and burn the midnight oil.