Identifying fabric

[ec.hiker]

While I was in walmart looking at fabrics for my next project I notices none of the fabrics that looke usable said what type of fabric they were. The would say stuff like unidentified fabric or something like that. When I asked the ladies working they had no idea what type of fabrics any of them were. I told them what I was looking to do with it and they said we don't sell anthing like that here. I went back to looking and found a camoflouge nylon material and they said theu didn't know they had that one. I looked longer and found several what looked to be suitable fabrics. The only thing I knew to do was to put my mouth up to the fabric and try to blow through it just to see if air could get through and to be honest i really don't know why i was doing that. Is there any way to test fabric in the store to see if it is rip stop nylon ? or any other type of suitable material. I even went back when different ladies were workin and got gthe same repnse!

[leaftye]

You can see if it is ripstop. Look for the grid.

[Rocket Jones]

Walmart doesn't hire people specifically for the fabric departments, so don't expect them to be knowlegable about what they sell. Try a fabric/sewing store and they can show you what you want. Then you'll know what to look for at Walmart.

Ripstop has a grid texture woven into the fabric.

[moytoy]

http://www.seattlefabrics.com/White%20Widow%20Spectra.jpg

[moytoy]

There is a Jo-Ann fabric in Wilmington, NC that sells ripstop nylon. I have never found any ripstop at a Wal-Mart. In the past I have read here that some have. Most of the Wal-Marts in Fl have done away with their old style buy by the yard section and only have prepackaged fabric.
If you'r looking for any waterproof nylon you are probably not going to find that over the counter.

[Grinder]

this came up a few years ago, when the Florida Wally Worlds still had a fabric department.

Rip stop is easy. As others have said, look for the grid woven into the textile.

Waterproof is harder. There is DWR and silnylon and coated.

You can see the coated side. this type feels heavier.

Blowing through the fabric give some idea of waterproofness., but DWR will pass this test.

Silnylon "crinkles" when you ball it up. DWR doesn't.

You can buy a small piece take it home , fold it into a bag shape and fill it with water overnight. If it drips into a catch basin overnight, it ain't silnylon.

I have to confess, after years of trying, I'm still not sure most of the time. Silnylon is pretty rare, so I haven't seen much of it.

Hope this helps

[HeartFire]

From experience you can tell what is nylon, polyester, natural fibers etc. you can differentiate between synthetic and natural by burning them - the synthetics will melt and the naturals will form an ash. But with no experience, it is hard to differentiate between poly and nylon.
Ripstop will always have a grid similar to the picture in the earlier post. It is usually the same color as the fabric so you have to look closely for it. Silnylon you just have to know what it feels like, there are several newer coatings that give it more of a dry look than the shiny wet look it used to have, a PU coating (polyurethane) will be on one side of the fabric only and will look very different from the other side.

The best way to know for sure what it is you are buying is to get it on line. There are many great online sources for silnylon
http://www.owfinc.com/
http://www.seattlefabrics.com
http://www.lightheartgear.com
http://www.questoutfitters.com/

Some of these sources have 'seconds' which is usually perfectly good, others only first quality, prices vary.