Case materials

[edtheorg]

I have built several civil war instrument cases and have used foam but have seen styrofoam covered with blanket material. This is what I will use on the next case as the foam can be cut , shaped and then covered. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Ed the org (old retired guy)

[tokuno]

The most difficult things about making tuba cases at home are

- strength/protection vs. size/weight
- inside padding material

- Foam rubber is difficult to cut (unless by machine at a "foam rubber place" like Tech-Aerofoam place, etc.) unless into rectangular shapes (and tubas are not rectangular).
- Styrofoam makes a phenomenal mess when cut.

If using styrofoam, it may be best to cut close to the right shape, and then melt it down the rest of the way (propane torch, etc.)

The over-the-counter-sold adhesives that can be used to hold upholstery to either foam rubber or styrofoam are either messy, somewhat ineffective, or both.

If foam rubber is used, it is a waste of time to use anything other than the charcoal gray (most dense) grade.

As a lazy old person, I have found it most practical to bide my time and wait for nice-used, overstock-new, and motivated-seller cases that fit my instruments.

styrofoam cuts pretty easily with one of those dual-blade electric carving knives that were all the rage in the 70s. They're especially effective on soft foam, like seat cushion foam (not necessarily relevant to this discussion, I know), because it deforms when I try cutting it manually, so I can never get a clean shape that resembles what I intended. The electric knife slides right through without deforming the foam, so it's easier to carve to form.

[edtheorg]

When building the instrument cases, I used a band saw to cut the foam to shape. Works great. Good luck. That's a really large crate.
Ed the org

[aqualung]

Get rid of the perforated metal straps. They will snag on everything they meet, including your vehicle's upholstery and carpet materials.

Your best friend on these projects is a local upholstery shop. Cutting foam is their specialty.
And have them order suitable hardware from Ohio Travel Bag, you can find their catalog online