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Large Display Cabinet Recommendations?


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I'm looking to upgrade the display area in my man cave.  Currently I have 4 Ikea "Detolf" cabinets (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/detolf-glass-door-cabinet-black-brown-10119206/).  They're not bad, but very inefficient for aircraft.  They're basically a 15" square, so each shelf really only holds one modern 1/48 aircraft (obviously, there are some tricks, like using acrylic risers to "stack" them).  And dream on if you want to store something long like a ship, or a B-2A.

 

I'm looking to get one large cabinet that would allow me to display longer ships, bigger models, or at least place aircraft more efficiently wing-to-wing to minimize dead space.  I've been looking at something along the lines of this:

 

https://www.displays2go.com/P-34010/All-Glass-LED-Showcase-2-Lockable-Sliding-Doors?st=Class&sid=1104

 

Does anyone have any recommendations?  I know it is frequently recommended to look for a store closing selling fixtures.  However, most of these fixtures I see don't look the best, either worn heavily or industrial looking.  And usually they're not very tall.  I'd like to use my vertical space  more efficiently.  I also know Grandpa's Cabinets is frequently recommended, but from what I see they're selection is aimed at individual models instead of a large cabinet.

 

I'd really love it if some furniture place sold this as a kit they could deliver to my driveway and I'd take it from there (the COVID scare is still real in our household/area), but I know that's not very likely. 

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25 minutes ago, Bob Beary said:

Have you considered Ikea? I think there has been another thread here some time ago and they were recommended.

 

Bob


Yes, those are the ones I have already. Great for the price, but limited an inefficient because of their shape. 

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I bought a Waddell Heritage series floor display case with the lighted cornice in 2015. I bought additional brackets from the local Woodcrafters and full-width glass shelves from the local glass place.

https://waddellfurniture.com/display-case-wood-heritage

I found the best price at Wayfair, https://www.wayfair.com/home/pdx/waddell-heritage-series-floor-display-case-with-lighted-cornice-wa1551.html

 

This was soon after installation; I'll be adding more shelves sometime this year.

Display-Cabinet1.jpg

 

 

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37 minutes ago, dnl42 said:

 

Display-Cabinet1.jpg

 

 

That is a classy setup with the references and aviation art on the wall.  Does the canine security come with the cabinet or does it do double-duty protecting the stash, too?

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53 minutes ago, dnl42 said:

I bought a Waddell Heritage series floor display case with the lighted cornice in 2015. I bought additional brackets from the local Woodcrafters and full-width glass shelves from the local glass place.

https://waddellfurniture.com/display-case-wood-heritage

I found the best price at Wayfair, https://www.wayfair.com/home/pdx/waddell-heritage-series-floor-display-case-with-lighted-cornice-wa1551.html

 

This was soon after installation; I'll be adding more shelves sometime this year.

Display-Cabinet1.jpg

 

 


That has some potential. I’ll have to look in to them more. Wish there was less “bulk to the pedestal and cap, but definitely some potential. 

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This is something I struggled with, too.  Eventually through persistence I ended up scoring a very nice 72" wide glass counter-type display case on Craigslist for $250.  The counter style is what worked best for my space, but I would often see the vertical styles as well.  It's even lighted, and allegedly belonged to another modeler who had it in his home so it was in really good shape.  It did take a lot of watching. Lots of tabs were opened over months of time and 90% of them were closed with a definite "nope", but eventually it worked out. 

 

Now I just have to fill in all that beautiful space with finished models.  I might start storing projects in there to make it feel like I'm getting my money's worth...

 

-Ryan

Edited by BN7149
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28 minutes ago, John B said:

That is a classy setup with the references and aviation art on the wall.  Does the canine security come with the cabinet or does it do double-duty protecting the stash, too?

Thanks!

 

That's our girl Cora--I'm her human so she keeps an eye on me. She and her boyfriend, Omar, are from German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County.

 

21 minutes ago, ESzczesniak said:

That has some potential. I’ll have to look in to them more. Wish there was less “bulk to the pedestal and cap, but definitely some potential. 

The shelves are all filled now, but I can add a shelf between each of the existing shelves. There is now one taller piece on the bottom glass shelf, so I'll only be able to add a half-shelf on the left.

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Years ago, I built my own large display case. I built a wood frame using 3/4" x 4" boards. Inside I used shelving brackets and clips like these to hold the shelves:

61gBIQCr4tL._AC_SL1000_.jpg

 

I used 2' x 4 ' pieces of tempered 1/4" thick glass that I had cut at the local glass place. Edges were beveled for safety and to make it look nice. The outside was covered with pieces of plexiglass. In front I had two pieces of plexiglass on hinges as doors. Inside the top frame was a 2'x4' piece of 1/8" thick plywood. The bottom had a 1/2" thick piece.  It wasn't the fanciest looking shelves, but it was pretty inexpensive. I had four glass shelves and could have added one or two more. The 2' x 4' shelves allowed for a lot of room for models. I don't think I could build something like that anymore, but at the time (I was about 40) I got it together with little difficulty.

Edited by Mstor
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I bought two all-glass Infinity Wall Display Cases from Store Supply Warehouse (www.storesupply.com).  They are 72 x 48 x 17, with 16-inch shelves, so they can hold models that are a little larger (I have a Monogram 1/48 B-25J sitting on one of the shelves).  They list for $548.00, so would be a bit cheaper than the one you listed.  The SKU is 65274, and it comes unassembled.  Note:  The 1/4-inch glass panels are pretty heavy - definitely a two-person job to put together!

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I was looking for something too.  If you have facebook, you can use the marketplace feature to find things.  I like the Ikea ones though.  Check Overstock.com, they have some decent stuff too.

Speaking of GSD's here is mine, Penelope

ktc7dnil.jpg

 

 

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I built my own.  Now I have a new hobby, wood working.  But I build one almost 8’ wide, tall enough to just roll through a standard doorway and about 24” deep.  My size was based off two huge mirrors we pulled off two of our bathrooms during remodels.  Thankfully both were the same size.   For shelves, I used the 18” metal shelf brackets from Lowes, but I built a jig where I weld up a frame for standard thickness plate glass to sit on supported.  

 

When I started this project, I planned on roughly $1200 to include the siding glass.  What the glass shop didn’t tell me there was a $150 charge to deliver and install and they offered tempered glass for an additional $100.   All in all, I put about $2400 to get it going, and each shelf I add costs about $125 after buying brackets, steel to weld together and the plate glass.  

 

FWIW, Glass prices almost doubled during this project.  Thankfully I had a lot of glass they were discarding at work that I saved.  

I’ll post some pics if I can dig some up.  

 

Here’s the raw “chassis” before staining and installing all the mirrors and glass and shelf brackets.  

kaYqxL.jpg

Edited by Scott Smith
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4 minutes ago, Scott Smith said:

FWIW, Glass prices almost doubled during this project.  Thankfully I had a lot of glass they were discarding at work that I saved.  

 

I don't remember how much I spent on my glass shelves, but it was no where near what you spent, of course this was over 20 years ago.

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I’ve got two ikea Billy bookcases. I put the glass doors on it and use the glass shelves. I can fit 4 single engine  1/48 WW 2 fighters per shelf.

Cold War fighters I can do 2 per shelf and have room for something smaller (think F-4, F-102, F-8 size).

Works well for my 1/1000 start trek builds and various other sci-fi kits. Also fits long and narrow well so would be good for ships, so it should fit my WW2 1/350 shop kits. Something as big as a 1/48 Medium bomber will not fit with the doors on. Also fits my 1/8 and 1/6 figures. 
 

I do want to find another case to supplement it so I can put some 1/48 WW2 medium bombers and larger fighters, it won’t fit my 1/48 YF-23. But for the bulk of what I build it works great.
 

Here’s a pic from when I recently moved it from one room to another and was setting up everything again. I can’t get the pic to rotate 😝
 

726E9106-B489-418E-A8B7-70AD90E9BB2C.jpeg.235459afad16badeb66944596c3e264a.jpeg

Edited by Charlie D.
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51 minutes ago, Mstor said:

 

I don't remember how much I spent on my glass shelves, but it was no where near what you spent, of course this was over 20 years ago.

 

When I started a 22” X 42” plate glass price I was quoted at $65.  When I built it, it jumped to $80.  Last time I went in to buy two more, they were up to $100 ea, but they gave me the $80 price when I flinched at the price since I was a repeat customer.  

 

Even edge polishing is outrageous.  I get free polishing when I buy the glass, but when I took my own shelves in the same size, or some small ones I made for my die cast car cabinet that are about 14” X 6” I was quoted $25 per edge, so $100 for each piece of glass.  

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20 hours ago, arg said:

I bought two all-glass Infinity Wall Display Cases from Store Supply Warehouse (www.storesupply.com).  They are 72 x 48 x 17, with 16-inch shelves, so they can hold models that are a little larger (I have a Monogram 1/48 B-25J sitting on one of the shelves).  They list for $548.00, so would be a bit cheaper than the one you listed.  The SKU is 65274, and it comes unassembled.  Note:  The 1/4-inch glass panels are pretty heavy - definitely a two-person job to put together!

 

Those look pretty promising! I'm looking in to how they ship to see if the delivery can be considered "safe" by the wife's rules during COVID (we're being a bit OCD, but doesn't hurt).

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9 hours ago, Scott Smith said:

 

When I started a 22” X 42” plate glass price I was quoted at $65.  When I built it, it jumped to $80.  Last time I went in to buy two more, they were up to $100 ea, but they gave me the $80 price when I flinched at the price since I was a repeat customer.  

 

Even edge polishing is outrageous.  I get free polishing when I buy the glass, but when I took my own shelves in the same size, or some small ones I made for my die cast car cabinet that are about 14” X 6” I was quoted $25 per edge, so $100 for each piece of glass.  

 

Ouch!  I wish I could remember what I payed, but it was just too long ago. I just remember it being fairly reasonable and I wasn't making tons of money. I made enough to support the family and live fairly comfortably. Plus, my hobby of course. I think I probably spent between $200 and $300. That's for everything; glass, wood, hardware and plexiglass. It weren't nothing fancy. I believe I painted the wood with some white enamel I had laying around.

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