Custom Pelican Case Compartments

[Paul F]

I'm experimenting with a way to compartmentalize travel cases. I wanted something that is semi-permanent, but can be reconfigured as needs change. I've come up with using black corrugated plastic, 1/8" foam, and Top Stick (double sided tape). The corrugated plastic cuts very easily. I double up the plastic (using Top Stick to mate them together) to make layers of compartments with covers to subdivide the layers. In the pictures you see a compartment on the right with two levels.

The long divider is held in place using peices of foam and Top Stick. All of the compartments can have a layer of foam for sensitive parts. The 1/8" foam is enough for many types of parts, but is too thin for heavy protection.

I'll be making compartments on the left side for the baby ball, mic suspension, and softie. The top of the case will have velcro for clear plastic pouches for smaller items; tapes, small patch cables, etc.

1/8" foam - https://www.ebay.com/itm/2LB-Closed...var=450777507247&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Corrugated black plastic - https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pack-4mm...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Top Stick - https://www.amazon.com/Topstick-Cle...6&sr=1-1-791c2399-d602-4248-afbb-8a79de2d236f

 

[Imamacuser]

Looks good. A lot of political barn signs are made out of corrugated plastic, so I'm hoping to repurpose some after the election.

 

[David W. Jones]

Look at the TrekPak inserts for design ideas.

 

[rob norton]

Looks great Paul. What will you use for the clear plastic pouches?

I think something like this minus the price tag would be good.

 

[Paul F]

I hope to use clear makeup pouches. I haven't found anything small enough. Something like this. I stole the pouch idea from production mixer videos on youtube. https://www.amazon.com/Toiletry-Por...eywords=makeup+pouches&qid=1598224268&sr=8-38

These look ok for some things. But I don't care for the narrow top - https://www.amazon.com/BCP-Transpar...rds=small+clear+pouches&qid=1598225149&sr=8-2

Here is the case with the bottom finished. Notice the foam padding for some compartments; all sides and bottom for the baby ball. Simple, quick, easy to tear out and redo. It's not pretty. You can spend more time to make it look neat.

 

[patrickbaldwin]

Just in case you haven't seen this, it might help
https://www.arielestulin.com/diy-trekpak-for-under-20/

 

[Paul F]

Excellent. I like the bobby pin idea. I didn't think pins would hold well, but the bobby pins should do the trick.

 

[Run&Gun]

I like that DIY Trekpak idea. I have a Michael’s about 10 mins from me. And I love customizing cases. Maybe a little too much.

But the thing you usually don’t see addressed in those types of articles is YOUR TIME. A lot of times, after you factor what your time is worth into the equation, the DIY solution isn’t much, if any cheaper than buying a commercially available solution. The author saved $80 vs. buying the for the two cases, but how much time did he spend going to get the supplies and then fabricating the system? (I just skimmed the article, so I don’t know if he said). BUT, you can probably customize even more/better building it all from scratch...

And with all of that being said, I may take a trip to Michael’s this afternoon. Unfortunately, I have way too much free time right now and I like to customize cases too much, too.

*You can also buy 10 packs of the actual TrekPak pins for ~$10, if you’re worried about bobby-pins or paper-clips.

 

[Paul F]

... But the thing you usually don’t see addressed in those types of articles is YOUR TIME. A lot of times, after you factor what your time is worth into the equation, the DIY solution isn’t much, if any cheaper than buying a commercially available solution. The author saved $80 vs. buying the for the two cases, but how much time did he spend going to get the supplies and then fabricating the system? (I just skimmed the article, so I don’t know if he said).

This point comes up often and of course, it is a valid argument. But some of us just like to do things ourselves. I've re-invented the wheel over and over. I've spent endless hours developing things only to find out what I built is garbage. But it's just what I like to do. Most sensible people think, why do something when it's already been done. My brain tells me, why buy something when I can have fun doing it myself. I've done this to the extreme. I built my own house. I did everything with the help of two other people. Design, drawings, excavation, foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, custom cabinetry. Well almost everything; I did not do the stucco, concrete flat work, drywall, or roofing. I never built a house before, but it turned out ok.

 

[ozmorphasis]

This point comes up often and of course, it is a valid argument. But some of us just like to do things ourselves. I've re-invented the wheel over and over. I've spent endless hours developing things only to find out what I built is garbage. But it's just what I like to do. Most sensible people think, why do something when it's already been done. My brain tells me, why buy something when I can have fun doing it myself. I've done this to the extreme. I built my own house. I did everything with the help of two other people. Design, drawings, excavation, foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, custom cabinetry. Well almost everything; I did not do the stucco, concrete flat work, drywall, or roofing. I never built a house before, but it turned out ok.

View attachment 140246

Damn. I suddenly feel very non-renaissance man. Thanks a lot Paul. ; )

Seriously, though. That's very impressive.

 

[Run&Gun]

This point comes up often and of course, it is a valid argument. But some of us just like to do things ourselves. I've re-invented the wheel over and over. I've spent endless hours developing things only to find out what I built is garbage. But it's just what I like to do. Most sensible people think, why do something when it's already been done. My brain tells me, why buy something when I can have fun doing it myself. I've done this to the extreme. I built my own house. I did everything with the help of two other people. Design, drawings, excavation, foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, custom cabinetry. Well almost everything; I did not do the stucco, concrete flat work, drywall, or roofing. I never built a house before, but it turned out ok.

Oh no, I get it. I like doing some things myself, too (and there's that sense of accomplishment, you get, also). Although I'm no where close enough to "handy" enough to build my own house. I'd love to have that big 'ole garage, though.

I was just laying it out there. Some people really like doing things themselves and can do it just as good or better, and some people just do it because they don't want to spend the money and justify it that way, but in the end it would have been cheaper or a wash to buy off-the-shelf, when you factor in their time. But as with most projects/work you do yourself, the biggest savings are usually in the labor costs.

 

[Matt Gottshalk]

I bought the trekpak system for work and love it.

 

[Paul F]

Oh no, I get it. I like doing some things myself, too (and there's that sense of accomplishment, you get, also). Although I'm no where close enough to "handy" enough to build my own house. I'd love to have that big 'ole garage, though. ...

The funny thing about the garage is that it started out as a single story 4 car garage. I wanted it tall enough so that I could put a lift in to work on the cars. That led to making a short loft above the other 3 stalls. But the county insisted that I could not have a loft as it was living space and living space above a garage had to be sealed and fireproofed. That led to me figuring I might as well make it a full-fledged room with regular height ceilings and it became a two story garage. My original idea was that I would have a lean to shed at the end of the garage to store lumber and pipe. But that got away from me and I ended up building a two car garage so I could put my tractor in there. But of course, the tractor never got to get parked in there because I turned it into a shop.

Naturally, the garage got built first. I spend a lot of time in there.

Damn. I suddenly feel very non-renaissance man. Thanks a lot Paul. ; )

Seriously, though. That's very impressive.

Well, you feeling non-renaissance is a good enough excuse for me to show off some other projects and make you feel worse. :beer:

Even before I built the garage and house I built a stone entryway with the gate. I had a guy show me how to lay stone. The gates were pretty easy to weld up.