6oz/8oz duck canvas ( where to get it )

running bare

Banned
Sep 28, 2005
382
1
64
jarrow,tyne & wear uk
hi all, I,m new to all of this.bit late in life (45) . But I was wondering if any of you guys & gals knew of where I can get hold of 6,8 or 10 oz duck canvas as i am toying with the idea of making a teepee as my wife and i have long hankered for camping out in one. I think her reasoning is that you can have a fire in one any help would be appreciated. i've just made myself a woodlore style knife in less than 3 hours but will give more details when i take it part and take some step by step photos ( it may be of help to others ) ive yet to learn how to post them. If I can give one piece of advice to anyone it would be " if you want to make anything then do it. if it goes wrong try again,others may ridicule but they are the ones who dont count as they cant improvise " hope that made sense and sorry to have droned on we are all like minded and thats what i,m trying to say
tom
 

happy camper

Nomad
May 28, 2005
291
2
Scotland
hello :)
you could look at sailcloth and marine suppliers aswell, anyone who makes boat covers and sails etc. might be able to help. Here's one..
http://www.sailcloth.co.uk/
but there's bound to be more.
Another possibility might be getting in touch with marquee hire company's, they may have old or knackered tents you could recycle or may be able to point you in the right direction.
Another poss. might be tipi makers, they may be willing to supply or tell you their suppliers. there is a thread with a list of tipi makers here..
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=8234&highlight=tipi

Here's a good site about tipi's with some contacts and plans etc...
http://www.tipis-tepees-teepees.com/
hope something here is helpful and best of luck with the project..let us know how you get on with it :)
 

thed

Member
Sep 5, 2005
31
0
Way Down South
If you after material, as a pose to a kit, cheapest place I could fine for duck canvas is a shop/mill in bradford, seem to have a decent turn around time, and stock a massive range, lots of canvas, lot of silk to for other projects if anyone's interested.

Have you got a copy of "Indian Tepee: Its History, Construction and Use" if not or you would like some notes from the book pm me and I'll email/post them back to you.

www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk

If you hadn't already seen it Idaho Canvas(no i dont work for them) have some pages on the ones they make, which give some good information.

http://www.idahocanvas.com/id50.htm

And finally for gods sakes make one, if you cant sew a straight line you will be able to by the end :D
 

running bare

Banned
Sep 28, 2005
382
1
64
jarrow,tyne & wear uk
thanks to you all. i'm seriously contemplating diy as materials would cost about £60
compared to manufactured prices. also i prefer to make rather than buy. may not look as good but at least i can say its functional and i can make my own. mebe im just a tight a**e at heart!!!!!
tom
 

thed

Member
Sep 5, 2005
31
0
Way Down South
Out of interest where did you find all the materials for £60? I've been looking around the £160 mark which is why it hasnt been done yet.

Maybe when you start youd be whilling to do a write up/tutorial with pictures?

thed
 

running bare

Banned
Sep 28, 2005
382
1
64
jarrow,tyne & wear uk
hi thed according to whaleys site you gave me cotton duck loomstate is £1.49/mtr if ordering 10+ mtrs and i reckon on about 32 mtrs.works out bout £48 for material and allowig £12 for sundries rough guide

tom
 

thed

Member
Sep 5, 2005
31
0
Way Down South
ah-ha it is all clear, what size tipi where you thinking of making? I had the magical figures of 24+1/2 yards at 72 inch plus 21+1/3 of 26 inch, or just plain old 68 yards of 36 inch. All this lot came from the tipi book i've got.

Which in real money was 62.5 metres at 1.49 =92 poundits, and i was guessing at 50 for sundries including bought poles.
 

running bare

Banned
Sep 28, 2005
382
1
64
jarrow,tyne & wear uk
jeez,loeez what you making a marquis :D wasnt planning on buying poles i got some 5mtr lengths of 4" x 3" offa an old pallet i found on a ind. estate i'll rip them down to size and shape em.harder work but cost nowt. restrictive budget = improvisation. hence diy :( the one im thinking of making is 12'. may try it with fewer poles as i know you can get single or four pole teepee's.

tom

may have to get someone with an industrial machine to stitch it depending on canvas i'll have a better idea when the sample arrives. that means spending money :eek:
 

thed

Member
Sep 5, 2005
31
0
Way Down South
Must admit was going for a big jobbie to start with. nothing wrong with a marquis though ;)

If its thin duck your using you should get away with a standard sewing machine, but saying that go harrase your local boot mender and see if you can borrow/beg/steal his industrial machine for a half day, there mind numbingly easy to sew as its nearly all straight lines. And i take it you mean to join the poles together like a standard tent pole?

Are you talking 12' tall and not 12' diameter? Any idea of the internal space, how many it will sleep?

There was a posting somewhere of a guy using a tipi as an outdoor forge space which i thought was a novel idea.
 

running bare

Banned
Sep 28, 2005
382
1
64
jarrow,tyne & wear uk
hiya m8, 12" in dia.sorry typo shud read12' dia. there's just the two of us so never thought about how many it wud sleep probly 5 or 6 i guess. as for the poles i was thinking of sectionalising :confused: them with 18mm dowel and corresponding mortices

tom
 

thed

Member
Sep 5, 2005
31
0
Way Down South
running bare said:
hiya m8, 12" in dia.sorry typo shud read12' dia. there's just the two of us so never thought about how many it wud sleep probly 5 or 6 i guess. as for the poles i was thinking of sectionalising :confused: them with 18mm dowel and corresponding mortices

tom

I haven't got the book in front of me as I couldnt carry it, too many oats - 5kilos too many, so this is all abit guess work from my end.

The laubin nutters, as my missus always says, seemed to like them big. But saying that 12' diameter would be big enough for a small army or zoo to my mind its just a big f'ing tent after all especially if its just for camping.

I dont see why segmented poles wouldnt work, even though no-one uses them because there two weak, rats bottoms I say tents work exactly the same way. At the very least try it put it up in your backyard in a storm and see if you can kill next doors cat, just dont stand to close to start with.

The other thing to do is go the old fashioned route and get the poles off the land, my local railways sidings are covered in suitable wood. 1 inch at the top 4 inch at the bottom minimum up to twice the height although you only need a foot or two.

You've spurred me into action, i'll have to get mine cooking again. Another trick is a parachute £30 for the cover and fold it up.

thed.

ps is you live anywhere close the tally<spelling?) valley in wales is also known as tipi valley and it appears to be full of friendly hippies, just above newport somewhere i think.
 

running bare

Banned
Sep 28, 2005
382
1
64
jarrow,tyne & wear uk
parachute for £30 !!!! looked at silvermans web site and silly prices, chute would be good but would need a lining to stop condensation me thinks :D and a bit thin for winter camping??????

tom
 

thed

Member
Sep 5, 2005
31
0
Way Down South
think it actually cost me £25 at the huge disposals place out the back of Hereford.

Anchor, Outdoor jobbie etc all do them but delivery will kill you.

Cheap liner. £3 woolen blankets and a sewing needle.

You wanted on the cheap you get on the cheap, but then again Id say a parachute wool version would probably outlast a 8oz canvas job. Other advantage is parachute windproof, if taut water proof, and the woolen blankets would keep you alot warmer, plus fire would be no problem.
 

thed

Member
Sep 5, 2005
31
0
Way Down South
i'll be down at the storage bin this weekend, so i'll hunt my parachute out and see what it does as a half folded/suspened version. If i can see the camera i'll grab some pictures.

Get your point though nothing like canvas for a real tent.

thed
 

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