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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

My Pick n pluck fun

Matt Gerard

Matt Gerard

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Finally got all my EPIC accessories in cases, spent yesterday laying out and plucking foam. I did figure out one thing, which is my biggest problem with the diced foam that comes in pelican case is that it comes apart so easily after some use. So I went and got 4 cans of this stuff from Plasti-Dip

http://goo.gl/lfveq

Its a rubberized spray that you can coat tool handles and stuff with to provide a flexible grippy surface to. Well, just so happens that when sprayed on the top surface of diced foam after you have plucked out the spaces, it keeps the top of the foam glued together so it doesn't pull apart when inserting and removing gear. And it stays flexible and soft. After I cut the foam, I just sprayed the heck out of the top layer and the inside of the cutouts. Used about 2.5 cans for the 3 cases you see here. Doesn't mark the equipment (boss happy), and so far lasts a long time so I'm not replacing foam (me happy). If you pluck your own foam, thought this might be a tip worthy of sharing. Just make sure you open a window when spraying.

Cheers!

Matt
 

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ahh this is great. been wondering a good solution. thanks!
 
You can also pull the foam layers out of the case and then wrap gaffer tape around it. The tape doesn't stick to the foam but it sticks to itself, so a loop works well. I sacrificed a roll to an ad hoc accessories case in my old Aaton kit and the thing lasted me more than a decade before I sold it all. Probably still good today.
 
Nice tip, Matt. I tried something similar with just stuff I had around the house. An acrylic spray fixative (like you would apply to artwork or a drawing to waterproof it) worked better than anything else I had on hand. It added rigidity to the foam and (I think and hope) reduced any possibility of significant particle shedding, which was something a lot of people cautioned against regarding pick and pluck foam. Had your suggestion been around then, I would likely have tried it.

Of course in my setup, I only left pick and pluck in strategic places to fill out areas around the dense, precut shipping foam that came with various items. I had to do significant hot-gluing of pieces of that foam to adapt to the camera body with certain items more or less permanently attached (baseplate, DSCM top mount, etc.). But after taking a long time to custom do my cases (2 Pelican 1510s), I'm very pleased with how they turned out and how much stuff I'm able to pack in them with layering techniques without compromising the cushioning around important items. I plan on posting pics of the cases and my rig configurations after I get a couple more little pieces in at the end of the week.
 
Thanks for all the comments, I love hearing about other people's tips and trick as well. I'm sort of an efficiency nutball (well, not sort of), so anything that makes things easier, cleaner, work better, I'm all for it. I love finding simple solutions to common problems that are just a pain in the neck. I like the idea of the duvetine in the compartments, that would provide a nice soft non-marking surface. also would allow for a slightly tighter fit, while being a bit more slippery than the rubberized foam so the gear will slide in and out easier.

Cool. Keep the tips coming. I might just organize some sort of pdf of this stuff once I collect enough.

Cheers!
matt
 
Seems to be, it doesn't really sit on the surface of the foam, it soaks in. Unless you REALLY slop it on, it will soak in to the surface. I've had some cases that I did a couple years ago like this, and they are still going well. They haven't pulled apart, or worn off. I havent noticed any marks or scuffs on the equipment either. It does stiffen the foam up a little bit, so it does't give as much, though. Next case I make I'm going to try the duvatine trick mentioned earlier.
 
Matt Gerard said:
Finally got all my EPIC accessories in cases, spent yesterday laying out and plucking foam. I did figure out one thing, which is my biggest problem with the diced foam that comes in pelican case is that it comes apart so easily after some use. So I went and got 4 cans of this stuff from Plasti-Dip

http://goo.gl/lfveq

Its a rubberized spray that you can coat tool handles and stuff with to provide a flexible grippy surface to. Well, just so happens that when sprayed on the top surface of diced foam after you have plucked out the spaces, it keeps the top of the foam glued together so it doesn't pull apart when inserting and removing gear. And it stays flexible and soft. After I cut the foam, I just sprayed the heck out of the top layer and the inside of the cutouts. Used about 2.5 cans for the 3 cases you see here. Doesn't mark the equipment (boss happy), and so far lasts a long time so I'm not replacing foam (me happy). If you pluck your own foam, thought this might be a tip worthy of sharing. Just make sure you open a window when spraying.

Cheers!

Matt
Click to expand...
Thanks for the post, great idea!!!

I need to deal with a single Pelican 1610.

What size cans did you use?

Never mind - I see they only come in one size for the spray.
 
More store only had one size can, so I just bought 5. I think for the 1510 case I used almost one can over 3 coats I just kept putting coats on until it felt sturdy enough.

Cheers!
 
I chose the 1520 for the mattebox, its a little larger, but I'd rather end up with a little too much space then too little.
 
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