stiffener for heavy loaded bag needed

[Indy]

Hey everyone,

long time, no see. After spending a while mostly with braiding whips lately I get a few things to made in heavy vegtable cowhide again.

I'm going to make a large sales mans bag out of 2.8mm cowhide (I guess that might be arround 7 or 8 oz) which is considered to become a heavy duty bag. It will be loaded with a maximum weight of 30lbs daily. So the bag needs a good stiffener in the bottom part, so does the flap.

I was thinking of 2 pieces of PVC sheets but I'm not shure about it. I don't want to use metal since I thought of sewing the stiffener in.

Any suggestions what to use and where to get?

[Jordan]

Perhaps those thin flexible cutting boards that are available at cooking supply stores would work, sewn in under a liner if they are large enough. They are some sort of plastic material. Metal would probably wear through the leather eventually.

[Hilly]

I might be tempted to cover a piece of 1/8" plywood (the same size as the interior bottom of bag) or similar with lining leather, and drop it into the bottom of the bag. Maybe put a couple rivets through to hold it in place? Or screw in 4 of those little plastic "feet" from underneath like the feet found on luggage?

For the flap on your bag, are you going to attach a handle, such as found on a briefcase? If so, I'd use some light metal like esantoro uses in his maverick bags. It would reinforce the handle area, and keep your handle from tearing through the flap. You would have to line the flap if you didn't want it to show...

Just my $0.02

[bigorange]

if you have a plastic supplier near you what will work just fine is high density polyethelene is the same material that make a gallon milk jug, in the fiberglass word I use it for flat molding surfaces , its cheap, flat, and strong depending on the thickness needed

[Indy]

these where some fine ideas, thank you kindly! I will keep you updated onthe project and how I'll decide to make it

cheers

[Randy Cornelius]

Also consider plexiglass, I use it on a lot of different projects to stiffen.

[Indy]

I finnaly found a place in germany who could sell me some hard PVC pieces I could use for the bag. It had been a long frustaed search here in my hometown, so I decided to order from abroad. thanks to ebay, it is impossible not to find the right man for any need.

Finished the bag yesterday night and sent it off to the customer.

I can tell you this is a hell of a large bag. He told me he need it as a kind of postal bag. I doubt it is really that handy but this is how he wanted it:

and here one for getting an idea how huge this bag is (person is 5'3" standing)

Edited September 28, 2009 by Indy

[anester05]

That is one heck of a bag. Its nice a neat. Very good job.

[oldtimer]

Hey everyone,

long time, no see. After spending a while mostly with braiding whips lately I get a few things to made in heavy vegtable cowhide again.

I'm going to make a large sales mans bag out of 2.8mm cowhide (I guess that might be arround 7 or 8 oz) which is considered to become a heavy duty bag. It will be loaded with a maximum weight of 30lbs daily. So the bag needs a good stiffener in the bottom part, so does the flap.

I was thinking of 2 pieces of PVC sheets but I'm not shure about it. I don't want to use metal since I thought of sewing the stiffener in.

Any suggestions what to use and where to get?

Try to find Polycarbonate plastic. It is sold in Sweden under the name LEXAN, don´t know what it is named abroad. The polycarbonate is flexible, yet almost indestructable and is found in many thicknesses. I have seen it tested ( 2" thick) as a bullet proof window, without cracking. I think Plexiglass is too brittle to be practical.

in a bag

[Indy]

Try to find Polycarbonate plastic. It is sold in Sweden under the name LEXAN, don´t know what it is named abroad. The polycarbonate is flexible, yet almost indestructable and is found in many thicknesses. I have seen it tested ( 2" thick) as a bullet proof window, without cracking. I think Plexiglass is too brittle to be practical.

in a bag

Thank you for the advice! I might try that if I do any further projects which require stiffeners. I see that you're from Sweden yourself. I'm goind to a trip there in 2 years and I'm wondering if there are any leather manufactures there who also employ leatherworkers. Any suggestions?