Why build yourself ?
It’s a well-known story: you need a flight case for a particular piece of equipment. For an amplifier, for example, or a computer or a mixing console. Why would you start building one yourself if there are ready cases on the market to buy?
By all means surf the net and try and find yourself a flight case. If your case must have very specific (non-standard) dimensions, it’s likely you won’t find exactly what you’re looking for. Then there are two possibilities:
- you either have a professional flight case builder make you one
- or you make one yourself.
A flight case builder will obviously provide you with a good case of professional quality, but of course they’re also going to count the hours they spent on it. And that’ll end up being too expensive for many of us.
But even if you find a standard flight case of (more or less) the right dimensions, you’ll still need to look at the quality from up close. The flight cases available don’t use 9mm wood, but either thinner or plastic instead. They often don’t use recessed latches or handles either. But still the term ‘flight case’ is used, even in bog-standard DIY shops, to refer to a plastic box with some reinforced edges and corners. It’s obvious that the quality of these things is miles away from the quality of a real flight case with professional parts, like they are available in our flightcase-brico.com web shop, for example.
Still, if you are buying one, definitely make sure it’s made out of 9mm wood and has more or less professional ball corners, case angles, butterfly latches, etc.
Building your own flight case
Building your own flight case is often the ideal solution if you want the best possible quality (a super sturdy case) but would like to keep the price a bit affordable. After all you can deliver the same quality as a professional flight case builder, but you won’t have to invoice your own working hours to yourself. So it’ll turn out a lot cheaper in the end.
That leaves the question: ‘Is it difficult, building your own flight case?’ Personally I don’t think so. It’s enough to have a few DIY skills.
Just read through the step-by-step instructions and at the end of it, you’ll be convinced that it’s really not that difficult. It only requires time, concentration and a few skills.
One of the main advantages of building your own flight case obviously is the fact that it will be really made to measure and exactly how you want it. For example you can choose the best flight case wood if only the very best will do. Most ready-built flight cases don’t offer this kind of quality laminate structure.