Binding around corners...

[hackish 8]

Are there any good secrets to making nice corners?

Looking at rigs I think they sew to the end, lift, crease, reposition and continue in the next direction but my poor old double needle singer doesn't lift very much to get the underside crease in there.

Do you pre-glue? I've heard of using a hot glue gun but frankly I don't feel good about that idea.

I tried pre-folding one, lifting, backing up then sewing the new direction but I'm not partial to the extra loop of thread. I also tried a start/stop but it's even worse.

Since it's not a natural fiber I can't see ironing or pressing it. I've also tried pinning it but frankly it doesn't seem to make a difference.

-Michael

[rifleman 70]

If this was normal sewing I'd suggest rounding the corners slightly and using bias binding tape but I guess they don't make it for rigging applications.

Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation

[RiggerLee 61]

This is like one of the great secrets of riggerdom.

It's hard to explain. You need to get some one to show you. But basically you sew up almost to the edge. Rotate the machine through till the needles are about to strike again. This completes the last stitch and insures that the thread is pulled from around the hook so that you will not create a jam. Then rotate the machine back wards to relax the upper thread and allow you to maneuver the peace. Lift the foot and use a dental pick to hold back and form the lower pleat as you rotate the peace in place to change direction on the corner. Then form the pleat on the upper side with the pick. Lower the foot on the work, matching the outer needle into the outer hole to make a nice 90 deg. turn. Continue binding.

This will not make any since to you till some one shows you in person and endows you with the secret knowledge of binding.

Lee

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[Hellis 0]

I found a tutorial on youtube that explains how to do it.
I still have problems myself, but it does explain it quite good.

At work now and using my phone so I can't find the link now.

[hackish 8]

Thanks, actually that does make a lot of sense to me. Part of my issue was getting around the turn without having a really long stitch from the outside needle. If I'm understanding this right I'll end up with a short stitch on the inside and a slightly longer stitch on the outside as sort of a "split the difference" type affair. I'll go back to practising.

-Michael

[betzilla 56]

practice practice practice.

I use a cypres screwdriver (the world's most versatile rigging tool!) to push/pull the folds into place on the top and bottom when I turn the corner. Helps a little most of the time.

[riggerrob 643]

Sort of .......
You actually end up with two (right-outboard row) stitches in almost the same hole. The last (right/outboard) stitch becomes the axis of rotation (axle) for the turn. You need a keen eye and a few years of practice to make the turn around that last stitch consistently.
The secret is using a steel tool (Cypres screw-driver, dental pick or soldering tool) to clamp the work to the table. The tip of the tool becomes the pivot for the turn.

The (left) inboard row contains one BACKSTITCH.

The next challenge is catching the (45 degree) folded edge with the second or third stitch (left/inboard row).

[riggerrob 643]

My favourite technique is similar to rigger lees.

IOW make the last stitch in the edge of the Cordura.
Slowly hand feed the wheel forward and stop just before the needle tips touch the tape again.
Roll the wheel BACKWARDS just past top-dead-centre. This completes the last stitch and allows enough slack after you turn the corner.

[riggerrob 643]

The best binders are like magicians: they distract you with fancy words and flourishes but never allow you to see the most important move.
The most important move is no movement at all.
The less your tool moves, the neater the corner.
When binding, the most important move is done deep inside a pile of fabric and tape, so deep that it is almost invisible to the human eye.

Once you have sunk the last stitch in the corner of the Cordura, (created a bit of slack in the thread, etc) anchor the work (to the table) with your left hand/wrist/elbow/knee/scantily-clad assistant.
Lift the presser foot (right knee lift lever).
Slide the tip of your folding tool (Cypres screw-driver, dental pick or soldering tool) deep into the corner. Learn to insert by feel until you can consistently insert the tip of the tool 1/4 inch before the corner.
Slide the tip of the tool between the two layers of binding tape until it stops against the raw edge of the Cordura.
Press down with the tip to anchor the bottom layer of tape to the table. The tip becomes the pivot for the whole corner.
Lay the shaft of the tool onto the tape ... at a 45 degree angle (as seen from above).
Clamp your right knee and hand solidly while you turn the corner.
Using your left hand, lift the faybric just enough to lift the bottom tape above the tool.
Using your left hand, turn the fabric 90 degrees to gently and firmly press it into the folder.
Lower pressed foot.
Slowly lift presser foot just enough to confirm a 45 degree fold in the top tape.
Adjust top tape with tool.
Drive next stitch into same holes as old (right) outboard row of stitching.
With the second or third stitch catch the 45 degree folded edge of the top tape.
The secret to this entire process is holding the tip of the tool rigid while you turn the fabric.

[riggerrob 643]

....
Do you pre-glue? I've heard of using a hot glue gun but frankly I don't feel good about that idea. .....
....
-Michael[/quote

........................................................................

No
Because gluing or pining creates more bulk than most sewing machines can handle.

The upside of pining is that it relieves boredom in the loft. You will be so busy dodging broken needles, picking jagged pieces of metal out of your face, visiting hospital emergency rooms, sweeping jagged pieces of metal off the loft floor, replacing broken needles, re-threading sewing machines, re-timing sewing machines, etc that boredom will magically disappear from your loft.

[JerryBaumchen 1,373]

Hi Michael,

Quote

Are there any good secrets to making nice corners?

There sure are. And the best kept one is, as mentioned, have someone show you how.

I used to tear my hair out trying to made decent corners. Then one day I was visiting Security Parachute Company down in the San Francisco area. I mentioned to Dan Abbott about how I could not make a decent corner. He then proceeded to show me some tricks that their stitchers used.

Photo number 1 is of a small, 6 1/2", screwdriver that I have modified with a sharp point. Not so sharp that it will penetrate the materials, but sharp enough to hold things in place. I have this or something similar at each of my machines.

Photo number 2 is how I use it. First, do as mentioned about having your last stitch at the very end of the material being binded, then bring the two needles down to where they almost touch, and then back off ever so slightly to release some tension. Then take the screwdriver & use the tip to lift the upper portion of the binding tape. Then just as you turn the material, use the tip of the screwdriver to hold the lower portion of the binding tape in place for as long as you can. This keeps the lower binding tape in place.

Photo number 3 is another tip. I always leave the machine with the needles just about to make a stitch. Then when I start to bind something, I can get the material directly under the two needles. This prevents sewing a number of stitches without catching the material.

Hope that this, and what others have said, helps.

And I bet each one of us who has commented does it just slightly different. Use whatever works best for you.

JerryBaumchen

PS) Practice, practice, practice. There is no other answer.

[KellyF 16]

We use a piece of 3/32" music wire that's about 10" long that has a semi-blunt point ground into it as a corner turning tool. It's long and slender enough to get under the work without having to lift/angle the work too much.

[RiggerLee 61]

One good exercise for learning to turn good corners is to do it with no fabric. Work on doing it with just the binding tape. It will let you see what you are actually doing on the bottom side and all of sudden it will start making since to you. Then cut your self a bunch of small squares and start practicing doing it blind by feel with the fabric in the way. Then start cutting the peace's like diamond's so you can practice acute and obtuse corners. Once you have mastered that we will start teaching you about binding plastic...

Lee

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[mark 107]

RiggerLee

One good exercise for learning to turn good corners is to do it with no fabric. Work on doing it with just the binding tape. It will let you see what you are actually doing on the bottom side and all of sudden it will start making since to you.

Or try binding vinyl (as in AAD control head pocket material) squares.

Mark

[JerryBaumchen 1,373]

Hi Lee & Mark,

Quote

One good exercise for learning to turn good corners is to do it with no fabric.

Quote

Or try binding vinyl . . . squares.

After 50 yrs of sewing binding tape, I learned something new today.

Mark, do you teach this 'look-through' technique at the Rigging Academy?

JerryBaumchen

[mark 107]

JerryBaumchen

***Or try binding vinyl . . . squares.

Mark, do you teach this 'look-through' technique at the Rigging Academy?


I've tried it in the last couple classes, with mixed results. Too early to tell if it is worth the time, or if it's better just to start with 4" double-layer cordura squares.

Mark

[riggerrob 643]

When I started at Rigging Innovations they forced me to sew a few dozen AAD windows - to perfect my binding technique - before. I did many container repairs.
AAD window vinyl is too flexible for training new binders. Thin vinyl is more difficult to sew than a few layers of nylon.
Maybe the ideal training aid is stiff, clear vinyl.

[RiggerLee 61]

Disagree. with proper technique you are not relying on the stiffness of the material. Hence why you can actually bind and turn corners with empty tape. If you can learn to do that you can bind and turn corners on any thing.

Lee

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[riggerrob 643]

I tried folding a few corners - with only tape. It was easier than binding AAD windows.

[hackish 8]

Wow, so many good ideas here. I'm just going to practice and see what I can come up with. Although the fold did look OK it seems to be best when the work is hidden by a bartack :)

Is there ever a situation where we need to do the inside of a corner? In that case I think there will be no choice but to stop and restart.

Looking at Jerry's photos that is a really short pressure foot. The machine I have is a 112w140 so I will see if I can find a spare then grind it into a new shape that makes this work easier.

-Michael

[RiggerLee 61]

Why would you start and restart? Inside corners are not that hard but they don't come out as flat and pretty as you might like. You basically make it straight. You put many small wrinkles radiating from the corner like a fan to straighten the edge and then just run it through. It comes out with a bit of a pucker but it's the best solution I know.

Lee

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

RiggerLee

This is like one of the great secrets of riggerdom.

It's hard to explain. You need to get some one to show you. But basically you sew up almost to the edge. Rotate the machine through till the needles are about to strike again. This completes the last stitch and insures that the thread is pulled from around the hook so that you will not create a jam. Then rotate the machine back wards to relax the upper thread and allow you to maneuver the peace. Lift the foot and use a dental pick to hold back and form the lower pleat as you rotate the peace in place to change direction on the corner. Then form the pleat on the upper side with the pick. Lower the foot on the work, matching the outer needle into the outer hole to make a nice 90 deg. turn. Continue binding.

This will not make any since to you till some one shows you in person and endows you with the secret knowledge of binding.

Lee

This is exactly how I was trained to do it by Mark Kruse. Excellent description of the technique.

Chuck

[hackish 8]

What I meant was a 90 degree inside corner. Thing is, I can't think of any place I've seen one on a container to look at how it was done. This is why I assume you would need to start with a new piece of binding tape.

-Michael

[RiggerLee 61]

Look at the top edge of the reserve tray on some rigs. On some designs you will see that the top edge of the tray is low on the container and that there is an inside corner that turns upwards to form a "horn" on each side. It allows more shape to the side wall of the container then just a flat tray. Or look at the bottom corner of most main trays. Another inside corner. If you look they are all over.

Lee

Lee
lee@velocitysportswear.com
www.velocitysportswear.com

[riggerrob 643]

Inside corners are easier to bind.
The trick is to scissor cut a small nick in the edge of the fabric. Roughly 1/4 inch deep. 1/3 width of binding tape. Ideally the nick is slightly shorter than the distance from the folded (right, outboard) edge of the finished binding tape.

Start binding. A few inches short of the corner, stop.
Scissor cut the nick at 90 degrees to the edge you are currently binding. ... towards your left elbow ...
Fold the second edge to the left.
Make the last stitch in the very edge of the fabric.
Lift presser foot.
Pull second edge straight.
Poke steel tool (Cypres screw-driver, etc.) deep into corner until you are satisfied that fabric completely fills the deepest (right, outboard) folded edge of the binding tape.
Pull second edge towadrs your belly .. a little bit ...
Poke fabric deeply to right.
Lower presser foot.
Resume sewing on second edge.