Fabric Stiffener?

Question

I want to make my lacrosse hard mesh stiffer because ive made it soft after a season i would restring it but ill wait till it rips i was wondering is there any way to make a fabric harder and not by hairspray

Answer 1

I think you are looking for laundry starch. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starch for info about starch and it's actually interesting. Starch has been around a long time and has quite a history.

Answer 2

I use powdered laundry starch for my dress shirts because I like them stiff. But by the end of the day it's all but softened up again.

Try this, but test it out first. When I was in college I took some fishery classes and we would stiffen up nets for catching fish this way. We would take black roofing cement (looks like thick tar & can be purchased at lowes or home depot) and we would thin it down to a thick liquid with gasoline in a metal bucket. We would then dunk the nets into the solution and then let them dry out. The gas would evaporate pretty quick and by the next day the nets would be very stiff but still flexible.

I would be careful if it's made of nylon, it might melt or something. We were using it on cotton nets. Good luck, let me know if it works.

Answer 3

Starching Synthetic Garments -

Starch attaches itself best to garments composed of natural fibres such as cotton or linen. It does not bind well to synthetic fibres. You can stiffen synthetic fibres with sizing made of polyvinyl acetate (PVA). This forms a film on the outer surface of the fibres but is not absorbed as starch is, into the natural fibres.

Blended Garments -

Only the cotton portion in a 65/35 blend of cotton/polyester absorbs starch. The higher the concentration of starch, the greater the amount deposited into and onto the cotton. The remaining 35% of the garment, made up of the synthetic fibres, remains relatively limp. For this reason using starch alone does not give a starched effect in a blended fabric. On the other hand, PVA attaches itself mainly to the synthetic fibres in proportion to the outer surface area of the fibres.

Answer 4

You can spray starch it and iron. Follow the directions on the can of spray starch. Be careful not to burn your fabric and it is a good idea to start with slightly damp material before you spray it with spray starch and roll it up for a minute so it soaks in evenly and doesn't stay on the surface and flake on you.

Answer 5

There is liquid starch added to wash load or spray starch applied prior to ironing.

There is also sizing (found in same area as starch) that adds stiffness.

To make it really stiff; go with a heavy starching.

Answer 6

Yes

Answer 7

spray starch

Answer 8

USE A SPOONFUL OF WHITE SUGAR IN THE WASH THIS WILL MAKE IT STIFFER I DO IT WITH MY NET CURTINS AND IT WORKS

Answer 9

try starching it with caned starch