The Armour Archive

I made a basic canvas piece and rivited some splints onto it, and I just noticed a small rip/hole in the canvas. I have no idea how it got there, as the piece mostly sits on my desk.
Is this rare, or should I expect it to happen again?

How did you rivet the pieces to it? Did you take a nail and spread out the threads then insert the rivet being careful to NOT break any threads? Or did you punch holes in the canvas and insert the rivets?

If the later, more than likely that is your culprit.


Also, a little more info about what you made might help.

I try to be careful when putting nail-rivets in, I use a dental pich to make a small opening, then wiggle the nail through. Pluse the rip is not in contact with any of my rivets.
Though do you think it'd be possible to break threads that aren't by the rivet. (by them being pulled?)
I use hemmed canvas strips in place of leather straps, and I've never had any issues with durabality. Though the piece in question is a "vambrace" and is my first non-strap use of canvas.

As someone who has made more than a few tents, I can tell you that the condition of the canvas has everything to do with it, too.
If it spent a lot of time outside, it dry rots, and eventually gets to the point where it seems sturdy, but a small disturbance can shred it.

Two years ago I lost a tent that way. It was getting set up for its first pennsic not right on a dirt road, and I caught it in the wrong place with the center pole pin, and didn't really add any pressure, but a 12" gash showed up a second later.

Of course, it was used a lot over those 11 seasons.

How heavy and of what quality is the canvas?

My forge tarp is heavy canvas and it's started ripping after around 20 years of use---where they drove the truck over it when it was on the ground 7 years ago was the first place it gave way!

Your basic question is like asking "is leather good for straps"
Well is it: Garment weight? Sole weight? Tawed? veg tan? Chrome tanned?...

the devil is in the details!

Thomas

Remember, JoJoZ, we can only go on the info you supply us. If an OP is too reticent, our replies and advice might as well be "goo goo ga ga."

I just finished my first major project, and after not one day of sitting on a table, it's already ripping!!!
It has three tears in the fabric, which will no doubt get larger. The largest I can see from 6-7 feet away.
I was so pleased with how it turned out until this started happening. Is this my fault or the materials fault? All the tears are near rivets, though not touching them.
I bought the canvas at a walmart store for cheap, though it "fells" heavy to me...
(The white spots in the attatchments below are the plates showing through the tears.)

It might have been where the edge of your hammer face smacked the cloth, as you were closing the rivets.

Keegan Ingrassia wrote:It might have been where the edge of your hammer face smacked the cloth, as you were closing the rivets.

The plates were between the hammer and the cloth, though maybe the energy still transfered through. (?)
My theory was I had made an opening in the cloth, lost it, and started another one, though I think the hammer theory is more plausuable.
I guesse the only thing I can do is experiment both on a test piece.

What surface were you using to hammer onto? The cloth still could have been caught/squished between the hammer and anvil, as it were.

I use a hex dumbbell as an anvil.
Do you think it could be good to put some cloth on top of the dumbbell? That might lower the stress on it.

could you drip some glue onto the spot to keep it from fraying& running?

sha-ul wrote:could you drip some glue onto the spot to keep it from fraying& running?

That's not a bad idea, it won't look pretty though it could arrest further damage. I'll try hot glue.

I found it is in fact the hammer causing the holes.
A single hit with the edge of the hammer on the canvas instantly produces said tear.
Putting a thin steel plate over the canvas doesn't really help, either. I think shock must have transfered through the paltes and caused the holes.
3-4 layers of duct tape over the anvil goes a long way to prevent this, but it deforms, and results in a deformed rivet head.

if you use a hard 2x4 it will hold up well enough for the rivets that it won't deform rivets but still hold up. Also, you could use a piece of heavy card stock on you hammer and that keeps from marring the work.

There is a product for fabric called I believe fray stop.
(Or some variation of fray prevention.)
its made to stop seams from unraveling in sewing and quilting.
(Highly recommended for buttonholing to prevent lots of threads from splitting off and making things look ratty.)


Comes in a tube, and when applied to fabric, stops fraying and tearing.
It has one drawback, in that it can make fabric stiff in the area applied, slopped on too heavy.

Its watery, and doesn't get sticky like glue on your fingers.
I have used it successfully to repair small holes in fighting pants near seams.

-Badger-

Dritz brand Fray-Check (tm).

3/4 oz 2-pak

how big was the hammer you were using for the rivets?
it looks like you were using quick rivets, I generally used the setting punch for these. that might also help with minimizing accidental impacts.