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How To Make your Own Display Case

step 2 : vertical frames
Take four 41 cm and two 10 cm long 5x5 mm balsa strips. 41 cm long ones are the vertical frame elements, with the top end cut at 45 degrees, and the 10 cm ones are the upper frame elements spanning the width of the case, with both ends cut at 45 degrees. Construct two U-shaped frames, and if you feel the need, nail these pieces together with pins (Photos 5,6). It is better to cut the heads of the pins out. Insert this frame to its proper place on the base, at its shorter side but do not glue them (Photo 7). If they fall or it becomes hard to handle them while adding the horizontal frames, just attach them to the bas in a way that you will be able to take them out for the following steps.
step 3 : horizontal frames
Take two square cut 50 cm long 5x5 mm strips and span the length at the corners of the upper part of the vertical frames, and again nail these to the other parts of the frame with nails, heads of which are cut (Photo 6).
step 4 : the rabbets
The 2 mm strips will serve as rabbets and gaskets. Now you have the finished frame on your workbench. You will use the 2 mm strips for the glass to stay in its place and to hide the disturbing look of the silicone glue if you use any. The rabbets at the side panels will be flush with the outer surface of the frame. First take eight 40,5 cm long 2x2 mm strips, one end cut square and the other at 45 degrees, and glue them on the vertical elements of the frame. Remember: they will be flush with the outer edge of the frame. Now take two 50 cm long ones, both ends of which are cut at 45 degrees and glue them under the upper elements spanning the length of the case, again flush with the outer edge of the frame. Do the same using two 9 cm long pieces under the elements spanning the width of the case. So the rabbets of the four vertical sides are complete.

As you possibly realized, the glass will be placed at the inner part of the rabbets at the four sides. You will do the opposite for the top glass. Cut two 50 cm and two 9 cm 2x2 mm strips, ends cut at 45 degrees. Glue them on the top frame, at the inner part of it where the glass will stand, but these will be flush with the BOTTOM part of the main frame, NOT THE TOP. This way, it will be possible to place the top glass at the end, from the top, and later you will be able to remove it. You will not use silicone glue for the top glass. You will install the glass in the next step. You can either glue them with silicone based glazing glue, or if you do not want to use silicone, you can glue additional rabbet parts.Just cut two 50 cm and two 9 cm 2x2 mm strips with ends cut at 45 degrees, form them into a frame, and glue this frame UNDER the rabbet you built for the top glass. You will see that this frame, together with the top rabbets of the side panels will form a cavity into which the glass can be inserted (Photo 10-here the frame is top-bottom).

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About the Author

About Çağın Başaran (caanbash)
FROM: ANKARA, TURKEY / TüRKçE

Born in 1977, made my first model when I was 7. As an architect, model making is a part of my profession. But it also made me stop making plastic models for ten years, but architectural models. In 2006, I decided to return to my hobby. All the old models I had are ruined and gone now, during house c...