Jump to content

Display Shelving Ideas


mojorising

Recommended Posts

I have been thinking about display shelving for my models.

 

I have looked at regular shelving solutions from hardware stores but they are all overkill. The shelving is heavy and thick and designed to be strong enough for books/tools/pot plants etc. For displaying model aircraft the lack of weight should allow for thinner maybe more attractive solutions.

 

Ideally I would like transparent shelving. Glass would be nice but it is heavy and expensive and structurally overkill again.

 

The candidate solution I have dreamt up would be panels of rigid transparent acrylic sheet maybe just 3 or 4mm thick which could be attached to the wall (painted plasterboard) maybe using transparent acrylic angle brackets and adhesive patches.

 

The model weight load is so small it hardly warrants metal brackets with screws through to the wall studs.

 

Has anybody got any recommendations for display shelving for models?

 

Do the light-weight adhesive plastic brackets described above exist already?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^Fair enough

 

Has anyone got any interesting suggestions for assembling a set of transparent acrylic shelves other than adhesive angle brackets?

 

I was hoping to go with something more original and elegant than standard heavy metal brackets which need to be fitted to the wall studs.

 

Or any other elegant shelving solution that they think works well for displaying model aircraft?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a run of 8 small thin wood shelves up. I use them for small AFVs and ships.

Each shelf board is 4mm thick

I put two thin wood strips up the wall, screwed in near top and bottom, glued along the middle back

For shelf supports I put long screws into these uprights, cut the heads off and a little bit of clear glue along the top edge sticks to the board.

These have been up for nearly ten years now.

 

Natural wood usually looks good, so you could put the up-rights and use chrome plated screws for the supports, use clear two-pack glue or superglue on them to keep the acrylic from moving

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^Sounds interesting BK.

 

If you have a pic of those sawn of screw shelf supports would be curious to see them.

 

4mm is about the shelf thickness I was aiming for.

 

How wide and deep are those shelves?

 

I also have an alcove in the lounge about 60cm deep by 100cm wide. It may land itself to accommodating some kind of display shelving since I can use the alcove sides (maybe lined with white melamine MDF) as naturally strong shelf side supports.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.containerstore.com/s/shelving/floating-wall-mounted-shelving/single-double-acrylic-wall-shelves/12d?productId=10001027

 

also do google search for "Acrylic wall mount shelving" you should find several options. Also look for similar in retail shelving.

 

HTH
Andy

 

 

Edited by andym
Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^Thanks Andy, google is indeed my friend. I found some nice elegant solutions under slatwall acrylic shoe display for shops. They even have a lip at the front of the shelf (for shoe prices) where you can stick aircraft information. Might be a possibility.

 

^Thanks Patrick. The Billy series does look very reasonable and easy to put together and the glass replacement shelves are not too pricy.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I upgraded my modeling room to IKEAs Billy with glass shelves and glass doors. Brilliant move as only thing better I've seen is a friend's custom built setup in his basement (he's single and retired) that cost 10x as much. 

 

Recommended highly. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I use Ikea Dotolf display cabinets and insert extra shelves so that I have 12 in each case. Overall cost about £100.

 

I am thinking about buying a professional display case but the question is the floor footprint. I'm thinking virtually 600mm shelves from front to back and 1000mm width - I like 1/32nd Aeroplanes and something like an F-15 has a wingspan getting close to the 600mm!! I am also thinking about, maybe an HKM Lancaster and the span is about a metre and I suspect 60cm may not be deep enough but when you think off something that sticks 600mm into a room, that's an awful lot of floorspace!!

 

I am also toying with the Billy bookcase idea with glass doors and glass shelves but that might be just as expensive as something bespoke. Maybe I should just build in 1/72nd !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The issue I have with open shelving is dust, no matter how often the model is cleaned, it always seems to attract more dust and the act of cleaning more often than not, results in broken models!

 

For this reason, my preference would always be for an enclosed cabinet although I do accept that cost may be a limiting factor!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

I would say that a glass shelf , screwed to the wall , is great ( I have one ) but I also have my 2 Models protected from dust that rest on it , as both are inside Glass Display Cases ( Glass Lid lifts off from the Wooden Base )

 

I agree, Dust is a killer , and you are better to have them inside protective display cases - in the long run . It might cost a few quid , but in the long run , they won't get damaged /

I got my glass shelf professionally fitted by a Glass Firm - and it was worth the extra money for the security of decent screw fixings to the wall .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...