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[Taylor Hall]

Just to update everyone on this - looks like we'll be able to make a case for an keyboard (can't remember number of keys.. its long), for about $150. However, i still want to cut that cost down cause fark me.... extruded aluminum is EXPENSIVE. Doesn't seem like it's something that should be that expensive, but it is what it is i guess lol.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a dovetail jig, and going that route with the joints. Worst case scenario, i get a new tool in my shop.

That's about the bare minimum build price you can expect for any size case when not getting parts wholesale. Corners, latches, hinges and braces usually end up being $80-100 just on their own (another $40-75 if you want wheels), and the extrusions usually have the highest unit cost due to shipping. I ran across a few online retailers that would offer discounted or free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount, and given that you're making so many cases of a large size you should easily get there. The cheapest I've seen edges is around $1.25/ft, and lid valances about double that (note that those are for bulk 6/12ft pieces).

[Tim McCulloch]

That's about the bare minimum build price you can expect for any size case when not getting parts wholesale. Corners, latches, hinges and braces usually end up being $80-100 just on their own (another $40-75 if you want wheels), and the extrusions usually have the highest unit cost due to shipping. I ran across a few online retailers that would offer discounted or free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount, and given that you're making so many cases of a large size you should easily get there. The cheapest I've seen edges is around $1.25/ft, and lid valances about double that (note that those are for bulk 6/12ft pieces).

Unless the labor and shop are free, I still think buying is better in the long run.

Little story:  back when the PAR can was king of music concert lighting, a buddy of mine looked into rolling his own (literally).  He consulted with his dad, a manufacturing engineer with Boeing, about the processes and work involved.  Dad asked how many were to be built and my buddy said "1,000 or so".  His dad looked at what a PAR can wholesaled for, the cost of materials, etc and said "you need to make over 10,000 to get your tooling and setup money back and make a profit."  As my friend was looking at doing this mostly to equip his own LX shop, he abandoned the idea.

[Taylor Hall]

Unless the labor and shop are free, I still think buying is better in the long run.

Little story:  back when the PAR can was king of music concert lighting, a buddy of mine looked into rolling his own (literally).  He consulted with his dad, a manufacturing engineer with Boeing, about the processes and work involved.  Dad asked how many were to be built and my buddy said "1,000 or so".  His dad looked at what a PAR can wholesaled for, the cost of materials, etc and said "you need to make over 10,000 to get your tooling and setup money back and make a profit."  As my friend was looking at doing this mostly to equip his own LX shop, he abandoned the idea.

Indeed, a good cost-benefit analysis is always key to any project. For us it made sense to roll our own because we had a few dozen sheets of 3/8" ply left behind by the previous tenant of our office, so that knocked out a good chunk of material cost

To the OP, have you looked into used cases? Amp racks are dime a dozen and people are offloading them all the time. Trying to get any given case built or bought for under $150 pretty much isn't going to happen unless you stumble onto a bunch of materials like we did, or get some deep discounts on parts.

[ProSoundWeb Community]