Just got back into the hobby again and wanting ideas on what you use to display your finished builds. I would love a glassed in display case but those cost a fortune. Looks like it will be some type of open air shelving. Just not crazy about that because of the dust that will accumulate over time. Would love to hear any low cost ideas.
I don’t know what your budget is,but Ikea has reasonably priced enclosed shelves,also try Craig’s List or Ebay for used store fixtures.
Ditto Tojo, if ya have cats or dogs with big waggy tails I recommend your neighbors house. Those Ikea shelves Tojo mentioned look very nice, they were recommended in "scale talk"in one of the FSM issues. Big doors and lighting can be added easily.
I used open shelf cabinets and had pieces of 1/8"plexiglas cut to fit each shelf front. Drill mounting holes in each corner and attach with a wood screw and cup washer. Bingo! Instant cheap and relatively dust free display cases!
You can easily add lights above each shelf, too.
I’m planning on getting some corner shelfs for my next apartment.
When I finished of the basement “War room”…I made a built in cabinet/shelf unit…(cabinet for the stash)
Also did a recessed shelf unit (back side sticks out into the storage side of the basement)
Last Spring…I had more builds than I had shelves for, so I built three more shelving units, using 1x12 pine, with some trim around the outside edge, that sticks up just enough to keep the models from sliding off when I rev up the guitar!
Dust isn’t too bad…about once a year, I’ll go through and dust em all. When my dog was still with me, he had to be in the war room if I was there…black labs shed a lot and I had to run the Hoover a lot…that kicked up a lot of dust. Back then I’d have to dust 3-4 times a year.
Wow!! That’s an awesome layout you have there Fermis, I could seriously just live down there.
Thank you!
…and, I pretty much do live down here…for about 6 months of the year!
I’ve been going at it again after a short 40 year lay-off. Everything is so new these days, much better, better equipment, technique, communication and it’s gonna be fun. Although I am green as grass I have this question asnswered. I think. Hope. The plaxiglass is a great idea but one can do the same thing with cheaper window glass and a scheme like some that are printed here. Not as safe but cheaper.
I have two situated in shelves with top mounted dorrs that open and slide backward - “lawyers shelves” perhaps? Not many around like Fermis - that dude has time and money and skills. Send me some. All three.
Most of my shelves were obtained secondhand from family and neighbors. Most are standard open book cases, but I also have a couple that are glassed in former china cabinets that are for my award winners.
But yes, open shelves require regular dusting sessions. The glass displayed ones require less frequent dusting.
Wherever I can find space! That means now, most go on some shelves in basement, in a rec room that has become more of a storage room. After building models now for seventy years I have scores of models hanging around. Some models of great lakes ships my wife lets me display in family room, but rest are in basement on open shelves, and yes, they collect dust- however, all except ships can be dusted quite easily. I have a couple of models on shelves in den, but space is limited there.
A club I belong to has one month displays at two local libraries, so a few of my models each year do get to be seen by public- and get dusted off if needed.
My display area in the furnace room is very long and very narrow. No room for doors on a cabinet. But I found some 16" wide by 8’ long glass shelving at a store going out of business. Got it all for $50.
It does get dusty but…
What a score on the shelving, I really like that
You got a lot of extra space there. You need to get busy.
At this point it’s where ever I can find a space, lol. I have a few hanging from the ceiling, some on shelves, and a few hanging on the walls. They are all currently in my living room. But it’s almost to the point of being too much, and I will have to start displaying them elsewhere. Basement is not an option. It’s already split in half with hubby’s gun business, and my taxidermy.
OOOoooo…taxidermy!!! You should be my long distance, FSM forum girlfriend!!![;)]
I have always been interested in doing it…could save me a ton!!! I got some books for x-mas, some years ago and wanted to try it out. I was already tagged out, so I went to the local butcher shot to see if I could get a cape or two. It just so happened that a guy had brought in a massive buck that had already dropped it’s antlers (this was the late “antlerless” season, in Kansas)…I got the cape and had my own nice rack to put with it. I got it home…started fleshing it out…and then…the ticks…OMG, the ticks that came pooring off that cape.[+o(] I’m out! Those things gross me out…can’t do it.
fermis’ room is one of the nicest I’ve seen. I use #2 grade 1x12 pine sealed with Minwax semi-gloss polycrylic for easy dusting built into units about 5’ x 5’ and hung against the walls on 2x3’s, the back of these units are 1/4 inch Luaun plywood
Mine are just in an unfinished basement. I also have to hang the bigger planes or put them on tables. My space is 13 x 13 feet including my bench which is an old maple kitchen table with a sheet of 1/4 inch clean plywood screwed to it. That gets turned over or replaced every couple of years.
Eventually I would like to build out a nice war room like fermis. I still have a career so maybe when I retire.
I’m actually going to build a couple of wood shelving units over this upcoming weekend. A question for those who have wood shelves…How do you avoid the dreaded “shelf sag” over time? I’m planning on using pine boards which will be 4’ across. Since I don’t want them to sag (like the particle board shelves on my store-bought book cases), I plan on bracing the middle of the shelves. Since I won’t be using particle board, do I still need to worry about the shelves sagging over time?
Eric
Most real wood shelves do not sag much. Particle board, a wood product, does, indeed sag after awhile. Even pine shelves will not sag with reasonable distances between supports (do not hang a six foot shelf only at ends), and with plastic model loads. If you do want to use particle board or fiberboard shelves (the material is cheap) put front and back edges made from real wood- say 1 x 2- on the shelves.
I’m working on it…