Statue Forum 





Go Back   Statue Forum > Statue Talk - Others > General Statue & Collectible

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 04-26-2021, 01:46 PM   #1
pdenham
Teen Titans
 
pdenham's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Indenial
Posts: 3,726
DIY Display Cases

I've been researching DIY case solutions for the last few weeks and have found quite a few interesting ideas.

Rather than force these into other threads where DIY solutions may not be appreciated, I figure one thread as a clearing house, to keep them all in as I run across them, will be helpful.

This first one has a lot of good info and links in the youtube descript.
I already have one of these shelving units (cut down) in the basement holding my tools. They are nice, sturdy, and inexpensive. They'll need to be "prettied up" for display purposes, but as the video shows, that can be achieved easily and economically too.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yDry7U9pJA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiPBWdc4XZk


The vinyl tape as a finisher was particularly inspired, I thought.
I also like the use of velcro as a fastener.
Combine that with insulation/weather striping and I would think you could cut down on dust quite a bit.
pdenham is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2021, 02:05 PM   #2
Mister H
Green Goblin
 
Mister H's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: High Hrothgar
Posts: 9,435
Great idea for a thread. I'll be making custom shelves this summer myself from wood and doing a shou sugi ban finish to them.
Mister H is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2021, 04:15 PM   #3
ZenLogikos
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Adamantium Member
 
ZenLogikos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 7,109
Haven't watched the videos fully yet, but this is timely for me. Just the sort of display I'm interested in. Prefer mine behind glass, and with large display windows.

ZenLogikos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2021, 08:42 PM   #4
Gyro Zeppeli
The Masters of Evil
 
Gyro Zeppeli's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 5,577
I've seen that display shelf recommended in other DIY tutorials before, but I personally do not like the way that video went about doing it. Especially when he wants to remove the sheet via the velcro, it just looks iffy to me. The price also seems like it adds up after all the little things you need to do. I'm not a handyman so doing stuff like this scares me. I wonder fi there are other more straight forward options. That display case seems like the way to go for sure though. Holding that much weight is really important in this hobby. Just having two shelves per unit basically lets you display 4 1/3 statues in the display and two more on top of them, so it is really efficient.
Gyro Zeppeli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2022, 06:28 PM   #5
pdenham
Teen Titans
 
pdenham's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Indenial
Posts: 3,726
The bust I was going to make this for looks like it may finally be shipping in the next couple months, so I'll be actively exploring some solutions for this starting now.

I think I may have arrived at just how I'm going to work this to match my specific needs.
One of the things I was originally considering was buying simple black plastic frames from a place like Michaels or A.C Moore, which already come with clear plastic. It would just be a matter of connecting several of them into a box.

I may mock up a smaller version, without the clear acrylic, just to see if the frame and locking system is viable as a stable structure first.

What's got me excited now, and which I just thought of, is to make use of the rare earth magnets I already have, to "lock" the sides and top in place, in conjunction with using wood dowels for keys.

I want something that can be disassembled easily and not take up too much space when it's in storage. That's one big reason I want to go DIY instead of buying a ready made case. The other is cost.
I'm pretty sure I can accomplish what I want for under $100 for a 22" x 32" case. Maybe a few bucks more than that depending on how much I put into mock ups first.

I'll be posting to this thread a little more frequently now in the days and weeks ahead.

If anyone else has similar plans, or has already built their own, feel free to chime in. If someone sees a better way to do something, I'd definitely want to hear/see it.
pdenham is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2022, 04:23 PM   #6
pdenham
Teen Titans
 
pdenham's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Indenial
Posts: 3,726
So I ran across these, which would streamline this project quite a bit, though there would be some drawbacks. The most noticeable one for a lot of people would be the frame edges along the side, which would impede a clear unobstructed view of the object inside at those corner angles.





For me, I wouldn't mind. There are other considerations I have that are paramount, and those frame edges would be essential to facilitating those other things.

One positive is that each $60 pack comes with two frames. Since mine is going into a corner, I was looking forward to needing only the front and one side to be clear. But even if I changed my mind and made it clear all around, 2 orders with four frames still comes to under $150 with tax. Then it's just a matter of crafting a simple top and base, which could be almost anything, but would most likely be thin MDF board.

For my project, budget is a consideration, but more so is being able to craft exactly what I need/want. As well as being able to do so with a limited set of tools. I wish I had a woodworking shop in the garage, but I'm stuck with hand saws and a miter box along with other basic tools.

* Ease of disassembly and compactness when it is disassembled is primary for me.

* Next to that, I want something that is going to be as secure and as airtight as I can make it to prevent tiny pests from working their way inside.

Those two things are almost incompatible requirements, but I think rare earth magnets, embedded along the inside edges, will provide a reasonably tight, secure connection that should keep the structure stable. Making it pest-proof after that will require some finesse with something like weather striping along the interior seams. I feel like that should well. if not entirely perfect.




Helping keep a structure that is made up of independent, single panels, upright and not falling in on itself (and hitting the object inside) will be the base and the top which will both have lips abutting those frame panels. That can be achieved with something as simple as using square wood dowels on thin sheets of MDF board.

That top and bottom frame edge could also provide a surface to implant some round dowels to act as keys for holes drilled into the base and top. That would obviously be even more secure than relying on lips, though it might make disassembly hairier.
pdenham is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2022, 07:34 PM   #7
pdenham
Teen Titans
 
pdenham's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Indenial
Posts: 3,726
Here's another economical element to keep the case sturdy, while at the same time facilitating disassembly.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building...ch=l%20bracket

If I stick with the intention of making only the front and one side out of frames like the previous post above, then I can go with rigid board for the back and unexposed side.
Those could be MDF, peg board, styrene, even foam core. Something wood based would be better for sinking any screws. But even a styrene panel could work as long as a piece of wood were epoxied to it from behind.

I bought a stack of 18" x 24" styrene boards when I was flirting with scratch-building some years back. It would be nice to finally put those to use. They would also cut down on the overall weight compared to any thickness of MDF.
pdenham is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2023, 01:56 AM   #8
pdenham
Teen Titans
 
pdenham's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Indenial
Posts: 3,726
I'm finally getting down to physically working on this, and just tonight had a major epiphany-

I'm going to document the progress with pics and with as minimal narration as possible.

Here's the the key that I think will make the project much easier, and look more streamlined, than it would have before-
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	styrene U.jpg
Views:	19
Size:	342.2 KB
ID:	160244  
pdenham is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2023, 02:44 AM   #9
pdenham
Teen Titans
 
pdenham's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Indenial
Posts: 3,726
Here are the main supplies I'll be using

- styrene sheets (for top and bottom, with scrap pieces to support structural integrity in various spots)
- black foam core board (for top, black, and one side)
- styrene U channels (for holding the clear acrylic sheet(s) in place)
- 3/4" x 36" poplar square (for structural guides)
- rare earth magnets (for locking top and side panels in place)

in addition to the clear acrylic.
I bought it last year, but will need to cut it to size once I'm confident the overall structure works the way I want it.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	main disp supp.jpg
Views:	19
Size:	325.1 KB
ID:	160245  
pdenham is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:18 PM.



Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright StatueForum.com