: I recently 'defrocked' one. The canvas was 10 oz, I think. Lighter: less
: weight, less cost, easier to stretch. The frame is ready to reskin, but I
: haven't decided what to use. Probably polyester, but not sure.

Polyesters and nylons have the added advantage of heat shrink. A hot iron over the skin can tighten it considerably. Obviously, you need to play with some samples to get the temp right, but once you do, it's pretty slick. I've been using 9 oz poly with heat tape on my X project with good luck. I got it from G. Dyson. It has a pretty loose weave and he didn't recommend it for sewing, but he also has nylon of similar and heavier weights which can be sewed. He'll send you samples if give him a call. Mike Hanks recently showed me a sample of his 9 oz poly too. It is much different in weave (tighter) and should do well for sewing. He picked it up at his local awning shop. There can be quite a difference in these fabrics even at equivalent weights. My poly has to be cut with a hot knife or it will fray all over, but Mike's can be cut with scissors and appears to be much stronger. Anyone know the technical differences between these fabrics? Knitted versus woven?

Bill