Blue travel case by Tom

This is my first attempt at building a Eurorack case. I really enjoyed it and I want to share a few of the lessons I learned for others trying the same. Although I’ve been producing electronic music on and off for about 20years I’ve only just got into Eurorack and I wanted a 7u 84hp portable case for my modules that wasn’t going to cost too much. After a lot of time planning and measuring, it was great to find all the parts including an affordable power supply in one place at ModularSynthLab.

Lessons learnt:

  • Some vital tools: Gorilla Wood glue, extra-large joiners vices, flat/belt sander, 240grit sandpaper, 3mm drill bit, wire strippers, crimp tool
  • At 75mm height in this case, the space above the MeanWell power supply box is tight – 80mm would be better but still doesn’t leave much space for modules so take care to check the depth of your modules.
  • Using 9mm plywood is good because it is lightweight but take care to select short screws that will not go right through. Also, instead of fitting 3mm dowels to strengthen the joints between wooden panels, consider using small right-angle brackets on the inside to brace the box together.
  • For a wooden case, either get the specific edges routed (by someone who knows what they are doing) before starting to construct it or round the edges by hand – just know that sanding is slower and not as easy to get a uniform curve on all the edges.
  • If using plywood, really take time, care, and patience to fill all the roughness and holes on the cut edges, especially if the finish will be painted (wood glue can be useful for this) – you’ll thank yourself once it’s done.
  • Use Fork-type crimps on the ends of wires connecting to the MeanWell Powersupply – a lot easier to slide them in and tighten rather than try to wrap the bare wire around the terminal screws.
  • Plywood comes up nicely with oil and varnish but if painting the case, use a primer that is not too thick – this will prevent spending a lot of time sanding it back down (something I didn’t enjoy). Also, for a matt finish spray paint for graffiti art is an excellent choice but consider using a ‘lower’ pressure type rather than ‘high pressure’ (the latter is harder to get an even finish) and apply at least two coats.
  • When choosing where on the base of the case to fit the distribution board, consider the length of the power cables from each module – the placement, in this case, isn’t too far away from the top row but should have been slightly more central.
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