Sewing Webbing Straps

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AlexL

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Afternoon All

I need to get some webbing straps to hold the liferaft on. I'm tempted to make them up myself as the strenght isn't as critical as the jackstays.
Anyone got any hints about how to make some loops on the end of webbing? I notice my jackstays have a large area of sewing and also appear to have some form of adhesive between the webbing as well.
 
I'm not an expert, its my wife that does all the sewing jobs for the boat but we have some webbing straps, probably smaller than you're thinking of (1" wide) that she made into a carrier for a battery, using a £99 singer sewing machine.
No.1 recommendation is to use the proper thread, we bought a half reel from a sailmaker many years ago and are still using it. Even button thread from a high street sewing shop, which is about the same thickness but much cheaper, is not as good in terms of strength, longevity and UV resistance.
 
For this .... carpet thread or sailmakers twine ..... double over end and form loop ... stitch a line perpendicular at end and also at junction at start of loop. Then inside of that W with another inverted W providing all the cross-stitching necessary. No glues or else required .... just make sure thread is well waxed before use.
 
I have webbing strips between the guard rails and pushpit 2" wide and 1.5m long fitting just where your back would normaly rest against the wire. I purchased the webbing from a seatbelt manufacturer, knowing it would be to a higher standard. Anyway the ends I got sawn up by Lower Quay Chandlery in Fareham and they had off the shelf, welded stainless steel rings, that were sawn into the loops of the webbing. Works a treat and comfortable and very strong.
 
'Twould be easier--and prob'ly stronger too--to use grommets instead of stitching. Grommet tools are inexpensive and readily available from hardware stores and sometimes craft shops.

Make your loop, double the edge under twice so it can't ravel, put a grommet in it. If it works to replace lawn chair webbing, it should work for your application.

Better yet, put in a canvas snap--the kind you have to twist to open, not just pull-apart--instead. You can those from a boat or camper canvas shop...in fact, even have them put 'em in for a very nominal price.

Just an idea...
 
You have to use 'double sided' adhesive tape to hold the webbing together - otherwise it slides all over the place as soon as you start sewing. Get proper Bonded polyester thread, UV stabilised, you can get it from a friendly sailmaker or from Pointnorth. It will be suiatble for a domestic sewing machine as long as you don't get the really heavy thread.
 
why not use bifurcated rivets,should be obtainable from a good ironmongers(if you can find one)they are like normal rivets with a big flat head the round "shaft" is slit up as far as the head,you punch a hole in the material push the rivet in apply the washer supplied, open the slot with a screwdriver then flatten with a hammer they are usually made of copper.
 
Once knew of someone having an old fashioned shoe cobbler stitch their jack stays for pennies. Bearing in mind Timpson shops and the like do a range of repair jobs etc. it might be an idea.
 
Your local sailmaker, or local Custom Cover fabricator will do this stitching using the correct thread on an industrial machine for pennies
 
Me ---- I like the DIY aspect ...

As a cadet stitched up anchor balls etc. on ships ... and developed a liking for sitting in cockpit with pint and palm / needle stitching and doing odd things ... platting ropes, relaying frayed rope ends and the splicing, seizing and whippings .....

For me giving it to a shop spoils half the fun for me ... I get immense satisfaction out of the job myself ...

I have a photo somewhere of me sitting on bow restitching my genny after a blow out .... lasted near a year before I gave it to a sailmaker to repair and renew the ripped UV ...

Just a thought ...
 
I use a webbing strap on a trailer winch to haul up a large punt. I just sealed the end of the webbing with a soldering iron then glued the webbing with epoxy glue. Because there is a lot of strain the area glued is about 4 x 2 inches.
 
Since this is PBO's forum, here's a wee tip which might appeal, in a kind of 'Blue Peter' sense.

Builders' merchants have large bundles of plumbers' copper tube, delivered bound with webbing loops ready for lifting-off by forklift. Like all industrial lifting slings today, these are 'rated' with a label explaining their working/safe load factors.

They are usually thrown away by the BM's ( Jewson, Travis Perkins... ) yardies; a word in a couple of ears could well bring you a small and useful harvest of cheep-cheep, strong, recycled webbing slings - already stitched. You may have to wash them.....
 
Webbing stitched on a domestic sewing machine will be very adequate. The majority of the stitch line should be in the line of the pull as in W shape as described above. Cross the belt stitching creates a line of holes a ptential failure line if it is overdone. A solldering iron is excellent for sealing fraying edges. A ring, shackle or best a triagle shaped ring of S/steel rod is used to make the attachment I imagine a pelican hook type adjustable shackle would do best. Get the heaviest thread you can find and if you use light thread you need to monitor U/V deteriation and chafe. The strength will be adequate but not the life. You can do a few stitches with whipping twine or even bang a few bolts through. regards olewill
 
I agree with all the other posts about using the correct thread. However, no-one has mentioned bar-tacking as the stitch to use. This is the method of making strong joints in webbing in climbing equipment, for example harnesses and slings. It can be done easily on a domestic sewing machine which can do variable stitch length zig-zag.

Set the zig-zag width to maximum. This is usually about 4-5mm. Set stitch length to very small, i.e a about 1 thread width per stitch. Sew away, the bar progressing across the webbing width. What you get is a 'bar' of nearly parallel stitches. Each bar's length is usually just under the webbing width. Repeat more bars parallel to the first every 10mm over a length of 5 to 10 cm.

Professionally done bar-tacking produces a joint with no loss of strength of the webbing it is made it, which is an improvement over tape knots. You won't need this strength, but you can be confident that it won't come undone soon.
 
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