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Hi James, @jameslthomson,
Sorry for the delayed response – I didn’t have internet access for a couple days.
Don’t worry – a 1 cm misalignment at the ends of a seam isn’t a big deal, and it’s not worth trying to re-seal the seam. At worst, you might have a small wrinkle near that corner.
You can either leave it the way it is or trim the protruding piece flush with the shorter one. Depending on which pieces they are, you may find that that corner doesn’t end up exactly where it should on the floor, but that’s okay – just position it as close as possible.
Does that make sense?
I don’t have a sewing machine, so I’m inclined to try Bruce’s tie-downs – I saw your test video @brucecampbell and the strength vs. weight is very impressive! Thanks for posting. (I’m in the middle of moving house, so haven’t posted your report yet.)
Don’t tell anyone, but double coated 420D and 1000D fabrics will be added to the shop later this Spring 😉
Hi Jeremy, @akjw7
In general, a good place to start is in piece #5 (either Left or Right) near the seam with piece #4 and on the down-slope on the outside of the tube. If you’re measuring during construction, that’s about 38 cm (15″) up from the corner between pieces 4 and 5 on the outside of the tube, and about 7 cm (2.75″) away from the seam.
I recommend using the same installation method as for the Boston valve (detailed here), where the valve flange is sandwiched with glue between two layers of fabric that are heat-sealed together.
If you wait to install the top-up valve until after your packraft is otherwise finished you will be able to paddle it first and practice twisting your body around to make sure that that location will work for you. People have different body sizes and degrees of flexibility, so the ideal placement may not be the same for everyone. If you find it too awkward to twist your body around to reach that spot, an alternative placement might be on the inside of the cockpit near where your face ends up when you bend forward (i.e. close to your knee, but not where it will rub).
If you like, you can use field repair tape or something similar to hold the valve in place while you experiment with different locations on the water.
Wherever you put it, remember to make sure your arm/elbow won’t hit the valve while you’re paddling!
Beautiful work, @tyler!
Some people have been having issues with their Clover Mini Iron II not getting hot enough (especially the 240V version sold outside North America). If you’re in this situation you could try wrapping the heating element and/or shaft with aluminum foil to insulate it so more heat is conducted through the shaft to the foot. Most of the iron’s heat is lost to the air, so by insulating the shaft, more heat will be conducted to the foot.
Note that doing this could overheat the iron and damage the its circuitry or even start a fire! If you try this, you do so at your own risk! Never leave an iron unattended when it is switched on!
Excellent work, Lyn! Did the bolt and nut come with the roller, or did you have to replace them to accommodate the thickness of the guides?
After counting the votes and examining the spread in tastes, I chose 3435 because, of the dark greens, it was the most balanced along the yellow-blue spectrum. (If you haven’t calibrated your monitor, it may look different for you.) It will arrive in April.
Thanks to everyone who voted!
For a permanent fix, I recommend Seam Grip – I cannot guarantee that the tape will provide a perfectly airtight seal on the non-TPU side of the fabric, especially if it is applied across a seam.
Andreas made this yellow packraft from DIY Packraft plans and 210D fabric from ExtrimTextil in Germany. He said working with the fabric was “really hard but it’s possible. The next I will build with your 40den. It’s a great difference in quality.”
Great work, Andreas!
Thanks, @lynsg – this is great news! I will give it a try myself. Until now I’ve assumed that it would be too difficult to manage three pieces of fabric, an air gun, and a roller all at once. Are you heating between the layers and then setting the air gun aside and picking up the roller to roll the seam?
Hi @hiroshi – well done! It looks good, but still a bit soft.
Another method of finding leaks is to put some air into the packraft and submerge it in a bathtub or lake and then squeeze it – air bubbles will escape anywhere there is a leak.
If you are experiencing lots of leaks from incompletely sealed seams (not punctures), it might be a good idea to go over the seams again with your iron to make sure they are fully sealed. You can insert some folded paper or cardboard through the Boston valve and position it under the seam you are working on so the heat doesn’t transfer through to the fabric on the other side of the tube.
Sometimes pressing with the sharp edge of your iron along the seam (instead of the flat part) works well because it only heats a narrow strip of TPU, so you can reseal the area without risk of the seam completely separating (as it might if the entire width of the seam is reheated).
If after going over the seams you still have a few leaks, then try listening for air or try using soap and water.
You may need to apply Seam Grip or Aquaseal in some areas if it’s too late to access them with the iron. Adhesives are best applied to the inside of the packraft, but if you can’t access the area through the valve (or an airtight zipper), then you can apply them to the outside.
