• Non-skid bimini mounting foot

    Published On: May 1, 2010Categories: How-To Articles, In the Shop

    Position bimini frames easily and safely on boats with no hardware. Problem Positioning a new bimini frame on a boat without existing hardware can be difficult and dangerous, particularly when working by yourself or with a large, heavy frame. Solution Make simple, non-skid, non-marking “feet” that you can attach quickly and easily to the bimini [...]

  • Cut your own Velcro strips

    Published On: March 1, 2010Categories: How-To Articles, In the Shop

    Customize widths, eliminate clutter and save money by cutting Velctro strips. Problem Stocking all sizes, colors and styles of Velcro is costly and space prohibitive. Solution Make a simple Velcro slitter to customize 2-inch Velcro to any width. You can easily customize the Velcro into 1/2-inch, 1-inch and 1 1/2-inch strips by placing the razor [...]

  • Zippy zipper storage

    Published On: January 1, 2010Categories: How-To Articles, In the Shop

    Use a clear storage tote to hold and dispense zipper chain easily. Proble Zipper chain, sold in 100-yard lengths, is packaged on a cardboard sleeve that is hard to use and store. Solution Store zipper chain, with the cardboard sleeve removed, in a clear storage tote with a hole cut into the lid. How Purchase [...]

  • Keeping fabric and equipment clean

    Published On: September 1, 2009Categories: Features, How-To Articles, In the Shop

    Industry experts tell their procedures for keeping fabric and equipment clean and functioning properly. Quality-conscious fabricators demand top-quality components for their end products. Boat owners will insist that fabricators use high-quality, durable materials. The weakest link in any marine product is the quality of the materials that go into making it. With a little investigation [...]

  • Shop layouts that produce big payouts

    Published On: July 1, 2009Categories: Features, In the Shop

    Efficient and proficient shop layout and workflow optimize production, inventory, safety and the customer experience. By Maura Keller Marine fabricators have a desire to maximize their shop layouts to optimize production, inventory, safety and customer experiences. But that is easier said than done, especially when it comes to small, clutter-filled shop environments. Can it be [...]

  • Triangulation increases productivity and profits

    Published On: May 1, 2009Categories: Features, How-To Articles, In the Shop

    It's all in the numbers. Triangulation can be an effective tool to increase your productivity and profit margin. Every canvas installer should familiarize themselves with triangulation. As long as you are able to read a tape measure, you can understand how to use triangulation fairly easily. Once an installer understands what triangulation can do, they [...]

  • What to do when pollution lands on your work

    Published On: September 1, 2008Categories: Features, How-To Articles, In the Shop

    Not long after she and her husband bought their Florida canvas business, a mystery confronted Rebecca Hillan of T&C Canvas Inc. in Fort Myers, Fla. One of her customers lugged his year-old boat cover into the shop. The fabric layers were delaminating, actually separating from one another. “It was coming apart in our hands,” Hillan [...]