Sewing webbing ?

[WVMike]

What is the best way to sew webbing? I have seen some nice sewing jobs in this forum for knife and snip holders.

What kind of machine would be best?

thanks in advance :confused:

[PnL]

Industrial machines would be best for webbing as its fairly thick, especially doubled over for a sheath. I've looked at some but their pricey for just hobby work. For regular nylon cordura a home machine should be fine. I've used a Kenmore home machine for cordura using nylon B69 thread with minor modifications. Webbing is much more difficult because the motor isn't strong enough (may burn out) and the needles will break ... trust me, I've gone though a bunch trying to sew webbing with my Kenmore :)

I should point out that this is new to me so perhaps some of this is due to poor technique. HTH

[scuba-punk]

Go find you friednly neighborhood cobbler (shoe guy). They have machines that can sew your arms together (if you're into that), so the heavy webbing is no big deal. Shouldn't cost more than a few bucks for small jobs. Well, around here anyway.

-Frank

[Diver Mike]

Any of the Singer of Pffaf comerical machines will sew webbing.

We use a singer 115 that is 20 years old and it still sews perfectly.

You can buy these machines for around 200-2500 dollars.

Mike...

[k4sdi]

scubapunk-17055 once bubbled...
Go find you friednly neighborhood cobbler (shoe guy). -Frank

Also check with your local Upholstery shop!

Mark

[Bob3]

If you don't want to drop a bundle on a sewing machine but don't want to farm it out to a cobbler or upholstry shop, get yourself a sewing awl (about $12).
see: http://www.paragear.com
Go to "rigging equipment" and then "page 2".
They're also available at some camping or leather work stores.

[jamiei]

can you explain exactly how the auto awl works? Just thinking about the time involved to use it mainly. Say that I'm sewing a 2" strap back onto itself to form a loop... about how long would it take to do it with the awl? One other questions... what's the best thread to use? I'm sure that paragear probably carries that also... thanks for the info

[JeffAustin]

By hand works good, but won't look as good as a dialed in machine stitch, but with black webbing and black thread who will notice?

Dialing in the sewing machine for heavy webbing might take longer than doing it by hand. I have used a heavy duty(not commercial) Singer machine for sewing both flat and tubular webbing. Get the largest needle available for the machine, with a large thread hole. I believe a ball point needle is what worked best for me, it doesn't cut the fabric the way an ordinary needle does. Use thick thread, I think nylon upholstery thread, making sure it has a smooth feel, so it won't jam in the machine. For what you are talking about, a regular stitch will be adequate, but if you want a lot of strength, do a zig zag stitch, but expect to do some practising before you have good results.

You might be surprised at how good a job can be done by hand, with just needle and thread.

[Dr. Jay]

I'd have to concur with Mr. Austin.

If you're just sewing a knife pouch or snips holder, why waste the time trying to find such a machine. The Halcyon webbing is tuff stuff.

I just used a heavy-duty needle and some heavy-duty upholstry thread to sew it. I threaded the needle by hand as far as it would go and used some pliers to drag it through the rest of the way. Makes a nice little project during commercials or something.

[JeffAustin]

A thimble makes the job a lot easier on the fingers; either the classic grandma type or a sailmakers, which straps onto your hand, positioning the "thimble" part in the palm of your hand for more pushing power.

[RichLockyer]

Bob3 once bubbled...
get yourself a sewing awl (about $12).
see: http://www.paragear.com
Go to "rigging equipment" and then "page 2".

OMG.
I bought one of those from Tandy Leather a couple of years ago and never realized that the handle was hollow AND contained a wrench and spare needle.

[RichLockyer]

jamiei once bubbled...
can you explain exactly how the auto awl works? Just thinking about the time involved to use it mainly. Say that I'm sewing a 2" strap back onto itself to form a loop... about how long would it
I plan an evening watching TLC per project, but once you get your rythm down it's not bad. I've done cam-bands and knife sheaths, as well as a pair of Gators that I never finished.

You start by punching through, then pull the thread all the way through so you have nothing but the tool on one side. Now, pull enough thread to cover TWICE the length of the planned stitch... so if you're doing a cam-band where you want to stitch a square plus double crossover on 2" webbing you'll need about 15" of stitching so pull about 30" of thread at this point.
Now, pull back, move forward, punch through again. Draw back slightly... just enough to put some slack in the thread. Take the (32") length of thread and pass it through the slack. Now pull the needle back out and pull tightly on both sides. Repeat about 200 times. :D

When you reach the end, work so that both pieces of thread end up on the hidden side. Tie off with a square knot and carefully burn the cut ends.

It's the kind of job that nobody could pay me to do for them, and I'd be willing to pay a FAIR amount to avoid doing it myself. When I made my cam-bands, I could only find the Dive-Rite and Halcyon bands in the LDS and the cheapest was $30 each.
Two days after I finished mine, I found them at Sport Chalet for $17. Considering that I paid a buck a foot for the webbing and another $5 for the cam, it would have been worth the extra $10 to avoid the stitching AND have the velcro on the bands... I used innertube... adding Velcro would have brought my material cost close to $15 and added another evening of sewing.

Some things are worth DIY, some aren't :)

[jamiei]

divers direct has cam bands for $14.95... I was gonna make them myself but couldn't do it for any cheaper than that...

[ScoobyDave]

I've seen a number of Army/Navy surplus stores that make custom belt bags, etc, and have the sewing gear to do just about anything needed.

[ba_hiker]

I have an older Viking machine that my sister got for me. It was sold to schools extensivly and is pretty simple. It does zig-zag and button holes. It has a low-speed/heavy-duty mode that i have used to sew through 4 layers of webbing to make stuff for a kayak i built.
using ball-point needles and low speed it was teriffic. I would zig-zag back and forth accross the webbing several times making tackings. have also added pockets to dive bags (heavy cordura), repaired a thin wet suit, and modified my nylon/foam regulator bag.

[deadend]

The sewing awl with a little practice can be pretty fast. I've sewn hundreds of pieces of rockclimbing, treeclimbing, and dive gear. If sewing multiple layers together it helps to clamp them in a vise while sewing. It keeps the layers aligned and also helps keep the rows straight. A regular office stapler works good also to keep it together temporarily. Each stitch will be as strong as the lb. test of the thread. Multiply # of stitches to = strength desired. I've had some of my life support gear tested and the sewn areas would still be ok after the rest of the material broke. Also, when sewing, every few stitches give an extra turn through the loop with the free end to keep the stitches tight while you work.

Good luck!

[crestgel]

what kinda of thread are you guys using? Where can I buy it.

[JeffG]

what kinda of thread are you guys using? Where can I buy it.
Get upholstery thread at any store that sells sewing stuff. (stay away from cotton thread)

[pipedope]

Another good source of supplies and information is;
http://www.sailrite.com/

For doing lots of these sewing jobs I use an old sewing machine I got out of the trash. The old, all metal, straight stitch and zig-zag machines are fairly strong and will handle lots of this kind of thing very well. The work even better if you gear down the motor to increase torque and reduce speed. A heavier flywheel also helps a lot.
The last thing is a heavier hold down spring. You don't want the material to pull up as the needle is moving up.

[Rick Inman]

Your local saddle and tack shop will have industrial sewing machines that do a perfect job on the thick webbing. The guys at my local shop do it for me for free, just 'cause they think it's cool that I'm a diver. It takes me 20 mins. 5 mins for them to sew it and 15 mins of talkin'.

[Hoosier]

Not bad... only 20min.

I got an idea about Sewing Awl here and bought Awl, thread, and webbing. It was a kind of mess when I did the first. But, after getting used to do, it is a piece of cake, just time consuming. I am impressed that my hand sewing work appears to be much rigid than the sewing machine job. Hence, whenever I need, I can make Jon line, Crotch strap, Stage strap, etc......

One hint: You had better buy more solid extra needles. The stock needle is so week. Guess what, I broke mine already after the second shot.

[ScottZeagle]

what kinda of thread are you guys using? Where can I buy it.

Tex-70 #69 bonded thread will work well for almost anything you would need to sew.

Scott

[pipedope]

I usually use #69 thread in my machine. If I need something heavier I hand stich with a "Handy Sticher" sewing awl or hand sew with a sailmakers needle and palm.

Sometimes I use a soldering iron to melt a hole in the webbing and use a bolt and nut. Lots of ways to connect things together. :D

[liberato]

Also, regular household sewing machines can often be used for more heavy duty purposes if you crank the flywheel by hand instead of using the electric motor. But I am a fan of the auto awl for quick jobs.

[IlikeItwetPls]

Several years ago while looking for a machine to sew backbacking and climbing gear, I found out most thick material is sewn with a machine called a 'walking foot' machine.

At the time, a used 'Singer' walking foot sold for about 500.00.

[scubacurt]

I have made parachutes, rock climbing harness' and knife sheaths with a simple home sewing machine, the kind that you can get from walmart for $100.00 bucks. First thing is, use a strong needle, use a denim or upholstery needle with a nice big thread groove. Next use the right kind of thread. For that type of sewing a nice type"e" thread will last forever. In a pinch many times I have used upholstery thread. All of these things can be bought from your local sewing center. When things get tight while sewing slow way down and crawl forward by hand. When sewing nylon webbing the needle will easily warp finding its way through the weave, the needle will then strike the throat plate and break. By going slow you can save your needles. Sewing through something similar to seatbelt webbing is no problem with the right technique. Good luck and feel free to email me if you need any advice
-curt-
www.scubacurt.com

[Mitchell]

I have a Singer 111 built in 1945. Still runs like the day it was built. Motor is new. The walking needle is more important than a walking foot as the needle will pull the material through just fine. I tested some nylon last night to see how strong it was so I took 20 lbs of lead and made a single pass with the thread to hold it up. Can't believe how strong it is. I also have a polyester thread that is bonded with UV resistant stuff. Extremely strong. If you can get a machine with a walking needle and walking foot then you've hit the jackpot. Where are you located I something pretty quick if you need it.

[willydiver]

It's a China boat special, but Harbor Freight has a heavy duty sewing maching for $250. Somebody buy one and tell us how well it works! The link is: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3914

WD