To create the clear sleeves I used .007 Clear-Lay 8.5 x 11" Film by Grafixarts. I bought it at Hobby Lobby. I thought about .015 clear plastic (too thick) or some overhead projector acetate or office supply sheet protectors (too thin). I even cruised the stores looking for some kind of plastic container/packaging on some product that might work, but that was a complete bust. In the end, the .007 film worked really well by bending easily while still being strong and clear.
To get the clear on as straight as possible I placed each sheet flat on my cutting board with the edges lined up with the lines on the mat. I put some Super Glue gel on the white ends of the cylinder and set it square on the edge of the clear film.
NOTE: As part of my planning I made sure as I assembled each part of the cylinders I kept the seams of each part lined up so they are all in line with each other. This played a big part at final assembly.
I slowly added small lines of the gel glue onto the film in front of each white end and slowly rolled the cylinder forward. I kept steady pressure on the film and allowed more than enough time for the glue to set before I repeated the process. Instead of trimming the film so the seams met up I trimmed it long so the film overlapped the old seam slightly. I tried to use the gel glue to glue the film together but it didn't hold. So, I went back to the tape and used a strip of transparent tape to hold the seam down. I was also careful to not get fingerprints or dirt on the inside of the film.
To get the clear on as straight as possible I placed each sheet flat on my cutting board with the edges lined up with the lines on the mat. I put some Super Glue gel on the white ends of the cylinder and set it square on the edge of the clear film.
NOTE: As part of my planning I made sure as I assembled each part of the cylinders I kept the seams of each part lined up so they are all in line with each other. This played a big part at final assembly.
I slowly added small lines of the gel glue onto the film in front of each white end and slowly rolled the cylinder forward. I kept steady pressure on the film and allowed more than enough time for the glue to set before I repeated the process. Instead of trimming the film so the seams met up I trimmed it long so the film overlapped the old seam slightly. I tried to use the gel glue to glue the film together but it didn't hold. So, I went back to the tape and used a strip of transparent tape to hold the seam down. I was also careful to not get fingerprints or dirt on the inside of the film.