Question for Peppy

[jojo]

Hi Peppy,
When you make your paper patterns - you know, the ones that aren't half-bad ;), how do you allow for the height of the boat cover pole?
I pattern with a fabric blank, so I just prop the pole under the fabric.
Your photos have inspired me to try the paper method, but this is all I need to know to get started. I think.
Thanks,
Jo

[Darren Henry]

while you're waiting on Peppy I'll pass on something that someone here taught me:

I was doing a mooring cover for a 'toon and getting all four poles to stand up straight wasn't going so well no matter how Sargeant Major I got at them.

Canvas doesn't know up from down. It's all the same to the canvas if it sags down a foot or is held up a foot. Just let your pattern ( I've always used the canvas blank---so???) hang into the boat as far as you want to hold it above the boat.

[Mike]

my 2 ce3nts also I use 6 mil plastic clear I can see my dots when patterning a bimini top frame and water dosent hurt it thought you can streach it pulling I belive this is why peppy likes paper it dosent streach .   as far as the tent pole hight I only do this on a pontoon vover that it conciderably higher then the side iver the rail or a centerconsole boat that also needs to pitch higher then the gunnels
patterning with the fabic I install the poles firsth  then pin the fabric on the boat marking for fit  with  my plastic patterns il bring a pole but get some heavy 1.2" w2ide strapping tape from the hardware and run it down the centerline of the boat from the window of your covere to the stern sticking the tent pole in under the tape at the needed spot you may need to run tape side to side over the pole also so it is it up n 4 directions   then pull you plastic or paper patterns over it the tape and pole


ps  ive done as Darren suggests and let it sag in rather ten support it hight patterning  the proplem I had was normally the hight of the pole creats a large dart from the pole tip down to the railing and the front and the rear with the pole in place you can mark this dart position  east

[Peppy]

Well Mike and Darren already have you 'covered'. On little covers I just mark the post. I don't pattern it at all. Just measure up from the floor to the mark and cut a post that high. But as Mike says with the pontoon boats or open boats I will put the posts in and tag the paper to the posts.

We do the half pattern so we can lay the centerline on folded Sunbrella and cut both sides of the cloth with a hotknife at the same time.