landman Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 This may not sound like a modelling topic but you'll see. In 1985, my wife built three bookcases for our den. About 10 years later we made two wider ,deeper ones for the other wall. In 1999, we moved and we lined them all up against one wall in the new house. In 2005 we moved here. Last year we decided to restore them and make them fit two opposite walls of the guest bedroom. That meant narrowing, sectioning to get them to the same depth and the required widths to fit that particular room. With all this cutting and everything we ended up with not enough long shelves and it left a big hole. Well, that is where the models are going. I've made a set of shallow shelves and I'll be able to stack maybe 5 of them in that opening. Then I'll look at making some glass doors to keep the dust out.
Brizio Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 Good idea to reuse part of it for display your models. The doors will help to stop the dust, but the dust will go in anyway... I don't know what kind of door you are making, but probably some kind of rubber seal around it will help.
cobraman Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 They look nice. I use used gun cabinets I find. Just the right depth and they have glass doors. And yes, dust still gets in.
High octane Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 I have tall curio cabinets for my built up models and also my die-cast cars. They're nice enough that it's okay with the better half to have one in the family room and the other in the living room. And yes the dust still gets in.
Tom Geiger Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 I have two old china cabinets. Dust does get in, but no where near the dust models attract sitting on open shelves. Well worth the trouble to glass them in.
Cato Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Pat, your wife rocks as a carpenter. No dust - ever: You could build these since you and she have the skills. One long one to cover several models or many for individuals. Put your shelving in and arrange these as you wish. PM me if you'd like some tips on case building.
landman Posted January 10, 2015 Author Posted January 10, 2015 Pat, your wife rocks as a carpenter. No dust - ever: You could build these since you and she have the skills. One long one to cover several models or many for individuals. Put your shelving in and arrange these as you wish. PM me if you'd like some tips on case building. Cato, she has stopped doing any long ago, sticks to drywall, plastering, painting, stains & varnish. I do the woodwork now. I may approach you for the cases. That is one sharp looking GT40.
mikemodeler Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Not as attractive but a simple solution would be to pick up individual plastic cases from Michael's or Hobby Lobby. The display cases for 1/24 scale models usually run about $7.99 and with the 40% off coupon they become real reasonable. Keeps the dust off the models and takes 2 minutes to put the model in the case. Nice idea to add your models into the bookcase, should look real nice when you have it done!
DeeCee Posted January 11, 2015 Posted January 11, 2015 (edited) I buy old fish tanks, and make some shelves inside them, 6-10 model out of the dust for ever. And i recycled an old magazine rack a friend wanted to get rid of the other day, managed to house 200 hot wheels cars in it. With a plastic sheet velcro'd down the front, they are out of the dust too. Edited January 11, 2015 by DeeCee
Cato Posted January 11, 2015 Posted January 11, 2015 DeeCee, would you mind showing the fish tank solution? Sounds like a great idea.
DeeCee Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 DeeCee, would you mind showing the fish tank solution? Sounds like a great idea. Being a single guy, i have a lot better things to do than dust, so this is the perfect solution, and you can pick them up very cheep at garage sales, they usually leak or have a crack somewhere. Probably should have dusted around the tanks before the pics were taken, but i am renovating at the moment, so it will be back tomorrow.
Tom Geiger Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 Very cool use of old fish tanks. Interesting that you were able to get several of that interesting multi sided one! In the same spirit of "cheap to free" I have a couple of old china cabinets. The above one is huge and I paid $100 for it in a second hand furniture store. It wasn't sold because it is way too big for the average house. Fortunate that I have nine foot ceilings. I will be adding a shelf between each existing shelf soon. This one is in my home office downstairs. My original case, again a china cabinet, this one obtained for free over 25 years ago. Again, I will add some shelves. This one is upstairs in the model room. The small case on the right is a curio cabinet. I was driving home one afternoon and saw one of these out for trash at the curb. It was a dark wood one that was almost identical to this one. My wife grabbed it from me, trading me this one since the darker wood looked better in the foyer where she has it. This one is home to my Olde Kustom Kollection and is in the model room. There's lots of options in the cheap to free category. You just need to hit garage sales, let friends and relatives know you are looking for one, or hit Craigs List.
Cato Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 Thanks DeeCee. Brilliant solution to the dust and storage problems.
landman Posted January 12, 2015 Author Posted January 12, 2015 Tom, we have this one but she tells me it is hands off for models. We have a few spots where I could put a curio but there are chairs and other things we never use there. So that is why I snuck'em in the bookcase.
cobraman Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 Couple of my cabinets. One is a china cabinet I found on Craigslist. Guy wanted 100.00 I offered him 80.00 and he took it. The other is one of the gun cabinets I converted to a shelf unit. Gun cabinets work out perfect IMO.
Danno Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 I'm in the midst of a renovation of my office/model display. I pulled the IKEA shelving units out and removed the previous halogen lighting. Heat was the devil; the halogens generated more heat than I expected when I first set it up. I equipped it all with new LED lighting strips. At least 50% better light, 80% less electrical draw, 100% (so it seems) less heat generation. Also installed IKEA glass doors. Dust was the devil. These hinged doors are fitted for these shelving units and install quite easily. They are designed very effectively for 3-plane adjustment to seat nicely. They open and close smoothly. To further defend against dust, I've installed foam weatherstripping between the doors and the shelving units as a seal. Now comes the hard part: Cleaning the models and restocking the shelves. Just getting started.
charlie8575 Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Love those fish tanks. Great idea. Charlie Larkin
rmvw guy Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) I'm with Danno on the IKEA shelfs. That's what I have. Good idea on the LED lights too. I don't have a picture here or I would post it, Found a picture of my grandson whizzing by them. I have four units set up in my garage with about 150 models so far. Edited January 14, 2015 by rmvw guy
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