Charlton’s Marine Canvas is seeing strong demand for sunfly shades, which are becoming increasingly popular with customers who desire more shade on their boats but don’t want a permanent structure that gets in the way. Photo: Charlton’s Marine Canvas The owner of a Ranger Tug wanted a full permanent top along with an enclosure on [...]

ID 211011275 © Valiantsin Suprunovich | Dreamstime.com Death and taxes may be certain, but for those who own boats, so is canvas damage. For many marine fabricators, the industry is becoming increasingly complex due to computerized patterning software, innovative high-tech materials and tools, and advanced methods for accomplishing just about anything. But most shops still have a hand [...]

The Time Standards Manual was developed in 1996 by the Marine Fabricators Association (MFA), a division of the Advanced Textiles Association, to serve as a benchmark that shop owners can use to set fabrication times, with which they can generate competitive labor costs. The manual is an ongoing project that continues to grow and change [...]

Snap hooks are an easy way to attach sail shades and frame straps using a common deck-eye (or pad-eye) mount. After 20 years of teaching the art of canvas-making and fabricating canvas for our customers, I have become a whistleblower on myself. Seeking humility requires a true confession, after all. Even the best shops fall [...]

There are still some clients who love classic canvas awnings. The frames and skins of these unique awnings were fabricated for Boozer’s Brew in Gulfport, Miss. Remember that old saying “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life?” Well, when too many days in a row end with [...]

Traditional leadership philosophies focus on what it takes for a leader to have sway over a team, to drive toward an outcome and to create coordinated movement. These aspects of reaching a goal are critical components of leadership, but they are one-dimensional. Four-dimensional leadership asks leaders to enhance their abilities by developing additional leadership dimensions, [...]

Ihave been pondering the old adage “change is the only constant.” In business, adapting to changes in staffing, workload, economic forces, fabrication techniques and production processes are all crucial to the bottom line and longevity. But change is often uncomfortable, and embracing its possibilities can be challenging. This issue of Marine Fabricator is about seeing [...]

Nearly 50 participants from 12 different countries attended an international marine fabricator conference hosted by U.K.-based Tecsew in Lee-on-Solent in September 2024. With interactive showcases, panel discussions and networking sessions, the event fostered an atmosphere of knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Tecsew, a U.K.-based leader in the design, manufacture and installation of premium marine canvas, hosted its [...]

All calendar events are subject to change. Please check websites for updated information. Jan. 9–11, 2025Marine Fabricators Conference Omni Corpus Christi HotelCorpus Christi, Texastextiles.org/marineconference Jan. 28–30, 2025NECPA Expo 2025 Showboat Hotel Atlantic CityAtlantic City, N.J.necpa.org Feb. 7–9, 2025MFPA Convention 2025Renaissance Indianapolis North HotelCarmel, Ind.midwestfabricproducts.com Feb. 13–15, 2025CMCFA ConventionHyatt Resort and Conference Center Cambridge, Md.cmcfa.org

IPS Adhesives’ new SCIGRIP SG400LSE adhesive provides strong, reliable bonding on low surface energy (LSE) materials such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). It requires no surface preparation and has low sag, as well as short working and fixture times. The product is a two-part translucent methyl methacrylate adhesive that cross bonds plastics to metals [...]