Hey guys! We all know how expensive filter socks can be so a few weeks ago I decided to try to make them on my own. Lets get started!
Things you will need:
1: Scissors or rotatory cutter
2: 1 yard of batting, see below
3: About 25' of 1/4" Polyethylene rigid plastic tubing per yard of batting you get.
4: Sewing machine, or if you are adventurous, just a needle and thread!
Step One:
We will be making 4" x 12" socks, the most common size. 1 yard of batting makes about 12 socks using this design.
I used this batting:
Cut a square of 14" x 18" batting for every sock you'd like to make.
Step Two:
Make a 1" fold along the 14" edge (that is, you should now have a 14" x 17" square) and sew along its edge, double stitching the ends.
Step Three:
Fold your sock "hotdog style" with your seam on the outside and sew along the bottom and side.
As you sew up the side sew right up to your folded stitch but not beyond it! It should leave you a little pocket along the top of your sock.
Step Four:
This is the hardest part. Now take your sock and fold your pocket outward and down. The best way I can describe this is your fold should now looks like the sleeves on a dress shirt if the cuffs are folded back. Now take your sock and sew all along the end of your "cuff" This will make a double pocket for your tubing to sit in.
Step Five:
I neglected to take any pictures of this, but its fairly simple. Pull your sock inside out, you should not see any seams on the outside. Cut a 20" section of your tubing and start to slide it into the pocket. As you can see your tubing is longer than your sock is, this allows you to double up about 3" on either side of the opening of the pocket to help keep your sock round(ish)
Thats it! You are all done! My socks dirty up in about 2 days so make sure you have extra. I suggest making a dozen or 14 so you can run one each day, then have a week to wash them before putting them back into use. I have heard them being washed with just hot water in your washer, or using bleach is they are allowed to sit in the open air for a few days to let the bleach dissipate.
Thanks for reading and happy reefing!
Change Log:
12/28/2009: Added the type of tubing.