suggestions anyone...

[outlaw035]

good morning all...i ran out of room to display my models in my den... awhile ago a friend gave me a cd...movie cabinet thingy..it was meant to sit on the floor i mounted it on the wall...here is my problem...the shelves are are centered in the cabinet leaving about an inch gap in the rear and 3/4" in the front...i want to make new shelves so i can put 2 models in each cubby...i really dont want to use wood and i want the new shelves to be on the narrow side hoping to find something easy to cut...i know there is something out there im not thinking of so lets hear ur suggestions...thanks...

Edited September 17, 2012 by outlaw035

[outlaw035]

was hoping for something other then Plexiglas

[roadhawg]

Use glass. If you have an Ace Hardware nearby, they'll cut it to any size for free. From the looks of that, you're probably looking at maybe $2-$3 per shelf....won't get much cheaper or easier than that.

[blunc]

Butter...quite tasty and easy to cut, not really good structurally unless you keep it real cold.

Plexi is your best bet, maybe you could have it cut for you where you buy it.

[Harry P.]

was hoping for something other then Plexiglas

If you don't want to use wood, and you don't want to use Plex, then glass looks like your only option. If you have a glass or mirror shop nearby, not only will they cut each shelf to whatever size you want, they'll also round over and polish the edges if you want them to. It gives a real nice, finished look.

[2000-cvpi]

Concrete would work, it's cheap and not plexi glass.

[gtx6970]

^{Use glass. If you have an Ace Hardware nearby, they'll cut it to any size for free. From the looks of that, you're probably looking at maybe $2-$3 per shelf....won't get much cheaper or easier than that.}

^{Thats what I would use. It'll actually brighten up the black cabinet some when light hits it}

[cobraman]

I think glass is your best bet. As others have said you can have it cut to size. It won't scratch like Plexi could . If you mount an under cabinet light at the top the glass will allow the light to funnel down to other levels if shelves not too crowded. If you rule out wood and Plexi I don't think you have many choices other than the glass.

[crazyjim]

Yup. Glass. Lowe's/Home Depot sells window glass that's thin. I think I would find a glass/mirror place and get thicker/stronger glass - not tempered though.

[Guest]

If it were mine, I would get rid of those vertical dividers in the middle (if possible) and have one solid shelf the entire width of the shelf. Like others have said, you can get glass cut very cheaply.

[outlaw035]

thanks evey1 for ur response...i thought of all the suggestions was look'n for something outside the box...

[bad0210]

if you want the same material that is already there. home depot and lowes sells those same shelves in certain lengths and they have the holders that fit the original holes that are already there. only thing is you would have to cut the shelves to fit. i used some for a glass cabinet and they worked out great.

[High octane]

If you're lookin' for something "outside" the box, go to your local furniture store and buy a "curio cabinet" as it will have glass shelves, mirrors, and a light also and it will look good in any part of your home. But be prepared to pay $500 +.

[sjordan2]

Outside the box shelves: metal sheet, or metal mesh such as found on outdoor tables and furniture. Or cut-to-order mirror glass.

[Guest]

You could use what is called melamine. It is a mdf product with basically a type of durable plastic called melamine on it.

[southpier]

without noting your prejudice to any of the materials mentioned, you could use 3/8" or 1/2" Gatorfoam http://gatorfoamboard.com/

it's harder to cut than wood or plexiglass, and may well need an edge treatment, but you did want another suggestion ....

[440 Dakota]

aluminum diamond plate kind of expensive but easy to work with and would lend an industrial/garage look

[jamesG]

floor tiles

[Draggon]

MDF. Multiple density fiberboard. This stuff cuts way easy, can be painted without primer, and ya can do it at home. I've cut a lot of plexi, mostly for windows in cars, and its not fun to cut, and it scratches easily.

[southpier]

true that. i use Lexan if i need a polycarbonate material.

[Fat Brian]

Out of the box you say? If you were shelving diecast I would say magnetic levitation but you would probably go broke buying superconductors. Since that won't work for plastic maybe David Blaine or Chris Angel could whip something up.

[2000-cvpi]

Out of the box you say? If you were shelving diecast I would say magnetic levitation but you would probably go broke buying superconductors. Since that won't work for plastic maybe David Blaine or Chris Angel could whip something up.

Maybe hire some retired umpa loompa's to hold the models up?

[Fat Brian]

Maybe hire some retired umpa loompa's to hold the models up?

Now THAT is outside the box!

[LDO]

Check with Ikea for black shelving. Find the right dimension front to back and cut it to the length you need.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10217570/

[fatkidd]

eliminate the shelves alltogether...

buy a roll of magnetic sheeting,

paint the back of the cabinet to look like an arial view of a parking lot, park, or whatever you decide,

glue a magnet to the bottom of a model,

put said model on the back of the cabinet to look like its in a car show setting...make the cabinet a diorama