Has anyone removed the side handles on their FM3?

SinglecutGuy

SinglecutGuy

Inspired
A friend of mine just bought an FM3 and the case he has for his pedalboard on which this is being mounted requires him to put a little bit of pressure on the handles from the foam on the top of the inside of the case to close and secure it. It would be a better option if he could remove the two handles to better secure it in the case. Has anyone done this?
 
Yep. I didn't keep it that way. You would have to cover the holes with something obviously. I'd cut the foam out.
 
SinglecutGuy said:
A friend of mine just bought an FM3 and the case he has for his pedalboard on which this is being mounted requires him to put a little bit of pressure on the handles from the foam on the top of the inside of the case to close and secure it. It would be a better option if he could remove the two handles to better secure it in the case. Has anyone done this?
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Get a sharp knife, and close the lid, observing where the handles press into the foam. Use the knife to cut a slice partway through the foam, leaving 1" or 1/2" if you can because padding on the handles is a good thing. Close the lid and see how it fits.

If the slices in the foam don't give you enough space then you can remove the handles. It's obvious, from the FC and FM9 units that the handles aren't necessary… they're just handy when there's a bar fight and you need to swing the FM3 at someone. :)

In general, keeping at least 1" of foam between the walls of the case and the equipment being carried is good enough, as long as the foam contacts the rest of the item and compresses a little. You don't want it to smash buttons down, nor do you want the unit to be able to bounce and vibrate, as shock from shaking or vibrating, especially if it's because the case got dropped, is the most likely way that connectors and boards get dislodged causing it to not work.

I used to pack gear for the military, space program, etc., so we had to pack some odd-shaped equipment, and slicing up foam was common when dealing with the ears of rack mount gear or handles on the front.
 
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la szum said:
Man, I'd rather have the case/foam pushing on the handles than pushing on the knobs and pots.

Just sayin'.
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Depends on the foam's density, its shape, and how hard it's pressing. The typical gray "pick 'n pluck" foam is great as long as it's not pressing too hard. If it is I suspect the case is too small. Having about 3" foam in every direction was what we used when building crates and boxes for 45 lb. units. We'd drop to 2" if it was lighter gear, like an FM3.

For the bottom layer and sides, it's great, and for the top layer, some of the gray convoluted surface (wavy-looking stuff) works well because it gives a bit more before the full surface is reached.

If we're the ones always loading the case then we can get away with a little less foam on the top because we can ensure that it's always loaded "This END UP 🔝 ". If we can't control that then have the added padding.
 
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