How are the cases made?
All of our cases are made to the highest standards and are designed to be durable, giving your item the maximum protection during transportation and storage.
The first image shows a cross section of how a case is made. We use case maker, this is sometimes known as double angle or Christmas tree extrusions.
Why do we use casemaker?
It means we can make hybrid cases, these are cases that have both Astroboard and laminated birch ply wall materials, making the case extra strong where required and lightweight in other areas.We believe that with the wall material sitting in a channel it is stronger than single angle.
What wall materials can I have?
Our case walls are generaly made from phenol coated birch plywood, laminated birch ply wood or the lighter weight plastic Astroboard, hybrid cases can be made using a combination of these materials if required.
At Bespoke Cases we use FSC/ CE marked birch plywood whenever possible and use the best quality materials available.
Astroboard is a sandwich polypropylene material therefore it cannot be nailed, so needs to sit in channel, we use it with casemaker.
What are fittings?
Fittings are the components that we use to put the cases together.
Fittings are items such as handles, ball corners and hinges, which are made of steel.
All extrusions – the case edges and hybrid lid joiners are made from aluminium.
We use a minimum of 3 different types of rivets throughout each case for maximum strength.
What are cases lined with?
Most cases have some sort of lining generally either foam or carpet.
The type of foam we use for the sides and bases is is plastazote foam, this is a dense foam idea for cushioning your goods yet sturdy enough not to tear easily. It comes in different depths and density and is usually in dark charcoal grey. Other colours and types of foam can be used on request.
The carpet we use is a non backed coach lining carpet which is also in charcoal grey. This very hard wearing and great for cases which the foam padding is not needed.
We also use eggbox foam in the case lids this is a charcoal grey polymer foam. Other foams and linings can be used on request.
What do I need to think about first?
Before you order a flight case you need to consider the type of case you require and what you are going to use it for.
Wall Material:
-Birch plywood is the main wall material we use, which is either 9.5 mm or 6.5mm deep and is very strong and durable.
-Phenol coated birch plywood generally has a hexagon patten on it, the phenol coated boards have a phenol coating on both sides – smooth on one and patterned on the other.
-Laminated birch plywood is either laminated with laminate (formica, egger, e.t.c), PVC , PPL (wisa board). These wall materials comes in many different styles and colours though they might only be laminated on one side.
-Astroboard is 25 % lighter than it’s wood equivalent and is very good for smaller cases that might be moved about by yourself or sent though the post, or where weight is a consideration.
All wheel boards, draws or any other wooden item that goes on the cases is either quality BB birch plywood or quality hardwood faced WPB. FSC or CE marked wood.
Once you have established the cases use, we need the measurements. We work from the inside to outside, so we need the height, width and depth in cm’s of the
item(s) the case is for.
If you are going to put more than one item in a case and need dividers we would suggest giving a 3 cm space between items. This will allow 1 cm of foam on both sides and 1 cm for the divider wall.
Here at Bespoke Cases we can also put inserts in to your case or webbing to enable you to make the most of your case.
Consider the weight of the flight case, we make genuine flight cases with steel and aluminium fixtures and fittings. So if you are going to move the case yourself think about it's size and whether you will require wheels and / or a team of local crew to move the case.
A handmade Bespoke Case will last for many years, so think of it as an investment and design a case that will meet your future requirements.
If you’re not sure where to start or what you need please contact us, we’re here to help.