Pop up camper screen redo

[Nandy]

Hello there form Charlotte, NC. I am not a pro or a business owner dedicated to upholstery but I have use a sewing machine (since when I was growing up) to do little projects. The machine I have now belonged to the ex and it is a very simple machine and I dont think it is capable of doing canvas work.
My pup up has 10 windows and all of them need the screen replaced, for some the damage is minimal, but here are about 3 that there are just not usable and coming apart. The prices I have been quoted are quite close to the price of a new canvas so I dont think I will go that route unless I find a shop that for whichever reason price the job withing my possibilities... However.... I have been thinking...
How about if I get a machine capable of working with canvas? Not the top of the line of course but that will not only let me fix my screens but I have new possibilities for other canvas projects....
So, can anyone give me a bit of guidance here, what should I look for a household entry level machine that will do canvas? Is tackling such a job too much for a beginner? Any advise on  how to go around it?

Im not home so I cant tell you what is the sewing machine I have but I had problem with it doing jeans ( I was hemming for my daughter) so I doubt it will handle canvas....

I know the job will not look like it will when you pros do it but it seems I cant afford y'all! lol!

Thanks, please be nice...

[MinUph]

Jeans are tuffer to sew than a simple canvas screeb job. If you have a lare enough needle your home machine migh do it. Slowly but it probably will. Cant hurt to try. Get a piece of sunbrella or comperable rabric, place a piece of screen betwwen it and try it.

[Nandy]

That is an interesting piece of info... I would have thought canvas was stronger, tell you, Im so green... LOL!
Thanks for that info!

[MinUph]

Canvas has many meanings. Old style "Canvas" was actually cotton duck. Canvas today can be duck, acrylics, or other fabrics. Sunbrella is one Acrylic brand and there are others. Acrylic is very strong. And would be stronger than denim. But a thinner fabric than denim jeans. When hemming a pair of jeans your sewing through 6 layers ate the vertical seams. Very thick. That is where a home machine will have trouble. What Nandy is asking will be 3 layers of a thinner weight fabric plus the screening.

[Mike]

I made a entire new set of canvas for a pop once   and never did another I  didn't get enough and id never get enough for the PIA it was the hard part is getting it all off to replace the screens and also being able to get into the center of a huge odd shaped canvas to replace the screen, and roll all the canvas up to get it under the arm, of the machine, its easier to make a whole new canvas package and sew the windows as you go adding on the next piece. its worth the agravation

[Grebo]

the hard part is getting it all off to replace the screens and also being able to get into the center of a huge odd shaped canvas to replace the screen, and roll all the canvas up to get it under the arm, of the machine, its easier to make a whole new canvas package and sew the windows as you go adding on the next piece. its worth the agravation

That's what I was going to say, having done repairs & modifications on our own 'pop up' it's getting all the canvas under the machine to reach the repair that's the real problem, not the actual sewing.
Have a real good look at it before you even think of taking it off. If your window panels are zip out your home free, other wise think again.
Also if the windows are that bad, how good is the canvas & overall stitching ?

Suzi

[Nandy]

Canvas is good. The problem was the previous owner folding procedure. He will lower the ceiling after folding the bunk beds and it was pushing here and there, instead of jut pushing where there is just canvas which is how I fold. What do you mean zip out window panels? our zip down but you cant take them off. It is like an inverted U.
This canvas is not hard to take off and if I were to keep it for much longer I would just replace the canvas for a new one.

Thanks for the info...

[Mike]

she meant if the windows zipped completely off it would be easy to make new window using the old zipper on the canvas   it way be easy to remove but its a big piece to wrestle and get under the needle while trying to line up correctly what you want to sew.

[Nandy]

Well, took that Riccar 555 to the shop today to have it look at. The interesting thing is that when i walked in the shop and talk to the lady she pointed out to me that the machine came from that store, it had their label on it... I was like wow....
Anyway, they  will look at it (the technician was not there) and call me back to let me know if this machine is worth paying the $100 for maintenance and if it will do the canvas work I want to do. While I was there I asked her which of their machine could do what I was wanting to do and she pointed out a PFAFF machine, I dont recall the model but it was around $300 so it was not as bad as I thought.
Im looking at getting some polyester v92 or v138, just about 4 or 8 oz which should be plenty for my use. Is there any thread that is more economical that I can use to practice? I will also have to find some vinyl canvas to practice on. I though if I went to a place that do upholstery they might not mind me taking some of their scrap, Do you guys think that is a bad idea?

I need to locate:
Zippers (between 12 ft to 3ft long) for joining the canvas and repair an awning bag and the rubber like material that is used to attach the canvas to the camper box (not sure what the name is). Also if I can find the exact same material that was used for my canvas I could replace a section that the previous owner patched over. Not sure if the picture will be clear enough but right over the hatch you can see where he painted the board white and how the canvas is of different color. The texture is also different, it is more like a seat cover than the canvas. I would like to redo that including the zipper.



Anyone care to share where to get these online?

Thanks!

[bobbin]

I (and most of the regulars here) have wholesale accounts with suppliers.  You won't be able to buy from them.  I suggest you do a google search for the zips you're looking for.  Better yet, once you have your required list of zippers why don't you call a local canvas/awning shop and ask if they'll sell you what  you need?  Be prepared to pay their retail price and any taxes.  Support the local business!  The shop I worked for would sell materials, but don't expect them to "hold your hand" and give you their hard earned experience. 

[Nandy]

I do support local business to the extend that my wallet allows me, LOL! I have seen the zippers, threads, bobbins, ect... online, just looking for more options but then I understand about the wholesale issue. I will be stopping at some shops but I am just not sure how they will receive my request and I know at sometime I might need their services so I don't want to burn any bridges.
My motto in life is "i can do whatever another man can do" and it stands true except for when it is something artistic or abstract. Sewing is an art, Im sure my beginners jobs will suck and might get better but never to the level of the advanced or pro's unless I have a hidden talent I am not aware of.

Thanks!

[bobbin]

Nandy, we routinely sold stock to "off the street" customers.  NO problem, but a lot of them thought they could buy items for "cost"... lookin' for the "good buddy" discount.  And they'd waste precious minutes of our work time "pickin' our brains" for "help" (for "free").  I'm pretty easy goin', but I never answer pointed questions from "wannabes".  EVER! 

Present your required inventory of zippers, keep questions to a minimum, pay your tab, and go home.  I'll be blunt: every single DIYer I've ever encountered had no compunction about "asking questions", and boy! did they ask them! Can you say "time HOG"?

I've put in over 30 yrs. to master my trade.  When someone walks in and wants to buy supplies I'm "good with it".  When they blab on and on about their project, wasting my time and obviously trawling for "tips" I'm pretty curt (read: rude). 

Just sayin'!

[Mike]

10' zipper may be a problem finding my suppliers don't have any  8' ya

[JuneC]

I can get 10' zips locally, but for longer I just go to zipperstop.com.  Check them out.  As for the other required items, just get them online.  I did for about my first 2 years in business until I found and established wholesale accounts with various vendors.

June

[Nandy]

Thanks for the info guys!

Bobbin, I guess the dealer that I went back to get my old beater from and buy that Pfaff is of your same mind set. Man, he was rude to the point that I left without buying the machine. I figure he is not the only Pfaff dealer in Charlotte. I do understand time is money, I was a small business owner myself and I also understand when someone is not willing to give away trade secrets, reason why I was hesitant to go bother the local owners for parts and scraps and are more inclined to just shop online... but this guy.... He sells/service sewing machines and I was there to pick the machine I left there for service and was looking to buy a Pfaff1142. He made the minimal eye contact possible, walked across the showroom away from me while I was asking him questions about the machine I wanted to buy, he answer a few questions while still looking to the outside of the shop. Pretty much a "hurry up and go or buy the machine" attitude and I am not about to throw $300+ in anything until I feel satisfied. BTW, the shop was empty and he was manning the front when I got there. He has nothing else to do, I know because when I got frustrated I left the store and I was parked right in front of it. I went and try to Google the answers to the questions he did not answer and struggle with the decision of to buy or not to buy the machine from him. He was there in the store front, not doing anything else, BTW, he is the technician and store owner... The lady that help me yesterday was a sweetheart, had she been there I would had walked out with the machine.

BTW, my biggest question was trying to understand how if the machine can handle piercing thru a men leather belt and how, as he said, it had no problems piercing the canvas I wanted, How come the v92/138 poly thread was the problem item? Pretty much what the told me the problem was not the machine handling the canvas but the machine not being able to handle thev92 or v138 poly, as if the machine was not strong enough for that? Anywhere can share? if there is a better forum to ask these questions please let me know.

Thanks!