I purchased a 1 3/4" flat iron specifically for sealing up mylar bags.It can range in temerature from 310- 410 degrees.What is the best temerature to seal bags with?? Thanks to everyone here who answer questions and post replies to questions. The information is priceless!!
Temp for sealing mylar bags
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I crank mine up to 410F
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you need to adjust according to the mylar mil thickness ......
remember to keep the throat of the bag clean of any food powder/dust ......
remember to keep the throat of the bag clean of any food powder/dust ......
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I learned alot by cutting some scrap pieces off a bag, and practicing with my iron. The stuff melts VERY easily, it doesn't need much, and it's very easy to over-do it.
I found that proper technique is more important than perfect heat.
I used a 1.5" x 2.5" piece of wood that was a support piece from a busted chair ( was PERFECT for this,IMO). I folded the food-filled mylar bag tightly over the wood,squeezing out most of the internal air, then ran a very hot,standard clothes iron over the mylar, then back again.
Anything more was un-necessary, and would over-melt the mylar.
Another CRITICAL aspect was ensuring that there were no ripples where the mylar was folded over the piece of wood. Make sure everything is clean,smooth, and tight. A second pair of hands helps, especially at first ( till you get the hang of it).
As IlliniWarrior said above, try to remove any particles or dust from the inner part of the bag where the seal will be. I would just wipe the area with a paper towel. This is most critical with finer stuff like dehydrated potatoes or flour, not quite so much with more solid stuff like wheat berries,beans or rice.
Hope this was helpful, holler back if you have any questions........
One more point, try very hard to NOT let the iron touch the bag anywhere you don't intend to melt and seal. If it touches the main portion of the bag, that has air and/or food behind it, the iron will almost instantly melt through the bag, leaving a hole.You want the iron in contact ONLY with mylar that is supported by the wood underneath.
I found that proper technique is more important than perfect heat.
I used a 1.5" x 2.5" piece of wood that was a support piece from a busted chair ( was PERFECT for this,IMO). I folded the food-filled mylar bag tightly over the wood,squeezing out most of the internal air, then ran a very hot,standard clothes iron over the mylar, then back again.
Anything more was un-necessary, and would over-melt the mylar.
Another CRITICAL aspect was ensuring that there were no ripples where the mylar was folded over the piece of wood. Make sure everything is clean,smooth, and tight. A second pair of hands helps, especially at first ( till you get the hang of it).
As IlliniWarrior said above, try to remove any particles or dust from the inner part of the bag where the seal will be. I would just wipe the area with a paper towel. This is most critical with finer stuff like dehydrated potatoes or flour, not quite so much with more solid stuff like wheat berries,beans or rice.
Hope this was helpful, holler back if you have any questions........
One more point, try very hard to NOT let the iron touch the bag anywhere you don't intend to melt and seal. If it touches the main portion of the bag, that has air and/or food behind it, the iron will almost instantly melt through the bag, leaving a hole.You want the iron in contact ONLY with mylar that is supported by the wood underneath.
This is why we decided that $100 for a sealer specifically designed for the job was the way to go. To do some serious prepping, it made more sense to get the real deal which both saves time AND offers a great deal of peace of mind. No worrying about whether or not it is well sealed.
Now if I can just get rid of the extras...
Now if I can just get rid of the extras...
Aldo 99 has the right of it. A dedicated sealer is the way to go if that is the only thing you are doing with plastics. Myself, I wind up doing a lot of odd things with visqueen (sealing rope between two plies of the stuff for instance, for greenhouse projects) so I have several heating implements for different tasks. If you're bagging stuff a dedicated sealer is the only way to go.
I also have a Food Saver sealer.I realize that we cannot pull the air out of the mylar bags with the food saver but will it seal the mylar bags adequately or better then I can with the flat iron? Looks like I will be doing some experimenting this morning.Thanks for the help guys.I will let you know how it goes.
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