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Where do you display your finished models ?


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Happy New Year Everyone,

                                     I guess it was last year about this time I asked."Where do you work on your Models"?

This time the question is" Where do you display your Models "?

   When I moved to the Philippines in 2012. I brought my models and die cast heavy equipment with me.  I also brought two commercial type display cases  Both of which need refurbishing.

     Back in October I contracted to have a new larger display case built . With the intention of adding two more . Of the same size and design. Well on Wednesday I took delivery of display

case number 2. Along with a recently purchased a  smaller display case , which I had them refurbish. By removing the cracked glass bottom and the glass legs. Replaced with1i/2' plywood and two inch

casters with wheel locks. Hopefully these cases will give me a place to display a few models ! lol

      The first one that I bought back in October has a few models and Heavy equipment die cast pieces and some storage drawers.  in it.  The new one next to it  is empty right now.

And the third slightly smaller one is also empty. This one may end up with car pick up and smaller models.

 The cost to build the two larger displays cases is $180.00 each. The smaller one I bought used for $50.00, and spent $30.00 to rehab it.

 Tell me what you think guys. And please share where you display your works.

  Be Well

   Gator

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I have a wardrobe in my room with my TV in it and some modeling stuff in the drawers, and the models go up on the top of the wardrobe. I also have a shelf that runs the whole room with all of my diecasts. My plan is to add a second tier of shelves that are a bit larger to accommodate the 1/25th scale models. 

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Gator, nice display cases! this is my set up, this seems to be an evolving set up, as i build, things move around....

IMG_5051_zpskqzd1dsz.jpg

IMG_5049_zpsybpdfvhx.jpg

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the room itself has evolved since those pics, haha:D

           Tom,

                  You have a nice set up there.Some really good looking models there !

I was seriously considering the single display case route. But chose instead to go with the larger case. .I have two that are similar to the last photo you posted . They are nice and mine need some refurbishment. But there is a lot of wasted space. Unless you build a cabinet into the base section.

  And yes the model room and workbench are always changing.

   Be Well

    Gator

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Dan,

      A very nice collection and very diverse as well. Too bad you broke that one display case. 

As for the casters on mine. I put all my model furniture , cabinets etc on casters. Makes this a lot easier when you are cleaning the house.

Thanks for posting those photos !

 

 

  Be Well

   Gator

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 The cost to build the two larger displays cases is $180.00 each. The smaller one I bought used for $50.00, and spent $30.00 to rehab it.

 Tell me what you think guys. And please share where you display your works.

  Be Well

   Gator

 

 

 

Those are great looking cases. they look sturdy too..

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Gator, nice display cases! this is my set up, this seems to be an evolving set up, as i build, things move around....

IMG_5051_zpskqzd1dsz.jpg

 

 

the room itself has evolved since those pics, haha:D

I'm always impressed by your display cases as we see them in your various posts. Is that a thread spool rack holding the paint bottles?

Edited by landman
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Nice show cases gents...!  I too use old store show cases and others.  Love the wheels under them too...wish mine had them...may have to look into doing just that with mine.  I have plans to build a very large diorama but will need to make or get a plexiglass cover made for it...around 1/8 inch thick x 1 1/2 foot tall x 3 foot long x 2 1/2 foot deep...challenging aspect.

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Mine are scattered all over the place as well. I had appropriated a few shelves in one of the bookcases in the guest bedroom. However when we moved everything around after the repairs to the sewer back up last fall I was told bookcases are for books.

My wife bought a case at a flea market and told me to put them in it. It is in the home office.It'll be better for dust protection anyway.

This is a temporary setup. These are bookcases that ended up empty after the repairs. They eventually will hold trucks & trailers. They currently hold my engine shop dio. I'm planning to install drawer slides to that shelf so it pulls out to make picture taking easier.

Last spring we replaced our kitchen cabinets and I inherited of this glass doored unit. It is in my wife's sewing room. It holds the fixer uppers and my growing collection of engines.

 

 

 

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Nice show cases gents...!  I too use old store show cases and others.  Love the wheels under them too...wish mine had them...may have to look into doing just that with mine.  I have plans to build a very large diorama but will need to make or get a plexiglass cover made for it...around 1/8 inch thick x 1 1/2 foot tall x 3 foot long x 2 1/2 foot deep...challenging aspect.

Marc, Thanks for your comments.Please post some photos of what you have. Adding casters is not that difficult. And there are a couple of different ways to go about it. Depending on the bottom of the display case. On my large metal cabinets I used a sheet of 1/2" plywood to cover the bottom and have a place to attach the casters. The only problem is I went with casters that a re a tad too small.  I may go ahead and try to upgrade the casters. At a later date. The new display cases all have 2" wheels. I hope that they handle the weight better.

   Oh and for the record , I usually buy used furniture for my model room The three display cases ( large ones.) Are the only new things I have bought . Every thing else was either given to me or bought second hand. You would be surprised at what you can find in second furniture stores and Charity thrift shops.

     For the diorama. That shouldn't be too hard to do . I would use a plywood bottom and back  wall then do the sides in Plexiglass or whatever. That way you could hinge the top !  

 

                 Pat ,

                       Nice collection you have there !  Your newest display looks good. I had to laugh at the book shelves are for books ! lol

 

Mine are scattered all over the place as well. I had appropriated a few shelves in one of the bookcases in the guest bedroom. However when we moved everything

around after the repairs to the sewer back up last fall I was told bookcases are for books.

 

IMG_3395.jpg

My wife bought a case at a flea market and told me to put them in it. It is in the home office.It'll be better for dust protection anyway.

           Now this one looks good and works well for your cars. A bit tight for the larger trucks.But I like it .

IMG_4959.jpg

IMG_4961.jpg

This is a temporary setup. These are bookcases that ended up empty after the repairs. They eventually will hold trucks & trailers. They currently hold my engine shop dio. I'm planning to install drawer slides to that shelf so it pulls out to make picture taking easier.

IMG_4962.jpg

IMG_4964.jpg

Last spring we replaced our kitchen cabinets and I inherited of this glass doored unit. It is in my wife's sewing room. It holds the fixer uppers and my growing collection of engines.

IMG_4965.jpg

IMG_4966.jpg

 

 

All in all. Very nice displays.

 

                Be Well

 

                Gator

 

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Very cool displays gents....love them all.  Yep that is what i was thinking of for the bottom of my show cases to mount wheels on them.  I plan to use plywood for a base for my large diorama project....not too sure if I can make the large plexiglass cover myself I know they use a special glue that is transparent once dry and it holds very well.  My diorama will be of a 60s Gas station with service bay,etc.  Ill have to see if I can find one of those MRC gas station kits for a starting point.

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IMG 3008

The main display case.  This is a huge china cabinet that is eight foot tall.  Lucky the ceilings on our main floor are nine feet! All of my good builds are in here, and the case is in my office.  Can't get a good photo since the back of the cabinet is a mirror!  I plan on installing a shelf between each of the existing shelves since I'm out of room!

IMG 3010

Upstairs in the model room is my old display case, again a used china cabinet.  This one just has some old 60s annuals in it. Again I plan on adding a shelf between each existing shelf.

IMG 3011

Display case three... my wife's old curio cabinet.  This is the Olde Kustom Kollection, and of course out of room!

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I have a wardrobe in my room with my TV in it and some modeling stuff in the drawers, and the models go up on the top of the wardrobe. I also have a shelf that runs the whole room with all of my diecasts. My plan is to add a second tier of shelves that are a bit larger to accommodate the 1/25th scale models. 

   Joe, Thanks for your response. The second tier shelf sounds like a good idea.. How bout a couple of pic s of what you have now ?

 

   Be Well

    Gator

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IMG 3008

The main display case.  This is a huge china cabinet that is eight foot tall.  Lucky the ceilings on our main floor are nine feet! All of my good builds are in here, and the case is in my office.  Can't get a good photo since the back of the cabinet is a mirror!  I plan on installing a shelf between each of the existing shelves since I'm out of room!

IMG 3010

Upstairs in the model room is my old display case, again a used china cabinet.  This one just has some old 60s annuals in it. Again I plan on adding a shelf between each existing shelf.

IMG 3011

Display case three... my wife's old curio cabinet.  This is the Olde Kustom Kollection, and of course out of room!

             Tom,

                   Thanks for posting those photos. Wow ! What a collection you have. I like the re purposed China hutches and curio cabinet . I also like your idea of adding shelves .

That would give you room for about twice as many models on display.

 

    Be Well

    Gator

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nice displays guysB)

 

Pat, that is indeed a thread spool rack, got it at wal mart and added rubber bands across the pegs to keep the bottles from falling off:D  i like it cause the rows of bottles don't block the lower ones off, i can see all the colors without shuffling thru them all, plus the ends hold glues and putty tubes.

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yet again i wish i had one of these ways to display my builds

Watch garbage night!  The light wood curio cabinet in my post was a curb find.  The big case cost $100 at a used furniture store.  The darkwood smaller case was a freebie from when my sister moved and wanted to leave it behind.

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Watch garbage night!  The light wood curio cabinet in my post was a curb find.  The big case cost $100 at a used furniture store.  The darkwood smaller case was a freebie from when my sister moved and wanted to leave it behind.

     Exactly, never say never. Just look around, you may be surprised by what you can find and where.The last house I lived in in the Sates. I had an office desk with a return that I got for free from a used office furniture place. I did buy another desk, which I did bring over here . The metal credenza that I use for my work bench now I got at a used office furniture stoe in Cebu along with a couple of small metal desks.  Good luck in your hunt!

 

   Be Well

    Gator

Edited by gatorincebu
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When we built our house several years ago I claimed a room at one end of the basement as my model room. This is where I build, store and display my models. I started out by building a 12 x 8 foot display table like a model train board.

 

 

 

This worked well for my truck models but didn't work for my dioramas. It is now filled to overflowing so the models expanded into other parts of the basement. The first display case i bought was a 100 gal aquarium.

This works well but is very heavy. I have it on an industrial stand with wheels under it. There is an extension on the lid to accommodate the over height hydro pole. Everything has to be added from the top down which is a pain when working on the lower tier.

Many years ago a local jewellery store closed and I bought one of their display cases. It is a single level 5’unit. I have a couple dioramas in it

 

I later bought a couple more jewellery store cases. Since my wife passed away a little over a year ago I have migrated these cases for my models to the main floor of the house. They are both mounted on casters and easy to roll about. Occasionally I take some of them to construction shows in the area.

These two cases are the ones that have some of my more treasured models and dioramas.

Some of the rest of my dios are hanging on shelves in the model room

Or appear on this photo diorama which is a backdrop for many of my work in progress models that you may have seen in the past

 

Out in my garage are a pair of freebie cabinets that I use to keep many of my diecasts and a few models

And I’m still short of display space.

Carl

 

Edited by dptydawg
my first post and photobucket had issues. I hope this edited version makes more sense.
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Gator, nice looking cases there, and a real nice topic too.

You guys have nice shelving and viewing possibilities, good stuff.  Great looking models too!

I'm a shipbuilder at heart and my hobby room is not big enough to put ships 30" long and more and 2 feet high under or behind glass.  Recently though, I like the way a Pete 359 fits between two old wooden hulks.

A couple of cars are just sitting in a bookcase, slightly visible in the background.  Let's just say there's room for improvement.

The ships get a bath about every 2 years or so.  The room is full of them, this is just a part of one wall.

 photo -IMG_0955_zpsprehnd8v.jpg

 

Edited by 10thumbs
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Hey guys thanks for posting your displays. Michael , I like your ships . And yes display cases for them would be bulky. but it is doable. Dave, You don't have to apologize for not being back in the hobby that long or not having that many models. As long as you have fun with the hobby. From what I see .You have some good looking models. Be Well Gator

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