BeaverMonkey
TreeHouser
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2015
- Messages
- 91
I am sure there are plenty of ways to do this better and I am equally sure most people could figure this out on their own, but I thought I would share how I make my own throwbags in case anyone was interested in saving some money. I do not accept any liability or responsibility for anything any of you do so do not sew through your hand, or bash yourself in the head or something.
I start with two rectangles of very tough fabric - I think it is cordura or ballistic nylon or something. I get it from the local canvas shop inexpensively. These two are WAY oversize, since I am making 'rescue' bags - as in, "the bag I use to rescue the other bag that is otherwise irretrievably snagged some god-awful place." If you size them around 4"x12" it will come out a more reasonable size, and have enough room for 12-20 oz of shot/BB's. Cut one rectangle about 1/8" longer than the other - this will give you room to make the fold, without the seams pulling.
Place one piece on top of the other, with the rough or outside sides facing in towards the other piece of fabric. Sew across one end, about 1/4" from the edge. Fold the whole thing across the long dimension (you will have four thicknesses of fabric about 4"x6" with the ends of the two pieces you have not stitched together sticking out far enough to do so), so that the longer piece of fabric is on the outside. This will pull the opposite ends of the fabric even with each other. Sew the same seam across this end.
These are the least critical seams in the whole thing, so you only really need to go once across, and back to double stitch it. I usually tie the loose threads and use a lighter to melt the raw edge of the fabric and the little thread stubs that are left sticking out of the knot. You will end up with a double-thickness piece the same dimensions of one of your original pieces, that does not want to lay flat.
Turn the fabric sandwich inside out, being sure to keep track of which piece of fabric is the longer one, so that it ends up on the outside of the new fold that you will make next.
Fold it in half, lining up the seams you made in the previous sewing step, and press it as flat and even as you can get it.
Sew up one side, about a 1/4" from the edge. Try to sew from the 'bottom' of the bag towards your seams from the previous step and back, so that all the loose threads end up at the bottom of the bag (the right side in the following picture). In the next step you will sew over this end of these seams, reinforcing them and trapping the running end of the threads.
Do the other side. If you started and stopped the seams at the bottom, you will have something that looks like a sea-purse.
These are the most important two seams on the bag, so be sure that your stitching looks good and strong. I generally go up and down three times, so I have six overlapping lines of stitching. Tie off the threads and melt the edges of the fabric.
Flatten the bag down its longitude, such that the two side seams press together.
This will allow you to press the two bottom corners together in two 'dog-ear' triangle shapes.
Separate them and fold one back forming a square shape at the bottom of the bag.
Place this down on the machine table so that you are only sewing across one of the triangles.
Sew a seam across the triangle, about a third of the way down from its apex. If you are thinking too hard about this, you will feel like you need to put the seam a third of the way UP from the base, or at the halfway point. Do not do this. You will end up with a very flat rectilinear bag if you do.
Tie off the threads, singe the tails, etc.
Fold the square shape at the bottom of the bag closed into the same double triangle shapes as before, and transfer marks from the sewn side to the side yet to be sewn, so that you end up with symmetrical seams.
Sew the other triangle, going from one mark to the other. These seams are of intermediate importance: if they burst, you would not loose any shot, but your bag could be lopsided and useless for setting lines. I tend to sew these three or four times across and back, giving me six or eight stitch lines all on top of one another. Tie and singe.
The bag will now have a square bottom with the stubs of the triangles sticking out on opposite sides, if you put the triangles' seams in the right places.
Turn the bag right-side out.
The triangular stubs will now be on the inside, and the bag will look like this from the top and bottom:
Fill the bag with the weight of BB's you want in it, make a loop of some old cordage with a bulky square knot, and find a zip-tie.
Put the loop of cordage in the mouth of the bag, with the knot nestled down in the BB's. Put the zip tie around the 'throat' of the bag, such that it is below the quadruple thickness of fabric at the top edge of the bag, but above the bulk of the knot in your cordage and all the BB's.
Pull the zip-tie TIGHT, and pull your cordage up as hard as you can.
Trim the tail of the zip-tie, and use a lighter to melt the sharp piece flat.
That is it.
I have used these for a couple of years, and never had one burst or leak BB's. I am trying one out now that I stuffed with a mixture of pennies and BB's (since pennies are cheaper) but I have not had a chance to test it yet, so I cannot recommend it.
I start with two rectangles of very tough fabric - I think it is cordura or ballistic nylon or something. I get it from the local canvas shop inexpensively. These two are WAY oversize, since I am making 'rescue' bags - as in, "the bag I use to rescue the other bag that is otherwise irretrievably snagged some god-awful place." If you size them around 4"x12" it will come out a more reasonable size, and have enough room for 12-20 oz of shot/BB's. Cut one rectangle about 1/8" longer than the other - this will give you room to make the fold, without the seams pulling.
Place one piece on top of the other, with the rough or outside sides facing in towards the other piece of fabric. Sew across one end, about 1/4" from the edge. Fold the whole thing across the long dimension (you will have four thicknesses of fabric about 4"x6" with the ends of the two pieces you have not stitched together sticking out far enough to do so), so that the longer piece of fabric is on the outside. This will pull the opposite ends of the fabric even with each other. Sew the same seam across this end.
These are the least critical seams in the whole thing, so you only really need to go once across, and back to double stitch it. I usually tie the loose threads and use a lighter to melt the raw edge of the fabric and the little thread stubs that are left sticking out of the knot. You will end up with a double-thickness piece the same dimensions of one of your original pieces, that does not want to lay flat.
Turn the fabric sandwich inside out, being sure to keep track of which piece of fabric is the longer one, so that it ends up on the outside of the new fold that you will make next.
Fold it in half, lining up the seams you made in the previous sewing step, and press it as flat and even as you can get it.
Sew up one side, about a 1/4" from the edge. Try to sew from the 'bottom' of the bag towards your seams from the previous step and back, so that all the loose threads end up at the bottom of the bag (the right side in the following picture). In the next step you will sew over this end of these seams, reinforcing them and trapping the running end of the threads.
Do the other side. If you started and stopped the seams at the bottom, you will have something that looks like a sea-purse.
These are the most important two seams on the bag, so be sure that your stitching looks good and strong. I generally go up and down three times, so I have six overlapping lines of stitching. Tie off the threads and melt the edges of the fabric.
Flatten the bag down its longitude, such that the two side seams press together.
This will allow you to press the two bottom corners together in two 'dog-ear' triangle shapes.
Separate them and fold one back forming a square shape at the bottom of the bag.
Place this down on the machine table so that you are only sewing across one of the triangles.
Sew a seam across the triangle, about a third of the way down from its apex. If you are thinking too hard about this, you will feel like you need to put the seam a third of the way UP from the base, or at the halfway point. Do not do this. You will end up with a very flat rectilinear bag if you do.
Tie off the threads, singe the tails, etc.
Fold the square shape at the bottom of the bag closed into the same double triangle shapes as before, and transfer marks from the sewn side to the side yet to be sewn, so that you end up with symmetrical seams.
Sew the other triangle, going from one mark to the other. These seams are of intermediate importance: if they burst, you would not loose any shot, but your bag could be lopsided and useless for setting lines. I tend to sew these three or four times across and back, giving me six or eight stitch lines all on top of one another. Tie and singe.
The bag will now have a square bottom with the stubs of the triangles sticking out on opposite sides, if you put the triangles' seams in the right places.
Turn the bag right-side out.
The triangular stubs will now be on the inside, and the bag will look like this from the top and bottom:
Fill the bag with the weight of BB's you want in it, make a loop of some old cordage with a bulky square knot, and find a zip-tie.
Put the loop of cordage in the mouth of the bag, with the knot nestled down in the BB's. Put the zip tie around the 'throat' of the bag, such that it is below the quadruple thickness of fabric at the top edge of the bag, but above the bulk of the knot in your cordage and all the BB's.
Pull the zip-tie TIGHT, and pull your cordage up as hard as you can.
Trim the tail of the zip-tie, and use a lighter to melt the sharp piece flat.
That is it.
I have used these for a couple of years, and never had one burst or leak BB's. I am trying one out now that I stuffed with a mixture of pennies and BB's (since pennies are cheaper) but I have not had a chance to test it yet, so I cannot recommend it.
