Making my own Carboy Carrier
 

I need some advice here. I recently got the Northern Brewer winter catalog, and saw that someone has finally made a nice carboy carrier out of nylon webbing to carry full carboys in. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out here:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/f...rew-hauler.jpg

The only problems I can see with it are its price ($12.95) and the fact that it has a plastic clip in the construction which would weaken the device overall. So, I went to work and came up with a similar design (minus the plastic clip), and found that I could make the same thing for ~2.80. (My design requires a total of 14 feet of 3/4" nylon webbing which I have found for $0.20/foot.)

Now this may not be the right place for this question, but I figure if most of the homebrewers here are like me, then making stuff yourself is kind of a pride issue to you. So, what type of seams/thread should I use for the maximum strength? I was thinking that a thick enough cotton thread in the below pattern would be sufficient if the carrier only needs to be rated to 100 lbs or so.

[x]

Will this be good enough or should I be using nylon thread? The above seam would be a 1" overlap of the webbing, so I would think the joints would be pretty solid with either cotton or nylon thread.

dunno what the answer is for the sewing question, and I'm totally with you on the DIY aspect of homebrewing, much of my stuff I've made/assembled myself... but I've seen similar clips on backpacks that Boy Scouts have trekked through the mountains with, so I'm less inclined to worry about it breaking...

A couple of the guys on the Northern Brewer forum have also made their own and give their specs:

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?t=25618
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?t=22284

:)
Toney.

I would go with the nylon thread, cotton degrades over time.

Hey, thanks a lot guys, those Northern Brewer forums were exactly what I was looking for...

:D

Yeah, and the homebrew designs have handles long enough to pick it up with one hand. The storebought one doesn't look to be long enough.

i use those rubber coated handles... i bought them a while ago, but I seem to remember about $5 / each. Any advantage of these nylon designs?

http://www.ebrew.com/miscellaneous_e...oy_handles.htm

I know with the handles, you can actually use them when you tip the carboy upside down. The nylons designs would not work for that.

but you can't use those handles for carrying a full carboy right? making sure I'm on the same page...

You aren't supposed to use them alone when carrying a full carboy. I generally grab the handle and lift till the carboy is off the floor on one side and still touching on the other, then I slide my hand under and support it from the bottom. I carry it with most of the weight being taken on the hand under the carboy.

i always have. i figure thats a disclaimer.

I've carried carboys (using the handle) up and down stairs.

the main risk is setting the carboy down too hard, or 'swinging' it into something.....but that would be a risk of the nylon carriers too.

I've always used them for carrying a full carboy. I agree that it's just a disclaimer since the handle manufacturer has no control over the design/manufacture of the carboy.

Same here, I've carried full carboys by that handle for years and never had a mishap. You guys will be the second to know if I ever do, I promise!

:)
Toney.