Hey


Has anyone before made a homemade display case.on the internet they sell for about $90 which is dear.is there any easy way of making one.



cheers
matt

Depends on what kind of display case. I have used plexiglass in the past to build small boxes to cover my models. It takes some time and patience but is better than spending $90. You can also try to find department stores going out of business and buy there old display cases if you can get lucky enough.

or ya can drive around and see what they toss

were can you get plexiglass from

In the US, we have larger super hardware stores like Lowe's and Home Depot.

Now if you want a case for just one model, you might luck out and find a place that can cut your glass or Plexiglas on 3 sides for you at 45 degree angles on the ends so they fit together like a box, so you can just glue them together like this one place I delivered to, done.

They ordered all their glass to size, for small fish aquariums, and basically all your model cover is a small fish tank turned upside down.

They had plastic braces around on the corners cause theirs had to hold water, which is a lot of weight, but yours, all you need is something to hold it until the clear glue dries.

I take the lazy way out. I get cases for 1/24 scale cars from Hobby Lobby or other similar stores. Fits one MBT or 2 APCS. The only bad thing is you can't have the antennas displayed. But they are stackable.

Paul

Another lazy way out is to purchase a knock down bookcase, some stereo cabinet hinges, and a sheet of plexiglass for the door. You can find the bookcases at IKEA etc, the hinges from Lee Valley, and the plexi from any home reno store.

Here's the link to Lee Valley, they ship worldwide.

http://www.leevalley.com/home.aspx?c=1

its for a display case

In many Commonwealth countries it's also known as "Perspex". You should be able to get it at larger DIY centres. There are a LOT of plans for cabinets of various types on the net at places like:
http://www.woodprojects.com/plans.php?category=1801&start=0
Although, to be honest, if you want an enclosed display cabinet of any reasonable size, $90 is pretty cheap, even if you are going to make it all your self.

Here's a thought. If really inexpensive is what you want...
If there is an Ikea nearby, they have a really inexpensive set of unfinished pine utility shelves (can't remember the name, but it is meant for tools and garden stuff, so it's bottom of the line and the fit & finish aren't terriblty good). Buy a set and get some pretty heavy clear plastic drop sheets, the clearer the better. Attach the clear sheets on the sides and back leaving the front open. Get 2 pieces of perspex cut to 1/2 the width and the full height of the shelf unit plus some hinges. These are your doors. Drill holes and attach the hinges, drill a larger hole for the finger pull to save on door knobs.

This is absolutely the cheapest design I can think of that allows a somewhat restricted view on three sides, and clear viewing and access from the front. If you have more money you are willing to allocate, then put clear perspex on the sides as well as the front. Leave the back plastic sheet as you aren't usually looking in from the back, anyway. You can paint and finish the shelves any way you want and even trim them up to fit better. If you are a bit reluctant to place your models on the open slat shelves, a piece of hardboard/Masonite will provide a good surface for smaller pieces.

HTH

Paul

Yep, I built this one from 4mm perspex (purchased at a local DIY store)...



I cut the perspex sides and top using a razor saw (slow, but accurate) and then bevelled all but the bottom edges using a file. I smoothed and straightened the edges using three grades of wet&dry glued to a sheet of 6mm MDF and finished the edges with a superfine polishing grit to make them transparent again. The lid was glued together using clear epoxy.

The base is 6mm MDF with a surface of filler (mixed from a powder) and the edging is some half inch picture frame pine (turned through 90 degrees to put the 'glass channel' upwards).

The kit is Tamiya's 35th scale Quad Tractor, Limber and Gun set.

Total cost around UK£8, I think.

HTH

Kevin S

Have you read this article:

How To Make your Own Display Case

According to the text of the article this display case cost the author Total cost : 27.95 ytl, 19,85 usd, 15.09 euros... ------ which is about NZ$30 -- which is considerably less than you wanted to spend on a case. So do yourself a favor and calculate how much it will cost you build this case, and then use what you save here on a kit to put in it.

By the way, this article was found right here on ArmoramA.com. It really is a well written Step-By-Step - the dimensions can easily be modified for your personal requirements.

Proves once again that this site is a lot more than just a modeling chat forum.

~ Kitty