Scale tarps and bungee cords

[Chad]

Does anyone know how to go about this? I might be able to use rubber bands for the bungee cords, but im really realy lost on the tarp. My flatbed needs some tarps over its sideboards though.

Chad

[Ben]

There are many methods for making tarps. There's more than likely some good videos on YouTube that will show you exactly how to do it. The military guys are experts at that kind of thing! For the Bungee straps,, you can buy a bycycle inner tuber, cut a patch out of it, cut tiny strips from the patch and then make little "S" hooks from wire for the ends of the straps.

[Truck parts]

I know p and p resin sells the tarps,and I have seen where someone use white glue and a paper towel to make a trap.

[Chad]

Yeah im wanting to cover the load, not run a rolled tarp.

Chad

[RyanSilva]

Ive taken plain kleenex type tissues and tea dyed them to get a neutral brown color, dried them out and it resulted in a nice workable tarp.

Bungee cords can be made by using the black rubber from making fishing lures or a koosh ball, then wrap some stiff wire around a siimiliar size/shape as the rubber and it will give you the hook.

[Chad]

Awesome Ryan, thank you so much! That was exactly what I needed! Can I let them dry over a shape to conform to that shape?

Chad

[B-onefan]

I have mixed a few drops of white glue into some warm water, soaked the tissue and draped over the load and let dry. It holds the shape you want.

[Chad]

what would be the water to glue ratio? does it matter? or just like 4-5 drops for a bowl of water?

Chad

[Cornpatch]

My youngest son (he's 19) has made several side kits with tarps for his flatbed trailers. Covered wagons if you wish. Heres how he goes about it.

He gets all the stakes cut, than he makes the side panels out of bass wood, when he gets all of that done, he gets the bows all cut and bent to the size he needs.

After he gets the bows all put in place, he makes the tarp. He takes a piece of paper towel, gets it wet, and lays it over the bows and lets it get throughly dry. Picks it up and it keeps it's shape, he measures what he needs from the bottom up on the sides and gently cuts it to size.

Than he lays the whole thing back over the trailer, gently makes the folds around the ends of the trailer and glues them in place. Than takes the whole thing back off the trailer.

When thats all done he sprays it with a coat of spray glue, I am not sure what kind he uses. When thats completely dry, he takes a paper punch and puts holes where he wants the bunge cords to go. Than he glues on the paper reinforcements circles, that you would use on a ring binder.

With all of that done, he will give it a couple of coats of paint in the color he wants the tarp to be. He will also paint the paper reforcements with a brass or steel color to make them look like the real bungy attatchment hole. When the paint is throughly dry, he'll give it a couple of coats of dull coat, to take the shine off. Now they look like real tarps. Oh also if he wants a company name on the tarp, He'll brush on a flat white where he wants the name, put vinyl stick on letters over the white than paint the tarp. Than pull off the letters and you have the name in white. Thats the way he does it and they look really good when he's done.

Hope this helps Jeff

[Truck parts]

Jeff, Thanks for the tip