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Wrap Your Instrument's Hard Case in 30 Minutes

Got a hard case for your violin, viola (shown here), cello, guitar, brass or woodwind? Everybody knows what those classic, plastic musical instrument cases look like and, unless you've got a thing for retro-style, you're probably sick and tired of the dingy, black plastic with elephant skin texture. If so,, and you've been thinking you want to get that high gloss, carbon fiber look you see on cello and viola cases everywhere but you can't justify dropping several hundred dollars for it then you'll want to check out today's post.

You see, I've had a viola laying around the house for awhile and the case was really an eyesore. The texture of the plastic case just seems to attract dirt and dust and was pretty hard to clean (I discovered this when I prepped the case for wrapping and had to clean it three times). After coveting the high-priced, lacquered graphite cases all of the rich kids in Manhattan carry to their private lessons, I decided I could achieve a similar look with 4D Black Carbon Fiber. I'll let you be the judge of whether or not I succeeded but the following six steps took me under twenty minutes to complete and I think you could probably even do it more quickly.

Supplies You'll Need to Wrap Your Case

Literally the first thing you'll need is a hard case. If you've got a soft, fabric case you can keep reading but only for entertainment. If you're still on board, gather together the following:

  • A sheet of Rwraps™ 4D Black Carbon Fiber (you can use any other color too): We were wrapping a 4/4 viola but a sheet of 24" by 48" film should work for any violin or viola up to full size.
  • An application card (included if you buy an Rwraps™ Instrument Case Wrap) or squeegee
  • Razor blade
  • Rapid Prep
  • Isopropyl Alcohol
  • Lint free towels or paper towel
  • Hair dryer or heat gun

Step 1: Clean, Clean and Clean Again

Using Rapid Prep clean with a lint free cloth or paper towel. Keeping cleaning until all dirt and grime has been removed. You may want to use distilled water when you're done to ensure that the surface isn't covered in cleaner that hasn't been removed.

Step 2: Measure and Trim to Fit

Measure the length and width needed. Either buy the correct size sheet or, if you have whole rolls just laying around, cut it off of one of those. We used a 24" by 48" sheet for the viola case shown here.

Step 3: Apply 3M™ Primer

Apply 3M™ Primer liberally to surface. You may need to use more than one ampule.

Step 4: Peel and Tack

Peel off about 4 inches and tack adhesive side down on case. Proceed slowly with squeegee or card and apply film to case as you pull line out from underneath. You can use your thumb to work over curved areas.

Step 5: Squeegee and Trim

When you have pretty good adhesion you can proceed to squeegee on the film using more force and heat. Be sure not to squeegee over "fingers" or creases in the film as they cannot be worked out. Instead, lift and reapply with more heat and use your thumb instead of a hard card. Next, trim away any excess.

Step 6: Post-heat Your Musical Instrument Case Wrap

The last step is to heat the wrap with your hair dryer and tuck any film into crevices and corners. You can use more heat here than you normally would. Once you've completed this step you should be good to go. Be sure to send in your pics to receive our Cash Back Rebate and to be featured on our site and YouTube channel.

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