boat on the again - ifai国際産業ファブリック ... · ifai expo 2008 internationally mfa...

D e d i c a t e d t o t h e a r t o f m a r i n e c r a ft s m a n s h i p

S e p t e m b e r – O c t o b e r 2 0 0 7

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Save energy, save waste,

SAVE MONEY

Teach employeesthe skills to pay the bills

On the boatagainMaximize efficiency at the project site

MARINE EXPERTS answer your questions

Use POWER to bend frames

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September–October 2007 • Marine Fabricator

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http://www.recasens.com

1September–October 2007 • Marine Fabricator

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Out here, youhave to be toughto be beautiful.

The sea. The rain. The sun. Together, they’re a force

to be reckoned with. It takes a tough fabric to hold up

to their effects, without shrinking or stretching.

Introducing Recasens USA. Marine fabrics that combine

European styling with good old-fashioned rugged construction.

They’re designed to hold up against the harshest marine

environments. So your customers can worry less about

maintaining their boats, and spend more time enjoying them.

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S e p t e m b e r – O c t o b e r 2 0 0 7Vo l u m e 1 3 , N u m b e r 5

Features

26

38

32

On the cover: A fabricator from Canvas Designers Inc. of Riviera Beach, Fla., creates a pattern onboard a customer’s moored boat. Part of being an accommodatingand professional marine fabricator is having the ability to travel to a project site. Whether you’re running out for a quick measuringappointment or planning to do all of your fabricating work on-site, it’s important to stay organized and expect the unexpected. Tips for keeping equipped are found on page 32 of this issue. Design by Kari Pederson.

Marine Fabricator® (ISSN 1079 8250) Volume 13, Number 5, is published bi-monthly by the Industrial Fabrics Associa-tion International, 1801 County Road B W, Roseville, MN 55113-4061. Post master send address changes to Marine Fabricator, County Road B W, Roseville, MN 55113-4061. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. Subscription inquiries, orders and changes contact: A Lo, Circulation Coordina-tor, Marine Fabricator, 1801 County Road B W, Roseville, MN 55113-4061 Phone 800 225 4324 or +1 651-222 2508, fax +1 651 631 9334 e-mail: [email protected]. 1-year USA $29, Canada and Mexico $39, all other coun-tries $49, payable in U.S. funds (includes air mail post-age). Reprints: call 800 385 9402, [email protected]. Back Issues: call 800 207 0729, [email protected], http://bookstore.ifai.com.

Departments

The skills to pay the bills 18Where and how to train employees in the art of marine fabrication.

By Jamie Swedberg

Reduce, Reuse, Return on investment 26How simple energy and waste management can save money and turn a tiny profit.

By Jamie Swedberg

On the boat again 32Fabricators share tips for keeping organized and efficient while working at project sites.

By Andrea Myers

Crowning power 38Save time and energy by using power to bend frame tubing.

By Tom Hunter, MFC

On deck 4Political discharge

Findings 6U.S. Department of Congress to promote IFAI Expo 2008 internationally

MFA news 12Attend the Upholstery Done Right! workshop at IFAI Expo

New products 14From Astrup, John Boyle, Intermold, Mister Bimini, Safety Components, Seaman Corp., ShipConstructor, Unidyne

Better business 40Unlimited possibilities with the LLC

Gallery 44

Calendar 46

Ad index 47

Ask the experts 48Patching a Cape Dory; Jammin’ on the stapler


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Boat cover fabrication courtesy of LaPorte’s Upholstery, Inc. North Charleston, SC. Sur Last and are registered trademarks of Glen Raven, Inc.

With its excellent resistance to water, shrinking, stretching and UVrays, no wonder customers appreciate Sur Last® fabric. From storage

to towing to life on the water, it lets you offer the lightweight coversthat can help give a boat longer life. Made of 100% solution-dyed polyester,

its colors won't bleed, fade or transfer, so Sur Last fabric keeps looking great.Meanwhile, its tough urethane coating provides all the protection most boats will

ever need, backed by the best 3-year warranty in the business. That means you can recommend Sur Last fabric knowing your customers will love it, even if nature feels

otherwise. For more information, contact Glen Raven at 336/221-2211 or visit surlast.com.

LOVED BY CUSTOMERS.

HATED BY THE ELEMENTS.by

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Political dischargeI try not to get too political here, but I think it’s nec-

essary to address a government-related issue that could adversely impact the boating industry and, in

doing so, affect marine fabricators across the county.In 1973, the Environmental Protection Agency recog-

nized that subjecting recreational boaters to Clean Water Act permitting requirements, put in place for supertank-ers, cargo ships and cruise ships, would be unnecessary and costly. So, it issued an exemption. In September 2006, a U.S. District Court ruling nullified the EPA regula-tion (40 CFR 122.3a) that exempted effluent discharges incidental to the normal operations of vessels, including recreational boats. The court ruled that the EPA didn’t have the authority to enact this exemption.

The ruling, resulting from a lawsuit brought by environmentalists, aims to halt the introduction of invasive species through commercial ballast water. Included under the exemption for recreational boats are: engine cooling water, gray water, bilge water and deck runoff. Under the new court order, the EPA will have to devise new regulations and establish permit requirements for the normal discharge of every recreational boat by September 2008. It has already begun working on the project, which will include new and unprecedented enforcement and permits.

What this means to recreational boaters—your customers—is new fees and red tape in trying to obtain a permit before they can leave the dock. This could have a negative effect on boat sales as boat owners must spend time and money obtaining these permits.

“Conflating bilge water or deck runoff on a 23-foot recreational boat with the mega-ton ballast water tanks on a supertanker or cruise ship would be absurd in the extreme,” says Monita Fontaine, VP and senior council of government rela-tions for the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “This is why the EPA crafted the exemption in the first place, and why it wants to keep the current system, which exempts recreational boaters today.”

According to the NMMA, boat manufacturers already comply with stringent state and federal emissions requirements, making a modern boat the cleanest vessel on the water.

This issue can affect everyone in the boating industry, and I mention it to you under the simple thinking that the fewer boats being sold the fewer boats you have to work on. And as someone who boats on Minnesota’s 10,000-plus lakes, it affects me, too.

In May, Representatives Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) and Candice Miller (R-Mich.) in-troduced legislation to prevent commercial shipping regulations from expanding and burdening recreational boaters. The NMMA encourages other boating stake-holders to write government representatives about why it is important to pass H.R. 2550, the Recreational Boating Act of 2007. You can go to www.BoatBlue.com to learn more.

P.S. The next issue of Marine Fabricator is the annual Buyer’s Guide issue. Please complete your forms and return them as soon as you receive them to be included in the guide.

PublisherMary Hennessy

e-mail: [email protected]

Editorial DirectorSusan R. Niemi


EditorChris Tschida


Associate EditorKelly Frush


Production ManagerRussell Grimes


Art DirectorMarti Naughton

Graphic DesignerKari Pederson

Production Coordinator/Graphic DesignerKristen Evanson

Advertising DirectorSarah Hyland


Advertising SalesJane Anthone, Terry Brodsky, Vivian Cowan,

Julia Heath, Karen Lien, Mary Mullowney, Sue Parnell, Elizabeth Welsh

800 225 4324

Advertising Account CoordinatorShelly Arman


Circulation ManagerMary Moore

[email protected]

Circulation CoordinatorA Lo


Published by the Industrial FabricsAssociation International

IFAI PresidentStephen M. Warner

Editorial Advisory CommitteeKatie Bradford, MFC, Custom Marine Canvas; Elizabeth Diaz, MFC, North Beach Marine Canvas; Linda Delgado,

MFC, Needle Loft Inc.; Mike Erickson, MFC, Canvas Designers Inc.; Beth Hungiville, Marine Fabricators

Association; Dan Lesch, MFC, Lesch Boat Cover Co.; Steve Szenay, MFC, Ferrari Textiles Corp.

Marine Fabricator educates custom canvas professionals in the art and technique of

marine fabric craftsmanship.

The official publication of theMarine Fabricators Association

MFA Managing DirectorBeth Hungiville


Chris TschidaEditor651 225 [email protected]

On Deck



http://www.BoatBlue













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© 2007 Industrial Fabrics Association Internationalall rights reserved

For subscription questionsCall 800 636 4918 or +1 651 222 2508,

fax +1 651 631 9334 e-mail: [email protected]

Mail inquiries to: Susan Smeed

Assistant Circulation Manager Marine Fabricator

1801 County Rd. B W. Roseville, MN 55113-4061

Please include your customer number withall inquiries.

Customer Number Your customer number is listed on the upper left corner of your mailing label and the upper right corner of your invoice.

Change of addressFor uninterrupted delivery of your magazine, please notify us four weeks prior to your move.

Missing/damaged issuesWe will gladly replace these issues, inventory permitting. Please notify us of missing or dam-aged issues within 60 days.

Duplicate invoicesOccasionally you may receive a renewal or pay-ment reminder after you have already mailed us your payment. If this happens, it means our correspondence has crossed in the mail. If you receive a second notice after sending in your payment, please contact us. We may need to update your account.

How To Reach UsTo subscribe

visit www.marinefabricator.infoor call 800 225 4324 or +1 651 222 2508

With story ideascontact Chris Tschida, +1 651 225 6970

[email protected]

To advertisecontact Sarah Hyland, 800 319 3349

[email protected] visit www.marinefabricator.info

To order reprintscontact Russell Grimes, 800 385 9402

[email protected]

To order back issuescontact Sue Damico, 800 207 0729

[email protected]

IFAI1801 County Road B W.

Roseville, MN 55113USA

+1 651 222 2508800 225 4324www.ifai.com

Subscribe online at www.marinefabricator.info

NAUtex Premium • 100% Solution Dyed Acrylic

Breathes from the inside, yet remains waterproof from the

outside. The permanent ventilation protects the enclosed area from

moisture and the damage it causes such as mold, mildew, and

corrosion. NAUtex Premium is UV-resistant as well as oil, dirt and

waterproof. A NAUtex Premium boat cover reduces maintentance

costs, assures a longer and more useful life and preserves the value

of your boat.

Cover by Clearwater Canvas



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FindingsU.S. Department of Commerce to promote IFAI Expo 2008 internationally IFAI Expo 2008, to be held in Charlotte, N.C., has received the prestigious International Buyer’s Program (IBP) designation from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This marks the sec-ond time IFAI Expo has received the designation. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, only 28 tradeshows are selected out of the hundreds that apply each year.

The IBP was created to bring international delegations to U.S. tradeshows. The program pro-motes U.S. exports and encourages international trade and business partnerships by increasing the attendance of buy-ers with high export potential.

The U.S. Department of Commerce begins worldwide promotion of IFAI Expo 2008 through its Commercial Service offices, U.S. embassies and consulates. Industry experts will provide networking and matchmaking between prospective buyers, distributors and U.S. exhibitors at IFAI Expo 2008.

“We are very honored that IFAI Expo has received the IBP designation for a second time,” says Stephen Warner, IFAI president. “This recognizes the excellent opportuni-ties available through IFAI Expo 2008 to the world specialty fabrics community. The IBP designation is a proven value in bringing international buyers to our show.”

For more information on the IBP program and offices, visit www.buyusa.gov/home/export.html. For information on IFAI Expo 2007 in Las Vegas and IFAI Expo 2008 in Charlotte, visit www.ifaiexpo.com.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) pro-actively represents and promotes the products and innova-tions of the specialty fabrics industry worldwide. For more information, visit www.ifai.com.

Boating industry tool to measure economic impact of marinas Several organizations within the U.S. recreational boating industry unveiled the Online Boating Economic Impact Tool, the nation’s only web-based means for estimat-ing the economic impact of marinas across the country. The tool is an interactive system designed to understand boater spending and provide estimates of the overall eco-nomic impact existing and planned marinas can have on a local, regional and national level. It can also be used to estimate the impact of the potential loss of marinas.

The Recreational Marine Research Center (RMRC) devel-oped and maintains the tool on behalf of the Association of Marina Industries (AMI), Great Lakes Commission (GLC), National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). It can be accessed at no charge at www.marinaeconomics.com.

Unlike any existing information, the tool provides sci-entifically derived estimates of the spending, income and employment impacts of marinas on a local economy. This information, previously untracked, is expected to add value to decisions concerning marina permitting and expansion made by local governments around the country. By illus-trating the economic value of marinas and boating access facilities to communities, the tool provides economic justi-fication for the need to preserve and promote marina de-velopment versus alternative non-water dependent uses.

“The most significant application of this new tool is its ability to showcase the vital role marinas, and the boaters they service, play in the economic prosperity of communi-ties which surround them,” said Thom Dammrich, NMMA president. “More than 73 million people went boating in 2006; in order for more people to enjoy the benefits of recreational boating, adequate access and support facili-ties must be available.”

Shuford Mills wins ADEX Award for Outdura fabricsShuford Mills won a Platinum ADEX in the 2006-07 Awards for Design Ex-cellence competition. Earning the top award was the Horizons collection from the company’s successful Outdura line of furniture-weight performance fabrics. The win follows last year’s Gold ADEX

given to Outdura’s Urban Essentials collection.“We’re honored to again have one of our new collections cho-sen for the prestigious ADEX award,” said Jeff Jimison, vice president of sales for Outdura. “We’re pleased to be recog-nized by the design commu-nity. Outdura has had a great reception in the marketplace.”

Outdura’s award-winning, 100-percent solution-dyed acrylic collection for the 2007 line features a new color, Aquatic. Backed by a five-year warranty, furniture-weight Outdura is stain-resistant, water-repellent, bleach-cleanable and breathable.

ADEX is the largest awards competition for product de-sign of furnishings marketed through the design trade.

Covercrafts gets new nameEvolution Covers is the new name for the business for-merly known as Covercrafts, a Mill Creek, Wash., manu-facturer of boat covers. Owner and founder Cory Anderson said no other changes are planned, and the business will continue to offer custom-made products.

Jeff Jimison

Shuford Mills Horizons Collection

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The patterns reallycome off well.

And so do mustard stains.

High Point Collection™The high fashion, high performance fabrics

a s t r u p

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Sun, rain, ice cream, mustard...these durable Sunbrella® decorative casual furniture and marine furnishings fabrics resist them all. View all of the patterns and order complimentary swatches,

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Findings

Products honored at MAATS 2007 Six marine aftermarket products were honored for in-novative achievement at the annual Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show (MAATS) in Las Vegas, July 18–20. The Environmental Award, honoring the most environmen-tally friendly product entered in the awards program, was also presented.

The Innovation Awards, organized by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI), recognize products that best meet five criteria: innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured; benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; practicality; cost-effectiveness; and availability to the consumer within 60 days of the show’s conclusion. A total of 50 new products were entered in eight categories for this year’s MAATS awards program.

In the Aftermarket Electronics category, the judges se-lected the McMurdo Smartfind Plus 406 GPS Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) from Revere Survival Products (image 1 below). Small and lightweight, it is the only all-digital EPIRB available today, and this technol-ogy allows the use of a non-hazardous battery.

In the Boat Care/Coating/Chemicals/Maintenance Tools category, the award was presented to Engine Check Up (2). An easy and economical method of diagnosing prob-lems within four-cycle gasoline or diesel engines, the test pad works by simply placing on it a few drops of oil to re-veal the condition of the oil and amount of contaminants.

The judges also presented an Honorable Mention in

this category to Performance Metals for its marine water heater corrosion alert monitor.

The Dock Ladder from Floatstep (3) won in the Deck Equipment category. Designed by two former dock builders, the ladder rises and falls with water levels, allowing water access at all times. When not in use, a float mounted on the bottom of the ladder holds it above water.

Mustang Survival won in the Safety Products category with the Survival Rescue Stick (4). Ideal for sport boaters who don’t have space onboard for a traditional life ring, this device incorporates a handle with a horseshoe buoy that inflates in the water on contact.

In the Trailer Parts & Accessories category, the judges selected two products. The F2 trailer jack from Cequent Performance (5) features an adjustable mounting system that makes it possible to align the trailer tongue with the tow vehicle, and twin, independent wheels to facilitate direction change. The second award in this category was presented to Rope-A-Boat (6), an automatic boat loader that simplifies launching and loading. The system consists of a multi-winch compartment, custom bow latch, roller guides and lines rigged to embrace a boat on its trailer until released either manually or by remote control.

The winner of the Environmental Award was Blue Water Marine Paint for its Enviro-Pads. The synthetic fiber pad, placed under a boat before pressure washing, filters wash water and traps contaminants resulting in zero impact on water quality.

For more information on MAATS or the Innovation Awards program, visit nmma.org/maats.

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Findings

Boat market decline has leveled offThere’s good news and bad news for the industry in Info-Link’s latest Bellwether Report, updated through April.

“With the exception of PWC’s and ski boats, both of which are more or less running even with last year, all segments are significantly down thus far,” said Jesse Wells, Info-Link director of sales & marketing. “The data suggests that the market decline has clearly leveled off, so the hope is that a weather-friendly season will release some pent- up demand.”

Info-Link’s April Bellwether Report, which is based on reg-istrations of powerboats 15 feet in length and above, is avail-able for viewing at www.info-link.com/bellwetherreport.asp.

Analysts unsure about 2008 marketAccording to Boating-industry.com, marine retail sales expectations for the year have worsened, following Brunswick’s announcement it would be cutting production.

2007 retail dollar sales are now forecasted to be down 12 percent, compared to 2006, while unit sales are ex-pected to decline 15 percent.

Assuming sales are flat for the rest of this year and into early next year, A.G. Edwards & Sons is forecasting further industry production cuts if the industry is to bring retail in-ventories into line. The company is concerned that product more than 12 months old is at close to three-year highs, though it is stable and perhaps even improving due to heavy promotions. At this point, there is no indication that the industry has hit bottom, according to analysts.

Despite this news, analysts and industry insiders remain unsure of what to expect for 2008. RBC Capital Markets reported: “Aside from seeing no visible catalysts to support an improvement in retail sales, assessing boat demand for 2008 is beyond our ability.”

The firm is projecting a flat earnings year in 2008. If market conditions remain the same, the company said pro-duction should return to modest growth in the 2009 model year, which begins in the third quarter of 2008. Even with a moderate decline in retail activity, RBC suggested boat shipments should return to positive year-over-year growth in the second half of next year.



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arinefabricator.infoFindings

Marine Grade UV Resistant Zippers. . . Guaranteed for Life

Made From Tough DuPont Delrin® UV Resins and UV Stabilized Tape

Available in 5, 8 & 10 Gauge

Standard Marine Lengths Available for Immediate Shipment

Any Custom Length Available in 10 Days Direct from Lenzip’s Plant

Always a leading choice for fabricated canvas boat tops, screens and enclosures, Lenzip zippers ensure

long term reliablity and performance with the best guarantee in the industry.

Rely on Lenzip for consistent on-time delivery.©2007 Lenzip Manufacturing Corp. Delrin is a DuPont registered trademark

Call for Free Samplesand Competitive Pricing

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3000 Tollview Dr. Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 USA

Dyneema named choice running rigging by BeneteauBeneteau, the world’s leading builder of sailing yachts, has designated Dyneema as its choice material for running rig-ging. Beneteau and DSM Dyneema have entered a cooper-ation aimed at improving sailing performance of Beneteau yachts with next-generation running rigging made from Dyneema fiber.

Dyneema is an ultra strong, lightweight fiber made from polyethylene. The rigging is produced by Corderie Henri Lancelin and will be used in the majority of Beneteau’s per-formance cruising sailboats.

Bainbridge purchases Mathelin textile and dyeing operationBainbridge International Ltd., a UK manufacturer of sail-cloth and sailmaking hardware, and distributor of marine equipment, purchased the trade and assets of Mathelin, a specialist textile dyer and finisher.

Based in the Rhone-Alpes region of France, Mathelin went into administration at the beginning of 2006. The new business entity will trade as MAT (Mathelin Appret Teinture).

Bainbridge has used Mathelin for many years to finish the Ocean and HSX ranges of technical sailcloth. Four other French customers of Mathelin, who, along with Bainbridge, accounted for over 50 percent of the business, also saw the need to maintain continuity of supply for their respective textile products. Tissage Robert Gauthier et Fils, Verne et Clet, Benaud Creations and Thoviste formed a consortium with Bainbridge and eventually completed the transaction in May 2007.


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MFA News

This workshop is a valuable opportunity to learn hands-on upholstery tech-niques while seeing hundreds of upholstery products during IFAI Expo 2007 in Las Vegas. This spectacular event is being held Friday, Oct. 5,

from 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

What you’ll learn by attending the workshop:New equipment technologies during a guided tour of selected IFAI Expo 2007 exhibitorsTips for estimating and workflow planningInsight into one of the three focused areas of upholstery: automotive, contract furniture and marineHundreds of new products, materials and technologies

For more information, and to register for this workshop, please visit www.ifaiexpo.com.

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••

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Upholstery Done Right!

Upholstery Done Right!Friday, Oct. 5, 20078:30 a.m.–1 p.m.Las Vegas Convention Center

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12 September–October 2007 • Marine Fabricator

Regional WorkshopsDon’t miss any of the three workshops currently scheduled:

Canada Regional Workshop, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Oct. 20, 2007Great Lakes Regional Workshop, Huron, Ohio, Nov. 9-10, 2007North East Regional Workshop (in conjunction with NECPA Expo), Jan. 25-26, 2007, in Springfield, Mass.

Additional information about these workshops, including agendas, registration procedures and exhibitors, is available at www.marinecanvas.com.

2008 National ConventionThe planning for the 2008 MFA National Convention is well underway, and it’s moving back to the East Coast. Join us in “Margaritaville” Jan. 13-15 at the Marriott Hutchinson Island Resort in Stuart, Fla.

The convention program is set and is packed full of educational seminars, shop tours, for-mer and new exhibitors and a Margaritaville opening reception like no other.

Some of the seminars being featured in-clude insurance and employment law for the small business; T-top 202; estimating and work flow; round table discussions; and the popular tools, tips and tricks.

Look for the full convention brochure in the November/December issue of Marine Fabricator magazine.

Beth L. Hungiville, MFA managing director, can be reached at +1 651 225 6952, 800 209 1810 or e-mail [email protected]. Please visit www.marinecanvas.com for the most up-to-date information on the association and its activities.

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New ProductsHeadliner trackHeadliner track from John Boyle makes installing or replac-ing headliner efficient and cost effective, and allows the use of any fabric to best match the boat’s interior. The track

is available in two profiles: Perimeter track, which is used for the outside ceiling edge of the cabin, and Mid-wall track, which is for intermediate attachment of the headliner fabric for seams and centerlines.

Track attaches with screws and can be mitered for clean corners or slotted for bends and curves. Four custom tools that aid installation are available.

For more information, contact John Boyle & Co. Inc., Statesville, N.C., 800 438 1061, www.johnboyle.com.

ShipConstructor® 2008ShipConstructor® 2008, a new AutoCAD-based, three-dimensional product modeling and production planning software has set afloat from ShipConstructor Software Inc. (SSI). SC 2008 is compatible with programs such as Inventor, Rhino, MaxSurf, Multisurf, NavisWorks and all ver-sions of SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005. The use of AutoCAD capabilities makes for a smoother transition to the software and also simplifies data exchange between other parties.

For the updated version, the SC 2008 design team en-hanced parametric modeling functionality, incorporated data from customer needs analyses, conducted beta test-ing by long-term users and undertook a quality assurance process. The ShipConstructor team is currently completing and testing the Split & Merge capability for release this year, which will make collaboration easier. Users will be able to outsource part of a project and still maintain control through occasional merges.

For more information, contact SSI, +1 888 210 7420.

Boat top fittings and hingesIntermold Corp. has a line of nylon boat top fittings to fit square tubing. The fittings, which are molded from UV-resistant nylon and use stainless steel screws, pro-

vide secure attach-ments for canvas boat tops. Black is the standard color for the fittings but white can be specially ordered.

Intermold Corp. a l so in t roduced a pivoting univer-sa l deck h inge, which pivots up to 90 degrees to adjust to any deck angle and can replace the need for wedges or other types of deck hinges. Like the fittings, the deck hinge is molded from UV-resistant nylon with a stainless steel hinge pin screw. It is also available in a rail mount version.

For more information, contact Intermold at +1 800 948 7227.

Unidyne™ fabric treatmentDAIKIN and Dow Corning Corp. have developed the new Unidyne™ TG-5521 fabric treatment. It delivers the oil and water repellency of fluorine and the softness of silicone. Unidyne is available in the new C6 fluorine platform, which is healthier for the environment.

DAIKIN and Dow Corning created an alliance in 2005 to develop new products that combine the benefits of fluorine and silicone. The alliance targeted a product with equal or better oil and water repellency when compared to traditional protective chemistry, an improved environmental footprint and a luxurious feel.

The new Unidyne TG-5521 fabric treatment will be avail-able worldwide and sold exclusively by DAIKIN.

For more information, contact DAIKIN, +1 256 260 6342 or [email protected]

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New Products

Mister BiminiStaying cool is simple under a new bimini top with a built-in misting system. Poly mist nozzles produce a fine mist that cools out-door temperatures 20 to 30 degrees. The Mister Bimini is available in a complete sys-tem or a Retro kit for existing tops. The complete system features stainless steel framework and hardware that can be custom fitted to a boat and covered in five different types of fabric, including Sunbrella™ and Rhino “Ripstop” vinyl™. The system is run by a 12V DC pump, which connects di-rectly to the boat’s battery. The Retro kit includes the nozzles, tubing, pump, filter and tank.

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Ergonomic shearsThe Astrup Co. offers ergonomic shears by Heritage Cutlery that help prevent wrist strain and give fabricators better lever-age in cutting. New Blue Ergonomic Shears can be used to cut abrasive materials such as cloth, fabric, carpet, cord, felt lining, muslin and rubber.

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New colors for WeatherMax 80Six new colors—graphite, scarlet, sand, silver, taupe and cobalt—are available in the WeatherMax 80 line from Safety Components Fabric Technologies, which uses solution-dyed Satura yarns. An alternative to solution-dyed polyester, the fabric is guaranteed to be fade-resistant up to five years.

Weighing only eight ounces per square yard, the fab-ric is tear-resistant and will not sag. The exclusive HydroMax Finish prevents mildew and cracking in cold weather. WeatherMax 80 comes in 75-yard rolls and is 60 inches wide.

For more information, contact Safety Components Fabric Technologies, +1 864 240 2712.

Inflatable boat fabricSeaman Corp., a company with more than 50 years of experience in coated fabric technology, introduces XR-Mariner inflatable boat fabric. This base technology has been used for inflatable rescue boats and U.S. military RIBs for 15 years.

Using a coating formula crafted with DuPont Elvaloy, a polymer recognized for its long-term weathering proper-ties, XR-Mariner was created exclusively for the marine industry, setting a standard for UV resistance. The combi-nation of the coating and Seaman’s proprietary base fabric create superior abrasion, tear and puncture resistance.

XR-Mariner can be glued or welded to produce durable, airtight seams.

For more information, contact Seaman Corp., Wooster, Ohio, +1 330 202 5913, www.xr-mariner.com.

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Hiring and training are constant struggles for marine canvas and upholstery shops. Marine fabrication is a niche market that requires specialized skills. Sure,

you can usually track down local jobseekers who know how to sew. But can they insert U-zippers and assemble V-berths?

It’s even more challenging to find people able to per-form the non-sewing tasks: patterning, design, frame-bending, installation.

Because of its location in Jacksonville, Fla., near the naval air station based there, The Boatswain’s Locker has an ad-vantage when it comes to finding experienced canvas sew-ers. President and VP of sales Bill Bransford says ex-military personnel sometimes have marine canvas experience. Other applicants are skilled only in other types of sewing, such as apparel, and need to learn the finer points of the job.

“We have a good group of people from very diverse ethnic backgrounds,” says Bransford. “There are several religious groups here that assist people coming in from overseas and look for job placements based on their skills. When they come in, they’ve had sewing experience, so it’s just a case of refining their skills and getting them into our particular style of doing things.”

The Boatswain’s Locker does strictly OEM work, primarily for very high-end vessels, such as large yachts and mega-yachts, Bransford explains. As such, the detailing and qual-ity control are more rigorous than most sewing personnel are used to. The fabrics, too, may be finer and more difficult to wrangle.

Bob Mills, vice president of William J. Mills & Co., Greenport, N.Y., agrees that sewers are the easiest employ-ees to hire and train. A bigger issue is finding new talent for the patterning and design departments.

“The big problem, at least in this industry, is finding people with that kind of experience,” he says. “When we do, it’s mostly through word of mouth. Mainly, we don’t have a lot of turnover.”

Inevitably, there will be times when the only employees available are green ones —absolute beginners. In these situations, the only things you have to judge on are the applicants’ personalities and recommendations from prior employers.

“Shop owners I have talked to find it extremely difficult to find people with or without experience or training,” says Dawn Taylor, MFC, Marine Canvas Training Institute,

Training employees in the art of marine fabrication.

By Jamie Swedberg

to PAY the BILLSThe SKILLS

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“They have a lot of knowledge,” he says. “They are diverse enough that we can use them in several different aspects of what we do, whether it be going out and actually measuring the boats, or bending the frames, or sewing.”

Taylor agrees, naturally.“Attending a training school gives you a jump start on

the process of fabricating products start to finish,” she ex-plains. “Training schools teach shortcuts and techniques that create quality products. Hands-on training prepares a student for any position in fabricating marine canvas, including frame bending, patterning, cutting, sewing and installation.”

But Mills can’t bring himself to send his employees to a school like Taylor’s. It’s not because he doesn’t respect their efficiency; quite the contrary. He worries that they’re a little too good—or at least, a bit more ambitious than he would have them be.

“They teach people how to go into business for them-selves,” he says. “That’s not what I want my employees to do. I just want to have people that can make canvas. In my view, there’s a need for a school or program that teaches only the ins and outs of canvas work, so that an employer can hire a 20-year-old kid, send them to the school, and have them come back ready to go.”

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Palmetto, Fla. “And when they do find good help, they do all they can to keep them. As in any type of job, you want to hire people who can ‘self start’ themselves each day, so you as the shop owner can be out taking care of clients and other phases of the project. A shop owner wants someone who will show up to work every day, and if they have the skills in an area such as sewing or patterning, that’s a plus.”

Although she says most of the students coming through her marine training school are looking to open their own shops, not join someone else’s, Taylor still tries to help fabri-cators find quality help. She maintains a classified ads page on her web site, and she puts up postings in the school.

You’ve got classOnce new employees are hired, what’s the best way to bring them up to speed? Many shop owners decide to en-list outside training help. Bransford points to the Industrial Fabrics Association International and the Marine Fabricators Association as the standard-bearers of a new spirit of openness.

“We go to the conferences and meetings and have semi-nars and classes,” he says. “They help to train people and bring them up to speed on not only the work itself, but also the business end of it. It’s helped immensely. In years past, this trade was very secretive—nobody wanted to share any-thing. But in the last 20 years, people have started to share information and techniques, and that makes it a lot better for everybody.”

Bransford occasionally sends employees to local business classes to learn Microsoft Excel, Word and Access. And al-though he has not attended a marine fabrication training school himself, he has hired graduates of those schools.



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In Mills’ area of the country, he explains, a cold winter creates a more competitive business environment by limiting the total amount of canvas work. It would be foolhardy of him

ployees leaving to start their own busi-ness,” she admits. “As a result, owners may not train an employee in every phase of production. Or some have the employee sign a ‘no compete’ con-tract for a given amount of time.”

For his part, Bransford is not wor-ried. In Florida, he and his colleagues have a daunting task just keeping up with demand, and they would wel-come help from additional fabricators with open arms.

“There’s plenty of room,” he says. “As a matter of fact, my view is that the trade is very much in jeopardy of dwindling because of the demand put on the small shops. Most of the shops are mom-and-pop organiza-tions. They work well because they have total control, but unfortunately, a lot of people don’t want to get into a business where they have to work 60, 70 or 80 hours a week at times. When it was just my dad and me, it was not unusual for us to work seven days a week.”

to train potential competitors, be-cause there are only so many jobs to go around.

Taylor recognizes it’s an issue. “Many shop owners have concerns about em-

Many shop owners decide to enlist outside training help. Bill Bransford, president and VP of sales of The Boatswain’s Locker, points to the Industrial Fabrics Association International and the Marine Fabricators Association as the standard-bearers of a new spirit of openness.



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Transferring knowledgeObviously, fabricators working those kinds of schedules don’t have much time to mentor up-and-comers. That’s why Taylor notes, “Shop owners can train their employees if they have the time.”

But most make time, out of sheer necessity. Bransford learned the boat canvas trade from his father—“the last sailmaker in the Navy,” he notes proudly—but current employees don’t have that option, so Bransford con-ducts classes for them.

“Usually once a week we’ll train people on different aspects of pro-duction,” he says. “We have topics that we do on a regular basis. And then we also address problems that might come up during the week—things that they are having particular difficulties with. So it’s kind of an open forum as to what they need some help with.”

Mills, too, learned the family busi-ness from his father. “It was through osmosis,” he says. “I probably started at

about 10 or 11 years old, coming into the shop and emptying garbage cans.”

Nowadays, new employees with basic sewing skills start work on assembling simple pieces, then move up to more complicated projects as they gain ma-rine-specific knowledge.

“You start them out with smaller items, give them a couple of days to practice, then continue to teach them the techniques that you’d like them to use,” Mills says. “The sewing por-tion is not as difficult to teach as the patterning and design. Either way, it’s a very long and slow process. The main thing is that they work with some-body who’s experienced and who can teach them.”

A few canvas and upholstery busi-nesses have figured out a way to kill two birds with one stone: they train new workers for the industry while si-multaneously supplementing their off-season income.

Marine Canvas Consulting of Belleair, Fla., is one such business. Owner Tom Hunter, MFC, travels to

other fabricators’ shops as a consultant and trainer. He customizes the subject matter according to the questions and problems that are of most concern to the clients.

Another company that offers train-ing and consulting is Lakeside Custom Works, Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada. Every fall and winter, its staffers con-duct custom-designed seminars and workshops on making various kinds of boat tops and covers. They’ll also work one-on-one with students.

Taylor points out that whether done in-house by an outside consultant or in a school, training raises the level of work and benefits everyone.

“The training process is never-end-ing, even for shop owners,” she says. “Styles change, and people are always coming up with ideas for products. We have to change and learn to accommo-date those changes.”

Jamie Swedberg is a freelance writer based near Atlanta, Ga., and a frequent contribu-tor to Marine Fabricator.



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How simple energy and waste management can save money and turn a tidy profit at the same time.

By Jamie Swedberg

It’s unfortunate, but true: the United States tends to lag behind Europe in environmentally friendly manufactur-ing practices. This happens despite the best intentions of

conscientious business people. The fact is, until recently, we have not begun to experience some of the market pressures that encourage “green” behavior overseas. And to a great extent, we still lack much of the infrastructure that would make it easier to live and work sustainably.

It’s becoming more and more impractical and expen-sive to conduct business as usual. Carbon-based fuels cost more than they used to, and are also costly in terms of environmental degradation and future economic impact. Meanwhile, we’re generating a lot of waste that could be put to better use instead of being chucked in a landfill.

Luckily, necessity is the mother of invention. And marine fabricators are known for being inventive, so marine shops all over the U.S. are making small but important strides toward greenness. In many of their communities, recycling programs are inadequate, and new, high-efficiency me-chanical systems are hard to find. But the situation is get-ting better year by year.

Scrap smartsMany fabricators have expressed dismay that they haven’t found a good way to recycle fabric—especially solution-dyed acrylic. Donna Patterson of Patterson Custom Drapery, Wilmington, N.C., is one of them. She operates her drapery business in the same building where her husband, Chris, runs his marine shop, Weaver Canvas.

“I’m kind of embarrassed,” she says. “We are environmen-tally conscious. We follow all the rules and dispose of things properly, but I’m not really aware of any good ways to deal with scrap.”

But like many fabricators, the Pattersons do “reduce, reuse and recycle.” Fabric scraps of usable size—for exam-ple, a six-inch-wide strip that’s several feet long—are rolled up and saved for facings and reinforcements.

Katie Bradford, MFC, owner of Custom Marine Canvas, Noank, Conn., says her shop does the same thing. Anything record-album size or smaller is pitched, since it’s too small to recycle. But even a one-by-two-foot rectangle of Sunbrella® is sufficient for a winch cover.

“We save the common colors,” she says. “We store them in tubes and roll them by colors so that when we go to do repairs and small jobs, there’s something there to do it with. Sometimes customers will come in and ask for it, too. And then every once in a while we have to purge it, because the scraps will take over the shop if you don’t.”

Even then, fabric doesn’t have to end up in a landfill. Linda Delgado, MFC, owner of Needle Loft Inc., Kemah, Texas, uses canvas pieces for repairs and makes pillows out of excess upholstery fabric. Believe it or not, what little is left over can still be sold.

“We try to have a big garage sale once a year,” she says. “We bundle it all up and put it out there. We also get rid of poorly made jobs, wrong colors, and stuff we’ve taken off of boats that people don’t want. And we have a boater’s resale shop in our area, so we take a lot of stuff to that.”

Dave Rang, operations manager at Alpha Canvas & Awning, Charlotte, N.C., makes some scraps into handbags and other items that are sold at church benefits and rum-mage sales. That’s nice to be able to do, he says, but smart ordering and cutting can reduce the amount of scrap that’s produced in the first place.

“We stress double-measuring,” he says. “We are all human, of course, but we’ve got a really good group of

Reduce, Reuse,Return oninvestment




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people here, and they’ve been re-ally good about accuracy. Also, we can order to the exact yardage with about 90 percent of our materials. We work really closely with our suppli-ers, and they’ll cut whatever we need, whether it’s one yard or 200.”

Dawn Taylor, MFC, of Marine Canvas Training Institute, Palmetto, Fla., also orders on a cut-yardage basis. And she doesn’t order until she has measured the project. Ordering based on an ini-tial estimate isn’t exact enough and leads to excess waste.

“When we go out and pull our patterns, we come back to the shop and refigure the yardage,” she says. “Sometimes we can cut back on a yard of material from our original estimate. There have been times when, literally, I have had a two-inch strip of material left on the roll from something that I’ve cut out.”

Some recycling programs for fabrics do exist. Rang has looked for an acrylic recycling program without success, but says he has found plenty of parties in-terested in cotton and polyester.

Faith Roberts, MFC, IFM, owner of Banner Canvas in Ham Lake, Minn., echoes her experience.

“For acrylics, I’ve yet to find [a pro-gram],” she says. “But communities are getting better about providing documents that tell you where to recy-cle. All my cotton scrap materials, and some polys, go to a company called Bro-Tex Inc. in St. Paul.”

It takes some research to find re-cycling programs, but the effort has paid off for Roberts. She recently re-ceived an environmental award from Minnesota’s Anoka County for her shop’s green policies. Banner Canvas recycles one and one-quarter tons of cardboard, scrap fabric, cores and other materials each year. “Everything we can possibly get somewhere other than in the garbage, we do so,” she says.

One of the biggest generators of waste is the northern practice of shrink-wrapping boats in winter for protection from the elements. Roberts has found a company in Michigan that will take the shrink-wrap after its useful life is over. The firm converts the plas-tic into protective corner boards for shipping pallets. The catch: the wrap must be mailed to the recycler in a

particular type of bag. Roberts believes boat dealers should make a practice of including the bag with the cost of the shrink-wrap.

“It’s a major issue,” Roberts insists. “But there’s something that can be done. It’s just that the boat dealers are negligent in selling that $10 bag to the customer so that they can re-cycle it.”

Patterning plastic is another encum-brance. The problem is that most ma-rine shops do primarily custom work, and no two boats are exactly alike. So patterns, once used, instantly be-come scrap.

“The plastic that we use to pattern could probably be recycled some-where, but I’m not sure where in our area,” admits Taylor. “Ours goes into the garbage. I’d really like to hear if anyone has found someplace to send it.” But she fares better with foam. Extra chunks are cut into sponges for cleaning the shop and washing ve-hicles. And fabricators such as Roberts and Delgado have found that their foam suppliers are more than willing to accept scrap. The suppliers grind it into chips that can be used as fill or glued together into carpet pads. The only problem, Delgado says, is that now there are so many different kinds of foam—reticulated, memory, and so on—that she rarely generates a suffi-cient amount of any one kind.

“My supplier used to buy it back,” she laments. “But I haven’t had enough to warrant him coming out and pick-

ing it up lately. The program still exists, though.”

Power to the peopleHeating and cooling are huge chal-lenges for marine fabricators. Most have large shops due to the nature of the business, and a great many have high ceilings. Costs can be astronomical.

“It’s really tough,” Bradford says. “My ceiling is kind of low, and we have a lot of batting, so it’s not as bad as it could be. But it’s bad enough that it took me 13 years to decide we really needed air conditioning.”

Southern shops have very little choice in that matter.

“We hardly ever run the heating, but we have to run the air condition-ing,” laments Delgado. “We run it year-round.”

So what can be done? Well, if you have the opportunity to design your own shop, you can make it ex-tremely efficient.

“When we built our building, I had a conscious thought about how high those ceilings would go,” Roberts says.

Dave Rang, operations manager at Alpha Canvas & Awning, Charlotte, N.C., makes some fabric scraps into handbags and other items that are sold at church benefits and rummage sales.

Donna Patterson of Patterson Custom Drapery, Wilmington, N.C., suggests that a formal organization system can help you make sure installers don’t get to a job site without a critical tool.




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“We’re at 10 feet. And we put in a new in-floor heating system that was fairly new in the market. The expense was high up front, but my heating bills are $250 or less a month for 4,000 square feet. Before I built the building, I was in a place with less efficient heat and 14-foot ceilings. I was running $900 to $1,000 a month in heating costs.”

Insulation helps a lot. Roberts says her walls are insulated with R25 mate-rial, and the ceilings are R31. She’s interested in keeping heat in. The Pattersons in North Carolina are inter-ested in keeping it out.

“We are well-insulated,” Donna Patterson says. “We recently insulated our metal garage doors, because that was about the only thing left that wasn’t insulated.”

Alpha Canvas’ Rang points out that you don’t have to keep all the areas of your shop heated or cooled at all times. Programmable thermostats can be used to turn systems down or off when no one’s around, and well-fitted doors can keep sensitive areas, such as print shops, climate-controlled at a higher level than others.

“My biggest thing with the employees is keeping the doors shut when the air conditioning or heat is running,” he says. “We open the doors a lot around here in the spring. In the winter and summer, when I go home, I’ll hit the thermostats and kick them up or down 10 degrees, depending on the time of the year. And, on the weekends, I’ll even kick them down further, like 20 degrees.”

In Florida, Dawn Taylor’s shop would be sweltering if it weren’t for air conditioning. But wise use helps keep usage from going through the roof.

“When we had air conditioning put in 13 years ago, we had them put in dropped ceilings,” Taylor says. “We have a very big shop, so we have to air-condi-tion a lot of space. We try to keep the temperature as high as we can without becoming a sweatshop.”

She recommends having air con-ditioning specialists visit regularly to inspect systems. Recently her shop’s HVAC contractor paid a visit to check duct work, service the unit and plug leaks. The positive results showed up on the power bill.

Finally—and this seems simple, but a lot of fabricators don’t think of it—consider what fabric can do for

Shop design has a big impact on efficiency. Faith Roberts of Banner Canvas, Ham Lake, Minn., lowered the ceil-ings to 10 feet and installed an in-floor heating system in her 4,000-square-foot shop. She decreased her heating bills by more than $500 per month.



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your shop’s efficiency. Awnings on the south and west windows are one op-tion. Roberts has a couple, but she is somewhat stymied by ice accumulation problems. So, instead, she has turned to interior mesh window shades.

“We use those as a demonstration tool for our customers coming in, since they are a product we sell,” she says. “They have another effect, too. We can see out of them, because it’s mesh, yet they actually block out a lot of that heat in the afternoon that comes into those western windows.”

Heating and air conditioning aren’t the only energy sinks around the shop. Patterson recommends you take a look at other devices, such as the water heater. At her shop, it’s on a timer, be-cause no one is washing their hands in the middle of the night.

“We also make sure that we don’t have leaks in our air compressors,” she says. “As they age, the fitting where you connect the staple gun to it will start to leak. You can hardly hear it, but it’s eventually going to bleed that

tank down, and the compressor will have to kick on to repressurize it. Any air leaks are costly. We turn it off every night, too. We don’t just leave it pres-surized all the time, because it takes a lot of energy to compress air.”

Both Katie Bradford and Bill Ashley of Seafarer Canvas and Upholstery, Norwalk, Conn., have installed high-yield fluorescent lights. “The reflec-tion from the lights is much brighter,” Ashley says. “You may have the regular fluorescent lights in there now, but once you come in with this system, it’s like you’re in a movie set.”

“You could do brain surgery,” Bradford agrees. “It’s better quality, but it’s more efficient, too. The lights have a lot of reflectors. It’s supposed to pay for your investment by reduc-tion in energy cost in about two years.”

Friendly foraysSome marine shops travel quite a bit to install projects on boats that are docked at various marinas. A 12-mile, one-way trip to a marina doesn’t seem



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far until you do it several times in a week, then add a half-hour of traffic each time. In the past, this was an in-convenience. Now, with higher fuel costs, it’s a liability. The easiest way to cut down travel time and fuel costs is to reduce the number of individual trips you make.

Patterson says that it’s equally im-portant to stay in communication with your mobile work force.

“This is obvious, and I almost hesi-tate to say it, but if you have an outside person who is running around, make certain that you’ve got a reliable way to get in touch with them,” she says. “That way, you can say, ‘By the way, I forgot to tell you, do such-and-such while you are over there.’ They don’t have to come all the way back to the shop, then go out again.”

She adds that a formal organiza-tional system can help you make sure installers don’t get to a job site without a critical tool.

“We have three sets of tools,” she explains. “We’ve actually taken colored electrical tape to label them. We use white—V for vanilla—for the van. We use green—G for green—in the ga-rage. And we use blue for the build-ing—the main shop. We try our best to keep the tools where they go, and it saves a lot of time and gas.”

Your vehicles can be chosen and maintained for maximum greenness, too. Taylor says her father, the founder of her shop, recently converted his die-sel truck to biodiesel.

“He uses peanut oil to run it, and it’s working out pretty well,” she says. “He collects the oil from restaurants. They give it to him [free] because they’d have to pay somebody to take it away. Then he filters it. I think he saves at least 50 percent.”

As with many efficiency measures, there is some up-front cost associ-ated with a biodiesel conversion. But Patterson points out that everyday conscientiousness goes a long way. Vehicles run most efficiently when they are maintained regularly.

“We take care of our vehicles and keep them maintained,” she says. “That just goes without saying. If it needs tires, it has tires. The oil change is regular. If something breaks, we get it fixed. It’s like any of your other

Carbon-based fuels cost more than they used to, and are also costly in terms of environmental degradation and future economic impact. Next page: Donna Patterson of Patterson Custom Drapery keeps a set of tools specifically for the van in order to save time and money by eliminating the need to drive back to the shop for a critical piece of equipment.



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Part of being an accommodating and professional ma-rine fabricator is having the ability to travel to a proj-ect site. It saves the customer the hassle of hauling

their boat into the shop, and it allows the fabricator to take measurements and set up a project on the go. Though most fabricators still do the majority of their sewing work in the shop, having the mobility to go to the customer as needed is key to running a successful fabrication business.

Whether your on-site fabrication projects make up a large part of your business or if they happen sporadically, it’s important to stay organized while you are out on the road. Trips back and forth between the shop and the project site cost time and money—and if you are anything like the busy shop owners interviewed for this article, you can’t afford to lose either.ww

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AGAINOn the boatTaking your shop on the road is often necessary for business success and customer satisfaction. Fabricators share tips for staying organized and efficient while working at project sites.

By Andrea Myers

Here are a few tips from successful shop owners around the country.

Carry a clipboardIt seems simple—most stores carry cheap hardboard clip-boards for less than a dollar apiece—but shop owners across the country swear by the most basic of office tools for keep-ing their work papers organized. Project details, work orders and mileage reports can all be stored in one place and car-ried to project sites.

“That way we know we have everything,” says Cindy Boersema, owner of the Nautical Needle in Holland, Mich. “We make work orders for every job that we do, and when we leave for a job or multiple jobs for that day, we grab those work orders and put them on the clipboard.”



Make a checklistNot unlike getting to the grocery store and blanking out on whether the milk is running low, a list can help to prepare for every project, even those last-minute trips to the work site.

“If there’s one piece of advice I could give to an inex-perienced on-site fabricator, it’s this: make a list,” insists Pamela Vana of Mariner Canvas Company in New Bern, N.C. “Compile a checklist of all the items you could need, and then eyeball and exclude items for specific projects. It’s really disappointing to get to the site and be missing tools.”

Adds Boersema: “It doesn’t matter, no matter how many times you go out, you can forget something. Take everything you’d think you would need, and then some.”

Keep tools organizedDepending on the frequency of your on-site projects (fabri-cators on the East Coast did as little as five percent of their business in on-site work, while shops in the Midwest and those on the West Coast did upwards of 75 percent of their business by traveling to the site), owners recommended ei-ther packing a bag of tools that are always ready to go on the road, or dedicating a vehicle to on-site project work.

“We have a van that stays set up, so that everything we need is in there,” says Boersema, whose shop does most of its estimates and measuring on-site. She stressed the importance of having the van ready to go “all the time,” to prevent forgetful moments and unnecessary trips back to the shop.

Shops that do fewer projects outside of the shop organize their tools into mobile workstations and carts that can be brought along to the site.

“We have a rolling toolbox for hardware work, and two bags of tools put together: a patterning kit with clamps and markers packed in one bag, and a separate installation bag with fasteners, cutting dies, installation pliers and markers,” says Vana. “We used to keep tools on the wall and try to remember which ones to bring, but now we have them put together in a kit. Canvas pliers, tape, quick-fit pins, top-snap-per tools—these are invaluable tools to have at a project site, and it helps to have them together in a kit.”

Map your routeEspecially for businesses that do a majority of their work on the road, it can be difficult to get around to individual proj-ect sites in a timely manner. Using the Internet or a map of the city to find site locations and planning an efficient route can help to minimize the time spent driving back and forth.

September–October 2007 • Marine Fabricator 33

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Though most fabricators still do the majority of their sewing work in the shop, hav-ing the mobility to go to the customer as needed is key to running a successful fabrication business.

Marine fabrication shop owners recommend packing a bag of tools that are always ready to go on the road, or dedicating a vehicle to on-site project work.



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“If we’re going out to one specific area, then we will do all of the jobs in that area on that day,” explains Boersema. “We’ll schedule one day on the south side, one day on the north.”

Though it seems like a simple con-cept, shop owners insist that pre-plan-ning a route between job locations can save hours of valuable time in the long run.

Account for your mileage and timeWhether you give complimentary esti-mates on-site or charge for your mile-age every step of the way, it’s a good idea to keep track of exactly how many miles you are logging on the road, and make sure that your business is benefiting from the travel time.

In the Southeast, for example, three out of the last four years have brought damaging hurricanes. Following a storm, many boat owners need to have estimates completed by a fabricator in order to report damage amounts to their insurance companies. Many

Amy Poe of Portland, Ore., completed a successful fabrication project on this Beneteau 393, with all of the work completed on-site. “We finished it up at 11 p.m. and they took off cruising up to Alaska at 5 a.m. the next morning,” she says. “It was a full enclosure, with insect screens for all the side windows and window covers all around.”

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times the boat owner will opt out of having any work done. In situations like these, it is important to evaluate how much time you are giving away for free by traveling to the boat own-er’s site.

“We haven’t been charging for doing estimates, and that seems to be a dilemma,” says Vana, whose business has been hit especially hard by the recent hurricanes. “We’re thinking about a policy of saying that if you bring your boat to us, we’ll give you a half hour for free. If you take more than a half hour or if we have to go to the site, we’ll charge a nominal fee. Otherwise we can be busy for three months at a time doing estimates after a hurricane hits.”

“I include travel time as a sepa-rate charge if the boat is farther than five miles from my shop,” says Amy Poe, owner of North Wind Canvas in Portland, Ore.

“When we bid, we expect to have a couple hours of travel time,” Boersema adds. “And we charge accordingly.”

Pamela Vana of New Bern, N.C., was awarded by the Virginia-Carolinas Canvas Products Association for her fabrication work on this Caliber 40 sailboat. All of the measuring and preparation work was completed on-site, including laying out tape to give the customer a visual representation of where the edges of the fabric will be, to ensure that the customer would be satisfied with her work.

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Watch for dangerous weatherSpeaking of dangerous weather, shop owners along the oceanic coasts rec-ommend planning around potentially hazardous storms and high winds.

“Don’t fight the weather,” insists Vana. “Try to not pattern if the wind is above 10 knots. We’ve heard hints where if you’re patterning large proj-ects you can cut an ‘X’ in the pattern so the wind blows through, but it’s just not safe.”

In instances where rain or extreme cold is unavoidable, Vana recom-mends using 6-mm shrink wrap to pat-tern the project instead of the more widely-used Canvex. “It’s stable re-gardless of the temperature,” she says. “That way you are able to pattern in cold weather or when the temperature is in the upper 90s, and the pattern fits the boat throughout the year.”

Poe agrees that working in high winds can be frustrating.

“The first dodger we did out of town was 45 minutes away in Hood River,” she explains. “Hood River is in the gorge, an area famous for heavy wind. We made four or five trips before we were able to pattern the dodger. Even though we checked the weather be-fore we left, the wind always picked up by the time we got there. We fi-nally found a ‘calm’ morning (wind blowing under 10 knots), rigged up a plastic ‘wind shelter’ in front of the mast, and patterned the dodger. We have not done a dodger in Hood River since.”

Invest in your safetyMeasuring for a project often re-quires a bit of climbing. When work-ing on-site, this often means climbing up onto a boat that is in the dock, and highly affected by waves and wind. It’s important to keep safety in mind as you scale the boat to take measurements. A durable fall-protec-tion harness and attachment lanyard are especially useful for these kinds of tasks.

“We use a protection harness from Northern Safety,” says Vana. “I’ve sometimes taken my sailing harness out and had someone spot me, climb-ing like a monkey all over the boat, and it’s really unsafe to do that. The swing arm when you’re 30 or 40 feet

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The purpose of the Marine Fabricators Association is to provide resources and programs for marine fabricators; to establish standards of excellence for business practices, products and craftsmanship; and to establish and maintain an identity for marine fabricators. To fi nd out more about the Marine Fabricators Association or IFAI, contact Beth Hungiville, Managing Director at 800 209 1810, +1 651 225 6952; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.marinecanvas.com or www.ifai.com.



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off the water is really dangerous.” “There was recently a Georgetown

fabricator who broke his arm on a proj-ect,” Vana reports, which reminded her that “when you are physically dis-abled, you can’t do the work.”

Vana has rededicated herself to find-ing safe ways to complete her work out on the project site, and insists that both new and seasoned fabricators take safety measures into account.

Whether you’re running out for a quick measuring appointment or plan-ning to do all of your fabricating work on-site, it’s important to stay organized and expect the unexpected. Making lists, packing tools ahead of time, and keeping variables like nasty weather in check will ensure that even the busiest fabricating shop can handle any on-site project.

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L ast November, at the 2006 Great Lakes MFA Regional, I, along with two other master fabric craftsman, Dan Lesch and Darrel Turner, presented a seminar on

three different methods for bending bows for a boat top frame. Although all three of us are somewhat different in how we bend the shoulder of the bow, it’s the different methods we use to crown the bows that is the impetus for this article.

Lesch crowns using a pre-selected block of wood, I use a Crownarc three-wheel roller, which is hand cranked, and Turner uses an electric powered Rayco three-wheel roller crowner. All three methods have their good and bad points, but as the industry is using more and more stainless steel of increasing diameters, the first two options are getting harder to operate.

The hand-operated systems provide more control on the resulting crown and are relatively inexpensive. Powered crowners are almost effortless, but they are expensive and sacrifice some control over what you get for a crown.

The feedback I received from the attendees of the work-shop was that they liked the idea of the more advanced powered crowners, but not the price. One gentleman said something to the effect of that we have this 21st century pro-gram to help design frames, and yet we’re still showing 20th century methods to bend and crown our bows.

I have to admit that hand cranking my Crownarc roller is getting harder as the years go by. We used to use a lot of 7⁄8-inch aluminum and stainless steel tubing, but now use almost exclusively 1-inch stainless steel tubing and are mov-ing toward 1¼-inch tubing.

That got me thinking about what we could do to mod-ernize the old Crownarc, which I’ve had for over 18 years. I called a friend of mine, John Toich in Cincinnati, Ohio. He’s an old canvas guy, too, but is a bit of an inventor who likes to tinker with old hotrods and can make almost any-thing. I told him about the feedback I received from my presentation and my idea to power up the Crownarc roller. I also mentioned that we had to do it for a quarter of the price of the other powered rollers. Toich said he would think about it, and get back to me.

I knew that was all it would take to get Toich’s juices flowing. Sure enough, he called back the next day. He said the only way we could keep the price down was to use an existing power source and come up with an adapter to link it to the Crownarc. I told him to run with it. Over the next couple of months John weeded through power sources and adapters to come up with what we call the Power Crank adapter (picture 1).

1.

2.

Save time and energy by using power to bend frame tubing. By Tom Hunter, MFC, Clearwater Canvas, Belleair, Fla.

POWERCROWNING

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The Power Crank is an adapter kit that connects the power source to the Crownarc roller after removing the crank handle. The power source is a portable pipe-thread-ing machine, which is a high torque and low rpm hand-held tool about the size of a large Sawzall. The kit includes a machined adapter block, which connects the power source to the roller, and all the necessary parts, spacers, bolts and nuts to fit to all Crownarc models from over the years. The power source’s snap ring fits onto the formed block adapter to secure the connection (pic. 2).

When crowning 1-inch or 1¼-inch stainless steel tubing manually you have to take a smaller bite or fewer turns on the pressure adjustment screw on the middle roller, which crowns the tube. This will allow you to muscle the tubing through the pass from one shoulder bend to the other shoulder bend. However, this requires more passes in order to achieve the crown. With the Power Crank you can take a larger bite and usually achieve the crown in two or three passes. This makes the process effortless and it takes less time.

All crowns should be made after the shoulder bends are completed, whether you use a power crowner or a hand roller. This allows you to increase the pressure on the middle wheel in the shoulder area, which is the dead area. Adding pressure to a tube when all three wheels are in con-tact with it will produce a kink or dimple at that point. Thus, you will not get a uniform crown from side to side.

Operate the Power Crank the same way you operate a hand crank. After completing your shoulder bends, slip the tubing into the crowner and take up the slack until the tubing stops slipping on the wheels. Then move the tubing into the shoulder, so that the tubing is loose again (pic. 3). Try three or four half turns (or twice what you normally did to start) on the pressure adjusting screw. It’s normal to be conservative the first time—stainless steel tubing is not cheap. Run the Power Crank across to the other shoulder bend and take your normal measure-

ments. Reverse the direction of the power source, add some additional pressure and run back to the other shoul-der bend (pic. 4). Again check where you are with your crown measurements and repeat until your desired crown is achieved. You will quickly get the hang of it, to where you

3.

4.

5.

September–October 2007 • Marine Fabricator 39

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can complete your crown in two to three passes (pic. 5). You can watch a video of the Power Crank in operation on at www.clearwatercanvas.com.

I believe this tool will make your work life easier and quicker, and we all know time is money.

The story of this invention shows the power of the Marine Fabricators Association. If it wasn’t for attending the Great Lakes Regional and the interaction of the attend-ees, I might not have come up with the logic behind this idea and I might not have known a person like John Toich, who had the ability to turn the idea into reality. Many heads are truly better than one.



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Better Business

There is a relatively new business structure on the block. While the S corporation remains the most-used type of small business entity, the limited

liability company (LLC) is increasingly the entity of choice for both new and existing marine fabrication and uphol-stery businesses.

LLCs are popular entities for operating a business be-cause, as with any incorporated marine fabrication busi-ness, owners have limited liability for the debts and actions of the LLC. Other features of LLCs are more in line with a partnership, providing management flexibility and the ben-efit of pass-through taxation.

Owners of LLCs are called “members,” and since most states do not restrict ownership, members may include in-dividuals, corporations, other LLCs and even foreign entities. There is no maximum number of members, and most states

permit “single member” LLCs, those having only one owner. Only a few types of businesses cannot be LLCs, such as banks, insurance companies and nonprofit organizations.

LLC definedA limited liability company is a business structure that com-bines the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a corporation. As is the case with owners in partnerships or sole proprietor-ships, LLC members report business profits or losses on their personal income tax returns; the LLC itself is not a separate taxable entity.

Like owners of a corporation, however, all LLC owners or members are protected from personal liability for business debts and claims, a feature known as “limited liability.” This means that if the business owes money or faces a lawsuit for some other reason, only the assets of the business it-self are at risk. Creditors usually cannot reach the personal assets of the LLC member, such as their house or car.

Unlike S corporations, LLCs have no limit on the number or nationality of members, can own subsidiaries and can have more than one class of interest —a good method of unequally dividing income and losses. A limited liability company—yes, “company” not “corporation”—can select varying forms of distribution for profits. Unlike a common partnership where the split is 50-50, LLCs have much more flexibility. LLC profits are taxed only once, at the owners’ tax rate when earned by the entity.

LLCs protect all members’ personal assets from debts and lawsuits. Even a limited partnership (LP) has one party who assumes liability, the general partner, and that partner usually must have substantial net worth. Furthermore, lim-ited partners who participate in managing the marine fabri-cation business risk losing their limited liability.

Viva the differencesCorporations are required to keep formal minutes, have meetings and record resolutions. The LLC business struc-ture requires no corporate minutes or resolutions, and is easier to operate. In fact, in some states, LLCs can be cre-ated with just one natural person involved.

All business losses, profits and expenses flow through the marine fabrication business to the individual members. You avoid the double taxation of paying corporate tax and individual tax. Generally, this will be a tax advantage but circumstances can favor a corporate tax structure.

Probably most importantly, owners of LLCs have the liability protection of a corporation. A LLC exists as a sepa-rate entity, much like a corporation. Members cannot be held personally liable for debts unless they have signed a personal guarantee.

Unlimited possibilities with limited liability companies

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The downsideThis limited liability is not foolproof. Both LLC members and corporate shareholders can lose this protec-tion by acting illegally, unethically or irresponsibly. Plus, many courts are increasingly reaching behind the cor-porate veil into the pockets of mem-bers and shareholders who have not kept the business entity fully separate from their personal finances.

Other disadvantages include, but are not limited to:

•Limited life. While corporations can live forever, an LLC is dissolved when a member dies or undergoes bankruptcy.

•Going public. Owners of marine fabrication businesses with plans to take their company public, or issuing employee shares in the future, may be best served by choosing a corpo-rate business structure.

•Raising capital. It may be more difficult to raise capital for an LLC, as investors may be more comfortable investing funds in the better-under-stood corporate form with a view to-ward an eventual IPO.

•Complexity. Running a sole-pro-prietorship or partnership usually involves less paperwork and is less complex. Under federal tax laws, an LLC may be classified as a sole-pro-prietorship, partnership or corporation for tax purposes. Classification can be made on the tax return thanks to the so-called “Check-The-Box” question on the tax return. If not selected, a default often applies.

Also on the downside, the laws of various states governing limited liabil-ity companies vary. No uniform law prevails, which makes doing business in more than one state difficult.

Like partnerships, LLCs do not have perpetual life. Some states stipulate that LLCs must dissolve after 30 or 40 years. Technically, an LLC venture dissolves when a member dies, quits or retires.

Forming the LLCIn most states, a LLC can be formed simply by filing “articles of organiza-tion” with the state’s LLC filing office (usually the Secretary of State’s office), and paying a filing fee. Many states



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Better Business

provide a fill-in-the-blank form, which takes only a few minutes to prepare.

The operating agreement contains any procedures and rules that the par-ties desire and, once put into place, can just sit there, maintenance free. The operating agreement explicitly states the rights and responsibilities of the LLC members. Without a writ-ten LLC operating agreement, the LLC laws of your state will govern the inner workings of the LLC. Generally, it is preferable to clarify your business arrangements and decide how your LLC will be run, rather than having the state dictate its terms.

Under the LLC rules in most states, there is no need to keep exhaustive minutes, hold meetings or make reso-lutions to stay legal. This is often a trap for the unwary, and is the first place the Internal Revenue Service or an aggressive attorney will attack when attempting to “pierce the cor-porate veil” and go after the mem-bers personally. If the records are not

maintained perfectly, the corporate protection may be lost.

SwitchingIn most situations, a business op-erating as a partnership can quickly and inexpensively convert to an LLC. Partnerships can usually convert with-out tax consequences, with the new LLC continuing to file a partnership tax return with the IRS. Because of the similarity of the structure, the IRS does not usually look at the conver-sion as a taxable event.

A corporation can also convert to LLC status, although it may not be a wise move for the sharehold-ers of many incorporated businesses. Generally, it is not feasible for a ma-rine fabrication business operating as a corporation, either as a regular or as an S corporation, to convert to LLC status. IRS regulations require that the incorporated upholstery or marine fab-rication business liquidate first, thus creating considerable tax liability.

To convert, a corporation must first be liquidated and pay tax on any gain in its fair market value. Even a cor-poration with depressed values that converts would have to be prepared to prove its estimate to the IRS. That could mean a costly appraisal.

Taxing questionsAs with many good things, there are tax questions surrounding the use of a LLC to operate the marine fabrica-tion business. For starters, there is the Self-Employment Tax Act (SETA). Limited partners and S corporation shareholders generally are not subject to self-employment taxes—a 2.9-per-cent Medicare levy on all salaries and 12.4-percent FICA (Social Security) tax on income up to $97,500 (in 2007)—but are passive LLC members?

The IRS’ position, subject to change, is that LLC members who participate in management are subject to employ-ment taxes. If LLC members are legiti-mate, passive members, according to the IRS, they should not be subject to those employment taxes.

The LLC is A-OK ... sometimes Limited liability companies work for start-ups, for marine fabrication and upholstery operations branching out, and in lieu of limited partnerships for such financial entities as trading pools and hedge funds. Lawyers are increasingly recommending them for estate planning: Reorganize assets or the family business as an LLC, and you can gradually give most of the shares to your heirs while retaining management control.

The LLC is rapidly becoming the en-tity of choice for many owners, share-holders and partners in every realm. The LLC will continue to gain momen-tum as more and more people learn of its existence. You might be well advised to consider its many benefits—and its possible pitfalls—for your business. Once all of the pros and cons are con-sidered, many marine fabricators and upholsterers have discovered the so-called “limited liability company” is the most profitable operating entity for their fabrication business.

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The unique magazine for marine professionals who work with fabric.

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Gallery

2006 International Achievement AwardsMarine projects


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Marine Upholstery and Interior Fabric ProductsAward of ExcellenceCanvas Designers Inc.Riviera Beach, Fla.

Subject: Dream yacht project, 108-foot BrowardProject detail: This luxurious “dream yacht” project in-

cludes a redesign from stem to stern. New headliners are constructed throughout the entire boat. The library requires a mattress, bedding, pillows and headliners; the salon fea-tures ottomans that are fabricated from scratch, sofas that are redesigned and recovered, and blinds that are fabri-cated from raw wood. The master stateroom work includes the mattress, bedding, Roman shades, headliners and wall covering, as well as the fabrication of two VIP and captain’s quarters. The bow area of the boat includes the fabrication of cushions, pillows and sun pads; the outdoor flybridge, cushions and basic decor, along with outdoor headliners and shades.

Each year the Industrial Fabrics Association International sponsors the International Achievement Awards competi-tion to recognize companies for their innovations in design, technology and application in the specialty fabrics industry. In the January/February issue of Marine Fabricator, the winners in the Marine Exterior Fabric Products (Sailboats)category were featured. The March/April issue featuredthe winners in the Marine Exterior Fabric Products (Powerboats) category. This issue features the winners in the Marine Upholstery and Interior Fabric Products category. Congratulations to the winners.




Outstanding Achievement AwardCustom Canvas of Charleston Inc.N. Charleston, S.C.Subject: 34-foot custom built offshore race boat

Project detail: Custom Canvas of Charleston started with a plywood frame to fabricate the six stand-in “pods.” Each row of three pods are made as a unit and then lifted into the boat. Side bolsters and backrest panels are added. The wooden frames are first foamed out for the desired shape and fit, then patterned. Fabricated upholstery is created for each row of pods as one piece. These are then glued and stapled into place. W.L. Gore donated the red Tenara thread used throughout the project, as none was found at any suppliers.

Outstanding Achievement AwardPCR Restorations Inc. d/b/a Lehr Awning Co.Mansfield, Ohio

Subject: Marine interiorProject detail: The interior of the houseboat (located in

Monticello, Ky.) is redone with new window treatments, head-boards, bedbase, valances, pleated, lined drapes and reuphol-stered front dining room chairs. The fabrics are all Sunbrella

materials: 45031-01 Anchorage Spa, 4003-09 Denali Spa, 45032-04 Reef Bone, 45061-01 Spontane Beige / Natural 2, and 47017-00 Boston Stone. All the projects were fabricated in Mansfield, Ohio. PCR Restorations took many 400-mile trips to Monticello to measure, fit and install the projects.

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Calendar

September 12-15Virginia-Carolinas Canvas Products Association Annual ConventionAt the Hospitality House Hotel in Williamsburg, Va. Contact Jeri Perrilo, secretary, at [email protected].

October 3–5IFAI Expo 2007At the Las Vegas Convention Center. The specialty fabrics industry’s annual convention in North America. Call IFAI Conference Management, 800 225 4324, or visit www.ifaiexpo.com.

October 10–12International Boatbuilders Exposition and ConferenceAt the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Fla. Visit www.ibexshow.com.

October 20MFA Canadian WorkshopAt DRH Canvas & Marine Ltd. in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Contact Beth Hungiville, MFA managing director, +1 651 225 6952, 800 209 1810, [email protected], or visit www.marinecanvas.com.

November 9–10MFA Great Lakes WorkshopAt Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, Ohio. Contact Beth Hungiville, MFA managing director, +1 651 225 6952, 800 209 1810, [email protected], or visit www.marinecanvas.com.

January 13 –15, 2008MFA National ConventionAt the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort in Stuart, Fla. Attendees can meet with over 35 exhibitors, learn marine fabrication skills and business strategies, tour local canvas shops and enjoy networking activities. Contact Beth Hungiville, MFA managing director, +1 651 225 6952, 800 209 1810, [email protected], or visit www.marinecanvas.com.

January 30–February 12008 Tri-Zone ConventionAt the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. The combined convention of the Mid America 8, Upper Midwest and Zone 7 Canvas Products Associations. Events include a kick-off dinner, a Lawrence Fabric Structures plant tour, seminars and Market Day, featuring over 30 vendors. For information, visit www.canvaszone7.com.

For more information on classified advertising in IFAI’s Marine Fabricator, contact Shelly Arman at IFAI, 1801 County Rd. B W., Roseville, MN 55113-4061 USA.

Phone: 800 436 2408, fax: +1 651 225 6987, e-mail: [email protected].

MARKETPLACE

Look for classifieds on our website www.ifai.com

Help Wanted

American subsidiary of Sattler AG, a world renown producer of high quality, solution dyed acrylic fabrics for awning and marine applications, seeks several sales reps. for expansion into new territories.

Please fax resume to:

(631) 393-5141

or email to:

[email protected]

SALES HELP WANTED




http://www.ibexshow.com

http://www.ibexshow.com







http://www.ifai.com/Marine/classifieds.cfm



http://www.canvaszone7.com

http://www.canvaszone7.com



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When you contact an advertiser in this issue, please tell them that you saw their ad in Marine Fabricator.For advertising rates and information, call Sarah Hyland at 800 319 3349

A D V E R T I S E R I N D E X

The purpose of the Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) is to provide resources and programs for marine fabricators; to establish standards of excellence for business practices, products and craftsmanship; and to establish and maintain an identity for marine fabricators.

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Accon Marine+1 727 572 9202www.acconmarine.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

The Astrup Co.+1 216 696 2820www.astrup.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7MFA Division Member

John Boyle & Co. Inc800 438 1061www.johnboyle.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cv4MFA Division Member

Covin Sales & Converting888 862 6846www.covinsales.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29MFA Division Member

Crest Foam Industries Inc.+1 201 807 0809www.crestfoam.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

DOT Brand Fasteners888 285 4632 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21MFA Division Member

Fasnap Corp800 624 2058www.fasnap.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30MFA Division Member

Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC+1 336 221 2211www.glenraven.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 24, 25, 29MFA Division Member

W.L. Gore & Associates Inc.800 276 8451www.gore.com/tenara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

IOSSO Products888 747 4332www.iooso.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Larry Dennis Co.800 772 7542www.larrydennis.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Lenzip Mfg. Inc.+1 312 829 1865www.lenzip.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 35

Manart-Hirsch Co. Inc.+1 516 887 1133www.manart-hirsch.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15MFA Division Member

MarChem Coated Fabrics Inc.+1 573 237 4444www.marchemcoatedfabrics.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13MFA Division Member

Mehler Texnologies, Inc.877 226 2833www.mehler-texnologies.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31MFA Division Member

O’Sullivan Films800 336 9882www.osul.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Rainier Industries Ltd.800 282 5740www.Rainier.net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20MFA Division Member

Recasens USA888 866 6870www.recasens.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cv2, 1MFA Division Member

Riri USA Inc.800 747 4872www.riri.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41MFA Division Member

Robeco Inc.800 992 1067www.robecoinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37MFA Division Member

Safety Components Fabric Tech.800 896 6926 Ext.14www.weathermax.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cv3MFA Division Member

Sattler North America866 992 9646www.sattler-corp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5MFA Division Member

Sun Solutions LLC800 831 4377www.sunsolutionproducts.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34MFA Division Member

SurLast – Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC+1 336 221 2211www.surlast.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Taco Metals800 226 8201www.tacomarine.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Texas Thread800 840 3670 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

YKK USA Inc.888 YKK INFOwww.ykk-usa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42MFA Division Member

The advertisers highlighted in color are exhibitors at EXPO 2007. Be sure to visit their booths at the show, which will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on October 3-5. For information on exhibiting or attending visit www.ifaiexpo.com, or contact Exhibit and Registration Coordinator Tracie Coopet at +1 651 222 2509; E-mail: [email protected].



http://www.acconmarine.com

http://www.astrup.com

http://www.johnboyle.com

http://www.covinsales.com

http://www.crestfoam.com

http://www.fasnap.com

http://www.glenraven.com

http://www.gore.com/tenara

http://www.iooso.com

http://www.larrydennis.com


http://www.manart-hirsch.com

http://www.marchemcoatedfabrics.com


http://www.osul.com

http://www.Rainier.net


http://www.riri.com

http://www.robecoinc.com

http://www.weathermax.net

http://www.sattler-corp.com

http://www.sunsolutionproducts.com

http://www.surlast.com

http://www.tacomarine.com

http://www.ykk-usa.com


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Information compiled by Juli Case, IFAI’s Information and Technical Services manager; and Christine Malmgren, IFAI’s Information Services representative.

Ask the Experts

Question: We’re redoing the curtains for a Cape Dory boat. Our customer wants Cape Dory patches. Where can we get them?

Answer: Cape Dory is a brand of boat that hasn’t been made for years. When in business, the company had a distinctive logo, which was in the shape of the boats it made. The original curtains had these logos on an embroi-dered emblem.

With the help of a Cape Dory boat owner’s association, we found out that the original manufacturer was East Coast Embroidery. We contacted East Coast Embroidery and were told that it does have the embroidered patches available, and still makes replacement curtains.

For more information, contact East Coast Embroidery, 375 Waterman Ave., East Providence, RI 02914, +1 401 434 9224 or 800-338-9224, www.eastcoastembroidery.com.

Question: I’ve been told that lighter-colored vinyl-coated fabrics contain less UV inhibitor than darker ones. Is this true?

Answer: We posed this question to several companies that coat fabric using PVC, and the responses varied. Most of the fabric companies that responded indicated that they use the same amount of UV inhibitor in the various colors of vinyl-coated fabric that they offer, but they also said that it is possible that some suppliers may use less in lighter-colored fabrics.

Different colored pigments have different weathering characteristics, so if you’re experiencing performance dif-ferences in different colors, it may be due to the pigment and not the UV stabilizer that was used.

Question: My stapling pliers jam constantly. Any sug-gestions for a stapling pliers that won’t jam?

Answer: We suspect that, under the right circumstances, any tool will jam. With that in mind, we turned to canvas shops that belong to MFA and asked for advice. They were generous with their response, offering suggestions for par-ticular brands, as well as tips for dealing with jams.

A canvas shop in Michigan indicated that it used a tool from ACE for 20 years and is happy with the results. When it jams, workers pry it apart with a screwdriver. The tool has a lifetime warranty, so, if it jams badly, they get a replace-ment from the office supply store they purchase it from.

Employees from a shop in California indicated that they use a Bostich staple gun. While they explained that you can invest a lot of time polishing the anvil to prevent jams, they often find it more economical to just get a new one.

A craftsman in Virginia indicated that he hasn’t used a plier stapler in 10 years. But after getting our question, he

tested his Zenith 551 and found that it still functions. He feels that the design is particularly good when it comes to clearing jams, and he likes how the staple is at the end of the tool, allowing for more precise placement. He also sug-gested that the object being stapled is a factor, especially zipper teeth, which could be keeping the jaw from closing properly. If that’s the case, a stapling pliers with an offset jaw could be helpful.

While several shops indicated that they don’t staple, an employee at a canvas shop in Massachusetts indicated that she staples a lot. She uses a Stanley model that holds up well. She wasn’t the only one, either. Several respondents answered that they use a Stanley.

A fabricator in Georgia said that the brand of stapler didn’t matter; that they all worked well. She did indicate that she uses a Swingline long reach table model.

Question: We’re looking for drapery hardware for curtains that go inside a boat. Any ideas of who supplies it?

Answer: We found marine drapery hardware at the fol-lowing suppliers:

RF May Company 814 S. Church St. Suite AMurfreesboro, TN 37130Phone: 866 494 1113, +1 615 494 1113 Fax: 866 494 1143, +1 615 494 1143 Web site: www.rfmay.com Metro Marine4038 Victory Blvd.Staten Island, NY 10314Phone: 800 336 6857, +1 718 983 5600Fax: +1 718 983 9127E-mail: [email protected] site: www.metromarine.com.

Rowley CompanyP.O. BOX 6010Gastonia, NC 28056Phone: 800 343 4542, +1 704 866 0650Fax: +1 704 868 9787Web site: www.rowleyco.com

Do you have a question you’d like answered by an industry expert? Send your queries via e-mail to Chris Tschida, Marine Fabricator editor, at [email protected]. In the subject line, type “Ask the Experts.”



http://www.eastcoastembroidery.com

http://www.rfmay.com


http://www.metromarine.com

http://www.rowleyco.com


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www.weathermax.net

When it comes to products that stand up to the rigorous demands

of marine fabrication, John Boyle & Company has it all. Our com-

plete selection of fabrics – for interior and exterior applications –

includes these top-quality names and more:

• Dockside® • Harbor-Time™ • Sea-Sprae™ • Sunbrella® • Stamoid®

• Nautolex® Voyager® • Nautolex® DuraTouch®

• Premier Marine Furniture Collection

• Complete line of Textilene® and Sunsure® meshes(as the exclusive national distributor)

We also offer a vast line of hardware, tools and accessories. With our

ability to supply everything you need – plus our reputation for superior

service – John Boyle is the company custom fabricators and original

equipment manufacturers count on for seaworthy products.

Statesville, NC 704-872-8151 or 800-438-1061 FAX 888-867-1337St. Louis, MO 314-664-6776 or 800-325-7092 FAX 888-231-8365West Mifflin, PA 412-464-9762 or 800-245-4840 FAX 888-477-0643Cherry Hill, NJ 856-489-8588 or 800-544-3675 FAX 800-300-0718Lake Park, FL 561-848-1461 or 800-432-5321 FAX 888-371-8110

Atlanta, GA 404-699-2444 or 800-699-9336 FAX 888-546-7005Grand Prairie, TX 972-988-9117 or 800-221-1038 FAX 888-472-8737City of Industry, CA 626-965-5312 or 800-841-0555 FAX 888-804-9751Indianapolis, IN 317-876-7017 or 800-843-6236 FAX 800-424-0382Cranston, RI 401-946-6300 or 800-556-7254 FAX 800-344-0470

DISTRIBUTORSVaughan Brothers, Inc., Portland, Oregon 503-233-1771 FAX 503-233-1557George N. Jackson, Ltd., Winnipeg, MB, Canada 204-786-3821 FAX 204-788-2457Orli, Guadalajara, México 33-3268-0400 FAX 33-3268-0404

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