Bimini (crappy corners)

[Mike]

That's a big job RAF!

[Peppy]

   Perhaps I could take this one back to the 'shop , set it up on the floor
   and make a quick half pattern !
 

That's what I'd do, but I'd make a 2:1 scale model to make the pattern on. That way there'd be room to maneuver. Or use your dress maker pins and tailor the canvas on the boat. Either way be sure to bite your tongue real hard. Thats the real secret.

[Peppy]

Saw a boat top that reminded me of this thread today. One we lost to the competition. It looked pretty good but...

[Mike]

Looksike it puddle water and streached it pep.
I sonder if it wasnt tight enough or not enough crown

[JuneC]

Looks like it wasn't tensioned right or the snaps were installed wrong.  Can't imagine how that would happen since the side toward the camera appears to be nicely tight.  Oh well, you get what you pay for, eh?  Caveat emptor....

June

[Mike]

June back in the. 90s the. Anvas would just snap to the arch and it would be easy to just oull it tighter snapping. Ut ill bet that boat like a searay had a p c track and kedar along with the canvas snapping to the arch  so they pronly couldnt pull it tighter then the kedar and loose it luddled and streached. 

[Peppy]

No, this was a pushing mistake. The zipper pocket was payed flat instead of pushed 3/4". When it was installed the center part would have fit loosely and the corners would have been screaming tight. As the fabric relaxed the loosely fitting center started to flap in the wind and catch water. When it was new I bet if you undid the zipper pocket it would have fit perfectly. Doing up the zipper pulled the main top 3/4" around the bar making everything behind the pocket 3/4" long. I'm so certain because I made tops like that untill a few years ago.

Fixing this now would be difficult I think. I imagine the fabric wouldn't lay flat and you couldn't pull it out at the snaps. I bet you would have to seam it some how.

[JuneC]

Ah, I see now, Peppy. The bag is only behind the pocket.  I didn't notice the pocket location before.  I think your analysis is dead on.

June

[forsailbyowner]

Hmm. When I do mine there are a few key points I follow that havent been mentioned.When setting up the frame for patterning, I lock the corners of the fore and aft bows then use a line run down the center to bend the centers of the bows in. This gives a spring loaded tightness to the center when the bimini is installed.

For marking the pattern I simply look at where the pocket and the top will meet on the furthest point of the frame away from center. That way when I sew it I start at the center and sew out towards the ends pulling the fabrics away from the seam equally to locate the inside edge of the pocket. I make the pocket extra wide sewing the zipper in the center in a straight line from center to edge.

I take great pride in my biminis and consider it my specialty. Ive adjusted many droopy biminis done by others by pinching the material together at the flap and marking for a seam that tightens everything up. Makes some crappy biminis look much better.

[Peppy]

Hmm. When I do mine there are a few key points I follow that havent been mentioned.When setting up the frame for patterning, I lock the corners of the fore and aft bows then use a line run down the center to bend the centers of the bows in. This gives a spring loaded tightness to the center when the bimini is installed.

I also tension the center of bimini's. But I also tension the bend marks: I have three tension straps on a Bimini. On a convertible top I only tension the bends. Do you only tension the center?

For marking the pattern I simply look at where the pocket and the top will meet on the furthest point of the frame away from center. That way when I sew it I start at the center and sew out towards the ends pulling the fabrics away from the seam equally to locate the inside edge of the pocket. I make the pocket extra wide sewing the zipper in the center in a straight line from center to edge.

Apologies, but I'm not understanding?

[forsailbyowner]

I lock the frame at the bends with strap or hard kicks. when i bend the centers of the bars in they naturally get tensioned at the corners.Im not seeing how after you push the corners you obtain the location for sewing the inboard seam of the pocket. Is it possible my bending the center of the bowin has the same effect as pushing the seam? I locate the aforementioned inboard edge of the pcket by pulling flap away and laying the pocket flat on the top with the seam equidistant from the flap on top and pocket.