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My Stretch Saddle Build

Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
73
Hello everyone!

I am going to take you all along for my saddle build adventure. This is my first saddle, but I am not new to sewing. I have done a couple backpacks, sweatshirts, bags ect. I recently bought a Juki 1541 so I could sew with larger thread. The walking foot is a big advantage too! Anyway onto the saddle...
I noticed no one seems to offer a saddle with a full stretch seat. My latitude classic has a mesh seat with a small amount of stretch. My thought is that a 4 way stretch seat will offer some compliance and minimize hot spots on long sits. I am using a fabric called Tweave. This is a very durable 4 way stretch fabric. I’ve only seen it used in military applications like combat pants and plate carriers. It was hard to source but I eventually found some in coyote tan.
I’m taking a lot of inspiration from TX5 saddles for this project. I like their lineman’s belt “viper” loops. Ill be making something similar. I also really like the plastic stays they use to keep the seat from collapsing around the hip points. Ill try to do something to that effect as well. Anyway the rest will play out as I make it through this project. I hope to have it done in the next couple weeks. So far I’ve got the seat itself finished. Please feel free to add any input you like!
 
This is my mock up with some spandex I had around. I was able to “put it on” to feel out the dimensions I wanted. I made some changed and went on with the actual fabric. 95CD0921-D31B-46F5-85C1-DBAF89C204B1.jpeg
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These little guides work really well for your seam allowance
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Thread for this project is Amann Polyester Size 92 bonded in brown
 
I did a modified French seam for the seat. Just backed up with some 1 inch binding. 48C46D5B-98D4-4A42-BD25-81DFA14AF2AE.jpeg
Always run a test piece first esspecially with techniques you don’t often use. This was the first attempt.
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These were the second. Much better!
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I’ll be interested to see what you think of it when it’s all said and done. If stretch is the way to go or if like most on the market something more rigid offers more support and comfort
 
Nice! And innovative. What thread are you using? Curious as the material is stretch. Interested in hearing how you like this with regard to comfort and also the durability of the thread / material combo.
 
Very nice work and I’m interested how this material is for comfort for you.
I have been thinking about picking up a juki 1541 for saddle building it looks to do a great job.
 
Hey man that looks great. In my experience with this, you’ll find that a fully stretch material allows a lot of pressure on on the top and bottom webbing, which is why most companies try to find a way to minimize stretch (such as latitude’s vertical straps). I see you added the cupping center using what appears to be mil spec binding. I did something similar with a stretchy mesh and what I discovered was the binding doesn’t stretch like the material did so the binding ended up being the hot spot across my butt and back, because my weight stretched the material above and below the binding, while the binding itself didn’t stretch. I haven’t used tweave but rather a stretchy mesh. Hopefully yours turns out to be more comfortable than the one I tried similar to this! I’ll definitely be following to see how you like it! Keep up the good work!
 
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Thanks for the insight. I picked tweave because it is not a stretchy as some other materials. I would call it more compliance than stretch. Defiantly less stretchy than a spandex type material if that makes any sense. But if it turns out to not work out Ill just make another one with more standard materials!
 
More progress made this week. I’m still waiting on the buckles for my leg straps and some tubular nylon.
I really want this saddle to be as safe as I can make it. Not to say commercially available saddles aren’t safe, but I think some strides can be made to make our equipment safer. More in line with the climbing industry. I know there is a lot of debate on leg straps and if they are necessary or not. I think they definitely have value in safety. They are what prevents your belt from slipping down or up on your torso during a fall. Therefore I am using tubular nylon rated to 4000 lbs for my leg straps. Is this overkill? Yes, but its really no bulkier than standard nylon webbing, and actually a little softer to the hand. Stitching will also be to this 4000 lb rating. Anyway that will come later...
I am not yet sold on this TX5 HPR system, but I will see how I like it. Very easy to add to a saddle with 2 inch webbing and Velcro.42425BC8-0B40-4D35-B0FA-2667C86F37D9.jpeg69435A3E-E705-48D7-AF23-93836DC11BCA.jpeg
 
Here is my math for my stitch strengths. This is 6000 lb seat belt webbing. I did the calculation for 4000 lbs, since there is two ”box” sections of stitch on the main webbing loop. I achieved somewhere around 5000 lbs of stretch per box, which is plenty overkill for me! I used Sailrites formula for this, and 15 lb breaking strength for the V92 thread. EB9930A7-D643-4D1C-8C32-70B6D9D22966.jpeg820BAB68-E8FC-42FD-81EB-D1B657A46F2C.jpeg
Drawing out the stitch pattern really helps keeps things straight when sewing this many lines
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I wanted super stiff bridge loops. They are formed by folding 1/2” of the seat belt webbing in on each edge, wrapping it in 500d cordura, then adding some nylon webbing and stitching together. The result is super stiff loops!E55F8EBC-8932-4AC1-86BB-D53E4C9F2F00.jpeg4A8B6AF7-8A9C-4594-81BA-FD360E07B60C.jpegDDC9C2A4-2483-4062-A7F4-48412BC9FFB5.jpeg
Double sided tape really helps hold these layers tight while stitching33C6CDDE-E062-47CD-8FE2-B9499B552E25.jpegC5DC7FC1-D508-4185-92CD-60C55C0A6984.jpegB51F2B36-10AD-4CCD-8504-6242B26657A2.jpeg
 
Here is my math for my stitch strengths. This is 6000 lb seat belt webbing. I did the calculation for 4000 lbs, since there is two ”box” sections of stitch on the main webbing loop. I achieved somewhere around 5000 lbs of stretch per box, which is plenty overkill for me! I used Sailrites formula for this, and 15 lb breaking strength for the V92 thread. View attachment 64989View attachment 64990
Drawing out the stitch pattern really helps keeps things straight when sewing this many lines
View attachment 64991View attachment 64992
I agree the chalk line sketched out is the way to go both to get the accurate lengths as well as to make crisp lines. Beautiful work. I’m moving but hope to get back to sewing very soon. Thanks for posting so many pictures, I know it takes a lot of extra time but it is priceless to others! What chalk are you using for marking fabric? I have pencil and it is awful, I can’t get it leave a line unless I run over it several time with a lot of force. Thanks!
 
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