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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 3 years, 4 months ago
New Heat Sealing Video
As part of my effort to continuously improve the DIY Packraft instructions, I’ve made a new, more comprehensive video about heat sealing. It’s […] -
Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
Hi Christian, I sympathize with that fear! It took me some time before I felt comfortable paddling in the Ultralight packrafts. The newer Ultralight fabric is very similar to the older fabric – to achieve the packraft’s very light weight we must use a very lightweight fabric or reduce the size and capabilities of the boat.
As a confidence…[Read more]
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Christian001 replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
And yes, show us more of your skeg. Especially, how you attached it to your raft.
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Christian001 replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
Would love to hear your experience with the durability of that UL packraft. I have one as well, and am always a little bit in fear, that it could rip apart at some small stone/rock beneath the water surface.
My UL packraft is built with the older UL fabric. I don’t know, if the newer fabric is more durable or if there is any difference. Maybe…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Inflation air 'multiplier' in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
It’s great to know that if I lose my primary inflation method then I can use a pen or a bit of tubing to inflate my packraft relatively quickly to get home!
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
I don’t think my previous response got posted… I wrote something like:
Great work! Thanks for posting the photos and your thoughts.
I’d be really interested in reading more about your experience with the Ulralight. I haven’t received much feedback about that model, and if I can post it as a Customer Build Report (under the Gallery menu) then I…[Read more]
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DancingDragons replied to the topic DIY Packraft Photos in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
I plan to give a more detailed writeup about my experience with the Ultralight, encompassing everything from building to modding to hiking to paddling. For now, though, enjoy this crunchy picture as well as this imgur album for some highlights of my time with my new getaway
carboat!I was introduced to packrafts when looking for an…[Read more]
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Alpo replied to the topic Inflation air 'multiplier' in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
“I wonder if aiming a drinking straw at the valve opening and blowing through it would also work.”
It does. I started with various everyday objects. Ballpoint pen barrel was quite ok. The structure above just helps to aim in the middle.
Forgot about the 3D-model: you need to drill the nozzle open to 3-4mm (1/8 – 1/6″). Print has a rough…[Read more]
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Matt (Admin) replied to the topic Inflation air 'multiplier' in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
That is fascinating! I have seen this phenomenon used before, but I never considered this size/application. Very cool! I wonder if aiming a drinking straw at the valve opening and blowing through it would also work.
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snohopackraft became a registered member 3 years, 4 months ago
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riverbuob became a registered member 3 years, 4 months ago
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Alpo replied to the topic Inflation air 'multiplier' in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
STL-files of the nozzles if someone is interested in printing:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JENGRPHTo1_nk3GdEx0I47fs0Hq4R9VT/view?usp=drive_linkThe rods connecting the two nozzle parts are cut from the most common 2mm (14 gauge) bicycle spoke. And superglued into the holes of the 3D model
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Alpo started the topic Inflation air 'multiplier' in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 4 months ago
Had too much time probably, and I wanted to experiment with phenomenon where higher velocity narrow air stream sucks more ambient air into the stream. Like in e.g. nemo Vortex inflation bags. 3D printed few nozzles:
and experimented with inflating a raft (MRS Microraft) with lungs & inflation bag. High velocity stream comes from the small n…[Read more] -
mlkauppi became a registered member 3 years, 5 months ago
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chanchito17 replied to the topic zipper TPU welding in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 5 months ago
From what I can tell the seat cushion is TPU material.
This method only works if the material is TPU. If not, it won’t work, and you’ll have made an expensive error. Do your homework to find out what the material is, surely the manufacture will have more info for you.
If it is in fact TPU, just heat weld a zipper with the leather iron, same…[Read more]
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bobcieri became a registered member 3 years, 5 months ago
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aaronrbeck started the topic zipper TPU welding in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 5 months ago
I fly paragliders. My paragliding harness has an inflatable seat cushion.
It would be brilliant if I could add a TPU pack raft style zipper to the inflatable cushion so that I could store a tent, etc., inside the seat cushion then inflate, in the same way that gear is stored inside an inflated pack raft.
From what I can tell the seat cushion…[Read more]
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BobDep replied to the topic Heat Iron Exploded! (Anyone has one in Germany?) in the forum DIY Packrafts 3 years, 5 months ago
Ohh boy .. this exact thing just happened to me also …. Loud pop and the light went out on the iron .
Now the iron will get hot just not hot enough to weld a seam . Just started baffle C so I’d only used it for about an hour .
mom wondering if there’s an easy fix these you found Tuk ? -
aaronrbeck became a registered member 3 years, 5 months ago
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Matt (Admin) wrote a new post 3 years, 5 months ago
New Type of Airtight Zipper
I have just received a new shipment of airtight/waterproof zippers from TIZIP, and this time I ordered some MasterSeal 10 zippers in addition to the […]-
Do you have any instructions for using the Masterseal instead of the Superseal. I have two Masterseals lying around from another project. I don’t need one of them and would like to use it for my Telkwa, maybe as seen in a customer build in the center of the rear seam.
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I haven’t made specific instructions yet, but you can either install it the same way as a SuperSeal or you can iron it directly to the tube fabric from the “inside” side of the tube. You will be on your own if you want to install it in a seam, at least for the time being, as I haven’t done that yet myself.
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Sorry, I don’t know anything about that. Maybe ask Kipara?
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These zippers cannot be shortened like a regular zipper, they have to be ordered in the desired length from the factory.
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This is great. I could see these zippers being very nice for bow bags and ultralight builds. I was hoping Matt could offer a few master seals in a couple of different lengths.
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Hi Stephen, thanks for reminding me about this. I initially thought I would do a bow bag kit, but then I realized I couldn’t offer one at a reasonable price compared to what was already available elsewhere, but your comment made me go and take another look around and it looks like things have changed (in other words, everything is expensive now!). I’m currently in the middle of prototyping a new packraft model, but when that’s done I’ll take a closer look at the bow bag. The zipper is the really expensive part, but it looks like most other bow bags don’t use a waterproof/airtight zipper, so that would be an advantage. My plan is to make it like a pierogi, with a rounded piece of fabric folded in half, with a zipper mounted near the fold and some attachment points added around the edge. The edge would be closed with a seam strip, much like my drybag kits. If you want to try making one in the meantime, I could put together a basic kit for you – there wouldn’t be an instructional video, though, so you’d have to watch the others that are posted and do some figuring for yourself. Send me an email if that’s something you’re interested in. Cheers!
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Hi Sam, I’m not opposed to the idea, but I’ve never used canoe float bags and couldn’t tell a good one from a bad one, so someone would have to send me a pattern. Cheers!
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Great Video. I’m just about to start assembling my second packraft and I know my sealing technique needs improvements. After using he first packraft a few times I found the edge of the seams would develop little bubbles of delamination between the TPU layers which I spot hit with the iron. I think not having to move the iron back and forth along the seams during the sealing will help me get a better initial weld.