Homemade blade bags?

The answer is in your topic?
Just make one =P I got a bought one now cause I got it with my boat but I'd never pay for one of those.
Just buy some somewhat resistant cloth, sailbag cloth might work pretty well, make two layers, put some padding in between, sew together. That should be pretty much all there's to it =P
 
Indoor-outdoor carpeting works pretty good. My Dad made a set many (many!) years ago for my Cyclone.

Cut the carpet slightly larger than the board, and sew the edges together. If you do not have an industrial sewing machine, take it to a local upolsterer or sail loft.
 
What you make might depend on what you want to achieve. Many years ago I wanted to protect a pretty expensive wooden rudder (wood covered with transparent resin) and I just sewed two bits of carpet together to form a bag (soft sides inwards, using a sailmakers needle and fine whipping twine). I suppose I could have then sewn on a handle, but it was a "fixed" rudder (i.e. tiller and runner one piece so whatever I would have done it would have been a "pain" to carry around.


The Laser ones (sold by Laser in the UK anyway) are a bit more than just protection and have pockets for things like battens, carry both Centreboard and rudder and tiller plus extension, etc. - so its a bit more complex to make.


Just protection, just convenience (keep/carry everything together), bit of both.


Try carpet, sailcloth, etc. and "make it up as you go along".


Ian
 
after all the trouble of going to find materials, and then needles and thread, spec-ing it, and then having do to it all, I would just throw down for a Colie bag, its the Gold Standard of board bags, cant get anything better out there
 
hahahahaha
and to think I was trying to be nice, but yea basically, you got it spot on there sk8ingsailor

always support your local shop!
 
I used a foam pad that you use for camping and some good ol' Duct Tape. Lasted for years and had thicker padding than the bags that I have seen. IMO this has 2 benefits - 1 - the board has more insulation and thusly does not heat up as much - which is good in the car - won't bend - and 2 - it just has more padding.

Then chuck the whole lot into a Hockey Bag - I got one at a second hand store for 10 bucks.

Worked fine for me for years till i got a 'real' one. Odd - I sail less now, but have money to have a nice bag - I'd take the old bag and more sailing!!!!

Matt
 
hahahahaha
and to think I was trying to be nice, but yea basically, you got it spot on there sk8ingsailor

always support your local shop!

Why buy something that is so obviously overprized?
It's not hard at all to make a bag.
Go to your local sewing shop or whatever they're called. Buy some random cloth, buy some padding material, sew it together. Incredibly simple.
 
the bags are worth their money

they are made with special material that breaths correctly so water doesent get in, but does go out, they are heat resistant, and have excellent padding, which is also a special kind

I have a homemade bag that came with my first laser, it was the cats pajamas till I got my Colie bag

its the same deal as covers, pay good money to protect it all now, and it will last

don't tell me you make your covers out of bed sheets do you?
 
they are made with special material that breaths correctly so water doesent get in, but does go out, they are heat resistant, and have excellent padding, which is also a special kind
Seriously, don't fall for all marketing bullshit. I got one of those expencive bags which I got with my boat, and it's nothing special at all. I could make something just as good, if not better without having to pay loads for it.

its the same deal as covers, pay good money to protect it all now, and it will last
Indeed it is the same deal, marketing bullshit.

I could make a bag or a cover that is identical to those I have made for myself, sell it with my sailmaker logo on and people would believe whatever bs I told them and experience them as working much better than whatever homemade thing they might have tried.
The prize of stuff like this just dosn't reflect the gains at all.
 
after you go and buy the same material in 10foot wide rolls and 100 feet long, and have to get 10x10 for the foam, yea its gonna cost you the same price

the only way to get your moneys worth is to buy it in bulk, buying 3 square feet aint worth it

Colie bag:
"High quality and heavy duty is the best way to describe this top of the line Colie Deluxe bag. There are three compartments that hold the rudder, tiller and extension , and centerboard. The padding between each compartment is high density Volara®foam (life jacket quality). A deep, pleated black mesh pocket, large enough for a sail and lines, a wide removable shoulder strap and two heavy duty handles complete this bag."
-http://coliesails.com/allcovers.html#laser

they use:
TOP GUN®
Colie Deluxe covers are made from "Top Gun," the highest quality marine fabric made in America. It is a rugged abrasion-resistant material with stay-true, long lasting colors. "Top Gun" is guaranteed for a five year period against excessive loss of color or strength under normal exposure conditions. It's also UV and mildew resistant, plus water repellent and breathable. All our covers are constructed from "Seagull Gray" Top Gun and are trimmed in a contrasting color.
TENARA THREAD®
Colie Deluxe covers are sewn with "Tenara®" sewing thread by Gore which has a lifetime guarantee for sun-rot. We can say without hesitation that our covers last longer than any others we've seen or heard about.
-http://coliesails.com/cov.html

they will also put your name or sail # on your covers or bag, which is nice

Colie Sails DOES NOT BS, they are run by sailors, for sailors, if you know the Colie family like I do, you would know this, they are very helpful and would do anything for you

you get what you see, and you get the best, if you don't like the result, they will do what ever it takes to help you


the only advantage is protecting your gear, and keeping it in perfect shape

why are you so against supporting your local shop? you sure seem to support them for line, sails, ring dings etc, but if you can make it yourself, your shop isn't good enough? do you spin your own line? mold your own shackles? make your own hiking strap and hiking pants? God knows hiking pants are expensive enough, lets see the ones you made yourself
 
I'd trust my own knowledge as a sailmaker over what you've read/heard somewhere, but whatever, you can buy whatever you like. Quite a few people can't afford spending that kind of money on stuff like that though.
 
ok

and it's called saving, I've done it, I'm sure you've done it, a couple of bucks a month, a couple of months later you got yourself a board bag

"Quite a few people can't afford spending that kind of money on stuff like that though.'
thats a cheap cop out, and is totally bull, with a price of $159, American, if you were to save for 4 months, you would have to save $39.75, for 6 months: only 26.5, thats easy enough, 8 months: 19.87, ok here's on for you, over a whole year, 12 months! only 13.25! a child could do that!

certainly you don't spend your entire paycheck all at once on bills and food, maybe skip those weekly McDonald's visit, you would probably stand to loose the weight anyway
 
Has anyone found an alternative to paying $100+ for a blade bag?

Ebay, or used from someone you sail with in your district, the for sale ads here often have em

just save for awhile, and then save $59 more and get a Colie bag, or who ever else it is you prefer, your patience will be rewarded
 
Of course most people can, if they really prioritize a blade bag, afford it.
Most people arn't willing to spend a big part of their spare money on unnessesary stuff like an expencive blade bag.
You just have to skip to much other stuff just for a blade bag.
Maybe you don't know what it's like for most people when they study for example, which is a quite comon situation for laser sailors. You have to save on everything you can and a blade bag that expencive is just not something you can afford.
 
"Maybe you don't know what it's like for most people when they study for example, which is a quite comon situation for laser sailors. You have to save on everything you can and a blade bag that expencive is just not something you can afford."

ok I am a college student, so i damn well know what it is like to buy gear, I buy most of it myself

it is possible to save for multiple things at a time

right now I'm saving for a Finn, thats 22,000 new, I'm not saving much, but right now 20 bucks a month is all I'm doing, when I get out of college in 3 years, and get a full time job, I'll be able to save more, and I will be at the right weight range

I just finished saving for a new surfboard, 80 a month got me where I needed to be very quickly

if you have to save for multiple things, then keep a list

4 things of 100 each, is 12.50 each if you save 50 a month, and you'll get 8 months

I'm sorry but "can't" just doesn't hack it, you CAN do what ever you set your mind to, this, and I'm sure yours, isn't a communist country.
 
Indeed you can in most cases do whatever you set your mind to.
The amout of stuff that needs to be sacrificed does outweight the want to get a bladebag for most people though.
Saving dosn't make it cheeper eather you know =/

Anyway, I think we got abit sidetracked here.
The topic is about how to get a proper bladebag cheep, not about whatever we're disscussing now.
I'd kind of agree on paying for a cover as it takes some work to do, and I'm most cases you'd need an industrial sewing machine. A bladebag on the other hand, is quite diffrent =P
 
"The amout of stuff that needs to be sacrificed does outweight the want to get a bladebag for most people though.
Saving doesn't make it cheaper either you know =/"

true, but you could sacrifice stuff you don't really need, those cookies you always buy, McDonald's, that people magazine, stupid stuff

and I know saving doesn't make it cheaper, but it makes you appreciate it more in this "gimmie gimmie now now" kind of world we live in, after all the saving and sacrifice, you learn to appreciate it, and take care of it, something I think our generation is lost on, as lots of people are handed everything on a golden platter
 
I have a Storm blade bag and it is worth every penny.

However, I did make a bag with a couple compartments out of canvas for an old Sunfish I restored. The canvas is the heavier weight canvas paint drop cloth material I found a Lowe's Hardware. The webbing for the straps and upholstery thread came from WalMart. It totalled about $25 as I recall. I wrap the blades with old towels.

The hard part was figuring how to work the sewing machine, since I'd not used one prior to this.
 
I'd consider buying something for $100+ when you could get it for $20 beeing stupid stuff =P

The hard part was figuring how to work the sewing machine, since I'd not used one prior to this.
I guess that might be a valid reason for buying something like that.
If you do have some experience with sewing stuff I'd say you're better of just making one =P
 
Maybe a silver platter. Earlier in the thread, I nearly stepped in to comment that it would be a good idea for me to try to make my own hiking pants, since I haven't found any that are actually sized for women. The ones with the best fit that I've found so far have a waist that is far too big and the shortest battens are still too long. I didn't step in with that comment because it is off topic, just as the savings argument is off topic. The guy who started the thread didn't ask for a treatise on banking. He wants to know how to make a blade bag.

So how does one make a blade bag for cheap? Carpet, screwdriver, 50 feet of line. Here it is: http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=3987&highlight=blade+bag+sewing
 
I've made a bag out of the blue sail tubes that a J24 main comes in, as it was already a tube the right width for the centerboard. Just cut two lengths 50" long, put a sean down one length for the tiller-rudder seperator, then sew the edges together along one side. Stick on a handle, and velcro pocket.

Ask any serious J racer, he probably has a few bags. Hand sewn takes about an hour. I didn't bother with padding, it was more about getting all the gear to the beach without forgetting something. I have one of those speedy stitchers with a wooden handle.

Al
 
WOW

Just get some free carpet off-cuts, cut to general profile, hans sew it up inside out and when you turn it in the right way put the foil in it and put it away,
 

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