Tent making

[Austin]

Just wanted to see if any of y'all have built your own tents? Can'tfind much info on what the originals were like... I have read that painters drop cloths can be used??? Thanks for the help. GOD bless from middle TN

 

[Tin cup]

Just wanted to see if any of y'all have built your own tents? Can'tfind much info on what the originals were like... I have read that painters drop cloths can be used??? Thanks for the help. GOD bless from middle TN

I have made a Shelter Half from instructions from a reenacting group called "Lazy Jacks". They posted dimensions/instructions on their web page. Unfortunately, those are no longer available. The excellent book: The Federal Civil War Shelter Tent by Frederick C. Gaede https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...nt+by+Frederick+C.+Gaede&tag=civilwartalkc-20
is a great read on the subject, well worth having! Detailed dimensions, pictures of stitching, button hole details, it was what I used to make mine. Pic is of dimensions for one type of shelter half.

Kevin Dally

 

[mofederal]

I have never made a shelter half or a tent, but if you have the right sewing equipment I would think it wouldn't be too hard. I know from experience it could go harder than it sounds.

 

[Legion Para]

I have made a Shelter Half from instructions from a reenacting group called "Lazy Jacks". They posted dimensions/instructions on their web page. Unfortunately, those are no longer available. The excellent book: The Federal Civil War Shelter Tent by Frederick C. Gaede https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=The+Federal+Civil+War+Shelter+Tent+by+Frederick+C.+Gaede
is a great read on the subject, well worth having! Detailed dimensions, pictures of stitching, button hole details, it was what I used to make mine. Pic is of dimensions for one type of shelter half.View attachment 191291

Kevin Dally

I have made a Shelter Half from instructions from a reenacting group called "Lazy Jacks". They posted dimensions/instructions on their web page. Unfortunately, those are no longer available. The excellent book: The Federal Civil War Shelter Tent by Frederick C. Gaede https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=The+Federal+Civil+War+Shelter+Tent+by+Frederick+C.+Gaede
is a great read on the subject, well worth having! Detailed dimensions, pictures of stitching, button hole details, it was what I used to make mine. Pic is of dimensions for one type of shelter half.View attachment 191291

Kevin Dally

Before building a shelter half, I strongly recommend reading this book. This is a must have reference book for the collector and reenactor.

 

[JOHN42768]

Reading your info, I see you used buttons and slots. Were not grommets used with lacing? Thanks

 

[Stainless Steel Mucket]

[QUOTE="JOHN42768]Reading your info, I see you used buttons and slots. Were not grommets used with lacing? Thanks[/QUOTE]

No. They're button holes. For the holes designated for the ropes, those are hand sewn grommet holes.

Here's a link to an original shelter half up for auction. The buttons don't look original to me... https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2856M/lots/182

Saw a post on the Authentic Campaigner forum today about shelter halves which contained another link on making a shelter half : https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://44tennessee.tripod.com/articles//shelter_II-a.pdf

- S.S. Mucket

 

[Stainless Steel Mucket]

Link to instructions from the Lazy Jacks page : https://web.archive.org/web/20120427060723/http://lazyjackmess.com/shelter.htm Illustrations are missing, but the instructions are there.

- S.S. Mucket

 

[Craig L Barry]

I remember Lazy Jacks Mess, one of their members (Patrick Reardon) wrote the excellent pamphlet "Making Cartridges" which The Watchdog published about ten or fifteen years ago. I don't want to discourage the tent making endeavor, but reading over those instructions...the Federal Shelter half would be quite a sewing project. Just sewing button holes through the canvas will take some time, etc.

 

[Tyler Underwood]

@Austin, I have not made a tent or shelter half, but have made a CS fly. The process really is pretty simple if you want to go that route. If you can an overcasting stitch and buttonhole stitch for the grommets you can, with a lot of time make one in about two months. Check out this article for more info. https://www.libertyrifles.org/research/uniforms-equipment/confederate-tents

 

[kbaxley45]

If you want all of the big pieces done for you already, along with the correct material, check these out:

http://wwandcompany.com/shelter-half-blanks/

The hand finishing is left for you to do. I think I'm on buttonhole number 17 of 23 so far