Alternative tool clamshell?

[x_atlas0]

Gentlemen-

Looking at the prices of the toolkits, and the shell in particular, I'd like to know if anyone has taken the time to fab up a metal replacement? It doesn't look like it would be all that tricky to bend/weld an aluminum replacement. Alternatively, has anyone whipped one up out of carbon fiber? Carbon fiber seems reasonable not for weight reasons, but because it can be laid on the existing part to get the proper shape with a minimum of additional supplies to make the part, and it would be less prone to cracking than a fiberglass part.

 

[decoupe]

Clamshell

x_atlaso:

I build kayaks using fibre glass cloth over a wooden shell and can't see why there would be any issue using fibre glass/carbon/kevlar cloth to renew or replace the tool kit clam shell. The materials are readily available, relatively cheap and easy to learn to use. The investment would be your time. A decent shell would be a perfect mould and if you covered it in a release coat would be unchanged by the process. You wouldn't need to use carbon fibre for strength but it does look kind of funky - just another option. You would need just need to use the appropriate chemistry so that the OEM shell isn't damaged (turned to goop as in dissolved).

I haven't really looked at doing this since I took the clamshell out and store it in the garage along with the tools.