advice on making an approximation of this?

[julianf]

The item in the photo was an american made suitcase. I dont think theyre made any more.

Ive considered just buying used items on american ebay and refinishing them (they are not rare or anything) but i dont need an exact replica, so im wondering about the process required to make a good aproximation.

This is the original, it must be pressed, but i would be fine with the idea of a weld seam in each corner, and then flatted back before paint IF that were possible.

Im just not sure where to start. I would need to outsource the forming as i cant do that here.

Thank you.

 

[Arc Tourist]

That looks a lot like the type of cases made as portable voting booths. I acquired several at a salvage yard and repurposed one for an Astronomy field desk.
.

 

[mdr]

Zero Halliburton attache briefcase?

 

[hotponyshoes]

Is it the retro style you are after or just something that works like that?

Beating the shell into a wooden former might be possible, then tig weld strips over it to form the ridges. Filler & paint.

Or put the ridges in with a bead roller then form it over a block trying to keep the ridges intact?

A skilled guy could do that on an English wheel but I bet it takes years of practice to get to that level.

If you want more than one what about making a mock-up out of foam/filler then take a mold off of it. You could then make the first one in fibreglass as a test before trying something fancy like gel coat with alloy powder or knock one up in carbon/kevlar.
If you made the molds strong enough you might even be able to line with a really thin sheet of metal (vacuum/hydro forming?) then stiffen up with laminate on the back.

 

[hotponyshoes]

If you just want an aluminium case I have got one of these but it's got a whopping great beta logo on it and it's full of tools

 

[julianf]

Thanks to all.

The idea is to get somthing that i can, largely, just order up. I dont mind a bit of welding and drilling, but it will need a load of custom bracket stuff inside anyway, so i dont want to get too in to "hand made".

Im hoping more along the lines of laser cut then cnc bent, again, with me doing the welding on the seams if thats what needs doing.

And probably (if i can do it / flog them) low double figures numbers, rather than just a couple.

If i just wanted one, id ship a second hand one from the states, and, probably, if i could just buy a handful, all the same size / spec from the states, id even be be tempted to do that, but im hoping it would be simpler just to make them here - that way they are all uniform, and i can build in the internal requirements to the spec, rather than having to modify off-the-shelf (or in this case, off ebay) ones.

It does not have to be a forgery style replica. Just a good approximation. The curved edges and corners are the important bit for the aesthetics.

 

[bigegg]

Kydex.

I don't have any wide enough.

 

[hotponyshoes]

If you don't need the ridges then you could just have them cut and folded with a radius along the sides and leave the corners open.
Then weld the corners on with a pretty little tig run.. or have some holes laser cut and plug weld from the inside.

 

[julianf]

ps. the parts going in them will be hundreds and hundreds (probably over £1000) of electronics, and the target market are fussy for cosmetics

thats why i need them all as clean / uniform etc as possible

 

[julianf]

If you don't need the ridges then you could just have them cut and folded with a radius along the sides and leave the corners open.
Then weld the corners on with a pretty little tig run.. or have some holes laser cut and plug weld from the inside.
View attachment 261714

This sounds hopeful - i dont need the ridges.

Just trying to work out in my head what you mean - im not so experienced with 3d modeling.

 

[mtt.tr]

Use a wooden hammer form

 

[julianf]

Use a wooden hammer form

Ill just end up with it looking second hand, i think. Or spending so much time on making it look nice with my limited skill....

Id rather send a file to a cnc former if i can, i just need to work out the correct approach, and if thats possible.

 

[julianf]

View attachment 261714

Was that part from quentor? Have you purchased from them much - are they easy enough to deal with?

 

[EBME2]

Any good?

https://www.viking-direct.co.uk/en/falcon-17inch-aluminium-laptop-case-p-2063353

 

[hotponyshoes]

Its possible, Imagine you have made one half of the case, Looking down on it and it would just look like a baking tray.
From the top view imagine each corner was cut off at 45deg so the corners would all be open. You would then fix some pre-made rounded corners on.

That part was the first one I found on google. We use the same sort of thing for lockers inside horseboxes. Although they are mostly wooden so we make the box then take the corner off with a 7" flap disc and screw the corner on from the outside.
I will dig out the catalogue tomorrow. The ones we use are pre-drilled but you could either fill the holes with weld or even just fix them on with csk rivets and save any welding at all.

If you are not in a rush give me some sizes and I will get a file drawn up that you can use to get some quotes on.
You will need somebody with the correct tooling to make the edge radius, It's normally easier to find somewhere if you work to what they have, Try and keep the size of the cl radius to a round measurement (either 1/4" or 10mm in that sort of size)

 

[julianf]

Any good?

https://www.viking-direct.co.uk/en/falcon-17inch-aluminium-laptop-case-p-2063353

certainly close. There probably wont be much in it cost wise by the time ive bought all the stuff like hinges and clips. Its if i can move away from the pleasure of having it custom cut so as it is just perfect for the application or if i can accept having to shoe horn stuff inside in a kind of imperfect way.

Really a consideration though - thank you.

 

[julianf]

Its possible, Imagine you have made one half of the case, Looking down on it and it would just look like a baking tray.
From the top view imagine each corner was cut off at 45deg so the corners would all be open. You would then fix some pre-made rounded corners on.

That part was the first one I found on google. We use the same sort of thing for lockers inside horseboxes. Although they are mostly wooden so we make the box then take the corner off with a 7" flap disc and screw the corner on from the outside.
I will dig out the catalogue tomorrow. The ones we use are pre-drilled but you could either fill the holes with weld or even just fix them on with csk rivets and save any welding at all.

If you are not in a rush give me some sizes and I will get a file drawn up that you can use to get some quotes on.
You will need somebody with the correct tooling to make the edge radius, It's normally easier to find somewhere if you work to what they have, Try and keep the size of the cl radius to a round measurement (either 1/4" or 10mm in that sort of size)

Thank you. I can understand that better.

What ill end up doing, if the job is a go-er, is discuss with the person doing the bending what works for them and make the job accordingly. Someone who does it for work will have a better idea than me just saying "i want this or else..."

There is no rush - have you never noticed how slowly my plans move? : (

Thank you.

 

[hotponyshoes]

A lot of the pelicase type things have insert panels available for mounting electronic kit into.
Not cheap and they are all plastic looking but all heavy duty and waterproof.
You can download drawings for the inserts and you then add in the cut-outs you want for components and send it to the laser..

 

[julianf]

yep, i know some people who use the peli things

another part of the appeal of a custom unit is also that it is custom, and therefore more marketable.

if i use a peli, then, effectively, im just selling a peli mod kit, which is never going to attract the same mark-up as a custom unit

a custom unit is more of a "wow" thing, and also harder for someone else to just rip off

 

[hotponyshoes]

What ill end up doing, if the job is a go-er, is discuss with the person doing the bending what works for them and make the job accordingly. Someone who does it for work will have a better idea than me just saying "i want this or else...".

How i'd do it.. first, make sure I knew the size of what was going in it. Allowing any room needed to fit it, ie. if you need to fit connectors into the case and then get to the back of them to connect contact pins or fit nuts.
Find something about the right size (or make from cardboard) a mock-up box that will hold it.
Look for corners/catches/handles. Get the dimensions and draw them on the mock-up with marker pen (or 3d print them!)
That way you can get a feel for how it all looks. You can do all that in software if you want which certainly makes changes quicker.

Then, If you have found corners that are 3.5mm thick and have a 40mm radius you have the question to ask the bender, ie. Can you do a 40mm radius 90deg bend in 3.5mm aluminum mate?

Before getting stuff cut/folded it's worth buying at least one set (if not all for the run) of the hinges/catches/etc just to make sure the holes are where the drawings say they should be. And make sure the supply chain is good enough to get more the same when you need them.
If you are not making it in software first it's worth giving the cardboard model a spray with alloy wheel paint as things can look completely different in a different material!