To all you sewing lot...

Looking to have a frame bag made for me but potentially having to source the fabric. Keen to hear thoughts on what is best fabric (hearing good things about VX21) without being punishingly expensive and where the best place to purchase from in the UK would be without going for huge rolls. Advice gratefully received

What are you looking for? Lightweight Vs waterproof Vs hard-wearing Vs cheap?

Lightweight and relatively waterproof (electronics likely to be held in other carriers). Likely be used for a mix of touring and bikepacking. Be good if it could fend off the inevitable brambles on bridleways but think that's as nasty as it's going to face.

VX21. You can get it from Pro North Fabrics in half metres off the roll.

https://www.profabrics.co.uk/products/x-pac-vx21-performance-pack-material

A lot of backpack makers are moving to using ultra.

Ecopak200/VX21 is great for facing fabrics but the abrassion ressistance is sort of weak. Ultras 200 has abrassion ressistance nearly same as cordura 1000d while being ultralight. But it is 3 times more expensive than ecopak200/xpac21/cordura. I use combonation of ecopak for facing fabrics & cordura 500 for contact points.

For those more budget conscious, lidl are selling 8m of webbing, 25mm for £1.99, seen in black, white and red. Quality seems decent enough for price.

I’ve just put this it the craft room.

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I bought a new bag with a rigid frame, and I'm slightly concerned about the fabric on the base eventually abrading through against the hard edge.

Any recommendations for something I can add as an ablative layer to protect it?

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I've tried this, held up pretty well.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WILLBOND-Adhesive-Waterproof-Tenacious-Clothing/dp/B08FBTKZ6K?th=1

My Xmas gift has arrived! Modded jacket. It's ace. Donor coat is ripstop style lightweight fabric with integrated pocket already there!

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If anyone is passing near Swindon or Devizes, I’ll be selling two Singer 201k machines.

One is hand-crank cast iron, the OG black 201.

One is black the later slightly lighter 201, with motor, all working in its suitcase with extension bit for the base. Original flat balance wheel, as well as an extra spoked balance wheel which improves use (torque, easier to run by hand the first/last stitch, can fit a hand crank).

They’re way too heavy to post: probably cost too much to make it worthwhile to anyone.

FYI…

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Things of beauty!
GLWS

What sort of prices are you looking for?

I put it on fbm for £100 because the sold prices for a mk2 like this are anything up to £350 on the auction site would you believe. That was £100 with the original balance wheel only, as the spoked wheels cost £10-30.

If someone on here is collecting I’d take an offer.

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Have a nice Bigxtop backpack off the forum, but find it makes my back very sweaty when commuting. Have any bag makers here dealt with this problem, and could suggest a modification I could make?

I was thinking some kind of foam strips to raise the bag off my back somehow. I've added additional foam spacers to my headphones' headband, for instance.

Did you sell these?

Nope. Sat here in Devizes with me.

Hmmmm..... I'll have a ponder. I'm not too far away.

The hand-crank is in Swindon, will have it here by next week after next journey to the parents’ house, but this motorised one is here and ready to play. Pop me a message.

That 201k above is sold pending. I still actually have my other couple 201k’s, the OG cast iron hand crank (can be fitted with a motor), and my later brown colour 201k with a modern motor.

Singer 438, with a box load of cams ((EDIT: sold))

Looks like the zig zag and the boxed 201k are both spoken for. Gonna try dig out the domestic overlocker and the other bits.

SOLD all the things

dig out the domestic overlocker

to shift? 👀

Yup, sell the domestic as got an industrial one now. Domestic needs a wipe over and lube probably. Will collect it from the parents’ house later today. It’s a Frister 4-thread.

SOLD