Rubber Sheeting

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Choosing Rubber Sheeting
For any garment we seek to make there are a number of considerations when choosing which type of rubber
sheeting we should make it from. I’m not talking about what colour the sheeting should be, how textured, how patterned
(although as we will see other issues in regard to how we might choose to decorative the surface of rubber sheeting can
become one of the concerns) but rather how thick the sheeting should be, what is referred to as the sheetings gauge.
We can break down our considerations for what thickness to choose in the following way
association
technical
decoration
aesthetic
fit
preference
competence
durability
financial
We will look at each of these considerations but before we can we need to be aware of what kinds of gauge
thicknesses exist, just so we know what we are dealing with, what we have to consider over.
Each manufacturer of rubber sheeting produces gauges that range from just over a tenth of a millimetre to just over
a millimetre. Between each manufacturer some of the gauges may conform to be the same thickness while others will vary so,
as an example, Supatex produce a 0.33mm gauge while Radical Rubber doesn’t, its closest gauge would be 0.25mm and
0.40mm. Radical produce a 0.50mm while the closest to that gauge from Supatex would be 0.45mm and 0.55mm. Between
these two companies, the two major companies of sheeting, we have the following list of gauges as of September 2018.

0.20mm Supatex
0.25mm RadicalRubber
0.33mm Supatex
0.40mm RadicalRubber
0.45mm Supatex
0.50mm RadicalRubber actual thicknesses of rubber sheeting from 1mm
0.55mm Supatex down to 0.10mm
0.60mm Both Companies
0.70mm RadicalRubber
0.80mm Both Companies
0.92mm Supatex
1.05mm Both Companies

It is very much worth purchasing any companies sample packs of sheeting so one can familiarise yourself with the
various thicknesses, how they feel, flop and stretch.

Association
1.05mm thick rubber sheeting is a pretty fine thickness but it is one of the most thickest kinds and so heaviest types
of rubber you might get to work with while 0.20mm is gossamer light. Ignoring rubber’s capacity to stretch for the time
being what does the actual weight of the sheeting mean? Apart from practical concerns of creating garments that are heavy to
transport and wear the weight has some baring upon how the sheeting hangs upon a person. This consideration then is
particularly important in regards to looser styles of garment and structures that stand off the body. How the sheeting hangs,
how it drapes, how it moves produces different visual associations to other types of fabrics as well as effect how the garment
feels, how the rubber feels to the individual wearer that in turn influences how they physically hold themselves and even
behave.
Thicker gauges of sheeting are harder to stretch and fold and drape than thinner ones. In other words, the thicker
the sheeting is then the more resistant it becomes to attaining certain desirable results. Thinner gauges of sheeting are harder
to stabilise, structure and stand independent than thicker ones. Again then the thinner the sheeting is then the more resistant
it is to attaining certain desirable effects. It is a case of knowing the characteristic effects of the thicknesses then to attain the
look and feel that you are after, that if you are after some swish to the garment, if you are after some fine pleating, some
column like drapes, then the thicker gauges are less likely suitable and so you should be concentrating on the thinner ones
and, likewise, if you are after more solid looking forms or a garment that has some rigidity to it in which the sheeting can
some what self-support itself from off the body then the thinner gauges are less suitable than the thicker ones. We can
visualise this more easily with skirts and dresses in which we can make the exact same garment, using the exact same pattern
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but attain different looks according to the thickness of the rubber used. For example, a skirt that sits snug around the waist
and drops down to the mid thigh level and has a wide hem to it, when made from 0.45mm rubber sheeting, will drape over
the hips and hang down to mid thigh and produce a kind of even fluting effect around the skirt, a kind of gently undulating
hem. This same skirt made in a much thinner gauge will flop over the hips, hang slightly lower and look more fluid while in a
much thicker gauge it will stand somewhat proud of the hips, hang slightly higher than mid thigh and look more smooth and
even.
In the illustrations to the side the middle figure
shows a skirt made in 0.45mm, to the right the sheeting
gets thicker and to the left thinner. One can see in the
shorter skirt example how the thicker sheeting pushes out
more from the body while in the thinner version it hangs
more limply. In the bottom illustration the skirt extends
down to the ankle. There is more sheeting involved now
and so the weight of the garment increases. Due to this all
garments gain more fluted columns, the thinner sheeting
becomes more swishy with flow, the medium sheeting more
statuesque and the thicker sheeting more tubular like.
Another effect of the weight increase is the thicker
sheeting now hangs down off the hips more than it did
when it was a shorter skirt and weighed less. There is then
with any gauge of sheeting a point at which its capacity to
remain rigid breaks and it folds upon itself to drape. Even
the very thinnest gauge of sheeting can have rigidity but it
will break and fold sooner than thicker gauges.
The thickness of gauge creates different looks due to
its natural rigidity to resist the effect of gravity and the
point at which it breaks and begins to drape. This effect is
seen in all types of fabrics and so if we are seeking to make
a rubber garment that resembles, pays homage to a
particular type of garment then we can base or decision as
to the right type of thickness we should use by also paying
homage to the type of fabric that particular garment would
traditionally be made in. It will never exactly match the
fabric but if we wanted that then we would make the
garment in its traditional fabric so,
what we are trying to do is to maintain
reference to that fabric in order to
maintain reference to the garments
origins, otherwise we could make a
pair of rubber jeans and someone says,
“nice pyjamas”!
If we were to draw up a chart
in which the weight of fabric was
placed on a vertical axis and the drape
and rigid properties placed on the
horizontal axis, and then allocated
where different types of fabrics fell in
this chart, we might end up with
something like the illustration to the
side. This is crude, of course, all fabric
varieties can come in different weights
and how they are knitted, woven,
coated, treated, mixed with other fibres
and much much more can alter their
character so the chart is generalised to
our crude perception of these types of
fabrics. Your perception of them might
be different to mine also and so you
might rearrange a number of them. If
we were to think where rubber
sheeting might fall on this chart it
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might follow something like the diagonal arrow with the thicker gauges falling within the heavy weight/stiff fabric zone and
the thinner gauges in the light weight/drape zone. One can see then that rubber would have a harder time paying reference
to more heavier weight/drape fabrics and lighter weight/
stiff ones. In regards to the one-piece garments I plan to
Type of Garment Conventional Gauge of Rubber show you how to make we could draw up a table of
Fabric Type Sheeting
associated rubber gauges to conventional fabric types for
Loose each garment.

Onesie fleece 0.60mm-0.45mm One can argue about the allocation of gauges to the
Union Suit flannel 0.55mm-0.45mm conventional fabrics, that’s cool, this isn’t a science but
simply about forming for the rubber sheeting as close an
Jumpsuit variable 0.45mm-0.33mm association to a garments conventional fabric as one can
and not about replicating that material. One could weave
Siren Suit cotton/wool 0.60mm-0.33mm
and knit with rubber sheeting but even this wouldn’t
Coveralls/overalls heavy cotton 0.70mm-0.50mm necessarily replicate a woven cotton or knitted merino -
the woven rubber creating a more stiffer fabric and the
Dungarees/Bib- denim 0.60mm-0.45mm
knitted rubber a more hard ridged feel. Fleece on most
and-brace
onsies is considerably thicker than the thickest rubber we
Romper Suit cotton 0.50mm-0.33mm might work with but also considerably lighter and has a
certain amount of drape so, we don’t look to replicate the
Playsuit synthetic 0.33mm and below thickness and drape but to give a sense of it, a reference to
Teddy lace cotton 0.25mm and below it and while rubber sheeting doesn’t come with the fluffy
quality of fleece this can still be played into with
Formfitting and decorative techniques.
Skintight

Swimsuit synthetic 0.60mm-0.33mm Overalls are traditionally made in heavy cotton that
is quite stiff, it can vary a lot depending on the function of
Leotard synthetic 0.45mm-0.33mm the garment, becoming lighter and more synthetic as they
become more disposable kinds of suits for general
Bodysuit synthetic 0.33mm and below
hazardous clean up but also more heavy and durable as
Speedsuit synthetic 0.60mm-0.45mm they morph into Hazmat suits but, the loved boiler suit of
mechanics, of the “working guy”, is typically that indigo
Unitard synthetic 0.45mm-0.33mm blue dense cotton weave. Our choice of rubber sheeting
Catsuit rubber variable doesn’t want to be too thin then nor too thick but exist in
the mid to upper thickness range. The close relative of the
Bodystocking synthetic 0.33mm and below Siren Suit was traditionally made from wool but these
days varies considerably (just as the jumpsuit) as it can be
Zentai synthetic 0.45mm-0.33mm
a much showier type of garment. We might make a Siren
Suit in similar thicknesses as a coverall but we might also
decide to go thinner to associate the garment to finer cloth.

The skintight garments are largely synthetic types of materials or synthetic mixed with other natural fibres and
materials. These can vary considerably depending on the function of the garment from the ultra sheer nylon of bodysuits,
through the medium weight lycra of leotards or zentai suits, to the heavier polyamide and elastane mixes of speed suits.
Catsuits have been made in materials other than rubber such as leather and PVC but ours will be in rubber. As such
the whole range is available to us although thinner gauges help produce more of the nylon bodystocking look, mid to thinner
ranges the lycra unitard and heavier ones still the speed suit or wetsuit. With a catsuit then, or any garment in which we
aren’t trying to associate the rubber to another material, the consideration of association isn’t applicable and we can look at
the other considerations in choosing the right kind of sheeting.

Technical
Rubber sheeting, depending on its gauge, assumes different properties of rigidity, drape, flexibility, stretch. These
things also effect what we can do with the rubber sheeting. These kinds of properties have to be bared in mind when we
envision the garment we seek to make. If we desire to make a jumpsuit which has extra wide flared hems and puffed out hips,
in which the legs are to be incorporated into the leg holes through a series of fine pleats, then making the jumpsuit in a thick
gauge of rubber would prove problematic. The rubber would resist attempts to be folded so fine, it can resist being folded
with even wide pleating. In such a case we may opt for gauges 0.50mm and below. We would then reassess if this effects the

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kind of association to another material we hoped to achieve to maintain the illusion of being associated to a particular style
of garment.
If we wanted to make the jumpsuits legs take on a jodhpur style in which the outer sides of the thighs somewhat
balloon out from the surface of the body then opting for a thinner gauge would be problematic as it doesn’t posses sufficient
enough rigidity properties to hold the structure. The jodhpurs would look more like loose flaps. Here then we may opt for
gauges from 0.55mm and upwards.
If we wanted to create a one-piece suit that has multiple strappings that stretch and fix around all parts of the body
then again we would opt for a much thicker gauge of 0.92mm and above. Anything thinner wouldn’t produce the sense of
binding or have the strength and durability of being held in place whilst under stretch tension.
Much of our technical considerations then also require us to have some familiarity with the properties of the
different thicknesses of gauge sheeting comes in. Some of these properties can be unknown until one has more experience
with them. One such property I have learnt is that thicker types of rubber can be more temperamental in their glue bonding.
Thicker sheet rubber seems to have a more dense surface, or at least seems to be more polished. I can’t validate this, it is just
an assumption, but whatever is the cause the recommended types of glue sit more on the surface of such rubber than they do
on the thinner types. When glue comes into contact with rubber sheeting the effect is curling, the sheeting curls under itself.
This reaction is caused by the solvents mixed in with the pulverised particles of rubber that make up the glue, partially
dissolving the rubber of the sheeting. The rubber softens and expands but return back to normal as the solvents evaporate. As
things return back to normal and the sheeting flattens it has somewhat trapped the pulverised particles of rubber in the glue
within the surface of the sheeting. The curling reaction of sheeting is more extreme with the thinner gauges than it is with
the thicker ones. My assumption is then that the particles of rubber in the glue, that are left after solvent evaporation and
which create the bonding, don’t become so trapped upon the surface of thicker rubber sheeting but sit more upon the
surface. This makes the glue easier to peel off. With thinner gauges the glue can still peel off but generally it requires more
solvent to dissolve the rubber particles and be wiped off but the thicker ones can have the entire layer off glue peeled off with
little to no residue remaining. The implication of this is that while seams that hold the various sections of a garment together
are still often okay such techniques as lamination, including appliqué, can be fraught with problems. Appliqué need not just
be shapes glued internally within areas of a garment for decorative effect but could also include trim around open edges.
Should the garment become stretched the tension on these thicker areas where lamination has taken place is more resistant
than the thinner areas of none laminated rubber. These differences of tension across the area can cause the laminated rubber
to lift off the surface, to peel away. So with thicker gauges this threat can be more of an issue. This is not to say that we can’t
or shouldn’t use such techniques as appliqué on thicker rubber but that we need to be aware of perhaps certain limitations..
This particular issue is only evident with thicker gauges when it is under stretch tension.

Decoration
The technical problems of lamination on thicker gauges of rubber brings us to decorative considerations. This is
where we alter the surface characteristics of a particular gauge of rubber sheeting by such things as making it thicker all over
or in part by laminating other sheeting to it, painting its surface with latex which again thickens the overall gauge of the
rubber, thickening again through multiple seams such as in panelling, or cutting holes into the sheeting.
For looser types of garments the effect of these decorative applications can alter the association to another type of
material we wish to maintain, taking away from the association rather than enhancing it, so if we are using a lot of appliqué
then we may have to consider the overall thickness build up, the overall gauge thickness of the layering and opt to use a base
sheeting that is thinner than normal. It often depends on how much laminating or painting etc. across an entire surface of a
garment one is seeking to do. This build up in thickness can also influence our technical considerations, that by the sheeting
now becoming thicker certain planned techniques may become more problematic.
For stretch garments the decorative build up on the surface of the sheeting will effect the tension, either overall
across the entire surface by making the surface evenly thicker or in part creating a surface with variable tensions at play. We
may plan to make a catsuit in say 0.33mm gauge and plan to appliqué large areas of it. This may turn a considerable part of
the surface of the sheeting used for the garment into 0.66mm or above. Not only could this distort how the garment is worn
with the thicker areas being more resistant to stretching then the thinner base rubber layer but it can also effect how the
garment feels, it may now feel too tight, it may even make it unwearable with fasteners such as zips unable to close. If we plan
on making stretch garments then with decorative effects, making the surface thicker, we have to take this into account when
adapting patterns by reducing down certain measurements to be smaller than those of the wearer, that our catsuit is no longer
being made from a 0.33mm gauge but largely a 0.66mm gauge, leading us to use a smaller amount of reduction. Even if we
use decorative techniques on just small areas of a garment, say just in the chest region, we might again alter the amount of
reduction we apply to such areas on a pattern to avoid mixed tension distortion.
When we cut holes into rubber sheeting for decorative effect we can effect the sheetings properties despite there
being no thickening or thinning. Depending on the number of holes, their shape, quantity and proximity to one another, (just
as with thickening rubber) we can alter how the rubber appears, thicker rubber may drape more now but we also effect how it
stretches. With holes in sheeting it can stretch more. If we were to take any particular gauge of sheeting and cut ourselves a

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25cm square of it, a 25cm by 5cm rectangle and a 25cm by 0.5cm strip, as the sheeting becomes more narrow the more easily
that piece of rubber will stretch. Any garment that has a hole or series of holes cut into it will have the tensions of its stretch
effected. This can both distort how the garment is worn but also how the decorative holes appear, circular holes becoming
more oval for example. We can overcome such things by considering the use of more resistant to stretching gauges but this
may also effect the aesthetic we wish to attain by using a thinner gauge so we might also consider the kinds of reductions we
apply to measurements at the pattern altering stages.
With other decorative techniques such as panelling - this is where we subdivide up sections of a garment that need
not be subdivided in order to use contrasting colours, patterns, textures, gauges. transparencies of sheeting, again we can be
effecting the surface tension of the garment with lots of multiple seams. Combine it with appliqué and parts of a garment
surface can become over a millimetre thick quite easily. One of the real concerns, however, is where all these extra seams end
up. The garment now may not be able to stretch so much due to the extra seams making the surface thicker and if these
seams lay on areas of the body that require greater flexibility then it can increase the chances of the seams bursting. This then
isn’t so much a consideration of what gauge to use but how we may effect the tension of the altered sheeting by adapting our
measurement reductions in different parts of the body at the pattern stage but, this can also influence the kind of gauge we
might choose to use.
Some of the things here may sound a bit daunting, once one starts talking about tensions folk can run a little scared
as if we are moving into quantum physics but truthfully it isn’t as bad as one might think and there will be a chapter in the
manual that will go further into what one has to consider when we effect the surface of the sheeting we are planning to use.

Aesthetics
Part of choosing a rubber sheeting is the personal aesthetic we have. Thinner gauges have more drape, thicker
gauges more rigidity and we have seen how this can influence the type of gauge we might choose. However, in regards to
more skintight forms of garments the gauge of the sheeting also creates different visuals.
The thinner the gauge of rubber then the more likely it will have a semi-transparent quality even when stated by the
manufacturer to be an opaque solid. This transparency increases the more the garment is stretched. This may be fine for what
you want, it may not, hence it is something to consider.
The thinnest sheeting, when worn as a stretch garment, whilst reduction has been applied to measurements to make
the garment smaller and as such the garment has a certain amount of compression upon the surface of the wearers body, will
still reveal many a lump and bump. If you have ample cellulite then, that you don’t want to show, then making a catsuit from
an ultra thin gauge of rubber is not for you. As sheeting increases in thickness and becomes 0.33mm to 0.55mm (the most
typical range of sheeting used in most garments) the smaller, finer and softer pimples and dimples of the body get ironed out,
the rubber revealing more of the deeper muscular and skeletal architecture of the wearer. Larger fat deposit areas are
smoothed out somewhat through the compression of the sheeting on the body and softer tissue parts of the body such as the
male genitals, female breasts and the buttocks, unless the garment is specifically cut to accommodate and/or support them,
will be squashed and flattened down more. As we increase the sheetings thickness we streamline the underlying form of the
wearer further, in other words, the characteristics of what constitutes a persons surface appearance get more and more lost.
The gauge of the rubber sheeting then has a capacity to effect the degree of identity a person holds, loosing more and more
defining characteristics as the sheeting becomes thicker, a person becomes ever more generalised from being an individual
human to a cloned figure, a sketch, a mannequin.
One can choose the gauge of rubber sheeting one wants to use then on the grounds of the identity one wishes to
project whether this is influenced by vanity or a wish to lose ones self partially or near complete. Major body transformation
such as gender swapping will be examined later.
In regards to looser garments one may want parts of a garment to feel and look more floaty, have more swing from
off the body, or sit more as structural tubes etc and this too effects the type of gauge one might choose.
Other aesthetic considerations to be made have less to do with the gauge and more to do with the surface
appearance; colour, texture, pattern, iridescence, sheen, transparency and so on.

Fit
You might think this isn’t really a consideration for after all, no matter what gauge we might choose, we want our
garment to fit and how a garment does fit has more to do with pattern drafting. However, it can influence things if we
consider garments that are to be tighter fitting on some parts of the body and looser fitting on others for this may inform us
of the possibility of using more than one type of gauge. We could then consider using thinner gauges in the arm and leg
regions if we are after a looser, draping, and flow like look and feel to those places and a thicker gauge for a more skintight fit
on the torso if we want a more streamlining look and feel there. We don’t have to be limited to just a singular gauge of
sheeting because we are making just a singular garment.

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Preference
Everyone has a particular preference of gauge, one they feel the most comfortable in, one that does the right amount
of streamlining, has the right amount of swing, the right amount of rippling etc. This can also effect the gauge of sheeting we
opt for but these considerations are more aesthetic preferences than anything else. The consideration to be made here isn’t the
preference of gauge but, after choosing the gauge, the preference of positive and negative ease applied to measurements. It is
then a preference for how lose and how tight we like our garments to be.
When using traditional garment pattern drafting manuals instructions are often provided as to the amount of ease
one adds to certain measurements in order to increase their size. The amount of ease varies depending on the garment so a
tailored shirt will have a lot less ease added to it and be more form fitting to the body than a coat which requires extra ease to
accommodate layers of under garments and provide extra flexibility. What is often provided is also the opportunity to add
further ease into any particular garment. This is sometimes added as a get around for not providing adequate instructions on
how to adapt a pattern for people with a fuller tummy, fuller arms and legs etc. but can also be used just as a preference for
individuals who like looser fitting clothes to feel looser, baggier still. And I’ll provide all such instructions when we get to the
individual looser garments in this manual.
When it comes to skintight garments such manuals either leave you on your own to make your mind up as to how
much negative ease should be included, that is how much reduction should be applied to measurements, or they will suggest
a singular generalised reduction. This typically occurs because the authors recognise the impossibility of providing every
amount of reduction to be applied to all the different kinds of stretch fabrics available. In this manual we are dealing with just
one kind of stretch material namely that of rubber in its sheeting form and so I can provide you with the amount of
reduction that needs to be applied for each type of gauge. However, variety exists even for each gauge.
Most garments in this manual are made in gauges between 0.33mm and 0.60mm with a handful leaning more to
the thicker and thinner types. Now for the looser types of garments the thickness has no real effect upon the fit, we simply
choose the thickness according to our aesthetic sensibilities as to how a particular thickness may hang, drape, flow, retain
rigidity etc and maybe conform somewhat in appearance to the garments more conventional material choice. We then decide
on how loose we personally would prefer the garment to be. For the tighter fits, however, the gauge does have a more
significant effect on the fit and this is because we generally seek such garments to be some what smaller than the wearer.
What we are having to keep in mind then is how the different gauges stretch as this informs us as to the amount of reduction
we need to apply to certain measurements of the body in order to create the smaller garment. Thicker gauges don’t stretch as
much as thinner ones and so the amount of reduction for thicker gauges is far less than that applied to thinner ones. We also
have to be aware of something else and that is personal preference that some people don’t like too much compression on the
body, they prefer the rubber to be slightly hugging them while other people prefer a much more extreme sense of
compression so, for any particular gauge of rubber we might choose it isn’t that there is just one set amount of reduction we
would apply to measurements but that there is a range of them. I tend to limit this range to three; the hug, the squeeze and
the vice.

Gauge of sheeting least amount of reduction my favoured reduction greatest amount of reduction
the hug the squeeze the vice

0.20mm 8% (0.92) 12% (0.88) 20% (0.8)

0.33mm 6% (0.94) 10% (0.9) 14% (0.86)

0.45mm 5% (0.95) 7.5% (0.925) 9% (0.91)

0.55mm 4.5% (0.955) 5.5% (0.945) 6.5% (0.935)

0.65mm 2% (0.98) 3.5% (0.965) 4.5% (0.955)

0.80mm 0.5% (0.995) 1.5% (0.985) 2% (0.98)

0.92mm 0% (1) 1% (0.99) 1.5% (0.985)

1.05mm 0% (1) 0.5% (0.995) 1% (0.99)

We may opt to make a leotard and choose to use a 0.45mm gauge of rubber sheeting. To make the leotard smaller
on certain measurements we can apply any amount of reduction between 5% to 9%. 5% would give us a garment that gently
hugs the body while 9% a much greater vice.
The way we do this is we take certain measurements such as the waist circumference and apply our reduction
preference so, let’s say a persons waist is 88cm. We can either deduct 5% to 9% from off the 88cm or multiply it by the
percentages equivalent number as seen in the table, so 0.95 to 0.91. For a hugging fit the waist measurement now becomes
83.5cm, for a squeeze 81.5cm and for a vice 80cm. One can see then that the wearer of the leotard would stretch the garment
out anywhere between 4.5cm to 8cm around the waist.
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 If we wish we can even decide to vary the amount of reduction applied in the same garment making the waist area
tighter and the bust area looser and, in the instructions for adapting the blocks to create the skintight garments, I will be
suggesting that you do vary your reductions on certain measurements in particular regard to areas of the body that require
greater flexibility, parts of the body which vary in size between being straight and bent. As an example of this the
circumference of my elbow is 26cm when hanging straight but when bent it becomes 33cm, an increase of around 27%, the
length of the elbow is even more extreme going from 10cm to 16cm, an increase of 60%!!! Rubber stretches a great deal and
can accommodate these extreme increases in lengths when the body flexes but by slightly varying our reduction on
measurements we can make the fit more comfortable.
You may have heard that a manufacturer of rubber garments uses say, 6% reduction on their catsuits made from
0.40mm rubber sheeting while I’m saying it can vary. I’m saying it can vary even more so than the table above as the table is
only a suggestion, we can make our reductions even more great or less than what I have suggested. The reason why a
manufacturer may state they use just a singular amount of reduction, however, is because they will generally be making
garments that are aimed to fit a number of different sized people, so one size of garment potentially fits three different sizes
of people, on some it is tighter and on others looser but all are generally happy with the fit. When we make garments for
ourselves, however, we can fine tune things, we tailor things more specifically to our measurements and preferences.
Don’t worry about remembering anything so far mentioned. As I have said, when we come to each type of garment
I will be suggesting types of gauges of rubber sheeting and providing full instructions regarding the amount of reductions to
measurements. In this way one can go straight to the garment section you wish to make. All I’m trying to reveal at this stage
is while certain things have influenced the thickness of the gauge of rubber we have chosen to make a garment from, this
choice leads us to the consideration of how much ease we will be needing to add or the amount of reduction to be applied.

Competence
You’ve made your choices and found the most suitable gauge of rubber for the garment you have in mind but do you
feel competent enough to work with that gauge. The thinnest gauges of rubber are the hardest to work with. One of the
gauges I was going to include in this manual, as offered by Supatex, was 0.16mm but looking recently on their website it has
been removed and maybe it wasn’t selling because of how difficult it can be to handle. The thinner the gauge the more
extreme the curling reaction is to glue solvents, the more easy it is to distort through stretching when piecing seams, the more
easy it can be to accidentally tear, the harder it is to manipulate in the hands while it hangs all floppy, the more resistant it
becomes to being marked out etc. As the thickness in gauge increases the rubber starts to stabilise more, starts to take on
more rigid qualities, becomes less reactive to solvents. From around 0.33mm the handling of rubber sheeting becomes more
tolerable. Around 0.80mm and upwards certain qualities can make working with the sheeting difficult depending on the
project, now the inflexibility of the sheeting can become a hinderance or its weight even can so often the gauges between
0.50mm to 0.70mm can be considered the easiest to use for those unfamiliar with the material.
The consideration of competence is important then. It has nothing to do with undermining oneself but being
realistic. If I take myself for example it isn’t so much that I can’t work with the thinner gauges, I possess the skill level, but I
have little tolerance for the frustrations it can cause me, it wears down my patience and so my joy for working with the
material and this can effect quality for it makes me less caring about the project. That’s me being realistic about my own
demeanour. That’s me saying to myself that if I really do want to work with this gauge of rubber then I need to allocate
myself more time to work more slowly and be more patient and caring. This same principle can apply to using transparent
sheetings. You may be able to make a great seam with opaque sheeting, nice and even in width down its entire length and
holds together well but will it look clean when using transparent sheeting, will the applied glue look streaky, will it have dust
debris visible, do you need to recognise that you will need to take more time and care?
This recognition as to what level of skill you possess can be subjective. A person can say they are the most amazing
rubber garment maker in the universe but when we look closely we see the very opposite, while another person may be
embarrassed to show their work and yet to our eyes it would be the glittering example of true craftsmanship. We have to be
careful not to delude ourselves either way. Then there is also the level of competence you are happy with. If you want to make
garments for yourself and you can make them so they don’t fall apart but recognise that they wouldn’t quite match the quality
of a similar garment made by a manufacturer intended for a customer, that your seams whilst they do hold are a little untidy
then, be happy. Yes, if you wish to push yourself to improve then do so, rise to the challenge, if not then be happy that you can
make a nice fitting garment and one that fits you better than being a customer to a manufacturer of off-the-peg garments.
Let’s say, however, that you do want to make a cleaner smoother looking seam, that while your level of competence isn’t so
high to produce a seam that isn’t smooth but has embossed textures of streaky glue and debris particles underneath it, and
this might be because you haven’t yet developed the patience to do this but have been concentrating more on simply making
a garment that fits and holds itself together, then by going up a gauge in thickness this jump will help you create seams that
have a more flawless finish. It works similar to the streamlining effect of wearing thicker rubber in that the thicker the rubber
the more the finer details of the underlying form, the wearers own body, are smoothed out and hidden.

8
Durability
One always has to consider how a garment will be worn and for how long and often and these considerations can
influence the gauge of rubber sheeting we choose to use. How vigorously active the wearer might be could buff the quality of
the polished shiny surface of the rubber sheeting to a dull matt appearance, to such an extent that it cannot be returned back
to its manufacturers condition. The activity might easily scratch the surface and mark it forever, it could place baggy, looser
areas of a garment in dangerous rubber tearing situations by being caught on things, on tighter garments it may cause undue
stresses upon seams. Some of these kinds of issues can be remedied by knowing about them before hand and creating
garments that accommodate to the wearers behaviour. Sleeves which are wide and loose around the wrist may be tucked into
a cuff to try and reduce down the chances of them snagging on something, the amount of reduction applied around the arm
might be relaxed more to permit more flexible movement. We may also consider using a thicker gauge less prone to splitting
and tearing, and more resistant to abrasion. If a garment is to have metal components incorporated into it or the wearer
handles a lot of metal or is to be near it then this can effect the colour of sheeting we might opt to use to reduce the chances
of obvious staining, same if the wearer uses a lot of make-up and hair dye products. Even the wearers lack of attention to
storing their garments can be taken into consideration when choosing colour. Strong colours can transfer over and leech into
lighter colours if stored together and this can be accelerated if stored damp with sweat, water or silicone lube.

Financial
One last consideration is the cost of the sheeting. The thinner the gauge of rubber the cheaper it will be to purchase.
I have known this to influence people who have no experience of working with rubber sheeting purchase the very thinnest
gauge. This is totally understandable, one doesn’t want to pay so much if we learn we don’t have the right demeanour for
working with the material. Thinner gauges are very difficult to work with, however, and can make people new to working
with rubber sheeting believe they don’t have the competence required as they amount more failures than successes. If that
person had paid a little more for the next thickness up they might have improved their perception of themselves and the
material greatly. Times do exist though when the budget we allocate for a particular project doesn’t quite meet what we need.
At such times we have to reassess almost every consideration already made.

Beyond then choosing rubber sheeting based on the colour, sheen, pattern, transparency etc, for the garment we
wish to make there are a number of considerations not to forget and most of them mentioned here you might never have
thought about. These extra considerations to the more general surface look of a garment shouldn’t be thought off as
troublesome but part of the joy of designing and making for yourself and others and the joy of the material itself.
Many of us may have worn rubber for a number of years, I certainly did, I wore rubber for well over twenty years
before getting around to working with it, and while I loved and appreciated the material I can’t say I ever paid too much
attention to its various properties and especially not across as broad a spectrum of gauges as it comes in. Our connection as
makers takes our relationship with the material to a different world. We can bring our experiences of wearing it with us,
informing us about how it looks and feels and seeking to create these things and more in our garments and, we can transfer
the knowledge we have partly gleamed through wearing it to our workspace concerning stretch tensions and preferences of fit
but we also need to expand, we need to recognise that rubber has so many more possible aspects to its nature that we might
never have experienced in all our years of wearing. We can slowly glean this information as to its greater potential and
limitations through our making over time as well as just getting sample packs and physically feeling in our hands the various
differences between the different gauges.
Most of the considerations we ask ourselves concerning gauge thickness will be bought up throughout this manual
as we approach the different types of garments so you won’t be left on your own. If you turn to making a playsuit or
dungarees I will suggest certain gauges and reasons why. The reasons why are the most important as these can also inform you
for reasons why you may wish to deviate from my suggestions. Nothing is solid, nothing is fixed. I understand that there are
folk who want things to be fixed, “just tell me what to use and how to do it” and I will but for others this isn’t enough so
hopefully there will also be enough information for you to make informed choices for when you wish to broaden your
options.