I’ve just made a new video that shows what to look for (and what to avoid!) when setting the temperature on your heat sealing iron, and how to tell how long you need to iron two pieces of fabric together to create a strong bond between them.
Together, temperature and timing are probably the biggest factors determining the success or failure of your DIY Packraft project, so it’s critical that you take the time to perform the tests shown in this video and practice on scraps of fabric until you can consistently produce strong welds that can’t be pulled apart without destroying the fabric.
After you feel how difficult it is to separate a properly welded seam, you’ll have tremendous confidence in your packraft and you won’t have any fears that it will fall apart on the water.
Check out the video below!
4 Comments
W Jerry · January 14, 2023 at 6:13 am
I have the idea of setting a timer as I weld a seam to make sure I don’t rush and produce a bad weld. I plan to do an experiment to calibrate my iron. Do you have any estimates of weld rate? For example, about how much time should it take for 12 inches of seam? I assume it is iron specific; however, I suspect most builders are using the iron you suggest.
Matt (Admin) · January 14, 2023 at 10:37 am
I think there are too many variables to make setting a timer a practical approach, but my technique now is to hold the iron in one spot and count to six (or five, or seven, etc. – depends on the fabric and the room temperature) and then roll that spot and move on… would it help if I made a video explaining this?
Matt (Admin) · July 5, 2019 at 12:50 pm
It’s a leather iron – more information here: https://www.diypackraft.com/construction/tools/
Valentin · July 5, 2019 at 9:30 am
What’s the name of the iron?
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