Down DIY

[Cyclingrelf]

We've got 5 terrible stained down pillows from rellies house. I've put them all through the washing machine and tumble dryer, so the down is clean and dry. Was wondering about trying to make a down sleeping bag? Or anyone got other bright ideas for uses? Tips would be helpful too. Thanks!

 

[cranmere]

I've done it but it's quite a major undertaking if you want to do a proper baffle construction bag. I was advised to do all the down handling in the bathroom and to take in a vacuum cleaner so that you can clear up the down afterwards. That seemed to work pretty well because the stuff floats everywhere especially if it's reasonable quality down.

 

[Toddy]

You hammock don't you ? or is that a used to ?

I was going to suggest a down underblanket, and if you can get hold of some good disposable gloves they're awfully good at getting a decent 'grip' on the feathers, but brush off gently too.

atb,
M

 

[bilmo-p5]

A simple quilt is easy to make and useful at home and at camp.

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Thanks folks cranmere, the bathroom tip sounds sensible. I just watched a you tube video of a chap who made himself a down bag. He used a cheap synthetic bag and re -stuffed it, but did baffles by sewing through the two layers. He suggests every 8" is ideal to stop the down clumping.

This site has some great diagrams of different baffles and how effective they are. http://www.crux.uk.com/en/sleeping-bags.php?info=38

I'm guessing these kind of baffles would be useful whatever I make.

Mary, yes I use a hammock when I'm in suitable landscape up country. I find the floaty rain and bonsai trees in Cornwall favours a bivvy. I think my sister uses a hammock more often. So an underblanket might be useful at times, but I might get more out of a bag or quilt. Love the rubber gloves idea.

I'm going to mull for a while more on this before I decide. If I make a bag, it would be for my 9 year old nephew, who is just getting into camping. A quilt, I could use at home in winter - no central heating here!

Any more tips welcome! I'll post more once I've made up my mind what I'm making and started.

Thanks for your help

 

[Toddy]

You know how long (and how hard it is to pull them free cleanly leaving no wee tubes) it takes to pluck a goose ?
Those disposble rubber gloves are brilliant. Makes the job incredibly quick and tidy.

atb,
M

 

[Hog On Ice]

IMO the best way to handle/transfer down when it comes to stuffing a quilt is to us a down eductor - google "down eductor" and "Lance Marshall" for details - I used a down eductor to make a small underquilt for my chair so I could sleep on it and stay warm:

my notes: http://hikinghq.net/forum/showthread.php?7264-A-Simple-Sling-chair&p=317342#post317342
a video from Lance Marshall on using the down eductor: http://www.wvi.com/~ulmyog/DownEductor_4BPL.wmv

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Time I updated this, but it turned into a lot of failed effort for me! I did learn a few things.

I went for making a light double quilt with foot pockets. Similar to the down blankets thermarest make to go with their mattresses.

I designed internal baffles, based on concentric rings with radial segmentation. Sewed these on to one side of the quilt, then (starting from the middle) started to attach to the other side and stuff with the down from grandma's old pillows.

This is where it all went wrong. It turned out, even though we washed and tumble dried the pillows, the down still had a lot of powder in it which could get through the material I was using and make us sneeze.

Worse, the 'down' in grandma's old pillows turned out to have a lot of feathers with pointy sticks in it. This made it very heavy and clumpy and not suitable for purpose.

I should have checked BEFORE making the quilt! Hours of effort and I think it's all going to the dump (or has anyone got better ideas for getting rid of lots of old dusty feathers?)

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

 

[Macaroon]

Feathers make decent compost, if you or nayone you know has a heap or composter.

 

[Toddy]

Hah! Mac beat me to it

I admit I did wonder when you started.
My Granny had a feather bed, and it was thick and soft and warm, and it was clean, but modern down pillows and quilts stink of foosty chicken for some reason.

When you said old feather pillows I thought that if they really were old then they'd probably have a lot of broken stuff and only quills remaining.

If, and it's a big if, you're up for it, you can hand pick out the quills, but tbh, is it really worth the effort ? I'd wear a mask, but that's me, I try to avoid stuff that will gunk up my nasal passages and my lungs these days.

They do compost well just don't bury them too deep, iimmc, they need ground buggits to be able to get to them to break them down.

My Mum took apart two feather pillows when my younger brother and I were toddlers and made snow suits for us….we looked like Michelin men but we were warm A Great Aunt in Canada had sent her a pattern. I remember Mum talking about the mess being like working with kapok, and having to pick out the quills.
The pillows had been a wedding present to an Aunt who turned out to be allergic to feathers, so those were new ones really, or at least unused, and they still had a lot of quills/broken stuff in them.

Sometimes it's just your luck what you find when you open stuff like that up.
I'd put it down to experience and either stuff cushions with them or compost the mess.

atb,
M

 

[greencloud]

I recall reading of a man who affixed these to a framework, allowing him and I think his son the power of personal flight. Sadly I recall that he couldn't source an altimeter and so came something of a cropper. I took the tale with more than a pinch of salt though. Personal flight under feather indeed - they'll claim a person has walked on water next!!