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Messages - Bob T

31
General Discussion / Re: Boat seat materials
October 10, 2013, 08:07:49 am
I'd bet the mesh used in sailing catamarans or even back yard trampolines would make good seating materials.  It's strong, UV resistant, light weight, allows rain to go thru, easily cleaned, breathes and is tough.  Just might work!!
32
I've seen a very similar product on some of the more current Dakine board bags however, I don't think it is the Bruin Energy Shield Dakine is using.   As for board bags, I was never real fond of the plastic liner material Dakine uses so when I made bags for my own use, I lined them with thick black automotive trunk liner carpet.  It provides a nice cushion for the board and it provides a "slippery" surface to slide the board against when putting the board in or taking it out.
33
This place has a great price on the product if you can use the roll size they have: http://www.qualitysurplus.com/100-yards-brun-energy-shield-200-10-oz-silver-54-817200.html

Maybe they can send you a sample?

Bob Thompson
34
General Discussion / Re: Gluing vinyl to vinyl
August 25, 2013, 07:10:31 am
You may get more answers here: http://rhadhesives.com/hh-66-vinyl-cement.html
35
A few years ago, I was looking for the exact same material to make windsurfing board bags.  At the time, Dakine was making board bags with a silver reflective material that had the useful lifespan of a house fly.  Luckily, I did find a fantastic material which far exceeded my expectations.  The material is made by Bruin Plastics and is called Bruin Energy Shield 200.  Items I made 10 years ago still look like they were made yesterday.  Fantastic product!  Can't say enough good about Bruin and Energy Shield 200.
36
I repair windsurfing sails so I'm usually stitching 4 to 10 layers of cloth and film.  Sometimes the thickness of all the materials can by up to 5/16" and will just barely fit under the presser foot.  About 95% of the time I use size 69 thread, and use size 92 for the other 5%.  The Bernina just barely tollerates the size 92 thread.  The cam I have is for the multi-step zigzag often found on the windsurfing sails.  I'm unfamiliar with the delrin cams as the cam on mine is brass.  These cams don't see much stress, so the delrin should work great.  
37
I had a Consew 146RB-2A for about 5 years.  I now have a Bernina 217N with the cam reader and there is no comparison.  The Bernina makes work easy and the Consew makes work hard.  It was almost impossible to keep in correct time.  I would need to time it about once every month.  As for the Bernina, I've never had to time it in 7 years.  When I sold the Consew, I was glad to see it go and I would never buy another one.  The Consew broke needles often and skipped stitches often.  The Bernina has a brilliant design for their hook assembley that guides the needle into the perfect place to make a perfect stitch.  It breaks a needle maybe once a month.  I highly endorse the Groz-Beckert 134 San 6 needles for the 217N and I get mine from Universal Sewing Supply.
38
I went to my Challenge Sailcloth catalog to see if they still carry 10 mil monofilm, which they diid not, however, their catalog did have some very possible materials to fill your need.  For sail makers, there is a product called Flexiclear vinyl in 30 mil and 40 mil thickness.  Then, there is Strataglass which is their "premium flexible vinyl sheet" engineered to resist UV, scratching, and handling.  It has a unique coating which prevents fine line scratches.  Then there is Crystal Clear 20/20 which is Strataglass without the scratch and UV resistant coating.   Then, there is Makrolon Polycarbonate sheets.  Their info says the polycarbonate clear Makrolon has a coating to resist scratching, yellowing, and weakening over years of UV exposure.
39
Oh yes, you can sew thru 10 mil monofilm.  It used to be used in windsurfing sails in locations where there was high concentrations of stress, but in the past 10 years it hasn't seen any usage that I'm aware of.  Monofilm is polyester based.  In UV exposure, it retains it's clear visibility, but it weakens with UV exposure.  I would estimate the useful life of 10 mil monofilm is probably about a year of continuous exposure.   I've not heard of the Marcrilon, but I'm going to find out more about it.  I repair windsurfing sails and have used a bunch of monofilm, mostly 5 mil and 7 mil.  I'm currently out of the 10 mil monofilm.

Check Ocean Clear: http://www.oceanclear.net/products_windows.html
40
Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but windsurfing sails use a hard clear plastic called "monofilm" and it comes in 5 mil, 7 mil, and 10 mil thicknesses.  It comes on rolls 54" wide and if you only want a small amount you probably can get it from a windsurfing sail repair shop or you can order it from Challenge Sailcloth.  It doesn't have anywhere near the lifespan of vinyl, but it is easy to see thru.  The 5 mil is common on light weight windsurfing sails.  7 mil might be a good choice for a vision window.  10 mil tends to be a bit stiff, but a good choice if durability is a priority.  The 5 mil has a useful lifespan of about 6 months in normal tropical UV exposure.
41
General Discussion / Re: 2 machines one table/motor?
February 05, 2013, 09:37:38 pm
I do it all the time with my Bernina 217  and Juki 563. The Bernina foot knee lift is part of the machine, so on the Juki I do the hand lift.  The only difference is there is a V-belt specific to each head.  Works great!
42
General Discussion / Re: Mental Midget Moment
November 16, 2012, 06:30:11 am
Within the last week we had a similar problem.  Turned out the measuring tape was made wrong.  We checked it against a number of other yardsticks, tape measures, etc. and the questionable tape was flat made wrong.  Dang, we've been using it for over 5 years!  Yeah, that explains a lot.  Years ago I had a similar problem with a tri-square that wasn't 90 degrees, more like 89 or 88 degrees.  DANG!
43
General Discussion / Re: Double sided tape
September 09, 2012, 11:57:29 am
I've used a lot of Super Seam Stick double sided tape in my sail repair business, but I've not found anything which will stick really well to Sunbrella or Weathermax, so I'm hoping someone has a good solution.
44
General Discussion / Re: finish for outdoor swing
August 05, 2012, 08:17:49 am
Refinishing an outdoor swing set involves some of the toughest decisions you can have when it comes to finish.  Any "see thru" surface finish like clear epoxy, lacquer, clear urethane, and varnish will eventually fail.  The sun's UV will penetrate the clear finish getting to the wood beneath and start to breakdown the wood which will eventually turn loose of the clear finish causing it to crack and fail just like it did to a wooden sailboat I built out of beautiful African Mahogany  (epoxy with UV blockers added).  

If you decide to go with an oil finish, like boiled linseed oil, you might wind up with stains on your clothes after setting on the oil finish.  Also, most oil finishes have no UV resistance, but they can become unsightly after UV exposure.  Boiled linseed oil (and similar based finishes) tends to turn the wood black as it ages, making your beautiful swing look awful just like it did to my beautiful mahogany front door.

If you go with an opaque finish like urethane, enamel, or latex, you loose the beauty of the wood, but the finish will hold up better.  Be careful with latex as stuff can stick to it, like vinyl cushions etc..  

Be careful with most stain finishes as the finish might come off onto clothes that come into contact with it.

The good news is that cedar is naturally rot resistant.  I've seen cedar fences that have stood for decades.

There are a couple possibilities, you can sand the cedar and just let it weather naturally.  It will likely turn dark grey/black first (might come off on light colored clothes), then turn light grey as UV ages it over the years.  You can skip the dark grey/black stage by applying a wood bleach soon  after sanding.

Sorry, but I don't have any really good recommendations.

45
Here's a different perspective.  Our local hospitals are overwhelmed with indigents that we the tax payers pick up the tab for.  Approx. 80% of the ER people are repeat visitors, over and over and over.  They call 911 to send an ambulance to pick them up to take them to the hospital just to get their pain killer medicine for free, all the time knowing they will never pay the bill.  We the citizens pick up the tab.  The local children's hospital is similar. They have a never turn away a patient policy, so if a Mexican family shows up needing health care, they provide it.  I should say...we, you and I provide it.  About 80% of Driscoll Children's Hospital annual billings is to Medicaid.   Obamacare just makes a few of the deadbeats buy a minimum of insurance.  I think the hospitals are up in arms because the Obamacare is not likely to pay anywhere close to the tabs paid by Medicaid.

If the country is to ever become solvent again, it would have to do so by getting the deadbeats and undeserving off the entitlements free ride.