Instrument Case

[Andrew Williams]

Sorry I have been absent from SMC for a while. I have not forgotten about you. Here is the latest project. It is a case for a bowed instrument called a Psaltery. I just finished the "woodworking" aspect of it and still have to do the "foam and fabric" aspect of the interior.

It took a bit longer than I had expected, but it seems fairly strong, although not really the kind of case that you would want to leave outside! The frame is cherry and the panels are ambrosia (wormy) maple. The corner braces on the inside are homemade from aluminum and will be completely hidden once the interior is done. I decided to ask the client to work with me on the interior since she is adept at fabrics. Hopefully we can get that done this week.

Finish is shellac, wipe-on-poly, and wax.

[Andrew Williams]

one more pic...

[Bill Wyko]

A fine box for a fine instrument. Looks great.

[Jim Becker]

Beautiful work on that, Andrew...that instrument is going to have a very nice home on the run!

[gary Zimmel]

Andrew

I don't know what a Psaltery is but its new home sure looks good.

Fine job! I'm sure your client thinks the same.

[John Timberlake]

Very nice case. Going to make a good home for the instrument. Got any pictures a psaltery?

[Jim Becker]

Google is your friend...

http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/psalt3.jpg

Link to explanation (http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/psaltery.htm).

[Andrew Williams]

actually the bowed version looks more like this:

http://www.earlymusic.i12.com/general/prod_10.htm

[Jim Becker]

Ah....very interesting, Andrew! You and Jameel (Oudes) should get together for an SMC concert!!

[mike holden]

Hey Jim!
Can I bring my bagpipes?
Mike

[Bruce Page]

Great craftsmanship!

Love the finish too.

[Jim Dunn]

Hey Jim!
Can I bring my bagpipes?
Mike

Anything but bagpipes:eek::eek::p:D

[Dan Forman]

Beautiful case! Thanks for the link to the instrument too. I have toyed with the idea of making a guitar case, but I think it would be too heavy to want to carry it anywhere.

Dan

[Andrew Williams]

finished the inside!

[Andrew Williams]

one of the instrument and case and yours truly :)

[Bruce Volden]

Andrew

Very nice!!

I have to relate my "case" story. A friend @ work has a license for fully automatic weapons and wanted me to make a "case" for his Thompsom .45, it had to include 3 drum magazines and 3 stick clips~~well I made it out of his specified wood (oak) and when it was finished and "loaded" it weighed in at about 100lbs.!!!!! It sure looked nice but it very impractical:eek:

Bruce

[Dennis Peacock]

Beautiful....just beautiful!!!!

[Andrew Williams]

that must have required some reinforcement!

[Jim Becker]

That's wonderful, Andrew! Nice job on that interior!

Oh, and your free bonus avatar....

77523

[Andrew Williams]

thanks Jim!

[Mark Hulette]

Nice job, Andrew!

I play trombone and the original case that came with my Conn 88H has about had it and I've been figgering on what would be the best method to highlight a little woodworking and try to keep the weight down.

Just wondering about how much your case weighs without the instrument inside? Also what are the rough dimensions?

Thanks!

[CW McClellan]

Nice case --nice looking instrument --as far as sound :eek:
I'll take me bagpipes and small pipes :)
But each is own Ha Ha !!:D

[C Scott McDonald]

Wow that purple is popping! Looks great and well done!

[Bob Feeser]

Beautiful job. The raised panel top makes it distinctive; an unusual choice that worked out superbly. The color of the wood goes well with the instrument and bow, and looks great with the nice choice of fabric for the liner.
My only concern, and this is a minor one is that with a case that you will transport, the sharp edges could prove more troublesome than more rounded ones. Then again, maybe it is for storage, and not for daily transport, so in that case (no pun intended) it will do just fine.
Great looking job. :)

[Thomas Knighton]

I've been thinking about making a similar case for my father-in-laws Indian flute. He plays beautifully and has invested in some fairly pricey flutes. Currently, he just transports them in a cloth sleeve of some type.

Nope...can't have that ;)

This thread will be bookmarked for future reference, and my FIL's flute should have a new home under next year's Christmas tree :D

Tom

[Andrew Williams]

1. On the weight....

I did not put the case on the scale but with the instrument inside it weighed in at enough to make you notice the thing.

Interesting that you play trombone! That is my main job, and I have been a professional trombonist for a lot of years! My first thought would be that whatever case you make from wood would just be too heavy!

2. On the corners...

I had precisely the same thought once the thing was finished and being used in its intended purpose. The main issue seemed to be that the corners might have the ability to tear fabrics on upholstered furniture. Next time I might consider looking around a bit longer for corners that are rounder, although the typical instrument case corners would have looked terrible on this piece.

I told the client about this, and she did not think it would be a problem, although she would be cognizant of the threat. I also recommended maybe filing the point down a bit, although I seem to remember that those corners ended up being magnetic, which means it would not take long to file through the brass plating to the steel underneath. I told her husband about it. In any case, they are happy with it.

Live and learn...

[Andrew Williams]

Oh the dimensions...

30 X 12 X 6

[Pat Germain]

Beautiful case! Thanks for the link to the instrument too. I have toyed with the idea of making a guitar case, but I think it would be too heavy to want to carry it anywhere.

Dan

My Taylor guitar came with a plywood case. You could drive a car over it with no damage. It's a bit heavier than the standard, cardboard or plastic case, but not as much as you'd think.

My son's Taylor came with the lower-end case. He asked me if I could make him a case. He just flew in from Seattle and it looked like someone in baggage decided to test a chainsaw on his guitar case.

Beautiful work, Andrew!

[scott spencer]

That's really neat Andrew. I've thought of building something similar for my daughter's clarinet. Nice work!

[Mark Hulette]

1. On the weight....

I did not put the case on the scale but with the instrument inside it weighed in at enough to make you notice the thing.

Interesting that you play trombone! That is my main job, and I have been a professional trombonist for a lot of years! My first thought would be that whatever case you make from wood would just be too heavy!



Yeah, there's the tradeoff between weight and durability that's tough to balance (and still look good! :))

What genre do you play? Who do you play with?

I've tried to keep the chops up since college and like to play just about any type of music- but I love jazz/big band.

I think it's interesting how music and woodworking seem to go hand in glove...