Canvas Work

I can sew… not real well but I can sew. I learned back in A&P School. Aircraft wings and fuselages used to be skinned with cotton. They haven’t been done that way for production aircraft in over 60 years but you had to know how to sew to obtain an A&P license. My Dad had an airplane with cloth covered wings. But that was back in the days when he was dating my Mom. In fact some of Dad’s buddies wrote “Just Married” in shoe polish on the bottom of the wings and he said he was never able to remove it. Not sure sewing is an A&P requirement today.





Armed with a dim memory of sewing and Don Casey's book, “Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual” (a guide to fix EVERYTHING on a sailboat); we bought a used industrial sewing machine thinking I would sew something for Something Else. A whole chapter in the book is dedicated to sewing everything that could need sew’n on a boat. Tips to cover things that are exposed to weather, bags for every use imaginable, (like a bag to hold all the covers when they are not in use) and handy accessories like an awning to keep the sun at bay. Mary bought me a few yards of 2nd quality Sunbrella on eBay to play with.




Companion way hatch cover

 

1st project I made winch covers with elastic inner cuff to keep the winch cover on.

2nd project I made a simple tiller cover that will need “refinements” to incorporate all the lessons I learned along the way.

My latest sewing project I made a companion way hatch cover that has a batten at the bottom that holds the lower cover in position.  The scratches in the picture are from dragging the material under the arm of the sewing machine.





I cussed a lot. I’d hate to have to make a living doing canvas work. It’s tough making things fit correctly. The machine is too fast (or I'm too slow), I’m afraid I’ll sew my fingers into the seams! I put a smaller pulley on the motor and is slowed it down a little, but it’s still too fast. A co-worker suggested putting an adjustable stop under the pedal. That way when you mash the pedal all the way down it can only go to the adjusted speed.

I’m not too bright (or a glutton for punishment) because I bought some upholstery material too. I am going to attempt to re-upholster the settee cushions. The backs should be easy because it’s all strait seams and stapled down on the back. But the bottom cushions are curved and sloped where it meets the hull and they have a zipper. Another topic for another time.