Sunday I overcame my trepidations and concerns about sewing machines in general and sewing a sail in particular. I began sewing the sail after much practice and worry. I was pleased with the results.
Tuesday I was disappointed and dejected over the prospect of ever getting the sail completed to say nothing of getting my Goat in the water. Tuesday's problem was the bottom thread bunched up into a rat's nest of tangled thread. It didn't matter what adjustments I made to thread tension, the bottom thread always tangled itself into a mess. This is not good as it means the stitches aren't really stitched and it is very unsightly. The seams on a sail are visible from both sides so they have to look good (to say nothing of being right).
Friends offered suggestions and solutions - including the notion of buying a new machine. I kept changing the thread tension and could sew passable short practice seams. But on the sail panels - disastrous results.
After spending 2 days doing the same things and getting the same results (isn't doing the same thing and expecting different results a sign of madness?) I found some information on line. The Singer site said most "problems" with the bobbin thread had nothing to do with the bobbin. First recommendation was to rethread the machine making sure the thread went through the tensioner properly. Guess what... I had been threading the machine incorrectly - effectively bypassing the tensioner altogether.
After properly threading the machine I successfully sewed two panels together. That seam isn't perfect but the second row of stitches is better than the first. I suspect (hope) my sewing improves as I work my way through this sail.
Whew... I was really getting frustrated with the machine when it was operator error all along.
Well, once the sewing machine (operator) problems were sorted out there were other issues to resolve.
New Dacron is slippery-slidey stuff and the 10'+ panels don't want to play nice on a 3' x 3' counter top. All of the floor space large enough for the panels is carpeted - which isn't firm enough for basting the panels together. And, on second thought, those spaces really aren't large enough...
The garage floor? Certainly large enough but pretty darn rough and dirty.
Okay, my spar bench is already in the garage (for varnishing the spars) but at 16" x 16' it really isn't helpful with the sail panels. Or is it... ?
With a bit a thinking and a trip to Lowe's I came up with a work table measuring 8' x 11.5.' At Lowe's I bought two sheets of 3/8" ply and a 2-mil plastic drop-cloth. I had them rip the plywood in half.
I took the four pieces home and, using the spar bench as a base and some wood bin extras, I made a sail layout table. By spacing the pieces roughly 15" apart (okay, the middle two are only 12" apart) I have a work surface measuring 8' x 11.5.' The table is covered with the 2-mil plastic to minimize the risk of snagging the Dacron. A 1' x 8' piece of 6mm ply (edges taped to minimize snagging) serves as a bridge to span the gaps when I am basting two sail panels together.
After setting this up I realized I can set the sewing machine at one end of the table (over a spar bench sawhorse) for sewing the panels together. So I have a layout/sewing/run-out table.
The cost to assemble the table (given that I had the spar bench) was less than $30. The table makes handling the sail panels much less of a wrestling match.
Sewing resumes tomorrow. :)
Happy New Year from Chase Small Craft
9 years ago
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