How-To: Converting a Rattlesnake Cable Company cable bag into a Face Mask

COVID-19 is here, and it looks like it will be around longer than we want. While most of us are in lockdown, quarantine, or self-isolation/distancing, staying inside is important. But if you need to leave your location for food, supplies, medications, etc., the CDC has recommended that you should have a face mask if interacting with the public. Some of you don't have a mask, and while supplies are limited, they are hard to get. Additionally, we don't want to add to the shortage of N95 masks for our frontline health workers and essential workers in the field. So an option that is available to us is to make our own. It's blowing my mind that I'm writing this particular article – crazy times.

That got me thinking about our great customers out there. If you've purchased a custom cable from us in the past, you most likely have our cable bags lying around. Some of you probably have a stack of our silk-screened bags in the studio, guitar room, etc. To gather materials to make your mask can increase your exposure, so I thought some of you might be set without the need to leave your home.

I did some quick research on preferred material for home-made masks, and found that cotton, nano-fabrics and muslin are the preferred materials to use. Well, those bags you have are muslin bags!

I want to stress that a homemade mask isn't ideal, but it can help. Please take caution out there. A mask doesn't mean you are 100% protective but can help.

The last couple of days, we've been working on a procedure on how to make a mask using a single cable bag. This mask will require a sewing machine, thread, and scissors. Hand stitching is possible but would be a significant pain to do.

I will link to a template/pattern (PDF) of the pieces to cut. The mask design is based off of a Joann Fabrics DIY Face Mask Tutorial, but there is a tweak required to us a single cable bag, which is broken down in this PDF.

Converting a Rattlesnake Cable Company cable bag into a Face Mask

DOWNLOAD / VIEW PDF INSTRUCTIONS

Again, I want to remind you that these are not medical grade N95 masks, etc. Please use caution when wearing these. These can help based on CDC guidelines but do NOT ensure your safety out there. Please be safe, people. Stay indoors.

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How-To: Converting a Rattlesnake Cable Company cable bag into a Face Mask