Duplex Lite Clone

[tcg144]

I’ve been wanting to attempt a frame pack for awhile but never made the time. My buddy has a duplex lite in 26” and said he wished he had a 24”. Plan is to make a 24 for him and I take his 26. Also will need to make the lumbar and belt for mine. Depending how much time I have left before season starts will dictate if I make a bag or have to buy one. My brother also needs a frame so I’m working on 2 at the same time.

I made a test sleeve for the frame sheet from an old sheet before diving into the cordura stash. My daughter asked why I was sewing a pair of pants

sometimes my thread starts to unravel in the needle side when im going through the hdpe. I thought it was heat or a burr in the needle but I tried going by hand and also switched needles but keeps doing it at this one spot. It’s strange because I sewed the one whole size without issue but now keeps doing it as soon as I start. It’s 1/8” hdpe, im using a size 21 needle and v90 thread. Any thoughts?

 

[tcg144]

I ended up switching to a size 18 needle and everything is going much smoother. Machine goes through it easier and thread isn’t tearing or fraying now.

 

[ROJO23]

where did you get your hdpe sheet? after you sewed your sleeve (pants) did you sew it to the hdpe sheet? are you still using the 92 thread? I have a 26" frame and wish I had a 24" for whitetail hunting

 

[tcg144]

I ordered the hdpe on eBay. The sleeve gets sewn to the sheet everywhere that there is webbing, I’ll get some more pictures of that.

I’m still using the same thread just dropped down a needle size.

 

[tcg144]

I sewed the first stay sleeve in last night. Didn’t go exactly as planned but I think it is OK. I didn’t take into account how much room the stay would bring in the width of the webbing. So the first side is straight and then I put the stays in and sewed the other side but it got out of line at the top. I don’t know that it’s worth ripping all the stitching out, I’m not sure how many times you can sew hdpe in the same line and not have it start to compromising integrity.

 

[ROJO23]

what is your sewing setup and what type of needle are you using? looks good

 

[tcg144]

I have a Juki DNU241-H. It’s a triple feed with reverse. I’m using a schmetz size 18 needle now and is going through the cordura/webbing/hdpe fine

 

[Dos Perros]

I buy HDPE regularly on Amazon. You could go direct also:

Sibe-R Plastic Supply

My Store

sibe-rplasticssupply.com

There are lots of places really. Grainger has good choices and pricing too, just tougher for me to verify country of origin.

 

[tcg144]

Almost there. Learned a lot that I’ll leverage to the next one.
Just need to put the handle that tire the top of the stays together.

 

[Dos Perros]

Do the lites not have the little grommets on each side for putting the waist belt straps through?

Also, do you have any issues backstitching through the HDPE?

 

[tcg144]

No the lite doesn’t not use the grommets.

I don’t have any issues backstitching. I do have what seems to be random issues with the top thread breaking. I switched to the size 18 needle and it went fine for awhile, then Sunday it started breaking again and I couldn’t figure out what changed.

 

[WoodBow]

Love to see people tackling projects like this. I ordered my hdpe from grainger. It was very inexpensive.

Here is a pic of the duplex lite i made for inspiration

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[ROJO23]

what kind of stays are you guys using? they look great

 

[JNDEER]

Looks good guys!

Man- if one if you DIY'ers could figure a way to get the lumbar pad and belt from a KIFARU on an EXO K4 (would need a taller and stiffer attachment sheet to connect to the carbon stays than what EXO currently has on their belts)... I would pay good money for something like that if it worked and functioned well.

 

[tcg144]

love seeing your projects woodbow, your work is so clean.

After a lot of research and deliberation I’m going to use carbon arrows for stays. I can always swap them to the aluminum or order some composite from kifaru.

 

[WoodBow]

love seeing your projects woodbow, your work is so clean.

After a lot of research and deliberation I’m going to use carbon arrows for stays. I can always swap them to the aluminum or order some composite from kifaru.

I offered them to @ROJO23 as well, but i have a pair of 26" kifaru composite stays i would sell to someone for $50 tyd. They came on a duplex i bought before i made my own. The curved stays to add a fair bit of rigidity to the frame but i never had an issue running carbon arrows.

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[tcg144]

Got some time today to tinker. I think if I made $1/hr that took me to do these I could have bought them

Lumbar is done, ended up glueing up 3 pieces of 1/2” xpe foam and shaping.
Still working on the belt.

 

[tcg144]

Took me awhile to figure out how kifaru put the belt together, had to walk away for a couple hours but then lightbulb went on and got it done.
I found some shoulder straps in the classifieds and for the price i figured wasn’t with my time to make them. I had just barely enough presser foot lift to see the seam through the waist belt foam.

I’m going to make a 26” frame sheet next, learned a bunch making the first one and want to make a cleaner one anyway.

@WoodBow thank you for the offer on the stays, I’m gonna stick with the arrow shafts for now

 

[tcg144]

@WoodBow Starting on another frame sheet and looking at how you did yours VS the kifaru I see that my life could be easier. I was just blatantly copying what they did, I should have been improving. How you did the top loops is much better, it will last longer and easier to sew. I’m trying to figure out the should strap holders. Did you sew a loop and it is “floating” on the frame sheet? Did you use stretch webbing?

 

[WoodBow]

@WoodBow Starting on another frame sheet and looking at how you did yours VS the kifaru I see that my life could be easier. I was just blatantly copying what they did, I should have been improving. How you did the top loops is much better, it will last longer and easier to sew. I’m trying to figure out the should strap holders. Did you sew a loop and it is “floating” on the frame sheet? Did you use stretch webbing?



View attachment 572567

Those are just bands of stretch webbing that are independent from the frame. They stay in place very well.

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