hard cases....

[TAB]

why is it that when it comes to gun, bow, tools/ what ever.  there is only cheap crap,  than very expensive stuff that is great.  there is no middle ground.


i am looking for a hard sided bow case,  there is the el cheapo planos for like $60 ones that have foam for $100  and the next step is a skb( which dont get me wrong, skb makes awesome stuff, i own 5 of thier cases already) at $400.

where is the case that does not suck for say $200???   


PS  tom, i will not start a company to build them. 

[tombogan03884]

why is it that when it comes to gun, bow, tools/ what ever.  there is only cheap crap,  than very expensive stuff that is great.  there is no middle ground.


i am looking for a hard sided bow case,  there is the el cheapo planos for like $60 ones that have foam for $100  and the next step is a skb( which dont get me wrong, skb makes awesome stuff, i own 5 of thier cases already) at $400.

where is the case that does not suck for say $200???   


PS tom, i will not start a company to build them.

Might be your best product.
In 2000 I worked a short time for a company in Hayward Ca. that was making Rifle, pistol, and shotgun cases of aluminum.
They had one low end punch press and a press brake.
The owner had a patent on a multi color anodize process .

[Timothy]

Aluminum diamond plate like a truck bed box would be easy to make.  Takes a good welder who knows aluminum though.  Hardware, etc from McMaster Carr or Grainger..

[tombogan03884]

Aluminum diamond plate like a truck bed box would be easy to make.  Takes a good welder who knows aluminum though.  Hardware, etc from McMaster Carr or Grainger..

Instead of diamond plate, get one of those CNC routers, or laser, and put scenes or logo's on them .

[TAB]

I actually thought about 1/4" ply with frp and aluminum  angle on the corners, but by the time I do all that I might as well buy the $4000 case.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

Laser cutting aluminum above 1/8” thick is a pain in the ass…. Router would be better…

25 years programming and running CO2 lasers…

[TAB]

How do you deal with the taper you get when cutting thicker metals?   Never delt with laser cut stuff, but lots of water jet and its a pita.

[Timothy]

Tolerance degrades as thickness increases.  We cut up to 1” mild steel to +\- .030 and 1/2” SS to +\- .015!  Sheet metal up to 11 ga, as close as +\- .005!  Kerf is controlled by the G41 or G42 just like any WJ.  Like water jet, you just have to compensate accordingly.  For most weldments, these tolerances are fine.

[TAB]

11 ga steal is nominally  1/8.  thats very thin, qt least to what I am use too

[tombogan03884]

How do you deal with the taper you get when cutting thicker metals?   Never delt with laser cut stuff, but lots of water jet and its a pita.

You scrap it because you got the measurements wrong.   
We never had any trouble on the punch press, which is by far, the fastest and easiest way.
Where problems showed up was forgetting, or reversing the "Bend Allowance", (Heard it called "R factor" in Ca. )
It's standard at half a material thickness per bend, but it's + in one direction and - in the other.
Also that standard assumes 90 degree bends.   
It's actually easy enough, you just have to pay attention.