@Fine Grind
Ok, I'm back with pictures for the DIY turkey bags! This is going to be a long one, so bear with me.
**Note, it really helps to have an extra set of hands.
1. Lay the turkey bag flat on the table. The tail end of the bag is tucked under in the picture so the whole bag would fit on the table.
2. Obviously the bag has a pre-sealed end, and an open end. We will be sealing the open end first.Tear off a piece of clear packing tape that is about 2 inches longer than the width of the bag at the open end. You want the tape a little longer so you can have about an inch of excess on each side. You can trim it when you are done, or leave it. Lay the tape on the table, sticky side up. Initially, I was worried that the tape might be unsafe, but it really does not have any exposure to the vapor. There haven't been any unpleasant or strange smells/tastes and it hasn't bothered me, my girlfriend and the 3 or 4 of my friends that also vape with me.
3. Have your friend hold the edges of the tape on the table, while you carefully position the bag on the tape, covering about half of the sticky surface of the tape with the bag. Try to avoid getting any wrinkles in the bag where it contacts the tape. I usually pull the bag a little so it is taut, then center it on the tape and place it on the tape leaving about an inch of tape left on each side.
4. With your helper, Carefully fold the tape over and seal the bag completely. Once the tape is folded over, run your fingers down the seam and make sure the tape has adhered to the bag completely. If you see any air bubbles, try to work them out. Sometimes I have a few tiny bubbles/wrinkles, but they never leak.
5. So, now we have a sealed bag that just needs a valve. I found that trying to wrap all that excess material around the valve and seal it was a PITA. My solution is to put the valve in the corner of the bag instead. So, turn the bag around so you are holding the pre-sealed end. Pick a corner, and grab your scissors. In this picture, I outlined the area to be cut out in blue. You want to get close to the seal, but not too close! Try to leave about 1/8" or so.
6. Now it's time for the important cut. You need to cut the corner of the bag off so you can put the valve in. The goal here is to cut as small a hole as possible. As long as you can get the "pronged" part of the valve assembly inside the hole, you're good to go. In this picture I've colored in the approximate area I cut off each time I make a bag. Ruler for reference. About an inch each way.
Both pieces cut off:
7. Now we need to put the "pronged" part inside the bag. In the first picture you can see the 3 pieces of the valve: the mouthpiece, the "collar", and the "pronged" part.
In the bag:
Another view:
8. Now, hold the bag as seen below. Make sure you have enough material sticking past the "pronged" part. You'll see why in step 10.
9. Slide the "collar" over the "pronged" part.
10. Hold the collar in your right hand between your thumb and forefinger, and pull on the bag material with your left hand (seen below). You don't need to pull hard, just a little to make sure the collar/pronged part are seated.
11. Fold the remaining material down over the collar.
Another view:
12. Slide the mouthpiece over the collar and press everything in firmly. And now, take the time to pull all the air out of your bag. If done properly, you can pull all the air out and eventually try to draw and there will be absolutely no air. Now you have a perfectly sealed, leak free bag. Enjoy!
