tab together tote
  • Difficulty
    Medium

You need
Step17

Watch Video

Blue and white arrow

Check out the embedded video for orientation and an overview of the project at the below link. Link: https://youtu.be/kzkHY4CrVsI

Step27

Download

software with circles

Download the laser cut file from this page by using the download button above.

Step37

Unzip and Import

software with circles
software with circles
software with circles
software with circles

Unzip the contents of the .zip folder containing all of the cut and engrave files. The front/back panel is the same file and then the panels that make up the other two sides are referred to as the “side” panels. In the first picture below, the front and back panels are being cut, and as you can see they must be oriented in a specific way for them to fit in the workspace. In the 2nd picture below, you can see that the side panels can be cut alongside the two straps to maximize space.

Step47

Cut Materials

black pipe

After placing the files on your work piece, selecting veg leather from the material library, send your luggage tag to the laser by clicking “start” in the software. Go to your laser to run the job. File names to cut and number of pieces needed: “Bottom_Panel.PDF” x 1 “Front_&_Back_Panel.PDF” x 2 “Side_Panel.PDF” x 2 “Strap.PDF” x 2

Step57

Tab Together Front and Back with Sides

carrve on leather
citcles on leather
carrve on leather
citcles on leather

The tabbing together process is simple once the pattern is understood and made easy by the uniformity of the cuts by the laser. The video above does a great job of explaining this process so watching it is recommended for reference. You need to start by orienting the panels so that the angled tabs are both point in the same direction as in the picture. The process is done by inserting the “arrow” or triangle end of the tab into the slot of the next tab, as shown in the picture. Then, a tool such as a pair of needle nose pliers is used to push the tab all the way through the slot to ensure that it won’t slide out. This is shown in the 2nd picture here.

Step67

Tab Together (Continued)

leather tote

The same process described in the previous step is used to connect the rest of the panels. Once the two side panels are attached to the front/back panel, the bottom panel can be attached. From here the other front/back panel is attached and you will have the complete body of the bag assembled. The corners where the bottom panels meet the sides are trickier than the rest of the tabs. Begin in the corner of the bottom panel and first complete on of the long edges. From there keep working all the way around until the bottom panel is completely attached. The videos are great reference for further instruction on this as well.

Step77

Strap Braiding and Attachment

buckle in hand
buckle in hand
buckle in hand
buckle in hand

The straps are braided using a process called mystery braiding. The video is the best reference for how to do this process. The following link is also a great reference for how to do a mystery braid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwUq-U_ocjw To attach the handle insert the handle into the top handle slot on the side and then pull it back through and out of the bottom slot.