Homemade tuba case.

KevinMadden · Post by **KevinMadden** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:03 pm

not really a question or discussion topic, but this took a lot of work and I'd like to show it off....

Last June I bought a York master CC from Dillon's that had belonged to my teacher Dave Unland, I absolutely love the horn. At the time, I could not only find a case or bag to fit it, but had not the money top buy a case a bag to fit it. So I did without. not at all a problem when my horn is sitting in its locker and I only have to go as far as a practice room, or rehearsal hall, but a problem in my car. The home is out for all to see (in the back of my station wagon) and rolls about a bit even if I wrap it with a blanket. So for Christmas I asked for a gig bag or case and my dad being quite the handyman decide he would build me one. Well for roughly $100 and spare time over 4 weeks we got a very nice wooden case made for my horn. see pictures below...

Mine is on the left.

The case closed... note stainless corner brackets, it has a piano hinge on the back, and the leather straps have been replaced (it was an old belt which ripped when i picked the horn up by it.) by nylon cord.

And the horn in its new home, with the builder, my awesome dad.

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:37 pm

Hey congrats on a fine looking case! Yes, your dad is awesome!!! We'll all be placing orders soon so you might want to warn him!

Tim

Toobist · Post by **Toobist** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:04 am

I have a similar case for my Nirschl 4/4. I helped design it and a VERY handy friend constructed it. It has metal edging like yours but has skids on the bottom, SERIOUS foam cut and formed for the horn and heavy-duty wheels. It's my flight case. Including my horn, gig bag (case designed to fit horn in-bag), my tux (tails) and shoes (size 12 wide), it weighs in at 97 pounds. 3 more pounds and it would be freight. It's certainly a beast to cart around (thank God for those wheels!) but I know my horn will make it safely to our destination.

There are pros and cons to the weight of it. Cons: chiropractor bills, Pros: I'd like to see a luggage handler toss it over-hand.

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:39 am

Remember, it's all about protecting the horn... Weight is a concern but less than the cost of a damaged horn. It's stil very nice! Tell your Dad I need one for a front facing bell!

Tim

KevinMadden · Post by **KevinMadden** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:16 pm

Amazingly it only weighs like 10 or 15 pounds. I'm not sure if I would fly with it, but the horn can't move at all in there, so I can't see there being too much of a problem. (I've only flown with a horn once, so it wasn't too high on my priorities list for the case)

btw... this is not the start of 2Kevin's Caseworks, Bedford, NH.. so don't send us any orders!!!

tubatom91 · Post by **tubatom91** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:38 pm

trseaman wrote:Remember, it's all about protecting the horn... Weight is a concern but less than the cost of a damaged horn. It's stil very nice! Tell your Dad I need one for a front facing bell!

Tim

me to!!!

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:38 pm

KevinMadden wrote:Amazingly it only weighs like 10 or 15 pounds.

Wow...that's pretty good.

What exactly is it made out of?

I keep going back and forth about building a case for myself. I'd probably overbuild it to the point that it was so big and heavy that it wouldn't be practical to use at all, which is why I haven't done it yet. However, if you were able to pull off a case that really is 10-15 lbs. I'd love to know exactly what you built it out of.

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:35 pm

(on the moon)

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:08 pm

I wonder how stuff like inner tubes and/or air mattress kind of stuff would work for the inner padding. That's the idea I've had if I ever build a case ... which I probably won't because of the weight and the bulk.

KevinMadden · Post by **KevinMadden** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:34 pm

Its roughly 1/4 inch wood full around. With double thickness straps around the middle (and tops and bottoms) the very bottom and the very top have stainless steel corner bracings. inside, the bow side has large wooden corner supports and the bell side has metal brackets (any more specific about the main body I don't know because it was made by the time I returned from school) the interior is Styrofoam-esque housing insulation, with black felt glued over that. I was hoping to carve much more intricately my horn, but it proved difficult so I carved enough to have no pressure on anything delicate and so the honr does not move at all. It has a piano hinge the length of the back, wheels, and two brass buckles as well as a padlock strap. load straps (on the third repetition of some trial and error) became of blue nylon tethers my dad had for tying things down in the bed of his truck. I swear that with the horn in it it weighs only about 50 lbs. ( I estimate the horn to be about 25 or so) (so I guess it actually weighs closer to twenty or twenty-five pounds...okay sratch the 10-15 estimate)

pianolance · Post by **pianolance** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:09 pm

What a nice case. Inpressive to say the least. Any chance your dad has a drawing or plans that you could share with us? Also, assuming you had to buy all the materials and not just use materials that were laying around, how much did the materials cost? I was just thinking about a case for my "classic" Buescher True Tone Eb Satin Silver horn. Circa 1927. The case that has protected it for these 80 years has offically fallen apart.

KevinMadden · Post by **KevinMadden** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:31 pm

I'm pretty sure there were no plans drawn up..and if there were any they'd be illegible. I would estimate it cost about $100 or so for the materials, maybe more, but certainly less than $200

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:02 am

For your next project, how about some riveting?

<img src="http://users.lmi.net/~ryoung/Sonerai/To ... oolbox.gif">

One of my permanent bookmarks:

Riveting 101 Part I
Riveting 101 Part II
Riveting 101 Part III

Tinker Dan and Oberloh Dan probably both have some familiarity with the subject, but I found it fascinating.

adam0408 · Post by **adam0408** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 4:58 am

KevinMadden wrote:Amazingly it only weighs like 10 or 15 pounds. I'm not sure if I would fly with it, but the horn can't move at all in there, so I can't see there being too much of a problem. (I've only flown with a horn once, so it wasn't too high on my priorities list for the case)

btw... this is not the start of 2Kevin's Caseworks, Bedford, NH.. so don't send us any orders!!!

Why not? You could make some money with this. Probably good money from good people.

davet · Post by **davet** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 4:20 pm

I made one for my York Eb but it is WAY too heavy (about 65 pounds with the horn inside) and WAY too big. however, It will protect the horn quite well. It won't go into my '95 Prizm though!

Exterior: fiberglass over plywood

Interior bottom: cloth over flexible sheet foam over spray foam.

Held in by cargo straps.

Pics here: http://davetibbets.spaces.live.com/ (york Eb album)