Author:techshop_androidPart man, part machine -- all awesome!
Intro: Road CasePurpose: Construct sturdy, durable cases at custom dimensions to protect your gear and equipment while on the road.
All materials were purchased at www.diyroadcases.com and assembled at TechShop.
Step 1: Getting Set UpThere are two options when purchasing plywood to make your case. You may either buy a roll of ABS and spray adhesive from the website listed prior and plywood fromyour local hardware store, or buy pre-laminated sheets from the website. If you laminate the sheets yourself, use the correct adhesive or else you run the risk of bubbling,warping, and eventual detachment. Purchasing the pre-lam costs a bit more for freight shipping. The choice is yours.
A panel saw is incredibly helpful at this point for dealing with large material, and make sure you have a cut list mapped out so that you don't waste material. For thesmaller pieces a table saw becomes the better tool for the job. Piece sizes were based off of an interior dimension of the item to be protected plus foam thickness. Roundup a hair to ensure that not only does your item fit in the box, but that you can also get it out again.
Image Notes1. Can cut both vertically and horizontally.
Image Notes1. ABS sheet adds nominal thickness and aluminum extrusion takes this intoaccount.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. You will normally have 10 pieces per case: two open boxes that attachtogether.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. Corner extrusion has a built in stop for the plywood.2. You do not need to oversize your plywood dimensions if using this extrusion.
Image Notes1. Reminder: Make sure you order plywood and extrusions of the samethickness!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. Interlocking cap for mated surfaces. Gives a tighter seal, but harder to workwith.
Step 2: Cutting Extruded AluminumWhen cutting, a cold saw is going to get the best results. A horizontal band saw can drift and it is harder to hold the smaller parts with accuracy. A hot saw will just makea mess of your aluminum.
Place an uncut piece of U-channel on one of the side pieces, and measure the remainder. Cut four pieces of the double angle corner extrusion at this length andassemble (but do not connect). Now measure the full length of each side and cut the U-channel. While the U-channel will be done with 45º miters, the long dimension (tipto tip) will match the overall length of the case. The next batch will be corner extrusion to connect the sides to the top (or bottom) of the case. Measure from the insideedge of your existing set up to determine these dimensions.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. Scribe and 45º triangle to make your life easier.
Image Notes1. Overall length measured first.
Image Notes1. Your blade has a width. Cut outside the line, not on the line.
Image Notes1. Room for U-channel on top.
Image Notes1. Not attached yet.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. Measured from the inside edge to prevent overlap.
Image Notes1. Helpful to assemble everything before securing in place.
Image Notes1. Where the lid meets, remember to have caps for both top and bottom.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Step 3: Cut Notches and PocketsBefore putting this all together, make sure to cut the wood while it's still flat. A jig saw works well enough, and there are precise measurements on the road case websiteif you want to make an accurate template. It can be tricky to see marks on the black ABS, so drawing on the unfinished side might be helpful.
With the notches cut, go back and trim down the aluminum U-channel to match.
The handles for this project were surface mounted, but if you want to do pocket handles mark the location for holes and drill out each corner with a bit large enough to fita jig saw blade inside.
Image Notes1. Include aluminum caps when measuring since they add thickness.2. Mark with the clasps attached to ensure they still line up later.
Image Notes1. Jig saw.
Image Notes1. Cut out this section for the clasp.
Step 4: Attaching Corners (part 1)Corner brackets will not only help to keep your case square, but more importantly physically hold everything together. There is no glue, brad nails, or screws holding thisin place – only rivets.
While a hand rivet gun will technically get the job done, a better quality tool can be worth its weight in gold here. If you can get a pneumatic riveter, now is the time tosplurge. Otherwise, if you are doing more than one case be prepared for your arms and shoulders to hate you.
TIP: Test drill holes in scrap material to find the absolute smallest drill bit that will still allow a rivet through. The snugger the fit, the less likely a rivet will blow out (thoseare a pain).
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. High torque to get through the aluminum easier.2. Center punch.
Image Notes1. Hand rivet guns are garbage for this.2. This pin gets pulled out.3. This portion is inserted through the hole.4. This part mushrooms out to hold the rivet in place.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. Nice and square!
Image Notes1. Drill one hole at a time and slot a rivet.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. Secure all rivets.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Step 5: Attaching Corners (part 2)Ball corners are intended to absorb and deflect impact force. They also look cool and hide any imperfections on your corners. Hold the corner snug, drill the first hole, slota rivet to hold the corner in place, and then drill the rest one at a time. I prefer to rotate one hole per face, then come around for the second. On the inside, pull away anywood debris that would impede the washer from easily resting flush against face of the wood.
Image Notes1. Bare corner.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. 1st2. 2nd3. 3rd
Image Notes1. Remove these bits of wood.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. A clean inside corner.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Step 6: Other HardwareAttach rubber feet, wheels, or other accessories you need for the bottom.
When attaching the hinges, assemble the case in the closed position and align the hinges along the seam between the two parts. Optional: you may secure the two partswith straps to ensure they don't shift. Slot a rivet in each corner of the hinge and carefully test to ensure the lid moves as intended. Drill out the remaining holes andsecure the rivets on the bottom half. While closed, carefully rotate the case so that it stands up like a book, and attach the other side of the hinges.
Like the hinges, have the case in the closed position when you add the clasps. If you mess up the pockets for the clasps, don't worry. A small piece of sheet metalpatches everything up nicely.
Slap on some handles.
Image Notes1. There are washers between the hinge and the ABS to account for the aluminumabove.2. Top pre-drilled.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Image Notes1. Attach bottom hinge first.
Image Notes1. I wasn't very precise with the jig saw.
Image Notes1. 16ga aluminum reinforcement plate.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Step 7: Foam InteriorUsing 1/2” foam, line the interior of the case, starting with the bottom. When measuring the side pieces, make sure the foam is a little shorter than the wall of the case sothat it closes fully.
Use 2” foam for filler material where you need to support irregular shaped objects.
Image Notes1. Heavier cutting edge that protects your fingers.
Image Notes1. Foam Adhesive, do not substitute.
Image Notes1. Cut templates for irregular shapes.
Image Notes1. Measure the distance between verticies, make a small arc, and find where thearcs intersect.2. Extendable box cutter helps get through the thick foam.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Road-Case/
Step 8: LabelBonus: cut out a stencil and label your cases with spray paint. A laser cutter makes the job quick and easy.
Material Shopping List:- ABS laminated plywood- Extruded aluminum for corners- Extruded aluminum for mated faces- Edge reinforcement (flat corners)- Corner protection (ball corners)- Feet- Clasps- Hinges- Handles- Rivets and washers- Foam padding and adhesive
Image Notes1. Ready for their trip north!
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jmwells says: Mar 20, 2014. 4:46 PM REPLYWell done. While in the Air Force, we had to construct similar cases. We upped the ante. We went with 45 deg, aircraft grade, spruce, plywood. We wantedcases that would not only protect the items, but also be used as display tables, or as needed, seats, or climbing/standing platforms. The strength of metal,with the weight of wood. As I recall we saturated inside and out with polyurethane. Filling the rivet holes to make them water resistant.
Danger is my middle name says: Mar 20, 2014. 4:19 PM REPLYWow, this looks great!
