More DIY: new Harpbox (V2) and a gurdy cover

As I was thinking about the upcoming travels and what I'd have to pack with me, I started to wonder and worry about my Nerdy Gurdy (Gráinne). Having her in the boat was a given, but for storing and transportation from Luleå to the boat? Since I had already decided it was time to make a new version of my harmonica box, and to make a special case for the chromatic harmonica I've also got now, I thought: let's do it all at once. What could go wrong?

The cover

As always for that kind of thing, I started by scratching a few ideas and see what sticks. After some way too complex solutions (including a full size music instrument cover à-la flycase...), I decided that a wooden cover sitting on top of the wheel and the crank strapped to the gurdy, and a sport bag over would be enough for transport and storage. So time to make the plan on OpenSCAD.

If you can decipher that gibberish, congratulations!

And it's not getting any better as the pages go by...

The OpenSCAD model

I quickly made a draft in cardboard, fixed a few things on the model and then laser cut the wood pieces.

The box(es)

For the new Harpbox, I wanted to fit more harmonicas (no kidding) and have a nicer lock system.

The cardboard version that worked!

A few more bits that for the V1.

After a lot of sanding (a lot more than for the V1), time to varnish the outside pieces.

I applied some felt-padding for the bottom slant piece, and covered it with an old bedsheet to prevent the felt to spread threads on the harmonicas.

I had in mind to put felt on the harmonicas separators as well...

... but after spending an entire day on that, ...

... I realised it would not work...

... so all I had left to do was to remove all the glued up fabric, and spend a lot of elbow grease to sand away the glue leftovers...

In the meantime, I was also working on a case for my chromatic harmonica. Here was the cardboard version.

Time for a training montage

The result

The Chromaticat

The Harpbox...

... and its new lock system and the harmonicat doodle

Gráinne's cover

I had to paint it in matching style

The new Harpbox in action at the Blues Jam in St:a Clara in Stockholm!