wow--i really don't have any other suggestions than what you are doing. But have to ask--what are you doing with 250+ft of 1 1/8" wide bat? Because if you are using the bat as a stablizer or like a piping in something, there may be a better product out there. Also, have you contacted a bat manufacturer so see what the expense would be to have something like this made up? It's possible that Hobbs, Warm & Natural, Winline, etc make a similar product for a different application--certainly worth checking.