CodStewart
Well-Known Member
Does anybody know of any free downloads?
Free or Cheap Sail Cover Making Instructions?
- Thread starter CodStewart
- Start date
daveyw
Well-Known Member
Hiya Maria, good to see you again. Looking forward to reading your new blog. This site has some info but the relevant bit isn't free! http://www.sailrite.com/Measure-Sail-Cover or try this one http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...K#v=onepage&q=how to make sail covers&f=false
forethought
Member
Its a rectangle of canvas as long as the sail on the boom plus a bit and as wide as the circumference of the fattest part of the sail flaked on the boom and the boom.
On my version I used heavy nylon covered in breathable polyester. I tensioned it along the boom with a piece of webbing tape tied to the mast (I sewed a second length at the mast end to allow the ends to tie round the mast easier ) and tied to the topping lift eye at the other end, pulled tight and sewed to the centreline of the cover. On the edge, I put plastic hooks and then used a single piece of shock cord to tension the cover by zig-zagging it between the hooks and over the top of the sail. Always confused the crew but it held up to gales.
Yes there are pretty tapered covers but mine lasted about 5 years before the outer polyester went and I had to replace it - the webbing tape along the middle stops it splitting when you pull it tight along the boom.
Need to remember to sew over the edges so they do not fray.
An older sewing machine equipped with ball point needles suitable for denim can cope but the tension adjustments need a lot of playing with . Also new machines may not work because they are not run-in and tend to jam, or they are too lightly built. We use a Singer from the 1960's and a John Lewis Jonelle machine from the 1990's for home made covers.
On my version I used heavy nylon covered in breathable polyester. I tensioned it along the boom with a piece of webbing tape tied to the mast (I sewed a second length at the mast end to allow the ends to tie round the mast easier ) and tied to the topping lift eye at the other end, pulled tight and sewed to the centreline of the cover. On the edge, I put plastic hooks and then used a single piece of shock cord to tension the cover by zig-zagging it between the hooks and over the top of the sail. Always confused the crew but it held up to gales.
Yes there are pretty tapered covers but mine lasted about 5 years before the outer polyester went and I had to replace it - the webbing tape along the middle stops it splitting when you pull it tight along the boom.
Need to remember to sew over the edges so they do not fray.
An older sewing machine equipped with ball point needles suitable for denim can cope but the tension adjustments need a lot of playing with . Also new machines may not work because they are not run-in and tend to jam, or they are too lightly built. We use a Singer from the 1960's and a John Lewis Jonelle machine from the 1990's for home made covers.
fishermantwo
Well-Known Member
Sailrite is a particularly good site for info. I subscribe to their newsletter and they send these out about every 3 months. I think it may have been the last one where they had the video for free on how to make sailcovers. Otherwise have a look at Utube everything seems possible there.
CodStewart
Well-Known Member
Thanks everybody. I bought a $5 download from Sailrite.
fishermantwo
Well-Known Member
Correct bobbin tension is critical. Top tension not so much but easily adjusted. Check out U-Tube for videos showing how to correctly set bobbin tension for your machine. Silicon spray to lubricate the machine makes a difference as well. Denim needles will do the job but the correct needles to suit the thread size and material will transform your job.
