Skin Material for SOF

Does anyone know where to buy translucent ballistic nylon fabric?

Skin Material for SOF


Go to QajayUSA forums and do a search. They’re a great source of information.

http://www.qajaqusa.org/


George Dyson…
Dyson, Baidarka & Co.

435 West Holly St.

Bellingham, WA 98225

(360)-734-9226

You can also try…
Seattle Fabrics. They have all kinds of stuff including nylon, Goretex, neoprene, etc… I don’t know how their prices compare, but they have a huge variety of outdoor fabrics.



Pedro Almeida

I second Dyson, because…
… the materials are all known & tested for this use.



If you buy elsewhere (not from a SOF maker) you may get coated or backed material that isn’t usable (won’t drape/stretch/sew well/hold coatings/rough weaves that hold too much coating/etc.).



I’ve used the 8 or 9oz nylon twice now. Super to work with and plenty strong.

Spirit Line
The fabric and 2 part urethane for my Cape Falcon Coaster came from Spirit Line. They sell float bags too, and will make custom sized bags to your spec. Later on, I installed one of their minicell tractor seats, although I bought it from Pygmy, not direct.



http://www.skinboats.com/supplies.html

Hypalon?
Do people use Hypalon rubber? Where can I get some?

Tom Yost’s Site…

– Last Updated: Oct-24-07 6:17 AM EST –

http://www.yostwerks.com provides links to suppliers for that. Having said that, I am not sure how compelling a reason for using that if the frame is tradition wood construction. It would just make the SOF that much heavier -- diminishing one of the attractions of a SOF design. 10 oz nylon or poly tend to be more than tough enough for most folks' usage.

sing

Hypalon ?
>Do people use Hypalon rubber? Where can I get some?



Hypalon is a liquid coating and resembles latex paint. Like urethane, It’s brushed over polyester or nylon and is super tough . Downside is it’s toxicity and it’s price. Gaco Western (US) and Duncan (CA) are the ones I’ve used. White Gaco was $75.00 gal. and yellow Gaco a whopping $135.00 gal. 5 years ago. Another option is to use Neoprene. It’s a cousin of hypalon, costs less, and both are Dupont products. Both are applied the same way, though neoprene cures much quicker. Neoprene color selection is limited, not so for Hypalon. Below is some info for using both. (2 pages)



http://robroy.dyndns.info/baidarka/slideshow/node-u66.html



The Baidarka below was coated with hypalon and weighs 25 lbs. These synthetic rubber products have a high evaporation rate while curing so they end up being light weight when combined with the 8oz nylon skin below. Wear your respirator, work in a well ventilated room, and notify your next of kin !! Better yet, coat your sewn nylon or polyester skin with Urethane or make a glued PVC skin.



http://www.yostwerks.com/BIFHypalon.jpg



Tom

Huh…
thanks for the clarification on that, Tom. (You’re the man!). Got a frame to skin but ain’t in any kind of rush (by a long shot!).



sing

That said,
I guess people are not using Hypalon rubber by itself. Becasue of the weight? It is more stretchable than nylon and should be good for curves and sharp angles. http://abbottrubber.thomasnet.com/viewitems/sheet-rubber/hypalon-sheet-rubber?&forward=1



Isn’t that the material for the Zodiac inflatables?