'Pushing' Zipper Flaps

[fragged8]

hiya

It's one of those things you'd like to see in action , I can see Peppy's point
because the seam is not crammed behind the Bow lifting the material away
from the bow making the pocket too tight and sucking the top down in front
of the bow, ( mine often do that )

but you could allow for that by easing the pocket before sewing it down.

And i can also see June's point, the zipper getting nipped between the rain flap
and the bow. But i guess you could just sew the zipper onto the rain flap
a little lower ?

Rich

[Peppy]

but you could allow for that by easing the pocket before sewing it down.

Thats exactly what I'm talking about. The gauge lets you draw a line on the pattern exactly where the seam will end up after the zipper flap/pole pocket gets pushed/eased. The tops get fabricated so that they end up looking exactly like the patterns.

[Mike8560]

I had a diagram  made how Imari for this but lost it on photobucket.
Like you say if you lay the pocket flat on the top the seam willbe 1/2 way down the frame tubing.
I mark my seam where the planes of fabric intersect. If you were to lat a ruler on your 2 Bimini frames and then lay a ruler from the windshield of the boat to the front Bimini frame the seam should be where theese two rulers intersect.  Most times at about a 45 degree angle then don't sew the pocket on tight and flat you must leave room for the frame inside the pocket  





Eric- How do you pattern everything behind the rain flap? After the front section is made and installed? All at once?

In my picture the reason I've patterned the rain flap is because I'm going to pattern the enclosure from it later. Usually the rainflap pattern would be part of the backcurtain pattern and attached to the main top. Made like one big paper bag, so to speak. I wonder if it makes this problem unique to me?
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[Peppy]

I'm not sure anybody wants to know, but here it is anyway. How to make the gauge-

This is a scrap of 1/8" HDPE high density poly-ethylene it's what they make yougurt containers out of, it takes a staple awesome and is easy to cut. We also have 1/16" that I make all my permanent patterns out of.
(sorry it's so faint you should be able to see when it blows up?)


So- I use a fostner bit the same size as the tubing and cut half way into the plastic making 2 holes. I join the 2 centers with a line. This line is 0" push, or laid flat.


Then I take a cloth tape and wrap it around the tube and hold it in the half drilled hole. Keeping the inch mark on the ruler lined up to the 0" push line. Then I mark 1/4" increments. I guess you could mark 1/8" or for that matter 1/64" but a 1/4" seems enough.


then join the tops of the 2 circles with a line and cut it out like shown. The lower part of the plastic is scrap or can be used to make a second gauge. I mounted mine on a ruler so I don't lose it. And I cut the lines out with a hacksaw so I can see the push lines on both sides of the gauge.

Ta-da! There is a push gauge! I encourage you guys to give it a go on a future boat top. The fit noticeably improves. And there's nothing to lose. You've pushed the flap into the bar 1/4" or a 1/2" if it doesn't work or you don't like it you can trim that 1/4" or 1/2" off at the zipper (so long as you do zipper flaps/pole pockets that is)

[Peppy]

Right on Grebo! Don't let fear or common sense hold you back! Let me know what happens, I'm ever so curious!

[Eric]

Here is a picture of rain flap part of the top. Also note the nice copper tube frame.

[JuneC]

ROTFLOL!!!   ;D

June

[Peppy]

Just to finish this thought- here are pictures of a 3/4" pushed flap/pocket



See the seam is coming from the top of the bar and not the middle, like if a flap is laid flat. Letting the rain flap fall like it does in the pattern. Or well, in my patterns anyway. Maybe this is no good to you Dot-eronians.

[Mike8560]

being a dotter i still dont mark my patterns for the seam to be on the back edge of the frame. the seam goese where the two planes of fabric meet. with a top and angled aft curtian its not on top but like a 45º on the frame. what ever angle the curtian or window comes off the top. then allowing for room for the frame inside the pocket dosent pull the seam down to the center back edge of the frame.

[Peppy]

Right on Mike. But how do you know how much to allow for the frame? Do yo allow more when it's going to a camperback than if it's a back curtain? What about a drop curtain? My problem was I drew the line in the same place your talking about, at the intersection, but then when sewn not enough was allowed (pushed) to make the finished top lay where I drew my line. I didn't have a reliable way to locate that seam from pattern to canvas.   

[Mike8560]

Right on Mike. But how do you know how much to allow for the frame? Do yo allow more when it's going to a camperback than if it's a back curtain? What about a drop curtain? My problem was I drew the line in the same place your talking about, at the intersection, but then when sewn not enough was allowed (pushed) to make the finished top lay where I drew my line. I didn't have a reliable way to locate that seam from pattern to canvas.   

if its a camperback then yes different then a aft curtian. its where ever the two plane intersect on the bow. and as far as how much room to leave for me its just something I know after patterning and sewing tops for 20 years.

[Mike8560]

on the subject of the dip infront of the frame rich. I dont see how anything can stop this as you still have the same about of fabric wrapping around the tube even if the seam is higher on it, so the fabric still pull evenly and dips. now if you dont have a pocket and use  a flap and snaps on the frame instead then it would pull straight off the top of the frame. but thats a llot of drilling in stainless and dull bits. ???

[fragged8]

hiya

Y i see what you mean Mike, I've messed up a bimini last week and had to re-make it.

I tried to mark the pattern at the fabric intersect but it didn't work ? the bimini ended up looking awful
and way too tight at the outer edges.

What i ended up doing is patterning onto a blanket and marking at the rear of the bows and applying roll out
which i didn't use as i don't think it will work with frames I haven't bent, ( the curve is wrong )
but the bimini can out ok,
I'm beating myself up because it isn't perfect but i hardly ever make them

to make my rain flaps fit at different angles I cut them from the same piece of fabric  as the bow pocket
and remove different size segments depending on the angle of flap required.

what messes me up is making a straight flap for a camper to come off the back? they still seem a little tight at the corners.

would easing the bow pocket more than the 1/2" I normally use help or would it just mess up the pocket all together ?

Rich