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Old 15-08-2012, 08:17 PM
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mental4astro (Alexander)
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mental4astro is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: sydney, australia
Posts: 4,979
Ripstop material

If you are looking for some Ripstop material to make a shroud, instument cover, whatever, the situation is Ripstops-ain't-Ripstops.

There are three ready sources of "real McCoy" Ripstop:

1, Parachute and paragluider makers

2, Sail makers

3, Kite makers

The last requires you to find actual kite making suppliers or the makers themselves. In Sydney, there is Kite Magic in Coogee

Ripstop is available in varying densities, but they all are quite waterproof/resistant. Some come in as little as 20g/sqm. Others over 120g/sqm. Some are very suple, other quite stiff.

I got some black Ripstop from Doyles Sailmakers. An amazing bunch of people! Very knowledgable and helpful. As sailmakers, there is nothing about this material they don't know. They also help give advice on how to handle the material. Such a fantastic place! I never imagined that the performance of a boat could be tweeked so much by just a few mm alteration of a 100sqm sail! Awesome stuff.

Paragliding.net lists several Australian and international paraglider and parachute manufacturers.

Avoid places like Spotlight and Lincraft as the "Ripstop" they offer is not the type of material we require. Frays very easily, is too stretchy, not water resistant/proof and NOT COLOUR FAST!!!! You do not want the black dye to be lifted by a heavy dew and drip, drip, drip onto your primary mirror!!!
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