DIY flight case?

[Hal]

anyone attempt this?  I'm going to a fencing tournament in Ohio in a couple weeks, and _know_ that my case won't hold up under the plane...and I need my axe there to get the ladies, in case the jew-fro isn't enough :-D

Wow that was pointless.  Anyone ever build a case?  I don't imagine it would be _that_ hard...I can even go for one of those flight cases that you put the guitar in a case inside so I don't have to worry about foam/protection for the axe.

[Rodgre]

I've built them. Right now, my main pedalboard case is a homemade flightcase made out of the same Penn Fab stuff that Anvil or any other case maker would use. Mine is made out of 3/4" baltic birch though, so it's very heavy, and very sturdy.

I got the Penn stuff (edging, corners, latches, etc) through a friend who works for a major pro audio manufacturer in the area. He built me the box out of the same stuff they make their speaker cabs out of.

It's not hard, but it's just hard to get the parts unless you know someone who can order them.

Roger

[Gilles C]

How much do you wanna pay?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2375075290&category=41409

[petemoore]

The box part is easy enough with the right tools, and measurements are critical unless you just 'go big'.
  We used a pin nailer and glue and put triangular strips in all the corners, and opened it with the table saw...much easier than trying to make two pieces that fit.
  The inside's the tricky part.
 I haven't tried this but theorize it would be amazingly easy...
 wrap the aze in plastic and add enough 'filler' [layered newspaper?] so that there's and extra 1/8 or so inch all the way around the guitar [more around the head/tuners.
 srill holes in the box so that the 'Great Stuff" Tm...tube can be inserted.
 put the guitar in the box, and position it [shim] where you want it to sit...then fill the spaces between the guitar and case with the adhesive/expansding great stuff...[oh put a layer of plastic so you don't have to slice the great stuff all the way around the between the top and bottom to get it open when you're done...add a few layers here...
  Then finish with felt or some super fine carpet etc.  A littel relief towards the last half of the neck is the recommended way for a guitar to sypport itself...being grabbed by the back of the body and the neck very near the body [like gibson cases do].
 Partition off any cavity areas you would like to create.
 Try it on a cardboard box to get the 'hang'.
  ENJOY !!!
  Add Lotsa hardware
  Should make a super quick and form fitted guitar case  inside...

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I have seen adhesive two-part foam used to make protective cases for electronic test equipment, which is more delicate than a guitar.
Heavy weight plywood with aluminium trim attached via a rivet gun has worked. The very hard part is gettign something strong, without excessive weight.
Tip: try to make the finished box NOT look musical, and there is a better chance that loading staff won't steal it. Stencilling "Ohio Agricultural" never hurt.

[casey]

i built one that stood up to years of road abuse.

i made 2 frames with 1x2's and screwed some 1/4" plywood
to one side of each.

then i got some thick foam from a cloth store and layed my
strat on top of the sheet of foam.  i traced around the strat
with a sharpie and then cut the strat shaped hole out of the foam.
then you can take a slender piece of foam and attach it to
the inside of the frame that you made.  and then attach thicker
foam to the lid.  i bought some red felt by the yard at the cloth
store as well and wrapped all of the foam with it.
for the outside,  i covered mine in vinyl and trimmed it with
metal corner pieces.

i used that spray glue on it all , but contact cement will work better
probably.

[Hal]

thanks guys...sounds pretty good.

I'll post pics if I decide to do it :-D

I just don't know if I can get the parts i need in time, and therefore if its worth it.