A while back, I came into a hard carrying case that someone was throwing away. Originally, it was for something like a projector, but all I saw was mostly empty space, 2 carrying handles, wheels and a pull-out luggage handle, and that it was rugged as hell.
obligatory stickers not included
It still had the "egg-crate" foam and the bottom piece of foam that was shaped around the wheels, so I ordered a sheet of charcoal foam cut to the interior dimensions and went to work (if you're looking for something similar, check out The Foam Factory. Not only does their name sound like the most whimsical place to work, they also have a website from the early 90s. Also they were relatively cheap and shipping was fast).
10PM is a good time to start a project, right?
Once I had my foam laid out, I marked out where the bottom foam was thinner (see the wheels in the previous image--I don't want a camera sitting directly on those!), and laid my camera gear out on it, upside-down and opposite of how I wanted it to end up. That way, my markings wouldn't show on the surface.
I looked up some ways to make my custom cuts, and I will say that if someone recommends that you use a bread knife, they are not your friend. It'll look like it was cut by a chainsaw, and will ruin your knife too. @Casey H had a good suggestion of using one of those snap-off utility knives, extended all the way out. Unfortunately, my foam was thicker than my remaining blades, and I was too impatient to go to the store and get the proper tool (side note, go to the store and get the proper tool). I did have a box of those Jiffi-Cutter blades, and found that they work well for detail work. Whatever you decide on, use a disposable blade--the foam is fairly rough on the knife's edge and I went through 3 or 4 of them. Either way, go slower than I did, and you could probably get some decent cuts. A hot knife might work really well here. Also, make sure to start your cuts small--you can always cut more away.
I didn't take any in-progress pictures, but here's the final product. The cuts are pretty rough, and I'll definitely use a straight-edge for lining up elements next time, but for a first attempt, I'm really happy with it. It's tough, way easier to carry than other solutions, and holds everything I need. There was also more space than I expected, so there's a pretty high chance that I cut a new sheet in the future as I get more equipment (or maybe, since the sheet is removable, different sheets for different projects, like if I get a drone).
Cutting out the finger holes around the filter case and intervalometer was probably the second-most satisfying part of this
Figuring out how to stack the intervalometer, cable, receiver, and batteries was probably the most satisfying part. Note the 3D printed battery case, since AAA batteries were the one thing that would actually come loose while moving this around.
As a final touch, I got a light bar with a sensor for Christmas which fit perfectly in the lid, letting me work in the dark. As an added bonus, it's removable so I can take it out and use it for scene lighting in an emergency.
All-told, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. I think my own cost for it was around $30 and a couple of hours of cutting*. I definitely have some future plans for it, but I've "deployed" it now and have already taken it on a couple of photo trips.
* like so many maker projects, the real time cost is all of the "fine-tuning" later, which I'm sure will take forever
obligatory stickers not included
It still had the "egg-crate" foam and the bottom piece of foam that was shaped around the wheels, so I ordered a sheet of charcoal foam cut to the interior dimensions and went to work (if you're looking for something similar, check out The Foam Factory. Not only does their name sound like the most whimsical place to work, they also have a website from the early 90s. Also they were relatively cheap and shipping was fast).
10PM is a good time to start a project, right?
Once I had my foam laid out, I marked out where the bottom foam was thinner (see the wheels in the previous image--I don't want a camera sitting directly on those!), and laid my camera gear out on it, upside-down and opposite of how I wanted it to end up. That way, my markings wouldn't show on the surface.
I looked up some ways to make my custom cuts, and I will say that if someone recommends that you use a bread knife, they are not your friend. It'll look like it was cut by a chainsaw, and will ruin your knife too. @Casey H had a good suggestion of using one of those snap-off utility knives, extended all the way out. Unfortunately, my foam was thicker than my remaining blades, and I was too impatient to go to the store and get the proper tool (side note, go to the store and get the proper tool). I did have a box of those Jiffi-Cutter blades, and found that they work well for detail work. Whatever you decide on, use a disposable blade--the foam is fairly rough on the knife's edge and I went through 3 or 4 of them. Either way, go slower than I did, and you could probably get some decent cuts. A hot knife might work really well here. Also, make sure to start your cuts small--you can always cut more away.
I didn't take any in-progress pictures, but here's the final product. The cuts are pretty rough, and I'll definitely use a straight-edge for lining up elements next time, but for a first attempt, I'm really happy with it. It's tough, way easier to carry than other solutions, and holds everything I need. There was also more space than I expected, so there's a pretty high chance that I cut a new sheet in the future as I get more equipment (or maybe, since the sheet is removable, different sheets for different projects, like if I get a drone).
Cutting out the finger holes around the filter case and intervalometer was probably the second-most satisfying part of this
Figuring out how to stack the intervalometer, cable, receiver, and batteries was probably the most satisfying part. Note the 3D printed battery case, since AAA batteries were the one thing that would actually come loose while moving this around.
As a final touch, I got a light bar with a sensor for Christmas which fit perfectly in the lid, letting me work in the dark. As an added bonus, it's removable so I can take it out and use it for scene lighting in an emergency.
All-told, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. I think my own cost for it was around $30 and a couple of hours of cutting*. I definitely have some future plans for it, but I've "deployed" it now and have already taken it on a couple of photo trips.
* like so many maker projects, the real time cost is all of the "fine-tuning" later, which I'm sure will take forever
). I looked at having it custom cut like the toolholder image you have, but that was quite a bit more expensive. Not outrageous; I think we're talking like $100, but still. I'm impatient, cheap, and quick with a knife 