Activity

I dialled the temp up to 235c last night and overall it seemed to work a bit better for the 1000D.

My temperature sensor 5+ cm’s back from the sealing area and it is held in place with some heat resistant cotton wrapped around the copper tube. So I’m thinking as its basically an insulator that its probably reading much higher than at the actual…[Read more]

Hi I’m Filippo , Monoferrara ,from Italy  i’m like ride in gravel bike and unicycle ,my next proget is a trip in unipackraft .I’m like outdoor ,survivor and build whit my hand.

My soldering iron homemade.

philips 25w

test heat sealing ripstop 40D and  nylon 201D.

Oh, and the fabric melts at around 240 C, but you shouldn’t need to get anywhere close to that hot. Your DIY iron sounds cool! If you’re finding it takes too long to seal the wider welds, it might be worth adding an inexpensive model airplane sealing iron to your quiver – the large foot makes quick work of the tube-to-floor welds.

Hi Aaron – is that 215 degrees C or F? Assuming it’s Celsius, that should be plenty hot – maybe too hot, by the sounds of it. Maybe try around 200 C. You should be able to heat a small area, remove the iron, press on it with a rag for a few seconds to allow the weld to set, and then it should stay like that. You may see an occasional small bubble,…[Read more]

Hi,

I have a question regarding heat sealing the tubes to the 1000D fabric.

I’ve notice that air bubbles like to form after I’ve sealed the fabric and left it to cool – 10+ minutes afterwards. So I’ve been placing a piece of timber with some weights and leaving it.

This seems to minimise the bubble formation. Then I heat / repeat over and…[Read more]

Hi Lyn,

The manufacturer doesn’t indicate a pressure rating so I can’t guarantee anything, but I’ve tested them up to about 5 psi (350 hPa) myself and they showed no signs of stress.

For reference, a 170 lb (77 kg) weight distributed over an area of 12 x 18″ (30 x 45 cm) on an inflatable seat exerts about 0.8 psi (55 hPa) – quite a large safety factor.

Just received some of these new red inflation and deflation valves, and I’m curious as to how well the deflation valves hold. I originally got these for dump valves on the reserve air bags in the tubes, but am thinking now of adding them to the main seats in the rafts and my new sleeping mat (rather than just holding the inflation valve open). On…[Read more]

Great idea, Bruce! It looks durable and very easy to pack. Using a wooden form to seal the circular ends is a great idea, too – it’s a useful tip for anyone who wants to create round drybags of any type. Thanks for posting!

Hi!

Currently working my first V2 raft.

Hello,

Eagerly awaiting a delivery, and if anyone has a good suggestion of a good heat sealing iron (EU plug) I’m all ears.