# heat pressing 600 denier polyester bags w/ nylon straps



## leapoffaith (Nov 8, 2009)

I bought these bags from SanMar and planned on making them for a local swim team. On SanMar's site it lists the material as 600 denier polyester. I don't know if that includes the straps or not.

I had a couple of problems. Thankfully, I just did freebies first, and haven't really sold any yet. The nylon straps melted a little. They are slick and melted looking and it melted onto the top platen of my heat press. Yikes.

So I got on the good ol' t-shirt forum here and found some threads about this very thing. There were a few suggestions that I'm going to try, but I have a couple of questions if anyone has experienced working with similar bags....

First, someone suggested putting cardboard over the straps. I'm not seeing how the stones are going to get a good press when they are between strips of cardboard that will keep the top platen from making good contact. ?? I have a big teflon pillow that I use inside the bag that I know will help with this, but still......

Also, someone suggested lowering the heat a little (from 330) and pressing for longer, but gave no details. How much can you lower the heat and still have the stones stick? These bags will be at swimming pools for swim meets, so they may take quite a beating. I want to make sure the stones stick. How much do you think I can lower the heat? And how much longer can the bag and straps take a pressing?

The bag puckered a little bit along the straps, I think this is probably a heat problem, too....maybe lower heat would help this?

Also, (if anyone is still actually reading this, lol) this was my first time to use rhinestuds instead of rhinestones. I used them for the blue wave. They didn't stick nearly as well. I had to repress them for another time, which doesn't help my problem of the bags not liking to be pressed. Any suggestions on this? Do the rhinestuds not adhere as well as rhinestones usually?

Lastly, the things I have pressed since this, put a little of this black strap melty material on my teflon sheet. Is there anyway to clean this off my heat press plate? I am afraid to put any kind of cleaner on it.

I was just not going to make anymore, but I've already had two calls from moms of kids who saw the freebie bags I made and want one, so I want to figure out how to do these.....

Thanks for any help!!


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