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[Miker]

Hi folks - Mike here - UK Wales. Only been sewing for 6 months. Have tried all sorts but keep coming back to industrial quality machine covers - the sort of thing to keep dust off etc. Have made a very loose fitting drill press cover and grinder covers and sharpener covers from cheap old poly tarpaulins. Now I want to step it up a gear and use heavier duty fabrics that FIT PROPERLY. Any tips? Advice? I can sew reasonably well now - the issue is more about process and how to go about patterning odd shaped stuff. Any resources or links you could point me too would be great. (First post here - thanks John).

Mike

[Bondo497]

Hi @Miker I'm not a good upholsterer quite yet, I'm like the bottom rung you might say right now, but I do know a little bit about making patterns. I would use good ole paper or poster board and cut each piece to fit exactly the particular sections of the the machine you are trying to cover then allow for seam allowance when you lay your pattern on your fabric. Hope this helps you.

[Bondo497]

@Miker
Welcome to the party across the pond!!

[Miker]

cheers Bondo - & thanks for diving in. That's helpful. Part of the question now is what do you do when it's not in square planes? How would you go about it if it has lumps and bumps? :) That's a question for everyone.

[BigRig]

I like this obstacle!

From my first thought in those areas I would be Thinking of using a very flexible fabric that would drape/stretch over the valleys. Maybe someone on her will have good experience with that.

My office manager is from Leeds constantly has Rugby playing on his phone and am always updated with the weather ha ha.

[Bondo497]

@Miker
Howdy, Bondo here again, try using some scrap material the same as what you will be using to make the cover with. It will have two benefits, one it will work as well as paper for patterning and Two you will get a preview of how your material will lay on those particular areas you mentioned.

[Bondo497]

You may have to heat the material to lay like you want it providing the material you are using is more of the vinyl type and not cloth. If you do have to do this then heat and stretch your patterns and get them fitting those areas the way you want before cutting them out to cut length and then when you cut your sew pieces they will be the right size after you heat them to fit then sew all your pieces together. I'm waiting for @John to chime in on this.

[bryanmartin]

Welcome! My dad was born in Llanllwchaiarn. I'd be curious to hear from one of the experts, but with all the metal fab I do, I make paper or cardboard templates. I wonder if the same can be done for fabric, adding for seam allowances, etc.

[John]

Hi @Miker! Welcome to the forum!

Everyone has some great answers here already. Ive made a lot of covers over the years. There is really no one correct way. What ever gets the job done for you is the right way.

Personally I like to try and design a cover on paper using straight lines. You can make some pretty nice looking and fitting covers this way. I'm not talking about just making a square cover. With some simple math you can design a pretty complex shaped cover fairly easily.

If you cant do it on paper then my next favorite method it using clear vinyl or for larger projects clear sheeting from home depot. You can build a pattern from this. You can tape or staple it together to mimic your seams and adjust things until you get it fitting just right.

Cardboard or Chip board or poster board like @Bondo497 also works great.

As far as materials go. For equipment covers its nice to have something water proof that can be wiped and cleansed easily. Regular black vinyl is a pretty common option. There is a bunch of options for things like this. Vinyl coated polyester might be a good option also. https://www.albrightssupply.com/vinyl-c ... Click=3957

[Miker]

Thanks all - really helpful - thanks for summing it up John. I guess if anybody wrote 'how to make machinery covers' it'd have a pretty limited readership but if there is anything relevant I'd like to see it. Seems like there's no standard way - I guess as it's mostly bespoke you have to think on your feet every time Cheers.

[John]

Hey @Miker. Glad to help! I think you'd be surprised. There is a lot of work in making covers.

I forgot to mention I use double sided basting tape all the time when making covers to help hold pasterns in place. This is what Ive been using https://amzn.to/2wCUvRq.
But I just found this cheaper one. I think its the same stuff. https://amzn.to/2KlMCC3

You can also use tape to run imaginary lines where want seams and put basting tape on that to attach your pattern material.

Also here are some videos that might give you some ideas on other cover making methods.

[Miker]

Cheers John - very helpful - thank you

Hey @Miker. Glad to help! I think you'd be surprised. There is a lot of work in making covers.

I forgot to mention I use double sided basting tape all the time when making covers to help hold pasterns in place. This is what Ive been using https://amzn.to/2wCUvRq.
But I just found this cheaper one. I think its the same stuff. https://amzn.to/2KlMCC3

You can also use tape to run imaginary lines where want seams and put basting tape on that to attach your pattern material.

Also here are some videos that might give you some ideas on other cover making methods.