Samples

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My material supplier has hooked me up with some different materials. These are an Oxford weave rather than the usual Taffeta. 

Each of these samples are a metre wide so enough for one skin each and a couple of I-beams or a bag.. They are:

1 x 70d navy blue. This is really nice, very pliable stuff which should make lovely bottom skins. 

1 x 70 burgundy. This has a weatherproof coating which prevents the material from absorbing water. Were this smooth it would increase hold but slow the mat. In this instance though, it has a rough texture which, in theory, should lead to less hold but a quicker mat. Perhaps it'll balance out and be exactly the same! Time will tell.

1 x 200d gold. That's right, gold! This is a 200d material although it feels notably lighter than most 200d material. It'll be a crime if the person who has a mat made from this doesn't call it "Bling Crosby"! 

1 x 200d airforce blue. This is the same as the gold.

1 x 200d grey. A heavier material more like the usual 200d material I've been using. This looks like it might have a weatherproofing so might not be suitable so will need some testing.

I'll need to do some tests but will be making mats with these over coming orders for people who are interested assuming these work out. Certainly nice to have some colour options without having to dye.

Cheers

G

The Ute

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Right then, after some successful tests I'm please to unveil the complete all-rounder - The Ute.

G-Mat 33 (AKA "Blue Thunder")

G-Mat 33 (AKA "Blue Thunder")

I've built three of these to date in various weights of material with some subtle alterations length-wise and these have performed really well. The latest (above) is a 70/70 construction and is a more skittish and quicker ride than the two previous 200/70 incarnations, as you'd expect.

G-Mat 30 (AKA "Piping OTT")

G-Mat 27 (AKA "Jus d'Orange")

Both of those mats have had very good feedback.

So... The primary design points are that the Ute has a very subtle rail hook and a slight concave, giving it a fuller, flatter feel. In practice, this means that it has some of the down-the-line drive of the Bullet and the glide of the Glider. 

Of course, the top end/bottom end of more specialised designs will perform better but the Ute is the perfect mat for the one-mat-quiver,

Cheers

G

Non-Identical Twins

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Andrew Stephen Buck's latest mats are about to wing their way to Rincon.

G-Mats 31 and 32

G-Mats 31 and 32

These girls are built to the same dimensions with G-Mat 31 (AKA "Accept Join Mr Torn 1") being a 200/70 construction and G-Mat 32 (AKA "Accept Join Mr Torn 2") being 70/70.

Both are gripped with stippled Vulkem and are, as you would expect, free-breathers.  This is a bit of a development of the Ubercat design made to make the most of many aspects of that design but enhancing the glide.

Reports to follow...

G