Okay, all you experts out there from whom I've learned so much, today's the day I need a quick answer to a question. How do I seal a large mylar bag in a bucket? The smaller ones seem to be a thinner material, and they seal beautifully on my sealer. The larger ones are unwilling to seal. Heat doesn't seem to penetrate the heavier material. Did someone out there once write something about using a clothes iron? If so, how is this done without it causing sticking? And how would you do it against a bag in a bucket just needing to be sealed?

So much to learn and do in so short a time! Took off this week to do all of this stuff, and met first "Waterloo" in this department today. Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), December 07, 1999

Answers

Use an old iron for this (you don't want the residue to come off on a nice white shirt).

Put the bag in a bucket, fill, load with nitrogen or whatever you're using, then lay the bag flap over a small 2 x 4 (which you sit on the edge of the bucket). Use this as an ironing board and keep your hot iron moving fairly quickly. Works like a charm.

-- Choirboy (choirboy@hellzchoir.edu), December 07, 1999.

Keep the iron temperature lower than "wool" setting. Otherwise it melts too fast, except for the very agile.

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-- Artful Dodger (ckabel@rust.net), December 07, 1999.

Got excellent results with an ordinary electric iron.

Those little AA-cell powered "Euro-sealers" do not genrate enough heat to seal anything thicker than a sandwich bag.

-- Not Whistlin' Dixie (not_whistlin_dixie@yahoo.com), December 07, 1999.

What about a curling iron? It has heat on both sides.

-- sue (number9@mindspring.com), December 07, 1999.

Elaine, if you only have one iron, like most of us, lay a thin rag (gauze diaper quality) over the part of the bag to be sealed, like a pressing cloth. It will keep gunk off your iron. Good luck!

-- Scat (sgcatique@webtv.net), December 07, 1999.

You guys are great! Thank you each for a part of the whole picture puzzle! Will do this tomorrow morning. Now feeling optimistic about results, with your know-how. :-)

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

I was going to say the same about the Euro-sealers, but I tried it with one using the AC adapter, it does work except you have to work verrrrryy slooowwwly. On AA batteries, Not Whistlin' is right. Not enough heat.

-- Powder (Powder@keg.com), December 09, 1999.