So i need a very skinny hard case (think gun gas style) that 30 to 36" long and rougly 4-5" tall and wide For a little project I'm doing. Prefer something that basically is two halves the hinge and latch, So like a travel case for a gun or a pool cue or something.
Obviously this is a weird size so I'm not really finding anything with some of my more obvious searches. Any ideas?
I would prefer something hard plastic like abs, structurally pretty rigid.
Lots of rifle cases here: https://www.pelican.com/us/en/shop/products/cases/long-cases
I'm assuming you're making a flight case for a didgeridoo.
Could you take something like a gun or keyboard flight case and cut it down? This, for example, is basically modular. Cut it down the middle and rivet it back together.
https://reverb.com/item/52377081-calzone-hard-keyboard-ata-flight-case
Yeah I actually have a gun case on one of my trucks and I looked into that but they're all a little bit too big for my uses here.
Starting to look around at hard cases that are made for bow and arrow arrows, and fishing rods. They seem to be pretty close dimentions to what I'm looking for.
Can it be round or does it have to clamshell?
matthewmcl said:Can it be round or does it have to clamshell?
round would be less convenient to where it needs to be mounted (roof rack). I had thought about a shortened sporttube (for skis) but would prefer a clamshell setup.
Also has to hold up to the elements, though not necessarily sealed, it's ok if a bit of water gets in here or there.
I sholuld just go to Cabelas/Bass Pro and walk around lol.
If you can figure out how to make round work, and need weather tight, don't forget simple ABS pipe with cap ends.
For clamshell, but maybe not weather tight, try going to a music shop and seeing what kind of instrument cases may work. Even just a name lets you check eBay and pawn shops. I used a $10 electric bass case for air travel, for a while.
30" long, 4" diameter - that's awfully close to a hard case for a straight soprano saxophone. They're not that common because usually they come with a good hard-but-not-bombproof case and you rarely check them, but they do exist. I'm having a hard time coming up with another instrument that's a bit longer and doesn't disassemble - English horn would be good, but they break down.
https://www.amazon.com/Crossrock-Saxophone-Fiberglass-Hardshell-CRF1000SSRD/dp/B07TBF8FJX?th=1
Yeah I was going through the same ideas of instruments and sports equipment that might be about right..
The other key I did not mention here is that it needs to be pretty inexpensive since I'm not putting a $20 item into a $300 case lol. It doesn't need to be ballistic or as hardcore as a lot of the hard gun cases. Just something that can bolt onto the side of a rack and hold a few pounds inside of it.
Also possible I may just go with something made of canvas or whatever if I can find one that's kind of rigid. Hmm
There are fishing rod holders that are similar in length and diameter but they are end cap style rather than clam shell. Not a deal killer but would be a last resort.
I wonder if there's some kind of power tool that comes in a hard case that's a lot narrower than this reciprocating saw...
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Big torque wrench?
Alternately, a length of 4" PVC pipe cut in half and fitted with a piano hinge.
hmmm.....
another thought - maybe I could make one out of steel mesh of some sort. It's basically a container for wet stuff so now that I think of it it doesn't have to be solid necessarily, just fully-contained. Thinking like Xterra roof basket type of thing, but long and narrow.
wonder if the local marketplace (facbook, not a store!) has an old shopping cart for sale...........
Keith Tanner said:Alternately, a length of 4" PVC pipe cut in half and fitted with a piano hinge.
huh, that's not a bad idea actually. Guess I could do a straight cut with a table saw pretty easily . The container is to be mounted right in front of my Yakima water tank so something like that may actually fit really well...
basically, the area right over the driver's door here forward of teh water tank..
You could get a vinyl fence post from HD or wherever , they are sized to slip over 4x4's. Not super rigid, but not flimsy. Caps available too or hinge it. Or both.
So like, what's going inside the case?
thatsnowinnebago said:So like, what's going inside the case?T
Sorry, didn't say it earlier because I figured it would be easier for people to think of something with just some dimensions rather than trying to visualize "how it would work" lol.
It's for the hose and sprayer(s) for the water tank (the sprayer head needs a bit under 4" of clearance and I figure 30-36" fits in the spot I want to put it). Because when I keep the wet stuff in the truck after use, it gets stuff all wet, and if i bag it up to keep that from happening, I invariably forget its there and it gets moldy. So I'd like a case on the rack to hold it, with some drain holes in the bottom. I could just put it in some other kind of container on the rack top itself, but trying my best to keep wind noise/resistance to a minimum, hence the idea of fitting it in just forward of the tank itself (also easier access than getting stuff off the roof).
Basically, just a random idea to improve a very specific need - but if I can't figure something out I just keep stashing it in the door map pocket like i've been doing. Yes, probably kind of a dumb idea not worth the effort, but not like I have anything better to do than sit around and think about things lol.
The upsides to having a big-ass truck....space to try to be creative on the cheap :)
In reply to thatsnowinnebago :
Take a 6" pvc pipe and cut and glue as needed to make the length, oval, etc that you need.
llysgennad said:You could get a vinyl fence post from HD or wherever , they are sized to slip over 4x4's. Not super rigid, but not flimsy. Caps available too or hinge it. Or both.
that sounds like exactly the cheap option I was hoping for from this group :) Since it doesn't have to actually hold much weight, that might do. I think it's probably rigid enough to hold up to 80mph of wind if mounted well. Good thought!
If I had a press brake or another way to make good straight bends I'd probably just fab something out of sheet metal, but I don't.....
Maybe look at a "trench drain" or "channel drain", basically a plastic trough with drainage grate on top?
Oapfu said:Maybe look at a "trench drain" or "channel drain", basically a plastic trough with drainage grate on top?
that stuff looks like it would work pretty well for my uses. But it's pretty damn pricey! Will have to keep my eye on marketplace :)
You'll need to log in to post.
