Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 04:53:31 -1000 From: Bob Turkot Message-Id: <3l6jhb$4jg@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Subject: Thread (for sewing) Question I'm just about to build my first kite (a flexi). I bought some transparent nylon thread since I thought it would be cool not to have the seams showing in color. Will the transparent nylon degrade or become brittle with time? Should I go back to normal cotton/poly thread? Thanks Bob Turkot bob@starfire.ne.uiuc.edu = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 06:25:15 -1000 From: steveh@pyramid.com (Steve Hammatt) Message-Id: <3l6otb$kmh@sword.eng.pyramid.com> Organization: Pyramid Technology Subject: Re: Thread (for sewing) Question Bob Turkot (bob@starfire.ne.uiuc.edu) wrote: > I'm just about to build my first kite (a flexi). I bought some > transparent nylon thread since I thought it would be cool not to > have the seams showing in color. I've never made a kite in my life so I don't really know what I'm talking about, but ... Isn't it going to make your life *much* more difficult (although possibly more interesting ?) if you can't see where you're sewing easily, especially with all those lovely flexi cells to sew ? Steve. -- Steve Hammatt | steveh@pyramid.com Camberley | steveh@pyra.co.uk Surrey, UK | = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 10:11:45 -1000 From: sasaki@netopd.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: <3l7662$175@netope.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard OIT Network Services Subject: Re: Thread (for sewing) Question In article <3l6jhb$4jg@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>, Bob Turkot writes: |>I'm just about to build my first kite (a flexi). I bought some |>transparent nylon thread since I thought it would be cool not to |>have the seams showing in color. Clear thread is hard to sew with. If you have experience with sewing ripstop nylon, then you might have success with clear thread. Even if you do have experience, I would suggest going with a regular sewing thread. I like polyester or nylon thread. If you want to get extra credit with kite makers, then you should use colored thread that matches the fabric. Most folks use thread of a single color for their sewing, either black, or white. -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 26 Green Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-522-8546 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 06:18:09 -1000 From: crowell@teleport.com (Carl Crowell) Message-Id: Organization: Kites By Carl Crowell Subject: Re: Thread (for sewing) Question In article <3l7662$175@netope.harvard.edu> sasaki@netopd.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) writes: >From: sasaki@netopd.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) >Subject: Re: Thread (for sewing) Question >Date: 27 Mar 1995 20:11:45 GMT >In article <3l6jhb$4jg@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>, Bob Turkot > writes: >|>I'm just about to build my first kite (a flexi). I bought some >|>transparent nylon thread since I thought it would be cool not to >|>have the seams showing in color. >Clear thread is hard to sew with. Nylon thread has a LOT of stretch, 20and more. A long fiber polyester is much better. The clear nylon thread is a monofilament and in general makes for a very poor kite thread, with stretch up to 50 Sew some test pieces with it before your start you kite to make sure that is the material that you want to use. carl ___________________________________________________ email: crowell@kite.com FTP: ftp.teleport.com/pub/users/crowell WWW: http://www.teleport.com/~crowell Kites By Carl Crowell - O.S.F.M. World Headquarters = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 22:29:00 -1000 From: perry.farmer@thefarmbbs.com Message-Id: Organization: THE FARM BBS Subject: Re: Thread (for sewing) Question >Nylon thread has a LOT of stretch, 20and more. A long fiber polyester is >much better. The clear nylon thread is a monofilament and in general makes >for a very poor kite thread, with stretch up to 50 Sew some test pieces >with it before your start you kite to make sure that is the material that yo >want to use. Also consider uphostery thread from many auto shops. While most are a little on the heavy side, their are some nice light weight ones as well. Perry T H E F A R M ___________________________________________________________ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ^. .^ ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ( @ ) ___________________________________________________________ WHERE HOGS GATHER TO PLAY = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 12:15:21 -1000 From: hayden1009@aol.com (Hayden1009) Message-Id: <3la1pp$bdr@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Thread (for sewing) Question Personally, as a seamstress, prior to kites, I've always hated that "invisible" nylon thread. It never sews the same. Ripstop is trickier than most fabrics to sew, why complicate it with horrid thread. If you want the thread not to show, buy colours to match your fabrics. There are a number of good polyester or poly/cotton blends. Talk to your local fabric store. My machine came with a warning not to use cotton wrapped poly (it used to work fine on my old Singer), but now that I'm high tech, I go with the Gutterman or Metrosene. Good luck Alice Hayden 8^) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 08:20:06 -1000 From: ilh@lcs.mit.edu (Lee Hetherington) Message-Id: Organization: MIT/LCS Spoken Language Systems Subject: Re: Thread (for sewing) Question In article <3lcusk$df7@everest.pinn.net> cvdunton@pinn.net (Charlie Dunton) writes: | I have been quite happy with the sailmakers UV coated nylon thread that I | bought from Hang-Em High. This stuff is *strong*. Yes! I love that thread. It is cheap, too. $3 worth is 1oz, I believe, which is a huge spool that will probably last me 10's of delta stunters. Yes, I've only been able to get it in black and white, but that is fine for my uses. Compared to Gutermans and Metrocene (probably botched spellings), this thread is much less fuzzy, and definitely stronger. I like that it is a bit stiffer. -- Lee Hetherington ilh@lcs.mit.edu = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =