How to de-funk-ify my flight case?

[garranimal]

I have an older flight case in desperate need of odor management. I don't want this scent to transfer to my synthesizer, which it might. I tried lysol, and large doses of Fabreeze. I tried vacuuming the inside of the case as well, and left it open over a week to air out. Alas the scent of what only I can describe as rancid foam chemicals persists. The smell is apparently not biological in nature or the fabreeze would have kicked it's a*s....so it's probably the foam itself or the adhesives used, or even the plywood structure of this older case. Any ideas what I can do short of replacing the foam materials?

[Steve Jones]

It could be that the foam is breaking down, which is the step before it turns to soft mush and sticks all over your equipment. This is very common in older road cases with closed cell foam, it reaches a point where it begins to dissolve. If the foam still feels firm, dry and springs back completely and immediately then it is probably OK, but if you push on it and it feels in any way soft or tacky then the case could need re-foaming.

[Bitexion]

I'd go to a hardware or home improvement store and buy some big sheets of foam, cut out all the old crappy foam in your old case, and cut out the right shapes with scissors or a sharp knife and glue it into the case.

[garranimal]

Foam can go mushy???...that's what I call a big ol' red flag. Hmmmm....I think I will go ahead and replace it myself. Thanks guys!

[Bitexion]

Yep, it's a big problem with old Korg synths for instance. There is foam underneath the keys, and that goes mushy and sticky when it gets too old, making the keys stick alot.

[Steve Jones]

I hve seen dozens of cases over the years including those holding several Rhodes Chroma's, a couple of OBXa's, and some touring guitar trunks that were stored for a few years, and when they were opened the foam was melted onto the equipment. I think that way back there was a particular type of foam that was used a lot on the 80's, and it seems to reach a tipping point where it decides it want's to be something else instead of closed cell foam.

[MarkShovel]

The "mushy foam"" description sounds like ozone exposure. Foam speaker surrounds can fail due to ozone exposure.


Mark