Plastic bag carrier - wip

[JOAT]

Any more it's a bit of a hassle for me to manage plastic bags from the store with one hand and a cane with the other. Definitely didn't want to make multiple trips, but those bags do tend to dig in. So, took inspiration from this.

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Definitely did not want to pay whatever exhorbinate (sp ?) cost they're asking, so am making my own version. However, there is always a however. However, as I often get a cup of coffee or occassionally a soda I'm going to put a drink cup holder on mine. A start has been made, using 3/4" wide strips of 1/2" plywood cut to various lengths. Here's what I've got so far, with the handle part three layers wide for comfort.

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I won't know for sure how the next step will go until the glue dries and I can pick it up and look it over. The two 'legs' on the left were tight enough to hold the piece sticking out while the glue dries. The 'legs' on the right were looser, which is why two pieces are stacked in between with a pencil to support the piece while the glue dries. If I'd had Norm on my mind I'd have nailed that sucker, 'while the glue sets'. It's a simple build, but it sure will be handy.

 

[TracyP]

Please keep us posted as you progress in this really useful project.

 

[Sealeveler]

Sounds like a useful project.Tony

 

[JOAT]

I'm interested in how this is going to come out myself. It's longer and taller than it ever needs to be, but it's the first one and it's for me, so I don't much care. It's something I can toss in the back of the El Camino, let it slide around, and it's there when I need it. However, when this one is finished I have been thinking of making a more elegent version, one I can rout out. But in the meantime... Oh yeah, the little pieces on the end will probably be rounded off a bit, sometime.

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I'm ready now to start on the cupholder. And have only a vague clue on how I might do that. Zen woodworking at it's finest.

 

[JOAT]

Doesn't stuff like this just frost you? I finished typing, was going to post a picture, and everything vanished. Had to start over.

OK, did a bit more gluing today, and some trimming/streamlining. Took a picture of the work done today. Then went back out later, after the glue had set enough, and did more gluing and started on the cup holder - wasn't anywhere near how I had thought it would go, but going nicely. Am excited to see how it'll go next. No picture of that, had left the camera by the computer to download the first picture, and forgot it. If the glue will dry fast enough may even have it ready for a trial run day after tomorrow. I'm thinking that tomorrow too I will start sketching a much more elegent, and faster and easier, to make version, small enough that a woman could even put one in her purse if she desired. Or keep it in the console or glovebox. This one is amost twice as long and tall as it need be. The next verion will be much more compact, but no cup holder.

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[JOAT]

Well, got the cup holder all on, with 'scaffolding' to hold the cup in place. Forgot to post the picture, in it you can see there's still one support, on the side, that needs to go on. Took it for a test run today, and it works like a charm. With a few howevers. There is always at least one however, universal law or something.

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The cupholder worked quite well, even when I shifted the carrier from hand to hand. The carrier is too long. And the little projections to hold the plastic bags from slipping off the hooks should be at a steeper angle, otherwise length of them should be fine. The hooks could stand to be shorter also, maybe just 1/2" space for the bag handles should be fine. The top of the carrier could stand to be hit with the belt sander, as well as the bottom of it. The carrier could have been just two layers of 1/2" plywood instead of three, and probably should have been, but I didn't think of it when I started. But all in all it works quite well, and I'll toss it in the back of the El Camino and let it ride around until I need it. The carrier is not really pretty but it was never intended to be, it was intended to be a proof-of-concept piece and it fulfilled that roll excellently.

Anyone with leftover plywood, this would be a good project - probably minus the cupholder tho. Based on this one I'm going to sketch up a new version, probably less cupholder (I can always add one later), and two layers. I'll make it so I just rout them out.

Oh yes, I carried in more bags in one trip than I've been able to handle in a lonnng time without coming in the house almost cying from the handles feeling like they're cutting into my hand. Before it would have taken me at least two trips, more likely three, to get that many bags in the house. MORE than worth the time and effort, believe me. Once I get the pattern for the new one figured out I'll try to remember to scan it and post a picture of it too.

 

[Sealeveler]

Great time saver.That will save a bunch of trips.Tony

 

[JOAT]

Great time saver.That will save a bunch of trips.Tony

The time saving is an unexpected bonus, the original idea was just to keep the plastic bag handles from hurting my hand, which it definitely did also. This is one woodworking project I will definitely recommend to anyone. I'm already thinking about how I'll do the Mark 2 model.

 

[JOAT]

I did another test run today. Good thing I did before I got too far on the Mark 2 version. The little hooks/horns/whatever for holding the bags, a rather heavy bag had one handle slip off today, just slid right up that little slope and off. The next version definitely will have vertical hooks. I will amend the present one slightly, to alter the hooks to vertical.

 

[JOAT]

Amended the 'horns' of the carrier so they go straight up and down. And making 'progress' on the Mark 2 version. Rather than sketching it out, then cutting it out, decided to glue pieces onto a larger piece of plywood - thus making a master to make a master to make the pieces. Hehehe It's a bit slow going, not only because of the glue drying time, but because I'm never exactly sure what each next step will be until I get out there and look at it and the first carrier. But once I get thru this next step I believe the rest of it will start falling in place quite rapidly. If you didn't realize, once the pieces are all glued down I'll trim the excess and rout the whole thing out, uing the glued on pieces as my 'guide', thus making my master all in one go. I could then just just that as a master and rout out pieces out of 1/2" plywood and gluing two together, making a carrier, but may use it to rout out a piece, then glue that to a piece of plywood, rout 'that' out and use that as a master instead. I don't know if this all sounds complicated or not, but to me it's all very simple and basic. Picture.

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[JOAT]

And this is the second day of the Mark 2 version. As you can see it is going together slowly, but I do have a good idea of where I will be going with it next. Maybe.

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And then on the other hand a thought whipped thru my mind and I immediately started working on the Mark 3 version. I would have finished all but the routing today but I'd had to thin my glue a tad, way too thick, and thinned it a bit more than I should have. So I'll wait until tomorrow to add the hooks on, then when the glue dries trim the whole thing as needed, then rout it out, then use it as a master to make a piece that will be the 'new' master. This is way too crude to use more than just the once, to make a master. I do that sometimes. Then if the next master isn't quite as I want I tweak it a bit, then use it to rout another master. On some of my more complex pieces I may do that 3-4 times in a row. I'll keep going on the Mark 2 version and when it's finished decide which design I like better.

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[JOAT]

After looking at the picture of the Mark 2 version on here, I'm scrapping it. I just thought of a K.I.S.S. version, and will start on it tomorrow. It will be the Mark 4 version. Could even be ready to rout by day after tomorrow. :eusa_clap

 

[JOAT]

Urgh, what a couple of days. Had to go with the older son yesterday to pickup some lawnmower blades for him, he made a killer swap for a little used 21hp riding mower. Then too tired to go in the shop. Today I already knew I had a dental appointment, before then tho the older kid called, the new grandson was born at 8 AM, 8lb 5oz, Ryder, apparently named after the famous Red. They tell me you don't trade in the old grandkid when you get a new one, live and learn. But did get in the shop today, and did get the Mark 4 version completely mocked up. Tomorrow when the glue is dry it will be ready for trimming and then routing - maybe I'll even do that tomorrow. Not the greatest picture in the world but I was tired by the time I got that far.

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I forgot to glue the last two piece on the Mark 3 version. I'll try to either get out there later, or do it tomorrow.

 

[boxxmaker]

Looks like you got something going there

 

[JOAT]

Today was a bit rushed, by the time I got back from town and in the shop it was looking very stormy, so didn't have a lot of time in the shop as I had a metal project outside that needed a bit of protection from rain. However was able to get the Mark 4 version trimmed a bit, and ready for the excess to be routed. Had planned on doing that today, but ah well.

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That's precision trimming, with my mitre saw. Lookin' good.

Yesterday did a bit of work on the Mark 3 version also. Enough so that it is now Mark 5 version. Then got a bit carried overboard on the fine trimming, so may have to do a bit more work on that one. Or discard it totally, that to be decided.

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Actually it looks like a bit more trimming in one or two strategic places then a bit of gluing and it would be ready to go. Final decision tomorrow.

 

[JOAT]

No pictures today. Didn't have time to rout out the Mark 4 version. Tossed the Mark 5 version, and how have a Mark 3.1 version waiting for the glue to dry and will be routable tomorrow. Did another test run on the Mark 1 version, with the amended hooks, and vertical is definitely the way to go. And found out that my mitre saw may be trying to commit suicide or self destruct, release the trigger and it slows down minutely, but keeps running. Ah well. I'll dig out the instructions tomorrow or one day and see what it says. Mechanical stuff I can usually figure out, electric stuff has been a mystery to me since I first learned about it in shop class - and that was a really lonnnng time ago, and things haven't gotten clearer since. Bleah.
:gar-Cr

 

[JOAT]

OK, done. On the left is the Mark 4 version, and on the right is the Mark 3.1 version. Actually these are masters that I will be using to rout out final masters. This evening I'll be marking out where I want to drill nail pilot holes, so they'll be symetrical, not haphazard. Then once I get the final masters routed out, I'll be done with this project. And very happy I started it, these make it so much easier on my hands for one thing, and I can carry more bags in one trip. I think the designs are pretty self-explanatory, but if anyone has any reasonable questions I'll answer. Dumb questions will probably get dumb answers. Oh yeah, they're sitting on my nifty homemade router table, with removable inserts. Spent the big bucks on that one, probably all of $5. :rotflm:

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