View Full Version : Stabilkote 4 by Bainbridge
DragonStar
12-18-2009, 17:04
I recently obtained some of this fabric because I thought it would be good DIY tent material. It is Stabilkote 4 .75 oz spinnaker nylon. It looks like ripstop silnylon but is not as slippery, a little more stiff.
Does anyone here know about this stuff? Is it worth making a tent with? I have been able to determine that it is 100% waterproof and used for sails. that's about it. :)
sofaking
12-18-2009, 17:12
sounds kind of heavy.
ShelterLeopard
12-18-2009, 18:17
I think it's also used for making kites, other than that, I don't know anything about it.
DragonStar
12-18-2009, 18:33
Yep, that's about all I know too. I found a data sheet on it. Lots of numbers.
you may want to contact someone directly related to making tarps out of spinnaker and see if they can ID the product.
www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com (http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com)
www.mountainlaureldesigns.com (http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com)
i know that spinnaker is what my tarp is made out of, and it's way lighter than silnylon, and a better product in general (waterproofing/misting/stretch)
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 13:52
sofaking, if anything I thought .75 oz would be too light? But that's why I'm asking. Never made a tent/tarp/etc.
Wags, good idea. In terms of ID, I have the bolt hang tag and have everything down to the lot #.
I too thought spinnaker fabric was better because it doesn't sag, is water/windproof too. The knocks against it seem to be expense, rustling noise, and that when it goes it basically explodes.
I got this fabric quite cheap so I'm willing to experiment with a DIY tent.
I recently obtained some of this fabric because I thought it would be good DIY tent material. It is Stabilkote 4 .75 oz spinnaker nylon. It looks like ripstop silnylon but is not as slippery, a little more stiff.
Does anyone here know about this stuff? Is it worth making a tent with? I have been able to determine that it is 100% waterproof and used for sails. that's about it. :)
So is it "Stabilkote 4.75 oz."
or "Stabilkote 4 (.75 oz.)."?
The website I found says it's made from .5 to 1.5 oz. so I'm assuming it's .75 oz.
At .75 oz. - if coating weight is included - it's a little on the light side. Lighter fabrics can be used for small tents with little unsupported fabric. Larger tents take more wind loading so a heavier fabric is often (not by UL manufacturers but by the "big name" ones) used. Generally, the more poles that are used, and the greater the number of intersections, the lighter fabric you can use while still maintaining adequate strength.
On the other hand, there are Spinnaker tarps made of .85 oz. spinnaker cloth which seem to handle lots of wind (although manufacturers usually recommend pitching them in sheltered areas).
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 14:17
More info, just for the sake of completeness in case anyone else out there runs across this stuff. I also have access to more.
The specs on the fabric are:
Width: 54 in
Warp x Fill: 30 x 40
Weight: 1.02 smoz (sailmaker's oz, see below)
Lab 20lb (whatever that means):
warp: 7
fill: 18
bias: 9(2 ply)
Tear Strength:
warp: 3.9
fill: 4.5
regarding smoz, from http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictS.html:
sailmaker ounce (smoz)a traditional unit measuring the weight (per unit area) of sailcloth. The weight in sailmaker ounces is the weight in ordinary (avoirdupois) ounces of a piece of cloth 36 inches by 28.5 inches. Thus 1 smoz is equal to 1.263 ounces per square yard (oz/yd2) or 42.828 grams per square meter (g/m2 or gsm). However, spinnakers (the large triangular foresails of yachts) are traditionally named by the fabric weight before it is finished, so these names do not correspond exactly to the sailmaker-ounce weights. A "half-ounce" spinnaker, for example, has a weight of about 0.85 smoz or 37 gsm, and a "three-quarter-ounce" spinnaker has a weight of about 1 smoz.
I'm thinking about a Jones II modeled after the Henry Shires tarptent, which should come in around (probably even less than) 35 oz. Time will tell. I have little to lose so I'll move ahead and see what I can do.
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 14:22
Thanks for the replies, this has been helpful.
So is it "Stabilkote 4.75 oz."
or "Stabilkote 4 (.75 oz.)."?
The latter. It is .75 oz uncoated, 1.02 sailmaker's oz coated.
Tinker, thanks for that info about intersections. I will consider than when selecting a tent design.
My goals for this project are to learn about making tents, to decrease my base weight, break away from consumerism, and to do a 5-6 day section hike with the tent to try it out.
So the .75 (smoz) is probably somewhere around .85 oz. per sq. yard (36x36 inches)? That would make sense and probably be heavy enough.
Btw: is this http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/jones-tent/tarp.html
the tent you're referring to, but in a two person version?
looks plenty airy but also looks like it'd catch wind like a spinnaker.
Backpedaling a bit here - are those secondary tieouts in the picture on the fly portion of the tent. I read that the sides are designed to be lowered in rain and wind. Looks interesting. I think I'd be tempted to make the front door lower portion of silnylon to block wind and rain from the front.
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 14:43
Hey Tinker,
If I'm correct, the fabric should weigh approx 1.3 oz per 36" x 36". I believe it would be very close to the weight listed in the directions here, which I'm considering:
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/jones-tent2/jonestent2.pdf
But I'm all ears if you think this design is bad for spinnaker cloth. I've made zero tents.
Hey Tinker,
If I'm correct, the fabric should weigh approx 1.3 oz per 36" x 36". I believe it would be very close to the weight listed in the directions here, which I'm considering:
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/jones-tent2/jonestent2.pdf
But I'm all ears if you think this design is bad for spinnaker cloth. I've made zero tents.
1.3 oz. material is usually silicone impregnated 1.1 oz. fabric.
I made a hasty judgement based on the tent the way it appears in the photos. If those are alternative guy line loops on the canopy it can probably stand up to a decent wind. My recommendation on the front door stands, though. The last place you'd want misting rain hitting is your face.
Note: I've studied tent design and fabrication when I worked at REI years ago. Most of it's common sense. One thing I didn't mention is that you could use great fabric and do immaculate work, but if you use cheap thread and/or too many (or few) stitches per inch (or at too much or too little tension) and end up with a bag of rags after a bad wind. Here I can't help you, having never worked with silnylon or spinnaker fabric myself.
I should've looked at the link you provided before commenting on the door. An all mesh door is fine if you have a vestibule (as in your link).
Btw: The design looks just like this: http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Squall_Classic.html
and they use .95 oz. sq/yd. fabric.
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 14:57
Well, what you've told me already has been quite helpful. I appreciate it.
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 15:02
Yes, I *think* I read that the Jones II is modeled after the Squall Classic.
Probably the best thing to do is to make it and see how it handles. Find some rain, find some wind, give 'er a try and hope that she blows apart if she's going to blow apart. :)
I mean, I've put $12 into materials so far so what is there to lose, right?
I aim to please (or at least help). You're welcome. If you make your tent I'd like to take a look at it if I make it down south soon.
For info on thread and thread tension you might want to talk to Heartfire from Lightheart Gear. I have one of her prototype tents. She has a very nice design as well.
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 15:04
Regarding stitch length etc, I'm reading through this, which seems to have many practical tips:
http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/DIY_RNCTents.htm
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 15:11
This project is not on the fast track cause I'm learning a lot by reading. Sometime in the coming weeks I will cut out the fabric, then I'm on my wife's timeline as she has the sewing skills and I'm not about to learn on spinnaker fabric. :) But if/when it is done I'll post pics, and sure you're welcome to see it if you're in the area!
warraghiyagey
12-21-2009, 15:13
sounds kind of heavy.
Yup. . . . BTW I love your Fight Club/WB reference in your signature. . . :banana:banana:D
DragonStar
12-21-2009, 15:29
More on the fabric under the "you know what I know" department:
"This material is made by weaving 30 denier warp and weft threads of 6.6 nylon polyamide, by impregnation using a melamine resin, and by coating in polyurethane. Such a cloth weighs 42. -.2 grams per square meter (g/m2); it is therefore very lightweight but nevertheless highly resistant to tearing; by being coated in polyurethane it is given a coefficient of friction that is very low relative to the skin, relative to the surface of dressings or bandshttp://kona.kontera.com/javascript/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif
(http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6523729/description.html#), relative to the knit of a compressive orthosis, and relative to itself."
PS. The things you own end up owning you. :p