Instead of having the sand in Zip-loc bags you could use a vacuum packaging machine. I have one of those Tillia Food Saver Vacuum packing machines. You can make a bag from 8in wide by any length or 11in by any length and after vacuuming the bag and sealing it the sand will not come out. I do this with bulk sugar etc. and it works great. This will not solve the problem if you travel and do not want carry the sand with you but use what's available which would require that you have a zipper or velcro openings in the sides ends.
I know this sounds really cheesy, but I just use two bricks tied together with a nylon line. Takes about ten seconds to make, and less than $2 at home depot. (Use the bricks with the hole in the middle.
The link is not working for me or it loads reeeeally slow. I hope it is just loading slowly. I want to make me a set of these, with the help of my lovely mother's sewing skills of course.
mervifwdc wrote:
Sandbags are also used as camera/lens rests when placed on car roof's, Walls etc.
I wouldn't say I've use the aforementioned brick on a car's roof, but I've had some strange stuff prop up lenses and I wish I had a portable sandbag like this. Many thanks to the original poster!
DragonflyDM wrote:
I know this sounds really cheesy, but I just use two bricks tied together with a nylon line. Takes about ten seconds to make, and less than $2 at home depot. (Use the bricks with the hole in the middle.
I just use inexpensive 10-lb. exercise/leg weights. They have velcro so you can wrap them around your light stand, and I don't have to face my phobia of sand oozing out and making a mess.
Nice job. I don't think I'll be making any yet, but if I do this is a great head start. Thanks...
To those that wanted to add a zipper, I think you may be able to make this easier by adding a Velcro closure on each side of the outer cordura bag, and then double bagging the inner sand bags. I would also reverse the openings of the inner bags as extra protection. IOW, fill and close the first plastic bag, then insert it into a second bag with the opening of the first bag at the bottom of the second.
slightly OT, but for those that want an easy to use camera bean bag, you could always just purchase a bag of rice, beans, etc. where ever you are and then put it into something like an Op/Tech wrap.
Here is a commercial 10-lb sandbag I got at Keeble & Shuchat in Palo Alto for too much money. It uses 1.5" black nylon webbing for the handle, which goes all the way around the middle and is sewn along the back. The same size webbing is also used folded over each end, to reinforce the end seams. Similar to the design you showed, just a slightly different variation. It's pretty rugged because I've used it for some years and there is no visible wear.
...and now that I measure it, they shorted me 1.5 oz... I'm planning to try making some of my own based on these great instructions; we'll see how it goes!
