Sewing through plastic?

[JonCrane]

Hello, I’m looking for some recommendations on a plastic stiffener for a canvas and leather tool bag I’m making. I see Milwaukee has an open top tool bag with stiff sides. It has a plastic wall sandwiched with canvas fabric. The plastic is stiff yet can be sewn through. I imagine it is 1/8” or slightly less. I read somewhere about HDPE can be sewn through but there are many types of HDPE. Does anyone have experience with this? I’m going to call TAP plastics tomorrow and see if they know of a product. 
I’ll be sewing this with my industrial walking foot machine with Tex138. 
Thanks for any help!

- Jon

[kgg]

6 hours ago, JonCrane said:

I’ll be sewing this with my industrial walking foot machine with Tex138. 

What machine are you planning on using??

kgg

[fredk]

7 hours ago, JonCrane said:

. . . I imagine it is 1/8” or slightly less. . . 

1/8" is very thick, its probably no more that 1/32", or less than 0.75 mm, might even be 1/64" or 0.4 mm. LDPE  sheet is the material to use, not polystyrene plastic

[kgg]

9 hours ago, JonCrane said:

I see Milwaukee has an open top tool bag with stiff sides. It has a plastic wall sandwiched with canvas fabric. The plastic is stiff yet can be sewn through. I imagine it is 1/8” or slightly less.

Looking on their Milwaukee website they say

i) " We constructed the durable tote with 1680D ballistic material and all-metal hardware so it can withstand harsh jobsite environments." There is no mention of any plastic. 

ii) "The PACKOUT™ 10” Structured Tote features tear resistant layered ballistic material, a reinforced structure that holds its shape over time, and has a carrying capacity of up to 50 pounds."

From those two statements there is no plastic being sewn. The multi layers of ballistic material would give the sides of the bags the needed structure strength to keep the sides stiff. Sewing ballistic material is probably going to be tough on needles and will need either be sandwiched behind layers on fabric or have multiple layers to be able to bury the thread knots in.

1 hour ago, fredk said:

1/8" is very thick, its probably no more that 1/32", or less than 0.75 mm, might even be 1/64" or 0.4 mm. LDPE  sheet is the material to use, not polystyrene plastic

I agree. I think punching through 1/8" or close thick LDPE or HDPE is going to pose problems as cracking / splitting maybe a real concern. I also think you would probably be into using a Class 441.

kgg

[Deanr]

I make duffle bags using a combination of canvas and leather. For a stiffener in the bottom I have used bontex stiffener which is made for this purpose. It's a pressed material, not plastic. I sandwhich between canvas and I have no problems sewing through it with my sailrite lz1 using 92 thread.

I got the bontex from Springfield leather. It comes in a sheet about 3' x 4'.

I also see a material pitex which comes in different thickness. I have never used it.

Edited September 5 by Deanr