Pelican foam gripes
 

please do NOT get me started on Pelican cases and a company that does NOT stand by their product, and continues to produce a product with built in failure - the diced foam. I've got who knows how many of their cases and the garbage foam simply falls apart, even within a few months, I tried to get warranty replacement of it, but of course they know its pure utter crap and state " foam and O rings are excluded from warranty". they refused to place the foam in the case that was falling apart for their almost as bad dividers. ... don't get me started on them.

Photos of said foam falling apart?

Andrew

as a matter of fact, I _do_ have pictures in case you don't believe me. these pix come from my newest case, maybe 4 months old used to transport my matte box and other camera support items. mode of transport has been my van where this case has a few thousand miles on it, which is nothing.

this is the beginning stage of failure, it just gets worse from here. soon chunks of foam will start coming loose. if the foam wasn't diced, it wouldn't be coming apart, period. its intentionally designed to fail so you have to keep replacing it. I've emailed them numerous times about this, I know other people who have as well.

Steve,
Are you sure that wasn't from a Bear attack? It sure looks like either that or a child under 5. :-)

Its just had me more then upset with them. no - that was about 4-5 months of hauling the gear around. some older cases I have are even worse

Yea verily - their foam doth suck - through a thin straw at that. Its the dicing that does it. Much better to get un-diced foam and cut it out with an electric bread knife. Cases themselves I've never had a problem with, though.

Both my Pelicans have the crap foam that fall apart.
They also start to degrade, and I find little bits all over the gear, that they are supposed to protect.

Have to do a DIY insert soon, with something that will protect the contents.

I had my Nikons and lenses as well as my Linhof view camera in metal cases with foam liners - cases were in storage in the US for quite a few years when I worked in Japan. What a mess getting the adhered foam remnants off the cameras and glass. I think if I ever store something in a foam lined case again I'll wrap it in cloth first.

I'll just throw this out, because I haven't any experience them, but this company makes custom-cut foam inserts for cases --- you use their CAD software to design your case and they cut the foam....what longevity is has you might ask them....I know some foams hold up much better than others....CaseCAD Custom Foam Inserts for Hard-sided Carrying Cases

Zero Halliburton foam
 

I had a similar experience with my wonderful Zero Halliburton case, which I used to store/carry my beloved Bolex H16 Rex 5 movie camera. The case itself is great, but after about 25 years, the foam had deteriated badly. I hadn't used my Bolex in maybe a dozen years; and when I opened the case (to replace the Bolex with my new Sony V1U, I was heartbroken to see the deteriated foam sticking to my Bolex camera and mattebox. I wasn't able to completely clean it up. I threw away the old foam and bought some foam at a local camera store. On the Halliburton website, I could have bought an "official" replacement foam insert, but what was the point? The foam in a smaller inexpensive Copal case that I got before the Halliburton seems to be holding up OK. I wish I knew how to tell which foam is going to last.

Ken

I'd get solid form inserts, diced is ok for a couple of jobs. The ease of creating the compartments, by its very nature, guarantees failure in a short period. Either get solid foam and get the knife out or cut outs done by a specialist manufacturer.

I rather like the old Samcine style cases (they last a lifetime), but the people who now make them are also agents for the plastic jobs and they seem to do rather neat solid foam inserts:

Plastic cases

These case manufacturers often sell their foam separately.

I've had a Pelican 1610 with the insert foam for 2 years and haven't experienced this at all.

ya the pelican factory foam deteriorates after a couple of years as well. you know people act like cutting foam is a big deal, but really a steak knife works great, its not plate steel :)

pelican should stop using the diced foam, and use a better quality of foam. my money was perfectly good, why isn't their product ?

also don't believe their demo when they drive over a case. I had that partially happen with a 1650 and it cracked and came apart. I used a 40W soldering iron to melt the plastic back together, and used a really long stainless wood screw to replace theirs that busted.

I got a new 1650 case recently and opted for a pick & pluck insert knowing that it was as temporary measure until I got a proper insert made.

If making your own with solid foam, freezing the foam helps before you cut it and I have seen some people make "hotwire" contraptions to cut the foam but one false move and the foam could be wrecked.

Have a look at people who have cases on a "set". The majority have either professionally made inserts or DIY ones cut from solid foam. You will see pick and pluck but it is generally viewed as a route of last resort or for cases that don't see a lot of action.

Next time try these simple extra steps.

First, when you decide on your equipment outline, take care that you're not leaving foam in the WAY of the insert and removal of your equipment. In my experience, much of the problem with cube foam is that chunks get hit and pulled as the gear goes in and out. A firm hold is nice, but even if things are a tiny bit loose, the foam compression characteristics are going to keep your gear safe.

NEXT: After you pull the cubes, pull out the bottom foam layer UNDERNEATH the cube foam and use 3M Spray Adhesive or similar to AFFIX the cube design to the bottom layer of foam. (Obviously you want to put the spray glue on the bottom of the cube stuff and then mate that to the bottom layer)

This provides a secure backing and some support for your cut design.

I've got a dozen cube foam cases that I've prepared like this - and they're all still doing fine after 7+ years.

For what it's worth.

The UK Channel 5 Gadget Show did rather extreme test on flight cases.

FiveFWD - Challenge - Transport - Part 3 video from The Gadget Show

I bypass the pick&pluck foam, and spring for the padded dividers. Holds everything in place, lasts forever...and is reconfigurable. I just hate paying so much for the convenience of not having the padding shred in a few months of use.

The Pelican brief.
 

I've got a 2yr old 1510 with pp foam and when it pulls apart at the points where the cam fits in the well I've cut, I use the recommended glue to tack it together. Works Ok but it'd be a pain with a few cases like that.

I remember reading there are different grades of pp foam and you'd expect Pelican would use a top one.

But the gripe I've got with Pelican is, the 1510 is touted as 'airline çarry on' and it's not. Soon as you put some small weight in it it's over the limit on most airlines. Emailed the plant but they still .. Grrrr.

Cheers or maybe not.

If they start weighing, it's usually a 10Kg limit, so you won't get much camera gear as hand baggage inside a 6kg case

Polyurethane foam doesn't have much longevity.

I use the 3/8" "ethafoam", or similar, used by backpackers to build dividers.

Another good foam is polyethylene foam used to pack computer equipment. It can often be found for free. You can use a hot glue gun to assemble it into any desired shape.

Upholstery foam holds up well, at the price of being ugly --- I built a case for portable studio strobes using a footlocker and upholstery foam purchased at a fabric store about 30 years ago....just dug it out and, yep, the foam is still in great shape. The spongy grey open-cell foam that casemakers use turns to goo in a few years. My commercial cases have never held up well, no matter the manufacturer...

Re: Pelican foam gripes
 

Also I have now had enough of Pelican's crappy foam -- I own five Pelican cases -- all, except one, have deteriorating foam, (the one that's okay has the soft dividers insert). So thanks to this thread (and especially to Dean) I've just ordered a few 1" blocks of Ethafoam so I can toss the silly pick & pluck foam and replace it with some real stuff.

-- peer

Re: Pelican foam gripes
 

I have the Pelican 1510 and bought the 1/2" thick sheets of foam that Sears sells for tool box liner material. It comes with a razor knife and instructions on how to cut it to shape. I made several layers of it to fit my XL-H1A, it's EVF, mic and battery charger. works great.

I also tried using a higher density foam and cutting it with a hot wire knife. Didn't turn out so good.

Mark

Re: Pelican foam gripes
 

I have the soft dividers in my Pelican cases - but long ago I learned to cut foam with an electric carving knife. Still serves me well. Whenever I need to cut foam for projects, I pull out the old 'sunbeam' and slice away.

Re: Pelican foam gripes
 

By the way, you can also get jigsaw blades designed to cut foam. Might be easier for small or detailed shapes than an electric carving knife.

Re: Pelican foam gripes
 

I had all of the same problems with the pelican foam, and finally gave up on it a couple of years ago. I found a bunch of gardening kneeler pads for cheap ( really dense, closed cell foam, almost neoprene like, except it's over an inch thick), and used an electric knife to cut out the shapes.
It's worked wonderfully; the foam is quite dense, with a sealed surface so it doesn't break down through inserting and removing gear. I attached the edges to the inside of the cases with spray adhesive, and they stay put very well.
The best part of it was the pads themselves were CHEAP. If I recall correctly I paid under $6 for each, 10 in. wide by 20 in. long. I got a half dozen of them for the price of one set of pluck foam from Pelican, and still have two left

Re: Pelican foam gripes
 

I have found that dividers made of a robust material connected with Velcro will last longer, thus saving aggravation and creating less material waste. It's good for you sanity and the environment! This what I've made the move to in all of my new cases and when it has come time to replace foam. For example, I've used the modular divider system from Kata: Kata MODI-VERS KIT-S10. Accessories (Kata Bags)

Re: Pelican foam gripes
 

to cut foam , the best solution i have found is a electric carving knife.
It leaves a very clean edge and doesn't pinch the foam while cutting.