Canvas tent making

[Captaincrash]

My wife and I are currently making a canvas wall tent for a new years eve camping trip to Algonquin park. We are using heavy canvas painters drop cloths for the body of the tent, a silicone baking sheet for the stove jack and lots of nylon thread and webbing. I should have some pics up by the end of today or early tomorrow. My friend that will be braving the minus ten to twenty degree weather with me has provided the stove.

The tent will be 10'x8' and about 5 1/2' high when completed.......

 

[bilmo-p5]

It is worth considering a flysheet on a tent that size in the Winter. It's more to carry and rig but it makes a world of difference reducing heat loss trough the canopy. Mrs Bilmo & I often Winter camp in an Icelandic (or 2) and wouldn't dream of only having a single skin above us, even in our relatively mild UK winters.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

ian the picture of the tent in the snow is ausome dude where was it taken

 

[bilmo-p5]

It's near Halifax, Drew. The top picture is the same place the day before.

 

[dave53]

looking forward to the pictures regards dave

 

[Captaincrash]

Yes, good advice....we will be rigging a tarp over the tent. Not too worried about the carry weight. We each have a pulk and rather large packs and not too far to go. Would rather be a little tired and nice and warm! here it is rolled up. 24" long and 10" diameter. We should have it erected tomorrow.

 

[spandit]

What sewing machine are you using? Don't think my Toyota would cope with that...

Poundland now sell silicone baking sheets

 

[bilmo-p5]

Don't think my Toyota would cope with that...

If you don't go too quickly, and turn it by hand over the multiple thicknesses (seam joins etc), your machine will probably surprise you.

Have some spare needles to hand.

 

[JohnC]

What proofing/treatment is required for those decorating canvases? I'm thinking of these as a source of canvas for a project...
We've used heavy canvas before for tent making, but that was proofed canvas..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390317403698?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[Toddy]

Fabric Bazaar in Glasgow said that they were getting in three different weights of canvas, John, estimated at under £5 a metre. That was less than a month ago. I'll ask again next time I'm in.

cheers,
M

 

[bilmo-p5]

What proofing/treatment is required for those decorating canvases? I'm thinking of these as a source of canvas for a project...
We've used heavy canvas before for tent making, but that was proofed canvas..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390317403698?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Depnding on your application and the canvas itself, you may not need to proof it, but if it has to be proofed I'd go with Fabsil; It's what I use for proofing cotton canvas etc. It is cheaper to buy a lot than a little - 5L is abt £20, 2.5L is abt £12, 400ml aerosol is abt £8.

 

[Captaincrash]

What sewing machine are you using? Don't think my Toyota would cope with that...

Poundland now sell silicone baking sheets

We are using a fairly inexpensive Kenmore machine from sears.....we take it slow and it has very little problem coping. So far we have broken 2 needles but this was in a spot with several layers overlapping. We solved the breaking needles by turning the machine by hand through the thick areas.

 

[Captaincrash]

Here's a pic of the stove flange made from a silicone baking sheet, we will be putting a flap on it to cover it in if we don't intend on using the stove.

Here is a shot of our wee little sewing machine that has done a lot of hard work for us!

 

[Captaincrash]

Here is the finished flange.

 

[mbiraman]

Look forward to more pics. Hope you folks get some decent cold weather for your outing. We just got blasted with a foot of very wet snow on top of the foot we had already fallowed by rain and warm temps so it has turned everything into cement and the west coast is on severe avalanche warning.

 

[Captaincrash]

Didnt get the canvas tent done in time for our trip but went anyways with a crappy summer tent.....I will start work on the canvas tent next week again. Weather was -5 celcius and clear the first day.....-5 and breezy the first night making it a cold sleep and yesterday the weather tuned ugly so we hiked out. Wet snow changing to rain and very windy!! I will post up a couple pics shortly.

 

[Captaincrash]

Here's a few pics of our new years eve trip to Algonquin park.