Title: tent-making-msg
Subject: Useful ideas when making tents.
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: tent, construction, area, idea, make, how-to, pavilion

tent-making-msg - 4/13/99

Useful ideas when making tents.

NOTE: See also the files: p-tents-msg, pavilions-msg, tent-care-msg, tent-fabrics-msg, tent-painting-msg, tent-ps-msg, tent-sources-msg, sewng-machnes-msg, sewing-tables-msg.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: dpeters at panix.com (D. Peters)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Tent/Pavilion questions
Date: 10 Mar 1997 09:23:36 -0500

SThomas728 <sthomas728 at aol.com> wrote:
>I toyed with the idea of making my own tent, but I live in a small
>apartment where I could not lay fabric out that I was working with

I'm not trying to talk you into building your own tent--honest!--but I'd like
to point out that we built our (approx.) 12' x 16' oval pavilion in a 1
1/2 bedroom NYC apartment.  To anyone else out there contemplating
tent-building, it *can* be done in a less-than-lavish space.  (Although we
*did* have to take it to a park out the Island to test set-up the first
time)

>also, my sewing machine would not ba able to handle the layers of thick
>fabric.  

Much of the sewing on our tent was done on an elderly sewing machine that
my spouse had picked up at a garage sale for $10.00.  We did have to break
down and buy a sewing machine from Sears Roebucks because the geriatric
machine wouldn't do buttonholes....

Once again, I'm not trying to brow-beat you into building your own tent,
but there may be folks out there who'd like to build a tent, but have
similar reservations.  

Cheers,
D.Peters
looking forward to using the pavilion at a camping event in Brooklyn (!)
this summer....

From: odlin at reed.edu (Iain Odlin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Tent/Pavilion questions
Date: 11 Mar 1997 08:58:18 GMT

  If you're pressed for space to lay out large projects (ie: sewing a tent),
  try making contact with local community or high school theatres.  A stage
  usually has a great deal of space to play around with, and every theatre
  generally has a 'dormant' period (some have winter, others summer).  If you
  carefully explain what you'd like to do (and *clean up after yourself*),
  you just might find all the space you need (and, sometimes, more help than
  you could possibly use).

  -Iain Odlin, Technical Director, Westbrook High School Drama Dept, who uses
   his stage to dry out his tent after camping events.  Hang it from the
   lighting battens and turn on the stage lights.  Dry in no time!

From hairyhoof at aol.com Tue May 13 12:38:26 1997
Date: 15 Apr 1997 18:13:06 GMT
From: Hairy Hoof <hairyhoof at aol.com>
To: sca at mc.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: Pavilion designs

Here in Calontir where we own more pavilions per capita then I have ever
seen anywhere else ( yes I have seen else where) many many people sew
there own tents. My wife has two, I have sewn five. In my Barony alone
40+people have tents they or someone else here sewed. All but one of these
people used basic household models to do the job. Some go over those big
multiple layer joints better then others but they can almost all do the
job. Just be careful of a few things:

Dont pull the fabric faster then the machine will take it

Be careful of the tension the tent exerts as you feed it through, the stress
of fabric weight on the arm is not always from an obvious direction. So
adjust the pile waiting on your side of the machine frequently to make
sure you have no trun into heavy stress from a fold

Be patient

Be patient

Don't rush and you won't have a problem. If you start breaking needles you
are probably either forcing the fabric or you have that hidden stress
somewhere. I have seen people go threw scores of needles and then need big
repairs on the machine. Sometimes the strain is just to much and a needle
will break. If however there is no apparent reason ( like those giant
joint seams) for the break you probably are doing one of those things I
mentioned.

Good luck, you can do it if I can
Tiberius, Baron, Forgotten Sea, Calontir

Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 14:34:11 -0400
From: nancy lynch <lughbec at erols.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Round edges on tent designs.

Sheron Buchele/Curtis Rowland wrote: 
> A tentmaker here, Unser Hafen, Outlands, got some of the treated for sun
> and mildew canvas which was very slick and smelled bad.  It also ripped
> along the sewn seams like 'tear along the dotted line'.  So I would urge
> getting a sample and checking it out!
> 
> Baroness Leonora

Yep, that was me!  The weight of the pretreated canvas is such that if 
it does get yanked by a serious wind and misplaced guy ropes, it will 
tear. especially any flat surfaces. I am not sure why that is. Round 
tents fare better than tents with large flat areas though.  The 
elements tend to slip around rather than flatten the tent.  And ANY tent 
that had the ropes staked in at odd angles will be a dissappointment in 
a big wind.  There is a reason for the even distribution of tension and 
stress!:-)

Also, *do not* think that excessively strong thread (like one would sew 
leather shoes with) is a good idea.  Keep in mind that the tent will 
sway and bounce around in the breezes and all that movement will be bad 
of you use too large or strong a thread or too many stitches close 
together.  Think of a saw in a hole moving back and forth a lot.  Use 
larger than standard home sewing thread though, or the general weight 
and sunshine will break the stitching fibers pretty quick.

The winds in the Rocky Mountain region can be quite amazing!  I've been 
living on the East coast for the past year and when they have a 25mph 
wind they all get excited.  That is a puny breeze when you live in the 
shadow of the Rocky Mountains!  So keep in mind your tension lines and 
distribute the stress evenly for the eventual TEST!  You may visit a 
windy area and be glad of staking your tent correctly :-)

Sonas ort! (Irish - "Happiness on you!")
Lughbec ni Eoin

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