MAKE magazine's weekend project is to make a messenger bag with old plastic bags ironed together to make a thicker plastic sheet, then sewn together using a free pattern

https://www.makezine.com/blog/archive...bag_out_1.html

MAKE's single speed project from last week discussion
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/310751-how-build-singlespeed-hipster-bike.html

these are hilarious.

ok... now this place is definitely closing....

PSA: Ironing plastic bags together into thicker plastic sheets is probably the best recipe for massive toxin inhalation I've heard in a long time.

I'm curious as to what brand that frame is behind him in the beginning considering it is definitely not the one from his make a fixie project. Any ideas anyone?

freaking awesome

ghettolicious



seriously----is that a good wicking material? will it make my back all sweaty?

All the more reason everyone here should make one.

as much as i love makemagazine. i dont know why these rub me the wrong way. i love anything to do with circuits/sewing/floating in the mags

Just have a friend iron it straight to your back, it should fill all of your sweat glands and pores if you get the heat just right. World's most advanced vapor barrier!

Those look kind of like Kalavinka track ends.

Yeah--that's what I like to do of an evening--
sit back relax and iron plastic bags until I pass out.

Plus that dude in the picture from Make looks like
a hipster Mr. Rogers--he needs a shot of testosterone.

This guy pisses me off so much

Oh man its all down hill from here!!!!!

The girl's arms are all ****ed up. She should get something for the rash.

pro tip: Use rice bags.

Spoilers: Timbuk2 is already making bags with the laminated grocery bag technique, they're just not selling them yet.

What the hell is wrong with you people? Can you stop being fixed-gear Heathers for once? Homeboy is trying to show y'all how to DIY. Maybe that's an abhorrent concept; to go and make something for yourself, and recycle, rather than going out and buying your image.

It's well-intended. I highly doubt melting bags together for such a short period of time will do anything overly dangerous, especially if you're ironing on your porch/deck or something.

Still I'd rather just buy a fracking bag. I'd trust timbuk2's or reload's craftmanship over my own, especially if I'm carrying "important" legal documents or other junk for a delivery.

Because legal documents weigh so much.

That was actually really clever. Certainly not going to be as strong as cordura, but it looked like a pretty solid bag considering the origins of the material.

the plastic laminated material is a good idea and
i think the handbag that the girl made is well
suited for this material ...but a 'messenger bag'

...no.

granted i've never tested this material, but
something tells me it's just wouldn't work that
well ..plus the sweat factor.

The problem is not that homeboy is showing us something, It's that he's not doing a very good job at it. If I didn't know how to build a bike or a bag already, I doubt these videos would actually teach me anything.

Example: They took half the video to show you how to melt plastic together and barely any time showing him assembling the actual bag. Seems like a pretty important step in the process. It should have been called make your own melted plastic.

Plus, his little jokes are stupid and piss me off.

The guy is kinda annoying but I think these things are better at inpsiring people to do DIY rather than step by step instructions.

As far as the bag itself here are my thoughts.

1. It's only single layer, with stiching all over the place....Therfore it is going to leak like all hell.

2. Definitly didn't show enough putting it together. I've made three bags so far and I would be interested to have seen more of that. Especially strap placement... It's a *****.

-ray

Actually, as long as you don't care about the carcinogens, you could just iron more bags over the seams to seal them once you're done sewing. This is still a dumb idea, but if you're going to do it, you might as well go hog wild.

Could you just not sew at all, and use melted plastic for allllll of it?


I dare you.