Can anyone tell me how to identify Nylon at Walmart? I was looking around the 1.00 bin, and came across some fabric that felt like nylon (i think) but couldnt tell what the weight was or anything like that. I looked on the tag attatched to the fabric, but couldnt find any info there either. THe only thing it said was that it was 100% Polyester, but i dont know if that applied to the fabric, or just the board that it was on.

Maybe i should go to a store that sells fabric to get a little better help. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks Everyone!!!!

:D

I can give you a hint about telling uncoated, DWR and waterproof apart - try to blow through the fabric -
if you can't - it is waterproof
if you can, but it is really hard - it is DWR
if you can blow thru it easily - it is uncoated

I've been making clothes and gear since I was a teen-ager and honey, that was a LONG time ago. If it says 100% polyester, it AIN"T nylon. Nylon is nylon, polyester is a whole 'nother horse.

Good luck with your gear making!

Sometimes the stuff in the dollar bin isn't on the original roll. It is often ends and pieces from manufacturers and is wrapped around whatever fabric board they have. What's written on the boards often isn't what fabric is on that board.

In general, polyester will stretch a bit while nylon won't, but they are really hard to tell apart unless you are very familiar with materials. A scouting trip to a fabric store to learn the look and feel of each would be helpful.

Thanks FD, that is what i was thinking. Fabric store, here i come.

If you hold a nylon material over (...not IN, OVER...) a flame it will melt. Polyester will shrink away from the heat. Cotton will char.

They would probably frown on you doing this test in Wal-Mart.

If you hold a nylon material over (...not IN, OVER...) a flame it will melt. Polyester will shrink away from the heat. Cotton will char.

They would probably frown on you doing this test in Wal-Mart.

Its too bad i stopped smoking, as i dont carry a lighter with me all the time anymore :rolleyes:





;)

I got some 2x3 inch samples of various types and weights of outdoor fabrics (sil-nylon, various weights of ripstop, etc.), stapled them to an index card, and keep the card in my purse. When Wal-Mart gets in new fabric, I can compare it to my samples.

What is the best type of fabric to make a hammock out of?

1.7 Nylon from what i understand. They discuss it a lot at hammockforums.com that is one of the projects i am trying to make, along with a tarp, so i have all of the ideas, but no materials or skills :D

What is the best type of fabric to make a hammock out of?1.7 or 1.9 uncoated nylon is what most use. A few use DWR, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Be careful of most of the fabric you see at walmart. Most of what I see in the dollor bin that looks promising turns out to be taffeta or non-ripstop. Think jacket liner feel here.

Here is the easiest way I found to tell.
ripstop- has the square rip pattern
untreated- it frays, doesn't feel like it has a coating, if you look real close you can see a texture to the fabric (it may feel rough to you)
DWR treated- it frays, has a shinny coating, the coating usually appears different on one side versus the other.
sil- it does not fray. The waterproofing treatment completly soaks through the fabric holding it all together. It is also shinny and smooth.

If you find any sil, you should definitly buy it and ship 9 yards of it to me. I'm wanting another tarp at some point. ;)

1.7 Nylon from what i understand. They discuss it a lot at hammockforums.com that is one of the projects i am trying to make, along with a tarp, so i have all of the ideas, but no materials or skills :D

1.7 or 1.9 uncoated nylon is what most use. A few use DWR, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I really like the 1.9 untreated ripstop hammock. I bought the fabric from walmart and probibly put 80 or so nights in it. I like the untreated because I can swing in my hammock and feel the wind hit me when it is warm. In colder temps I think it helps to heat the underquilt up faster. No data to back that up yet.

If you hold a nylon material over (...not IN, OVER...) a flame it will melt. Polyester will shrink away from the heat. Cotton will char.

They would probably frown on you doing this test in Wal-Mart.

A way to tell if a fabric is natural or synthetic is to burn a piece of it. All natural fabric will burn, all synthetic fabric will melt.

I can give you a hint about telling uncoated, DWR and waterproof apart - try to blow through the fabric -
if you can't - it is waterproof
if you can, but it is really hard - it is DWR
if you can blow thru it easily - it is uncoated

Something about a grown person in Walmat blowin fabric paints a picture worse than ....

Something about a grown person in Walmart blowin fabric paints a picture worse than ....They love me at WalMart :D

A way to tell if a fabric is natural or synthetic is to burn a piece of it. All natural fabric will burn, all synthetic fabric will melt. Not all synthetics melt. Some synthetics burn quite well. Rayon, for one example.

Got 9 yards of rip stop yesterday at Wally World and she took my number and is going to call me if they get any sil in. woo whoo go me! :D

Got 9 yards of rip stop yesterday at Wally World and she took my number and is going to call me if they get any sil in. woo whoo go me! :D

So which one were you at? I'll share a couple in the area that work for me if you share?

So which one were you at? I'll share a couple in the area that work for me if you share?

Western Hills - On Ferguson Ave.
Now don't buy it all up..lol
I just want get some Sil and I'll be good to go for awhile. :)

That is a ways from me. The one on the way to ceasors creek usually has something, not sil yet. The one at Union Center looks promising.

Thanks HE goodluck. Its like Christmas when you find some...lol

Definitly. If you score extra I'm in need of 9 yards for a tarp. If you are in dire need I could work out a trade or some DWR your way.

BTW, I'm usually up for an overnight or dayhike depending on the future work schedule. Let me know if your interested.

Definitly. If you score extra I'm in need of 9 yards for a tarp. If you are in dire need I could work out a trade or some DWR your way.

BTW, I'm usually up for an overnight or dayhike depending on the future work schedule. Let me know if your interested.

Sounds good, let me check how much I have left after a lil project I'm working on and send you some free. My bud and I were working on a nice overnighter at Red River Gorge, but as you know the snow has hit and flooding is bad there when it all melts off. Last time we went we found a nice "hidden" trail called Hansons Point. It is a must see short trail to end your day with. I'll keep ya posted and get back to ya if its a go. It'll be this weekend.

I would be very surprised to find silnylon at Wal-Mart. The one down the street from me doesn't have any nylon that isn't designed for clothing. Silnylon is very shiny on both sides and very slippery. If it's the least bit tacky, it's either coated (shiny on one side, dull on the other), or silnylon with a defective silicone treatment that didn't cure properly.

Good thread for newbies. Thanks!

So, i found a little more than 9 yards of sil-nylon today!!! Tarp, and part of a bivy sack here i come!!!


Now i just have to get my sewing machine working properly. Keeps grabbing too much thread from the lower bobin. :grrr

At Walmart? Congrats.
I've got DWR there, I mistakenly thought it was silnylon.
Bought time to look around again. Maybe I'll get lucky one of these days.

Yeah, its really light, and super slippery. Tested waterproofness and it held a cup of water for about 2 minutes till i spilled it out. A nice grey also.

Im planning on making a tarp, and hopefully ill have a bit left over for part of a bivy. Good stuff!!!

Keep looking, and make sure you go to different locations, that is the only waay to get lucky. the dollar bin does not turn over fast enough to go to the same place all the time.

10-4, when I work in Charlotte I hit several stores making my rounds....is your material frayed any, where it was cut?

THere are a couple of threads at the end where it was cut, but not a typical "fray" at the edge.

I went to another location today (I drive for work, and have a lot of time to kill between appointments so i see a lot of locations) and found what seems to be standard waterproof ripstop, maybe 1.7 or 1.9 non sil.

My collecting supplies is almost complete, just need some bug net, zippers and gross grain webbing now. Need to keep practicing my sewing though, not quite where it needs to be.

Pull hard on the edges. Sil should still not fray any. It will fray after a lot of use on the edges. I has a stuff sack I didn't hem on one edge that started to fray after 3 months on constant use.

You might want to reconsider a bivy. Sil is not breathable and might make a little sweat box for you. A strip of breathable material might help.

Tarp comes first... Bivy was for bug protection... MAchine still not acting nice. This this is frustrating.

Now i just have to get my sewing machine working properly. Keeps grabbing too much thread from the lower bobin. :grrr

Does this mean something like a rat's nest or bunch of tangles on the bottom of the stitched cloth?

There are Yahoo.com groups on sewing machines and fixing sewing machines, usually older ones, that can be a great help.

I stumbled on 3 rolls of plain rip-stop (Teal, Lavender and Blue) at our local walmart! I snatched up the Blue (12 yds) for hammocks for the kids. As I ran my hands over the fabric the blue dye was rubbing onto my hands. Is this normal and will it stop once I wash it?

I never had any dye come off of any of the nylon or poly ripstop I had. I would be concerned if I were you.

Hmmmmmmm, the label says "100% undetermined Fiber Content. Machine Wash Warm, No Chlorine Bleach, Tumble Dry, Remove Promptly" It has the rip-stop squares visible in the fabric weave and the selvedge is white about 3/4".

The lady working the fabric section said she was not sure what it actually was but felt like it was nylon.

Here's a pic of the fabric if it helps

http://www.oconeeleatherworks.com/walmartfabric.jpg

Hmmmmmmm, the label says "100% undetermined Fiber Content. Well, that narrows it down....

Carefully hold a swatch of it near but not in a small flame. Small as in a burning match or lighter. If it melts and drips (don't get it on your skin!) it may be nylon. If it chars instead it may be polyester. Polyester won't melt, nylon will.

If it does melt then throw a piece of it in a cup of water and push it under the surface. If it floats it could be polypropylene or polyethylene, if it sinks it could be nylon.

If its a blend then all bets are off.

All of their $1 fabric I seem to buy says that or fabric of unkown origin.

Thanks for the feeback guys.

I washed the fabric and the dye that was rubbing off onto my hands is greatly reduced.

I took some of the cloth and held a lighter to it and it did "melt" and burned for a second. It was not enough cloth to "drip" though. I have not done the water test yet.


I brought 8' of double width cloth to work with me today to weigh on the postal scale and it comes in at 5.1 oz. Divided by 8' and multiplied by 3 it's right around 1.9 oz. / yd.

Thanks for the feeback guys.

I washed the fabric and the dye that was rubbing off onto my hands is greatly reduced.

I took some of the cloth and held a lighter to it and it did "melt" and burned for a second. It was not enough cloth to "drip" though. I have not done the water test yet.


I brought 8' of double width cloth to work with me today to weigh on the postal scale and it comes in at 5.1 oz. Divided by 8' and multiplied by 3 it's right around 1.9 oz. / yd.

If I'm not mistaken, fabric weights are per square yard, not per yard of fabric off of the roll.

Thats why the math works out.