Attaching Shade Cloth To Itself (Last Minute Shortcuts)

[rathergood]

The final weeks are approaching, and that means the last minute scramble is on.

This year me and some friends have taken on the seemingly endless project of building a geodesic dome. Right now the dome is built, the shade cloth just arrived , and the calculations are all done.
All we need to do now is build our custom covering for our EMT skeleton.

After a lot of research, the only method that i've found for connecting custom cut pieces of shade cloth together is to sew it all. Not only do we not have enough time to do this, but none of us have any idea how to sow.

So right now we are looking into alternative methods for attaching our triangle and hexagons and such after we cut them all out.

Right now we are thinking of three options.
1. Using a crap load of gorilla tape and just hope it holds.
2. Using contact adhesives
3. Finding the melting point and just melting the pieces together (I actually have no idea if this is even possible, much less practical. Its just an idea)

An suggestions at this point would be great.

Thanks!

[oneeyeddick]

Go buy a parachute.

[Token]

Grommet.

Get an arbor press and it goes real fast.

[EspressoDude]

Camp Nosefish has a couple domes that they mostly cover with cheepo poly tarps. Throw them over the dome, pull here and there with some folds, use bungee cords to pull snug. You can do that with your shade cloth.

Beauty: no fancy seams, cutting, stitching, sewing, sowing, etc.

save that for next winter.

[capjbadger]

Don't forget to pad the dome where the struts come together or else the metal edges will rip right through your cover.

Badger

[DoriumLux]

Quick stitch with fishing line. My boyfriend and I did this last year. Just weaved fishing line in and out of the holes in the shade cloth.

[nocturnal_steve]

We used those nylon zip ties
http://www.dutchtouchcreations.com/imag ... ipties.jpg
that you can get in any automotive parts store

[robotland]

We used those nylon zip ties
http://www.dutchtouchcreations.com/imag ... ipties.jpg
that you can get in any automotive parts store

Avoid thin or overly-cheap zipties- they tend to fail under load. 'Zips also make REALLY good MOOP so be sure to pick 'em up. A pair of wirecutters helps speed takedown along, I've found.

Another quick way to secure tarps or shadecloth is with spring clips, a buck apiece at Harbor freight. They'll stay put in most wind, but if it gets REALLY gnarly they'll let go without ripping your cover. AND they're easy to adjust without having to cut out and reposition a ziptie.

Be wary of tarp grommets and bungees- On the lower-end tarps they can tear out. Look for tarps with reinforced corners. I like to use smaller tarps and more of 'em, so that you can adjust the amount of shade and airflow AND allow for gusts to blow through instead of turning your dome into "Kite Kamp". A single BIG tarp or 'chute tends to become a sail out there.