Hi folks. After having read all the great tips here on cutting foam for a flute case, I finally tried it myself and now have cut-outs in my case. (I used a blade type cutter)
Now I’d like to cover my err, handiwork, with a fabric lining. I do have lots of cloth scraps around but, but don’t know how to go about installing it smoothly.
I thought of first tracing the outline of the newly cut foam and sewing a top piece to fit, but I want to line the inside of the cut areas too and am not sure how to join these to the top smoothly. I never saw a flute case filled with stitching and seams.. Then I thought of taking one large piece of cloth and somehow stuffing it into my newly sliced cut outs.. but that would probably end up bunched up/flapping about.
I’m sure that there are folks here who have successfully done this - please help! Thank you!
3M DisplayMount™ Adhesive or Craft Mount Permanent Adhesive.
I’ve used both and they will work fine with the materials you are talking about. Lays down a thin flexible and really strong low profile bond.
Work fast and really good ventilation.
If your fabric is thin enough you could possibly push and fold it into place otherwise you’ll proably have to cut vees at corners and mate or overlap to get a smoother finish.
Practice on a few scrap and fabric pieces and get a solid technique down first.
In my limited experience, a bit of cramming and folding becomes necessary, as it is difficult to get the fabric to sit perfectly without creases on top of the foam. Just try to get the fabric to stick to the foam as well as possible, using glue as suggested - but what will really get the “shape” of the sections looking right is your flute itself. I obtained an old Selmer flute case, removed the plastic tray under the felt and retained the fabric itself. I then used foam to make a new “tray” based on the shape of the pieces of my flute, and then put the felt on again. It didn’t look very good at first. But after actually using it to store the flute for a number of months, the shape becomes more defined and the fabric seems to get smoothed down somewhat.
In retrospect, and if I was to do the case again, I would probably try to use something harder than foam underneath the fabric. I thought foam was necessary because it is soft, but I think the fabric itself provides lots of protection - after all, the pieces of your flute will not move once they are in place. The advantage of a harder substance than foam is that you can work the fabric into place more effectively - foam only takes so much manipulation before it begins to squish out of shape.
My Father used to do this with his camera cases, he was a pro photographer who had zillions of lenses and such, he used a thin velvety stuff I remember he used to stick the material to the recesses first then glue the top piece all over then so it was stretched over the cut outs and then he would cut 45 degree slices from the corners of the material over the cutouts then a line down the middle the resultant flaps are then glued down, you have joins but they are on the vertical sides of your cut.
stretched over the cut outs and then he would cut 45 degree slices from the corners
Aha, now it’s beginning to make sense. A thin non fraying fabric should work. The recesses are a bit too big, as I cut right on the tracing lines by mistake instead of inside them. The cloth will take up the space. I’m thinking the foam won’t lose its shape for a while, it came with the case and is dense.
Thanks much. Will need to spend some time rummaging around inside my fabric boxes for the right stuff. Any other ideas are welcome too!
You really do want to use very good ventilation because some spray adhesives are incredibly toxic. One of my teachers suffered serious nerve damage from a 3-M spray adhesive.
I wonder if white glue wouldn’t work as well? I’ve used it for upholstery successfully with foam and light fabric.
But the stuff does stink… and that stink is not healthy.
But as with any tool it must be used with some precaution and common sense.
Good ventilation is the key. Heck I usually will walk outside for the two seconds it takes to spray, come back in and mount then set the piece in the hall for a few minutes until the adhesive fumes cook off.
I’ve used it for years and no nerve damage at all.
Your teacher wasn’t huffing that stuff, eh?
No disrespect but I think white glue will be a mess for what Lesl is trying to do.
Aanvil, it’s probably a lot closer to nerve gas than you’d imagine. But don’t let me stop you; we’re all going to die one or another, right?
3-M called the one I have “Super 77 Spray Adhesive.” That product may not be available any longer. My can is fairly old.
On the can they say, “Danger. … Vapor overexposure my cause respiratory system irritation and temporary nervous system impairment. Prolonged overexposure may cause nervous system damage.” Gotta give 3-M credit for honest labeling.
White glue adheres to both foam and cloth quite well. You can read about the technique in a book about reupholstering furniture.
azw is right, spray adhesive is nasty stuff!!! At times it’s the only solution, but that doesn’t make it benign. When I have to use it to mount exhibit labels, I always do my spraying outdoors and then bring the stuff back in to mount. Who wants to coat the inside of one’s lungs with vaporized rubber cement…and then try to play. YUCK!!!
I used felt cloth because it was very good about conforming to the
cavities without bunching much. I attached it with Elmer’s white
glue because I couldn’t get the spray adhesive to stick very well.
The Elmer’s glue has held up just fine.
with a fabric lining. I do have lots of cloth scraps around but, but don’t know how to go about installing it smoothly.
And as Trees kindly explained,