Putting foam in drum cases...?

JHwibbs

Junior Member
I have some new drums on the way, and I'm getting some Humes and Berg Enduro cases to protect them. Buying the cases with foam inside costs a lot, so I am thinking of just buying some foam rubber, cutting it out, and sticking it to the inside of the hard-shelled cases.

Has anyone tried this? What is the best kind of foam to use, and where can I get it? Should I get the cases an inch bigger?

Thanks.

The drums are Yamaha MCANs in brown fade, by the way. I can't wait.
 
In my opinion it is best to just buy cheap fleece blankets and wrap the drums before putting them in the cases. Foam soaks up cigarette smoke, moisture, and as it gets old it deteriorates and crumbles. The moisture issue can pit out the chrome on your drums, and foam will pick it up just from the humidity in the air. The cigarette smoke makes them smell nasty when you get 'em home. Replacing old foam is hard cause it is glued on, but it will need replacing in a few years if you travel heavy.

With the blankets you can wash them and dry them, use them for a dust cloth if your drums are set up for a while in a nightclub. It is a good thing to order the cases without foam. Just get the regular size cases, they are designed with enough room for the drum plus a blanket.
 
In my opinion it is best to just buy cheap fleece blankets and wrap the drums before putting them in the cases. Foam soaks up cigarette smoke, moisture, and as it gets old it deteriorates and crumbles. The moisture issue can pit out the chrome on your drums, and foam will pick it up just from the humidity in the air. The cigarette smoke makes them smell nasty when you get 'em home. Replacing old foam is hard cause it is glued on, but it will need replacing in a few years if you travel heavy.

With the blankets you can wash them and dry them, use them for a dust cloth if your drums are set up for a while in a nightclub. It is a good thing to order the cases without foam. Just get the regular size cases, they are designed with enough room for the drum plus a blanket.

I was going to suggest foam but you raise a good point. On the other hand, blankets are time-consuming to wrap drums in.

I suggest getting cheap foam and Velcroing it to the inside of the cases. When the foam wears out, you can just rip it off and put in some new foam. That might take years anyway.
 
Be very careful lining cases with foam. I have a buddy who has a nice old Rogers set which he had in storage for a few years inside nice foam lined Anvil plastic cases. The foam began to deteriorate over time & fused itself to to wrap on the drum shells, (chemical reaction between the wrap & the foam) leaving pits & scars on the wrap when it was discovered & cleaned off. Sad.
 
I lined some cases with scraps of carpet, and it worked great! It hasn't deteriorated, it doesn't smell bad (well, I typically don't play smokey venues...), and it reinforces the fibrecasing to be stiffer. I still use blankets in some of the cases, but it doesn't offer the best impact protection. Yeah, it's great to be able to wash the blankets. Just make sure to get blankets that are thick enough to give some protection from other people knocking your cases over, car accidents, etc...

I'm upgrading to SKB cases, little by little. I've noticed that these things don't trap the smell that foam does. I wonder why that is?
 
On the other hand, blankets are time-consuming to wrap drums in.

I.

It is pretty quick really ... square the blanket over the case and insert drum, then fold and tuck the flaps. At the gig, unfold flaps and pull out drum, the blanket stays formed to the case ready for re-inserting the drum.
 
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