Dyneema 101

[dlee56]

Hey all, I'm looking to make some waterproof stuff sacks out of dyneema (waterproof minus seams). There's a ton of options and weights and I'm wondering if anyone on here has much experience sewing with it, what weights to recommend, if you've found any usa made dyneema, sewing machine settings/threads to use, etc? I've made a few things with Cordura but haven't messed around with the ultralight waterproof fabrics at all.
Thanks in advance!

 

[flyinsquirel]

I haven’t played with Dyneema yet, but I believe you can just tape the seems and skip sewing. Or tape the seems after sewing to waterproof. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

 

[CB4]

Dyneema is a lot more user friendly for sewing than a silpoly or something similar. However in the link below they detail the different methods one could use very well.

Sewing, Taping & Bonding Cuben Fiber - For Beginners | TravelHowTo

Sewing cuben fiber, also known as Dyneema, is not rocket science; all you will need is special cutting equipment like scissors, an affordable sewing machine,

travelhowto.com

 

[Macintosh]

It also depends on whether you have a fabric woven from dyneema fibers or a non-woven dyneema, or “woven non-woven” which is woven from narrow strips of non-woven. May not matter as much with stuffsacks but to get a strong enough seam you need to do a good job and use the real-deal thread or tape and sewing techniques, or in many cases the seam wont hold up over time. The material has significantly different properties depending on what makeup you are using, and in my limited experience the more weight savings and touchness the fabric has the more prone it is to difficulty—but in general high dyneema content material is very slippery and will unravel stritches through itself easily, as well as having an extremely low melting point, and having different levels of tear-resistance to perforations (such as a line of stitching) so if its something you plan to invest in, spend a little time mocking up something and test to see how it works before you go all-in, and consider if in the long run you are better off paying for a finished product with a warranty, etc.

 

[dlee56]

It also depends on..

Appreciate the info Macintosh, I'm eyeballing the dyneema composite from Ripstop (RBTR Dyneema) I'm just not sure what weight or composition to go with. Definitely seems like sewing and backing with a DCF tape is the way to go. Have you worked with it much? I'm all ears if you have a preferred technique, thread, or distributor.

 

[Erict]

Ripstopbytheroll.com has product and a good demo video on dyneema:

 

[Macintosh]

I dont have a lot of info other than the company I used to work for tried making some dyneema packs and in testing had massive problems getting seams to the durability they wanted. In talking with friends of mine who have focused on dyneema packs they took one look at the stitching and instantly predicted the exact problems we had, ie they had already worked out those bugs and found that treating dyneema like nylon lead to problems. We ended up scrapping the whole project because it involved enough re-tooling in the factory that it no longer made sense.
In other words Im not much help, just advising to try it out before you sink your life savings into fabric!

 

[Loggerdude]

Thanks for the information guys, I’ve been searchping for a Seek Outside cimeron or redclff in dyneema but no luck yet. Seek can’t say when or if they will get materials.

 

[asmxxiv]

Bookmarked this thread, thank you for the info. About to order some DCF to try and make a bag for my SG frame for next season and shed the weight of the cordura.

 

[HeavyAssault]

Dyneema is a brand name of a material. There's other versions of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE). Just wanted to be sure people don't get wrapped up in a name.

 

[dlee56]

Dyneema is a brand name of a material. There's other versions of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE). Just wanted to be sure people don't get wrapped up in a name.

Good thing to point out. I've been working on some stuff out of Challenge's ultra line, super badass stuff

 

[rm406]

Ripstopbytheroll.com has product and a good demo video on dyneema:

I'll second the ripstop by the roll recommendation. I bought and made one of their dyneema pouches for a cheap practice project last year. I did notice the dyneema was a little tougher for the needle to punch through multiple layers when it was folded over. I just used a thicker needle and had no problems with a junker machine. Now I use the pouch for emergency supplies in my pack.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Bookmarked this thread, thank you for the info. About to order some DCF to try and make a bag for my SG frame for next season and shed the weight of the cordura.

Several years ago I did something similar, but much less involved. I bought a Zpacks Airplane Bag (approximately $60), and took it to a local tent maker to have them sew on straps and buckles in all the appropriate places to attach to a SG frame. I then just used DCF tape over all the stitches to maintain the waterproof integrity. The bag is roughly the same size as the SG 5900 bag, but weighs less than 4 oz. All in all, it’s held up well, and shaved a considerable amount of weight from the overall pack.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[asmxxiv]

Thanks for that idea! I have the Z Packs airplane bag and might be able to get someone to do the same.