A long time ago I started a MYOG project with some of MLD's higher quality silnylon. I sewed two peices together for a tarp but I used too big a needle and I doubt the stitching is supper durable.

Anyone have an idea of how I would reinforce the ridge line to make it stronger? Taping perhaps?

I'm not sure if you want to do this, but you could rip the seam and re-sew it with more seam allowance.

My machine does not handle silnylon very well so I'm really not inclined to do that. The seam is okay its just that the needle drilled it full of holes that show up whenever you tug lightly on either side of it.

Glue on a strip of silnylon with silicone:mineral spirits

You could sew grosgrain ribbon along the length of the seam -use ribbon wide enough to span past the existing stitching, and sew along both sides very close to the edge of the ribbon. Important to apply some tension to stretch the fabric somewhat as you sew on the ribbon, otherwise you'll never get e tight pitch because the ridge will get tight while the rest of the fabric is still slack.

Luke, post a photo of the seam. We need to see what there is to work with.

Glue on a strip of silnylon with silicone:mineral spirits
YES

:mineral spirits
NO, not for this application

More info here

Edited by jcolten on 10/27/2012 15:57:48 MDT.

Okay, maybe not mineral spirits : )

I was remembering your article - somewhat surprising that just silicone works so well

Dave
Thanks but I can't find a camera at the moment. Its a normal "felled" seam, sewn, then folded over and sewn again. The seam on the outside of the fold is the problem, that is where holes appear.

Jerry and Jim
I'd forgotten about that article. I think I'll try gluing a strip on top first. It solves the problem an if it doesn't work I can try something else.

Thanks guys, I've got some ideas to work with. If I feel like its going to be more trouble then its worth then I may use half of this project for a bivy bottom and the other half for a pair of rain pants. These are things I actually need more then a new tarp at the moment so we'll see what I end up with.

Try to stretch it as you're glueing it. Maybe hold a section under stress and then press down the strip firmly and then if it relaxes a little, the strip will just go with it

Thanks for the tip Jerry. If I come up with anything really cool I'll try to post pics for you guys.

One methode that Don Ladigin told me was to use a small irregation syringe and slowly just feed a small, as in tiny, bead of silicone along the seam. I have used it on a couple streached tarps, it migt work where you have used too large of a needle.