Nanuk 930 Chip Case (1 Viewer)

Benjaminotaur

Flush
Supporter
Joined
Jan 20, 2020
Messages
1,555
Reaction score
2,874
Location
Kenosha, Wisconsin
I’ve seen a few posts about fitting nanuk/pelican cases for poker chips, but I thought I’d throw mine into the pile.

Our group is about a 8 - 12 players deep on any given night, but I’m trying to grow to a multiple table game in the near future. I like to have 1000 chips or so on hand since the player pool is pretty flexible and I’ve got a few guys that do a fair number of rebuys.

Right now we have rotating sites, which made it a pain to haul all the gear from place to place. In the last few months I’ve had chip cases hit the floor and dump in the car and I had a birdcage crack damn near in half when someone cut be off then slammed on the brakes. Not to mention all the other necessities that comes with running a game.

I saw someone post about the nanuk cases and how nice they were for poker chips. So I started looking into what I would need to fit 1000+ chips in one case. The nanuk 930 was the best bet for my money. I thought about the 960 for a bit because that would allow for 1000 chips per layer, which would make it easier to roll up and get going quickly (plus it has wheels, which will come in handy later for some) but it seemed like a bit much to monopolize that much counter space.

I went with 1000 chips in the large well and 300 chips in the side well for the side game that usually forms once a few guys bust out of the main tournament. The bottom layer of foam is customized as such

Large well: row 1 thru 17, squares 7 thru 19 (from left)

Small well: row 1 thru 17, squares 1 thru 7 (from right)

Deck well: rows 22 and 23, squares 1 thru 10 from left


The top layer of foam is customized as such:

Large well: row 1 thru 17, squares 1 thru from left)

Small well: row 1 thru 17, squares 1 thru 7 (from right)

Deck well: rows 22 and 23, squares 1 thru 10 (from left)

Dealer button: row 23, squares 13 thru 19 (from left)

Extra deck/seat cards: row 23, squares 1 thru 7 (from right)

All told, it holds 1300 chips and weighs in at 47.1 pounds (with 13.5g Claysmith chips). If you wanted, it would easily hold 1500 chips. If you didn’t want to separate the wells, you could remove 17 rows leaving the first and last column intact and get the same result.

I’m really happy with the results and would recommend this to others if they are looking for a similar set up. I would caution this is about as heavy as I’d ever want to go personally, unless the case had wheels and handles on the side as well (like the nanuk 960 mentioned above)

Pros:
- All the chips and accessories in one case that won’t break or open in transit
- The chips don’t rattle or fall out of the racks because of the foam in the lid
- These cases stack and lock into each other. So I’ve got 2 to keep my chips nice and neat. As a bonus, it won’t even matter which one I grab since each case has everything I need
- Bright colors are available so I won’t lose them in the mess of a garage right now. And multiple color options means I can buy different sets of chips and know which ones I’m leaving with without having to open them up and check
- They’re waterproof, so I don’t worry about any damage from the changing humidity of my garage

Cons:
- The weight is almost a deal breaker. Much more and I’d want to be able to roll them if it was more than 20 feet.
- Cost: $122 on Amazon for the yellow, $140+ for the other color options.
- If you have only a single row of foam, it loses most of its shape and will flex and bend. Not a huge deal, but if I had to do it all over, I’d try to make everything separated by at least 2 rows of foam.
- For now it’s ok, but I’m not sure if the middle layer of chips sitting on the outsides will sit at a level height with the inside spots, which are resting on the chip racks below. I’m waiting to see if I need to separate some of the foam from the edge to keep it from leaning in, but so far, so good.

A long explanation and critique, but hopefully pretty complete for anyone thinking of going this route. Let me know if you’ve got any questions or suggestions for another case!
 

Attachments

  • 7F73721A-45A8-4BF6-A927-6E3DB73DAC67.jpeg
    7F73721A-45A8-4BF6-A927-6E3DB73DAC67.jpeg
    150.3 KB · Views: 500
  • E690F11D-5D5A-4C17-A968-38842CEBC454.jpeg
    E690F11D-5D5A-4C17-A968-38842CEBC454.jpeg
    191.7 KB · Views: 516
  • F4428065-D2FE-40CC-8206-5FF9789E61FB.jpeg
    F4428065-D2FE-40CC-8206-5FF9789E61FB.jpeg
    194 KB · Views: 561
  • DA9AB89E-8C1F-46C0-83F3-86D7B2B3FCDB.jpeg
    DA9AB89E-8C1F-46C0-83F3-86D7B2B3FCDB.jpeg
    203.1 KB · Views: 568
  • DA3E937E-0E8B-44F8-8350-23D632396633.jpeg
    DA3E937E-0E8B-44F8-8350-23D632396633.jpeg
    212.8 KB · Views: 565
  • BF9CEBEE-33A9-4BBB-98DA-8E0C9219C958.jpeg
    BF9CEBEE-33A9-4BBB-98DA-8E0C9219C958.jpeg
    200.3 KB · Views: 534
  • 98557563-3B55-4C4C-A47C-A208704E8EFA.jpeg
    98557563-3B55-4C4C-A47C-A208704E8EFA.jpeg
    72 KB · Views: 503
Very nice write up and great work on the fit (and selection of a case). I love my Nanuk 910's.

If you'd like to shave over 11 lbs. of carry weight, just upgrade to new Paulson chips! Non-leaded Paulsons are in the 9.5 gram and under range. $2,500+ for new chips is less than shoulder surgery. Something to consider ;)
 
I’ve seen a few posts about fitting nanuk/pelican cases for poker chips, but I thought I’d throw mine into the pile.

Our group is about a 8 - 12 players deep on any given night, but I’m trying to grow to a multiple table game in the near future. I like to have 1000 chips or so on hand since the player pool is pretty flexible and I’ve got a few guys that do a fair number of rebuys.

Right now we have rotating sites, which made it a pain to haul all the gear from place to place. In the last few months I’ve had chip cases hit the floor and dump in the car and I had a birdcage crack damn near in half when someone cut be off then slammed on the brakes. Not to mention all the other necessities that comes with running a game.

I saw someone post about the nanuk cases and how nice they were for poker chips. So I started looking into what I would need to fit 1000+ chips in one case. The nanuk 930 was the best bet for my money. I thought about the 960 for a bit because that would allow for 1000 chips per layer, which would make it easier to roll up and get going quickly (plus it has wheels, which will come in handy later for some) but it seemed like a bit much to monopolize that much counter space.

I went with 1000 chips in the large well and 300 chips in the side well for the side game that usually forms once a few guys bust out of the main tournament. The bottom layer of foam is customized as such

Large well: row 1 thru 17, squares 7 thru 19 (from left)

Small well: row 1 thru 17, squares 1 thru 7 (from right)

Deck well: rows 22 and 23, squares 1 thru 10 from left


The top layer of foam is customized as such:

Large well: row 1 thru 17, squares 1 thru from left)

Small well: row 1 thru 17, squares 1 thru 7 (from right)

Deck well: rows 22 and 23, squares 1 thru 10 (from left)

Dealer button: row 23, squares 13 thru 19 (from left)

Extra deck/seat cards: row 23, squares 1 thru 7 (from right)

All told, it holds 1300 chips and weighs in at 47.1 pounds (with 13.5g Claysmith chips). If you wanted, it would easily hold 1500 chips. If you didn’t want to separate the wells, you could remove 17 rows leaving the first and last column intact and get the same result.

I’m really happy with the results and would recommend this to others if they are looking for a similar set up. I would caution this is about as heavy as I’d ever want to go personally, unless the case had wheels and handles on the side as well (like the nanuk 960 mentioned above)

Pros:
- All the chips and accessories in one case that won’t break or open in transit
- The chips don’t rattle or fall out of the racks because of the foam in the lid
- These cases stack and lock into each other. So I’ve got 2 to keep my chips nice and neat. As a bonus, it won’t even matter which one I grab since each case has everything I need
- Bright colors are available so I won’t lose them in the mess of a garage right now. And multiple color options means I can buy different sets of chips and know which ones I’m leaving with without having to open them up and check
- They’re waterproof, so I don’t worry about any damage from the changing humidity of my garage

Cons:
- The weight is almost a deal breaker. Much more and I’d want to be able to roll them if it was more than 20 feet.
- Cost: $122 on Amazon for the yellow, $140+ for the other color options.
- If you have only a single row of foam, it loses most of its shape and will flex and bend. Not a huge deal, but if I had to do it all over, I’d try to make everything separated by at least 2 rows of foam.
- For now it’s ok, but I’m not sure if the middle layer of chips sitting on the outsides will sit at a level height with the inside spots, which are resting on the chip racks below. I’m waiting to see if I need to separate some of the foam from the edge to keep it from leaning in, but so far, so good.

A long explanation and critique, but hopefully pretty complete for anyone thinking of going this route. Let me know if you’ve got any questions or suggestions for another case!
Thank you for your write up. It helped me a lot with making decisions on what I wanted to do for my situation. I have two 600-chip sets (tourny and cash) that I carry around and I decided to go with two 915s. I am glad you mentioned the issue with weight and the single row of foam which is something I was mindful of while i was plucking away!

Nanuk915s.jpg DDLMset.jpg Outlaw_set.jpg
 
What trays do you have the chips sitting in?

I'm pretty new to this and looking to upgrade from the ubiquitous aluminum cases. I have a bunch of those cheap 5x20 trays off amazon, which work fine on the table but not sure how they would hold up being stacked and carried around like this.
 
What trays do you have the chips sitting in?

I'm pretty new to this and looking to upgrade from the ubiquitous aluminum cases. I have a bunch of those cheap 5x20 trays off amazon, which work fine on the table but not sure how they would hold up being stacked and carried around like this.
Mine are Chipcos. So far so good.
 
Cool, thanks. I’m not even sure if mine have a brand but they look pretty much identical to the chipco trays
 
@JRald07 so did you fit 600 chips in a 915? Been eyeing these cases but not sure what size to get. Felt like the 910 was too small and 920 was excessive. Just trying to make sure the 915 is good for 600 chips.
 
Quite solid. I used some thin foam that I had on hand for the top and bottom. The chips do not move.

Very flexible layouts possible. Have a 910 configured for 400 right now. (Just add back the foam.)

4C27CF8D-458A-4E52-AA96-F78A60A78C6A.jpeg
09AB5713-5D7B-4274-8779-25A73FBCF278.jpeg
 
Sorry - I ordered the 915 and it works great for 600 chips. I ordered a 930 for a 1000 chip set
 

Attachments

  • DEA3A637-5F53-4EED-B74B-DD3F43A18B9A.jpeg
    DEA3A637-5F53-4EED-B74B-DD3F43A18B9A.jpeg
    152 KB · Views: 262
  • 8B8ABA94-6E0C-40FB-9747-7B9972BC9658.jpeg
    8B8ABA94-6E0C-40FB-9747-7B9972BC9658.jpeg
    115 KB · Views: 278
  • A1637612-6B18-42DA-8AAA-1F344B2EBA3B.jpeg
    A1637612-6B18-42DA-8AAA-1F344B2EBA3B.jpeg
    156.5 KB · Views: 281
I will admit, there is a little play in the top chips coming out of the rack. How do you guys counter that? I've got four racks on the bottom and three on top. The rest of the space is taken up by a piece of foam over one rack. That for sure doesn't see any play.
 
Grab 3 more racks and put them on-top, upside down. Alternative would be to put the large foam rectangle you cut-out on top.
 
Either have the racks sit up higher by adding a thin layer of foam or add foam to the back of the top foam.

What I ended up doing was using the plucked out foam in little strips and secured it to the top of the inside of the case. Creates a nice snug fit over the chips by lowering the top foam ever so slightly to prevent the chips from coming out.
 
I will admit, there is a little play in the top chips coming out of the rack. How do you guys counter that? I've got four racks on the bottom and three on top. The rest of the space is taken up by a piece of foam over one rack. That for sure doesn't see any play.
As mentioned before, you can put a rack upside down or you can use half a bud jones box. I also have a bunch of gemaco cam shell cases which also work to keep the top layer of chips from moving too much.

Either have the racks sit up higher by adding a thin layer of foam or add foam to the back of the top foam.
This is also a good idea. One one of my cases I put in a layer of acrylic above the bottom layer of foam. This means the racks don't sink into the foam so sit a bit taller and are compressed in place by the lid foam. You can't really see it as it's clear but there is an acrylic layer under the racks.
5AB11364-EA38-4A66-AD0B-0537D61808DB.jpeg


Some other alternatives: Matsui 43mm racks in the case with minimal foam:
IMG_3198.JPG


If you have a lot of head space, you can use the cheap racks that come with covers:
IMG_2738.JPG


And Bud Jones boxes (my favourite solution but they're tough to come by):
IMG_0268.JPG
 
As mentioned before, you can put a rack upside down or you can use half a bud jones box. I also have a bunch of gemaco cam shell cases which also work to keep the top layer of chips from moving too much.


This is also a good idea. One one of my cases I put in a layer of acrylic above the bottom layer of foam. This means the racks don't sink into the foam so sit a bit taller and are compressed in place by the lid foam. You can't really see it as it's clear but there is an acrylic layer under the racks.
View attachment 526449

Some other alternatives: Matsui 43mm racks in the case with minimal foam:
View attachment 526455

If you have a lot of head space, you can use the cheap racks that come with covers:
View attachment 526456

And Bud Jones boxes:
View attachment 526458

Love that green case
 
@Darson (and other case people :D )
For 8 comfortably contained covered racks (among top quality cases of very similar dimensions) would you get:
-the very nice and very light (for the size) Nanuk 920 ?
-the slightly (1 pound) heavier older model Pelican 1450 for the same money?
-or the equally (as the Nanuk 920) light, but still bigger and 40% more expensive Pelican 1485 Air (can carry 10 racks; I cant' carry that much any longer) which features beautiful color combinations of case body and latches?:)
 
I liked how the Nanuk looks with the colors. Just something about this case really gets me. The Apache cases were intriguing but I kept going back to the Nanuk
 
@Darson (and other case people :D )
For 8 comfortably contained covered racks (among top quality cases of very similar dimensions) would you get:
-the very nice and very light (for the size) Nanuk 920 ?
-the slightly (1 pound) heavier older model Pelican 1450 for the same money?
-or the equally (as the Nanuk 920) light, but still bigger and 40% more expensive Pelican 1485 Air (can carry 10 racks; I cant' carry that much any longer) which features beautiful color combinations of case body and latches?:)

Nik, knowing your lovely chips, I would not buy a Pelican. I have a $300 Pelican case that I use for my camera lenses and my main worry are the latches. As unlikely as it may be, just a little pull on the bottom of the latch and it comes undone. Although I've never had a problem, I see this as a significant weak point and the Nanuk cases have this ingenious double action mechanism where you have to pinch down to unlock the latch and lift it open. Even then it stays hooked on so you have to unhook the latch from the top. With bloody heavy poker chips that you don't want spilling on the floor, this is great peace of mind. Yes, it's a little more fiddly but you're not opening and locking the box often.

I can't comment on a 800 chip case size. I love the Nanuk 910 and it works for up to 700 chips in Bud Jones boxes so that's all I have. It looks like the 915 works for 800 in two layers of 4 racks but I don't have one myself. And the 930 looks huge!

Also, check prices and wait for a deal. I paid $52.50 for my first 910 but have bought some as low as $27. And I've seen advertised prices as high as $100.
 
@Darson (and other case people :D )
For 8 comfortably contained covered racks (among top quality cases of very similar dimensions) would you get:
-the very nice and very light (for the size) Nanuk 920 ?
-the slightly (1 pound) heavier older model Pelican 1450 for the same money?
-or the equally (as the Nanuk 920) light, but still bigger and 40% more expensive Pelican 1485 Air (can carry 10 racks; I cant' carry that much any longer) which features beautiful color combinations of case body and latches?:)
I have a Nanuk 920. It’s dreamy.

It easily holds 800.
 
Thanks guys!:)
It seems I 'll go with the Nanuk 920
The only reason I 'm examining top-notch brands (instead of Apache equivalents in Europe, which I already have) is that I 've got a very close childhood friend coming from the US and willing to carry one for me. Otherwise, shipping and Customs make the already more expensive North American brands totally prohibitive.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top Bottom