Eyelets

[Oliver G]

Good Afternoon All,

I'm looking for advice on installing eyelets, I've recently treated myself to a DD magic carpet with the intention of folding it in half and using it as a ground sheet for my inflatable roll mat to prevent punctures and as an admin area prior to sleeping.

If I fold it in half I would like it to be able to be pegged out on the deck to save slipping around. my initial thoughts are to pop some brass eyelets in halfway along the top and bottom straight edge and, with a bit of paracord; make a loop.

The question is this, is an eyelet on it's own sufficient or is there a good way of reinforcing the material around the eyelet so it doesn't pull out?

Thanks in advance.

Ollie

 

[C_Claycomb]

No, an eyelet on its own is not sufficient. Eyelets in tarps, even heavy ones, are notorious for pulling out. With a light tarp material, the hole isn't stable, you can get stretch, fraying and the hole gets bigger, and out falls the eyelet. Or the eyelet pinches the fabric and cuts the fibres at its perimeter. For reinforcing for eyelets you want a heavier Cordura type urethane coated nylon that will cushion and be stiff enough not to stretch and fray.

You need to sew on reinforcements in order to use eyelets, and if you are going to do that, you may as well just sew on some more tab loops instead. If you are using sewn on tabs, the reinforcing can be a LOT less robust. For instance, you could just sew a loop of grosgrain ribbon into the rolled hem, if it is wide enough. Or you could use reinforcing that is the same weight as the tarp.

https://andrewsleigh.com/making/myog-tarp/

Or google for "grosgrain tarp tie out"

 

[crosslandkelly]

These might do the job.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/8034371267...MI8N7A-8-c5wIVCLrtCh11JwMsEAkYCyABEgIaOPD_BwE

 

[Broch]

You've already got the tarp so crosslandkelly's advice of using the tarp clamps is your best solution IMHO. There are a few designs out there, mine have a screw clamp, but they all work fine as long as you fold the edge you're clamping over and insert something in the fold - such as a twig. It's probably obvious but I've added a sketch (excuse the crude drawing) - the solid small circle is the twig

 

[John Fenna]

I have made/repaired a bunch of tarps over the years and would go with the ribbon loops as Chris suggests - less work than eyelets, less bulk than the clamps and less cost than clamps....
Or - you could just tie a marble/pebble/hazel nut into the fabric with the bit of paracord you are going to use as a tie out...
Cheap, quick, effective, removable but not a very tidy look.... I have used this for tarps, parachutes, windbreaks etc with great effect.
Simply put the marble on the fabric and tie the cord around the base of the marble from the other side (I find a clove hitch ideal) and Bob is your Aunties husband!
As used as a center guy point

 

[Toddy]

If you're pegging this tarp into the ground then it's not going to take the pull that a open air tarp will have.

Yes you can use eyelets, and Chris is right, they are vulnerable to pulling out, etc.,
But, in low stress areas, like on the floor, they'll do fine.

Take a pen and mark through the hole in the eyelet when it's laid in position, with a pen....draw a circle. Now cut out to within a mm or so of that circle with something sharp, in a star shaped set of three cuts. That will give you six points (or eight if you're using something about an inch or more across. S
Simply fold those over and insert the eyelet into the middle of them and hammer it home on the jig.
You won't have taken away any material, and that will strengthen the base of the fabric for the eyelet.

On natural fibres one can sometimes use a stiletto and force that through between the fibres and push them apart long enough to get the eyelet into the hole. Again, no loss of material, and even less damage to the weave of the fabric.

M

 

[Broch]

It's very easy to make 'clamps' in the wood using split hazel and cord lashing (natural or otherwise) - it works very well without any damage to the tarp and with maximum flexibility (i.e. no permanent decision on eyelet positioning). John's pebble/marble method works a treat too but be very careful that the item is smooth or in a windy situation it will damage the tarp.

If you do decide to put eyelets in, try the plastic ones; in my experience they are less likely to damage the fabric. As Toddy says, on the floor you're less likely to put a lot of tension on them - but a) shifting position may tear the fabric and b) you won't be able to use them to hold down the tarp for other uses.

Of course, if you carry a stick around that's over 1.4m you could just fold the tarp over the stick, peg down the edges, then put pegs in front of the stick to tension it - or use loops of cord and pegs to pull the stick back (does that make sense?).

Lots of ways to skin a cat

 

[Oliver G]

Good Afternoon All,

Thank you for the ideas, looking at John's proposal of a pebble seems to be spot on, I recall doing a similar thing with a 5p to pop a brazzard on my arm. This seems to be the simplest and cheapest (10p) option so I'll give it a shot.

The ground sheet arrived today and naturally I had a quick check, and by jove it's slippy. I invariable find my self sleeping on sloping ground so to stop myself sliding down the hill I've stitched on a couple of pockets to slot the roll mat into, with some careful application of waterproofing seam tape I should be good to go.

Thanks all,

Ollie

 

[C_Claycomb]

Sounds like this is what you needed all along
https://seekoutside.com/matty-mcmat-face/

 

[Broch]

I got fed up of sliding around on the sheet I was using under my sleep-mat so I switched to using a cheap picnic blanket with a waterproof base I bought in a motorway service station - rolls down very small and weighs next to nothing. OK, it's tartan so doesn't quite look as macho as some may like