Shadow Foam X Moorlander EDC = biggest ever insert!

It’s always great to see any of our affiliates in the flesh. So when Randy of Moorlander EDC UK wanted to pay us a visit we were very excited. What we didn’t expect though was the size of the project he wanted to tackle! He’d laid his hands on a Suprobox – widely touted as being amongst the toughest, most rugged case you can get. AKA the big beastie war chest as Jonathan called it. This was never going to be a straightforward project. But with the EDC master and Mr Shadowfoam on the case, it was always going to be fun. So here’s what happened when EDC UK met Shadow Foam. And we created our biggest ever foam insert for what was to be an Airsoft gun case for Randy.

About Moorlander EDC uk

Randy, best known as Moorlander EDC first got into EDC (Every Day Carry) some time ago. He said he always had stuff with him in his pockets just to get through the day. Proponents of EDC like to carry items that help tackle life’s challenges head on. Bags then became a big fascination for Moorlander, and the rest of the Every Day Carry stuff just followed on from there. He then progressed on to making content of the same for other EDC fans. Now he has a thriving Youtube channel. EDC UK suprobox airsoft gun case war chest

About Suprobox

Suprobox are Turkish manufactured protection and storage cases. Moorlander first came across them at the IWA 2022 show in Nuremburg. Their cases are now sold worldwide under the SUPROBOX® brand, though locally in Turkey they are known as KORALTAY®. They created the Multıbrix® stacking system. This is a patented stacking system that provides straight or cross stacking of either the same or different size cases.

Now with sales offices in both the UK and Poland we expect to be seeing a lot more of these cases in the UK market. Especially given their size, robustness and wide range of 194 different size options. And just like Shadow Foam their cases come in 7 different colour options too… potentially a match made in heaven.

This project

Moorlanders Suprobox was in Mustard yellow. So, he decided that using our teal colour foam would give a nice, complimentary contrast. But with the 3D moulding and wheels in the bottom along with the ridges in the side of the case this was never going to be entirely straightforward. EDC UK suprobox airsoft gun case war chest

There are two techniques we would typically use for creating custom inserts for cases like this. In summary:

1. The Salt Method – this helps us to digitise the shape. By pouring salt into the base of the item we want to make the insert for, we essentially turn the 3d space into a 2d image. We can then scale and digitise this to create the outer profile of the insert. This isn’t necessarily the simplest process for many though. So it’s not what we’re going to be doing for this project. EDC UK suprobox airsoft gun case war chest

2. The paper method. We’ve demonstrated this before when we made an insert for a Bosch case. On the face of it, it seems a little clunky and a bit “Blue Peter”. However for us Shadow Foam has always been about making professional tool control accessible to anyone. And so that ease and accessibility is true of all we do. Hence developing a method of anyone being able to create a custom insert for any case. Just using materials you’d have lying around at home. So, despite the scale of this project, that’s what we’ve decided to do here.

All you’ll need for doing this is:

• Paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• Pen
• (optional, but it’s a big help) a Shadow Foam contour gauge.

Take a watch of the full make here for how the process of making the template went. Or re-visit the Bosch project we mentioned to see how it’s done on a smaller scale. EDC UK suprobox airsoft gun case war chest

Creating the foam insert from the template

Whenever you’re working with Shadow Foam, we’d recommend you reference our Guide to ShadowFoaming and some of the links and resources that this directs you to. This will help you make the decision on what depth of foam you’ll need. But will also advise the tools and techniques you’ll need to get the best results. It’s always worth visiting the “How To” section of our website too. Just to familiarise yourself with the best ways of working ahead of getting stated.

For us, Jonathan’s already planned that the best depth of foam to use in the base here will be 50mm beneath with a 30mm layer on the top. So armed with our trusty cutting kit along with the paper template we just created, we’re all ready to go.

In exactly the same way we would if we were cutting tools or items into the foam, we begin with a trace cut. So just holding the scalpel like a pencil and trace cutting lightly around the paper template. Once you’ve got the trace cut, and ensuring you’re wearing anti-cut gloves, you can then pick up the foam and go back into the cut. Cutting down deeper initially, and then all the way through. We obviously did this twice – once for the base layer and once for the top.

To get the insert to fit, you can expect to need to do a little more customisation. For us, we needed to add a radius to the base edge of the insert to reflect the shape of the bottom of the case. We also did some cutting in of the wheel recesses on the base layer which we didn’t then have to do on the 30mm top layer as that sat neatly on top. Then just test fit, and you’re ready to go with the cutting in of your items!

Fitting the Airsoft gun.

Moorlander’s weapon was the Scorpion Evo from CZ. Jonathan suggested cutting all the way through the 30mm top layer to house this. Many Airsofters use Nuprol cases for their gun storage, and we’ve a range of ready made inserts to fit those. The depth of those is also 50mm in the base and 30mm on top. So we know this is a combination that works. And the pair decided that if the gun itself was cut into the centre near the top, that would leave Randy space beneath it. Into which, he could then cut in his magazines and batteries once he got home.

One top tip from Jonathan here was to protect the gun itself while cutting. As it was finished in a powder coating there’d be a chance of the metal scalpel handle scratching or scuffing it. But by placing a little bit of tape on the scalpel handle, that prevents this happening.

Always check out our “How to Cut” guidelines before tackling any project. But essentially once we have trace cut around the outside profile of the item, we remove it and go back round cutting deeper. We actually want to cut all the way through our 30mm sheet. If you have a cutting mat then this should be simple enough. But if not, and you don’t want to damage whatever is beneath it, then like us you can just hold it over a clear edge and cut straight through.

Once we’d done that we assessed the positioning of the gun in the insert and assessed that ideally this could do with going an additional 10mm down further into the base later of the foam. This will also give us the teal contrast in the reveal when the gun isn’t in situ, which we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Then, once back home with it, Moorlander added the magazines, et voila!

Futureproofing

Moorlander EDC UK did some clever forward thinking with this design. After all you don’t want to go through all the same process and cost every time you buy new kit. So by positioning his magazines to one side, he has left space next to them. Into which, he can add more when he gets them at a later date. This is always a really good idea when you’re organising your gear, in order to allow your collections to grow in future.

But then, Moorlander being Moorlander and being prepared for everything, that’s not the end of the story! Coming with the case were two separate slide out trays. These were also a really good size, and obviously as tough as the rest of the case. So these also needed to be put to good use. If the war chest was to be used for all Randy’s Airsoft gear, it made sense to get these set up to store his pistols too. So in true EDC UK fashion, everything would be in the one place when you needed it.

As with the base and the bigger weapon, he decided to double layer again. This time with a 30mm layer in the base and the same again in the top, as the tray was slightly shallower. He went with the teal colour again, and this time had the added benefit of being able to use the pull-out tray as a template to create his insert from. Although as he learned, this did still require a fair bit of tweaking to get it to fit perfectly. Patience is key here, take time to get the best results!

Of course, once he’d created the first foam insert and it fit perfectly, it was a simple as using that as a template to create the second. Then from there, in exactly the same way as he did with the larger weapon, he cut in the pistol and magazines and then fitted them into the case.