I should do a proper guide on this. And so I can credit my friend properly as she introduced me to them in about 2006 :)
There are differences in quality, I keep forgetting that these ones sold through hardware stores are a step up from the skinnier ones I got from dollar stores- they were sometimes brittle enough to break under pressure. But I also use a small loop of the stuff for sculpting so it can turn very narrow curves without snapping.
There are single layers in my other hoops and they have been really good compared to what I thought I'd need! Three hoops for my Reinette skirt, and then the diagonals, two for my Robe de Style. I can still unpick some of the channels and thread the ends out so I can pack the hoops in to a smaller suitcase, so while it can be easy to warp by accident over all they tend to remember the curve of the original packing.
They are super light. Even on this giant hoop it's really not a big deal to wear :)
It's easy to cut with good mid sized pliers by gripping them firmly and bending the left over end back and forth. I have some hoop steel that has been heavily covered in plastic and comparing the insides- both are brittle, but the plastic shell makes a difference in getting a little more support. I have hand craft pliers and they are not strong enough.
I have been taping mine with sports tape, but the tape will catch on the channels if it's not continuous so I have bought more coil and have resewn my channels to be two rows per tape. This way the steels will have a little extra support.
The coils come covered in machine grease, which is usually slightly blackened. For my tests I simply wiped them down and used my sports tape to hold two layers together. But for my permanent ones I'll be wiping them down then using some clear machine oil to clean further and dry them in the sun- so today would be ideal.
If the price difference is not that great compared to specialty steels I'd still recommend them. But these are saving me a few hundred dollars. And it's already at about $NZ100 for the steels.
To finish the ends I am using sports tape, but also file the edges when I can :) The sports tape lets me sew the hoops in place.
The double thickness makes for a very very sturdy support but it may be partly responsible for the kidney shape (even with ties inside) so I'm hoping the double rows will fix this :)
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regna
(no subject)
Date: 2016-09-11 08:35 pm (UTC)There are differences in quality, I keep forgetting that these ones sold through hardware stores are a step up from the skinnier ones I got from dollar stores- they were sometimes brittle enough to break under pressure. But I also use a small loop of the stuff for sculpting so it can turn very narrow curves without snapping.
There are single layers in my other hoops and they have been really good compared to what I thought I'd need! Three hoops for my Reinette skirt, and then the diagonals, two for my Robe de Style. I can still unpick some of the channels and thread the ends out so I can pack the hoops in to a smaller suitcase, so while it can be easy to warp by accident over all they tend to remember the curve of the original packing.
They are super light. Even on this giant hoop it's really not a big deal to wear :)
It's easy to cut with good mid sized pliers by gripping them firmly and bending the left over end back and forth. I have some hoop steel that has been heavily covered in plastic and comparing the insides- both are brittle, but the plastic shell makes a difference in getting a little more support.
I have hand craft pliers and they are not strong enough.
I have been taping mine with sports tape, but the tape will catch on the channels if it's not continuous so I have bought more coil and have resewn my channels to be two rows per tape. This way the steels will have a little extra support.
The coils come covered in machine grease, which is usually slightly blackened. For my tests I simply wiped them down and used my sports tape to hold two layers together. But for my permanent ones I'll be wiping them down then using some clear machine oil to clean further and dry them in the sun- so today would be ideal.
If the price difference is not that great compared to specialty steels I'd still recommend them. But these are saving me a few hundred dollars. And it's already at about $NZ100 for the steels.
To finish the ends I am using sports tape, but also file the edges when I can :) The sports tape lets me sew the hoops in place.
The double thickness makes for a very very sturdy support but it may be partly responsible for the kidney shape (even with ties inside) so I'm hoping the double rows will fix this :)