Subject: [Harp-L] foam for harp case

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

That sounds good, Tom.  Like SmoJoe I really enjoy being  innovative...making 
things for myself and first trying to use what I have  around the house as 
harp-paraphernalia or at least being as frugal as possible  before spending big 
bucks where it isn't necessary. That way I can buy  custom harps when the time 
is right ;)
 
The idea of covering the foam with fabric wasn't mine....Tom Baehr  from the 
Slidemeister board mentioned his wife had lined a cigar box case  with foam 
and then glued crinkled velvet over it as a special holder for a  single 
chromatic for him....it stuck in my mind.  Great minds clearly think  alike <G>
 
...the site posted by Zig (Don Zeller) (mentioning the pluck foam  for toy 
soldiers)....also carries a special foam spray adhesive. I've  already bought a 
tacky spray adhesive for fabrics which I'd probably try first  though.
 
 
 
_http://www.carrycasesplus.com/glue-1-p29856.html_ 
(http://www.carrycasesplus.com/glue-1-p29856.html) 



I'm interested enough to give your approach a shot if my pick and  pluck 
doesn't work as well as I'd hoped, since the foam block I've  been using in my 
train case did shred a lot (thanks to my chopping it  up badly in a rush). My 
only excuse is that I was cutting it at  midnight  - no 'measure twice, cut once' 
this time, ;) before an early  morning flight to Buckeye ...going on two days 
with almost no sleep,  and simply too tired to dig out the electric carving 
knife. 
 
For the chromatics, I merely made a slit in the lower level (hinging  the 
foam halfway)...pushing 3 CX-12's into the slits.  It held  them firmly. The 4th 
CX and the Super 64 fit into the top layer, along  with the 10 or so diatonics 
standing on end.... it was very tough to get them  back out, ergo my reason 
for ordering the pick and pluck afterwards.
 
 Thanks for the information on your case.  One way or another  I'll have a 
lighter weight and much better functioning harp bag which is still  small and 
'cool' for my next trip, and which will have cost me a fraction  of the major 
'gig' cases. I'm not a professional player, so don't see  the need to have for 
myself the kind of case which will withstand the rigors of  stage life. They 
simply aren't a necessity for me,  especially since my shoulder injury and need 
for a small, lightweight but rugged  case I can fit into my carry on for plane 
travel.
 
I have the case, now it's just a matter of making it work.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 3
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:39:47 -0400
From: "Tom Halchak"  <thalchak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] foam for harp case
To:  <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

Good call on Jo-Annâs Elizabeth.   



I made what I consider to be a very serviceable harp case using  an old
briefcase and some foam and fabric purchased from Jo-Annâs.  I  cut one inch
strips of the foam and glued them about Ââ apart to a 1/8â sheet  of plywood
that I had cut out to fit on the inside of the briefcase.  I  then covered
the foam with some soft crushed velvet type of cloth gluing and  tacking the
cloth to the plywood in between the rows of foam.  I  overlapped the edges
with the cloth so no wood would show when I inserted it  into the briefcase.
The finished product holds about 20 standard diatonics, a  couple of tremelos
and a 14 hole 364 Hohner.  Iâm pretty pleased with  the result because now I
donât have to carry a show box full of harps and  harp cases around anymore. 



Tom Halchak

Clearwater,  FL

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