Display cases...

[RAFleischman]

I went searching the forum for display case ideas and although there were a ton of hits, finding the display information in each thread was beyond my patience!

So...I would love to hear (and see) what forum members have done to protect their models. Right now my models are covered with plastic wrap and I won't post pictures of my display "cases" (for obvious reasons!!).

Thanks,
russ...

[airdave]

I coat all my models with a protective layer of fine particulate matter.
It seems to really protect the ink and colours from bleaching and fading.

Best part about this protective coating is...its free...and self applying.

It seems to be delivered every night...by paper fairies I think?

[JP64]

hello...usually I built for my model (ship models) a transparent case made by transparent metacrylate (I buy in sheets at the local hardware store here), with thickness from 2,5 millimeters (for models long up to 50-60 cm) and 4 millimeters for models around 1 meter lenght.

The metacrylate is enough simple to cut (I use an old cutter with trapezoidal blades) and also to glue. I use a Bostik transparent glue for this type of material.

The base of the case are sometimes in thick cardboard and some other times in wood.

Anyway... I also give a layer or two of transparent coat (matte, usually) but the problem, about nme, is not the color fading...is the dust that is really a problem if you leave the model at "open air" for long time....

an...one more reason for the rigid case... if I use plastic wrap, I could had many problems with ships' masts...

ciao and happy modelling

Jp

here below the case I made for the model of russian battleship Imperator Nikolaj I in 1:200 scale - model lenght : about 50 centimeters.

[Sakrison]

Most of my models are displayed in the open, hung on the wall or from the ceiling (aircraft) or sitting on a shelf (ships). Dust is a problem.

For GPM's Bismarck, I had a plastics distributor cut clear 0.22" acrylic sheets for a display case, then built my own base and assembled the cover with gap-filling ACC. I haven't photographed it yet; I'll do that soon and post a photo here.

The plastic panels were expensive (about US$125 for cutting and $115 for poliishing the edges) but my wife said, "It's an heirloom; do it right." (I love my wife!)

For smaller ships, I plan to try cutting the acrylic myself. (I need to get a plastic-cutting blade for my table saw.) I'll make bases out of plywood or Masonite and stock moldings.

Cutting the panels for the Bismarck's cover was just too big a task for me to handle on my own: 54" long, 15" high, and 10" wide. As it was, assembling the cover required two of us.

--David

[Jim Nunn]

Here are two inexpensive display cases sold by IKEA. The first is good for aircraft and armor the second would be god for ships.

$65 - DETOLF Glass-door cabinet - IKEA

$139 - KLINGSBO Glass-door cabinet - IKEA

You should also look into the second hand stores for display cases.

If you have a table saw and a router you can make your own acrylic plastic cases. call around to the business that sell plastics for industrial use. They often have a "scrap" bin and will sell the plastic by the pound. The one I go to sells under 1/4 thick for $3 per pound. So for around $20 or less you can get enough plastic to make a fairly large case. The down side is that unless you invest into special saw blades it is very difficult to get a clear edge cut and will need to make a wood frame to hide the edges.

Jim Nunn

[RAFleischman]

All,

Thanks for the ideas! Although I'm currently in the "airdave" camp, I'm hoping to find a better way.

Does anyone know what the US equivalent of "metacrylate" is? I like the idea that it can be cut by hand.

russ...

[SCEtoAUX]

Haven't found anything on "metacrylate" but did find that methacrylate sheets could be the same or equivalent to acrylic sheets. You can find large acrylic sheets at various home improvement warehouse stores (think orange or blue vests).

Here is an online supplier of clear rigid vinyl sheets:
Clear Rigid Vinyl Sheet | U.S. Plastic Corp.

One of the listings reads:
.010" x 21" x 51" Clear Rigid Vinyl Sheet @ $5.51/sheet
Qty 3: 5% off; Qty 6: 10% off; Qty 18: 15% off

0.010" is the thickness of that plastic packaging for stuff like batteries and room freshener things. There are thicker rigid vinyl sheets available on the site.

If you have any dollar or discount stores near by or conveniently located check to see if they carry some of those poster frames with a rigid plastic cover. I bought some many, many years ago for $1 each just for the plastic sheet that is used to protect the poster. The size, as I recall, was the same as those rolled up pop idol posters you see in some stores, maybe 24" x 36" The plastic was cut and used to make cases for some antique dolls.

[dto]

I've built acrylic (Plexiglas) cases for some of my ship models. I prefer 3/32-inch thickness (approximately 2.5 mm) -- thinner sheets are too flimsy and thicker ones are a nightmare to cut. (I use the "scribe and snap" method, usually scribing on both sides so the break doesn't wander -- but often I still need a square-head pliers to snip off jagged "leftovers".) To hide the rough edges, I used very thin 1/4-inch L-molding from a dollhouse supply shop, but those wooden pieces were so expensive (and only available in 2-foot lengths) that they nearly equaled the cost of the acrylic panels!

Yes, the acrylic sheets can be pricey, but as Jim Nunn noted, many plastic outlets and fabricators have "scrap bins". Whether you are lucky to locate enough pieces in the appropriate sizes is another matter. But you should check around -- I've been especially fortunate in my "scavenger hunts". I frequently visit a plastics manufacturer that occasionally has complete finished covers that were rejected by the original client, or have cosmetic defects (scratches) which I can easily remedy. I have two cases nearly 3 feet long awaiting future models purchased as "junk" for about $30.00 each -- as custom orders, they would cost about $200.00 apiece!

As for bases, I don't have routers or belt sanders, and oak or mahogany planks are rather extravagant. I make my display case bases from "do it yourself" aluminum window screen frame kits, found in most major hardware and home improvement centers. I construct my frame to match the outside dimensions of the cover, and then cut 3/4-inch L-molding in a miter box. I epoxy the wood molding around the frame, forming an outside "lip" to keep the cover in place.The base top is thin plywood (either lauan or the birch panels often used to cover large RC model aircraft). If extra support is needed to prevent sagging, add crosspieces from leftover frame stock and crossbar clips (sold as accessories). Then putty, sand and paint. (Staining might emphasize the difference in wood grains, since I use cheap pine for the L-molding.) You might want to use artist matboard instead, but you'll definitely need additional underbracing. Don't forget self-adhesive felt pads (or similar bumpers) under the base to protect tabletop surfaces.

Hope this helps,

David T. Okamura

[Jan Hascher]

Hi Folks,
I get mine from www.sora.de. They get shipped flat and can be screwed together. Not a as nice as ones from pure acrylic, but hey they come in customized sizes.

regards
Jan

[John Wagenseil]

Try an inexpensive aquarium from a discount pet supply outlet.
Replace the aquarium hood with a sheet of glass or acrylic sheet, or if you do not mind having a display case with opaque top, turn aquarium upside down on nice wood base, and cover the aquarium bottom (now display case top) with wood veneer to hide plastic casting marks.
Or stack them.
Or take them apart and use the clear sides to make a case of your own design.

Top Fin 10 Gallon Hooded Aquarium | Aquariums | PetSmart

Other sizes available.

Think about venting your display case to avoid build of of heat and outgassing products produced by aging model.
www.conservationphysics.org/mm/shiner/shiner.pdf
Model Ship Display Suggestions and Recommendations.