LethalDose Posted August 12, 2001 Share Posted August 12, 2001 I've got some very heavy drums, want to be overly protective of them, and did not want to spring for the padded Humes and Berg ($70 extra for the padding for just the two bd cases, and there are 7 other drums in the kit). So now I've got unpadded Enduro cases that I need to pad up. Can anyone with experience help me accomplish this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 Couple of thoughts here: 1) You can buy the foam used in flight/road cases and put it in yourself. I know that there is a manufacture of this kind of foam in the Houston, Texas area. They supply many case makers with their foam. I don't know if they sell to the public or not ... but I'll see what I can dig up. You'll probably want one inch foam in the case; but make sure that the case can accommodate that. 2) It may be almost as cheap to buy soft bags for your drums. Put the drums in the padded bags, then put the bags (with the drums in them) into the hard shell cases. Doing this gives you several case choices ... rather than just using foam in the hard cases ... you'll also have some soft bags if that's all you need from time to time. I've done this in the past and it has worked very well for me. Now I own flight cases, which I use all the time now. It's not an easy task putting the foam in those cases mind you, plus cutting the foam is not all that easy. Professional case makers use a tool that heats up a wire that lets them cut through the foam like a hot knife through butter. If you use a foam that is very thin it will be easier to cut ... but will it give you much protection? So bottom line: it may be easier to buy the cases with the foam already in there ... or pay an experienced person to put the foam in for you. The foam isn't cheap and if you screw it up ... well, you are screwed. I'll see if I can find out the name and address of the foam manufacture in Houston (I live in Dallas). Good Luck! ------------------ Bart Elliott http://bartelliott.com Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LethalDose Posted August 15, 2001 Author Share Posted August 15, 2001 Bart, Thanks for your input about the case foam. My research so far has turned up one vital piece of info - and I hope its true - you can use an electric carving knife to cut the foam with excellent results. One guy tried *every* other hardware store type cutting device and the carving knife worked perfectly - so he claims. I am buying the cases two inches too big (i.e. my 16x16 floor tom will go in an 18x18 case), so I should have plenty of room to pad. I think all I need now is to find a source the some very high density foam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted August 15, 2001 Share Posted August 15, 2001 I'll keep looking and see if I can find a source for you. I haven't heard back on the manufacture in Houston yet. Wow ... I'm interested to hear about the carving knife. I think the guys the refoamed my road cases use a heated wire which melts right through the foam ... in a straight line of course. I'll see if they will shed a little light on the subject as well. Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlhubley Posted August 15, 2001 Share Posted August 15, 2001 Bart, Hey, another TEXAN. Let me guess, you some shopping at Lone Star Percussion from time to time, huh? I'm in Austin, just down the way!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted August 15, 2001 Share Posted August 15, 2001 Hey, Lethal: I am with Bart on his first suggestion. I think by the time you invest in foam, a carving knife, spray adhesive, the time, hassle and headache ... (I have done this before and speak from experience!) ... you should just invest in some inexpensive soft bags. Use the softbags as your padding around the drums and then slip the soft bags down in the hard cases. If you are like me, you get a variety of gigs ... you will have times when you may only use a four pc. setup. It is nice to have the soft bags to use by themselves for this type of gig. Just throw the drums in the back of the SUV and go! You should be able to find a "big-box" or go on-line and find a small company that offers these bags for a bargain. Most big box retailers have these bags private labeled and sell them as a lost leader (in other words they have very little in them so they can sell you a kit ... and throw in the bags as a sales closer!) Just my 2 cents. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted August 16, 2001 Share Posted August 16, 2001 Okay, here's some info for you. The name of the company in Houston, TX is called Pen Fabrications. They are definitely a wholesaler, so I don't know if they will sell foam to you or not. Sorry, but I don't have a phone number for you. Also, just another "tip" on putting foam in cases, you'll want to use a spray type glue which comes in a can. There are different brands on the market and they all react differently to different foam types. Whomever you buy your foam from, be sure and ask what spray adhesive they recommend. If you ever find yourself needing to refoam a case, you need to be sure to clean ALL of the old glue residue before applying the new glue. Typically this type of glue will NOT stick to old glue residue. If cleaning is too much of a chore for you, you can try using hot glue. Word has it that it works well in reapplying foam that has come loose ... and you don't have to clean all the old glue off. I was given this tip by two different sources who make cases for a living. Good Luck! ------------------ Bart Elliott http://bartelliott.com Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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