Updating the Dodger - Construction

New Dodger Construction

Finally making some progress on the dodger canvas construction.

Initial canvas cutting, several pieces:-

• Top
• Aft pocket
• Front (not including the window panel) - 8 pieces
• Forward pocket
• Aft Tail

That went well. A couple of notes: The sailrite video shows some edges being cut with scissors, and others cut using a hot knife, most of the scissor cut edges (zippers, binding ends) were later sealed using a hot knife and some left fuzzy as they would never be seen. I detest those fuzzy edges, so I use the hot knife whenever I can, if I do have to use scissors, I always seal the ends with the hot knife.

Again, the Sailrite video shows cutting notches for the center alignment marks, I just make a 1/8" cut with the hot knife, again, no fuzzy edges.

Then it was time to sew those pieces that were complete.

The Front panel (in which the front window will be zippered) will take a lot of strain as it holds the front window and the fronts of the side windows. I doubled up the Sunbrella (hence 8 pieces in the list above). Each of the front support strips that run from the top to the deck are two layers of Sunbrella and they were sewn first. Then the Port & Stbd Front Top Corners were sewn with the support strips sandwiched between them. 

I added binding to the inside edge of the Front panel, but was not pleased with the result. The binding was sewn through the edge of the panel, but the edge did not go all the way into the middle (fold) of the binding and at this stage I'm getting picky so I removed the binding and did it again.

Here are some pics that explain this:

Pic of Binding

This shows the canvas was not pushed deep enough into the Binding tape

Some of the binding was sewn better than other parts. To remove the binding, I used a single edged razor blade, it only took a few minutes to remove the binding, about another 15 to remove the threads from the binding itself - picky picky!

This shows how the canvas flows through the binding attachment when the canvas is held close to the entry point of the binder.

Notice how doing so, pushes the canvas away from the exit of the binder, resulting in the binding being applied closer to the edge of the canvas than is ideal.


If you zoom in, you'll see that the canvas has moved away from the right hand presser foot which is right by the edge of the binder.

The goal is to get the canvas as close the center of the binding so that the stitches are well away from the canvas edge.

Here's I'm concentrating on ensuring the edge of the canvas is pushed into the binder near the exit rather than the entry point.

Note: When sewing a concave edge, the canvas will naturally get closer to the entry point, ie. closer to the binding as it enters the binder - When the canvas is being pushed into the binding at the exit point.Pic of Binding with edge depressed

I used a new piece of binding tape when re-sewing it to the canvas. When the binding is close to the edge of a piece of canvas that has concave curves, it will require a longer length of binding tape than when it's sewn closer to the edge. Also, the binding is sewn much stronger when it's away from the edge of the canvas.

Hope this helps.