Display cases

[Simpo Two]

I like making models but hate building display cases to put them in, so I'm looking for ready-made ones.

Trumpeter seem to be the only game in town, and this one is almost right but a bit tight for length:
http://www.creativemodels.co.uk/trumpeter_display_...

Does anyone else make such things, or make custom ones affordably? I can make the bases quite easily, it's the tops that are difficult.

[generationx]

There's quite a bit out there, but can you tell us what size/scale/subject you want to display?

For example for 1/24 cars Hiroboy have a few

https://www.hiroboy.com/search?q=display+case

and 1/43 is pretty easy, such as from Grand Prix Models

https://www.grandprixmodels.com/search.aspx?select...

<<edit>> I realise you may be looking for more furniture-like solutions? <<edit>>

[Simpo Two]

Thanks - it's this: https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/bill...

It's 1/35 but that doesn't mean much with boats as they're many different sizes! Cases for cars are going to be too small/wrong proportion I think.

The case I linked to is OK for height and depth but tight on length.

[dr_gn]

Bought a few custom made cases for my paper ships from here:

https://www.acrylicdisplaycases.co.uk/custom-case-...





I've bought a few cases over the years, but these are the best quality for the price so far. I use the Trumpeter ones for 1:72 aircraft, but they're a bit crap. Decent quality ones aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for. With my paper ships, I look at it from a time invested vs. potential damage point of view.

[Simpo Two]

dr_gn said:

Bought a few custom made cases for my paper ships from here:

https://www.acrylicdisplaycases.co.uk/custom-case-...





I've bought a few cases over the years, but these are the best quality for the price so far. I use the Trumpeter ones for 1:72 aircraft, but they're a bit crap. Decent quality ones aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for. With my paper ships, I look at it from a time invested vs. potential damage point of view.

Thanks; I found Widdowsons but it's coming to £63.70 even without a base.

[dr_gn]

Simpo Two said:

dr_gn said:

Bought a few custom made cases for my paper ships from here:

https://www.acrylicdisplaycases.co.uk/custom-case-...





I've bought a few cases over the years, but these are the best quality for the price so far. I use the Trumpeter ones for 1:72 aircraft, but they're a bit crap. Decent quality ones aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for. With my paper ships, I look at it from a time invested vs. potential damage point of view.

Thanks; I found Widdowsons but it's coming to £63.70 even without a base.

Less than a tank of petrol?

Depends on your attitude to your work I guess. Some people have no interest at all in their models once complete.

The case from them for the paper Bismarck I'm building will be over £250. It depends on how much you value whatever your displaying, and how susceptible it is to dust/damage. Most of my models have small details, and would get broken very easily, so I want to protect them.

[Yertis]

dr_gn said:

Less than a tank of petrol?

I'm glad I'm not the only person who uses "a tank of petrol" as useful yardstick for how expensive any given 'thing' is.

Fortunately Quattros have a huge fuel tank.

[dr_gn]

Yertis said:

dr_gn said:

Less than a tank of petrol?

I'm glad I'm not the only person who uses "a tank of petrol" as useful yardstick for how expensive any given 'thing' is.

Fortunately Quattros have a huge fuel tank.

It's about £70 for me, and I literally burn it. OK it gets you around, but I just pay for it without thinking. I'll then agonise for weeks over whether to get some 'expensive for what it appears to be' thing that's sometimes a fraction of the cost...

The older I get, the more I just buy the decent things that I want - up to a sensible limit obviously!

[Simpo Two]

dr_gn said:

Less than a tank of petrol?

It's an interesting comparison - I see people fretting over a lens that costs £20 more than another one and I liken it to a pub lunch.

Also, I have no choice with petrol, but I do with cases...

But it's a question of value. It's a small plastic box, and I find £63.70 for a small plastic box too expensive. There comes a point where I'll make it myself, with wooden framing, Luckily not far from me is one of those -cut-to-size plastic places, which I found to my surprise only yesterday when I was looking for a mirror base for another model case. '3 days turnround' they said on the phone. So I went barrelling in with a smile and walked out with it cut to size, no delivery, no £40 minimum order

[dr_gn]

Simpo Two said:

dr_gn said:

Less than a tank of petrol?

It's an interesting comparison - I see people fretting over a lens that costs £20 more than another one and I liken it to a pub lunch.

Also, I have no choice with petrol, but I do with cases...

But it's a question of value. It's a small plastic box, and I find £63.70 for a small plastic box too expensive. There comes a point where I'll make it myself, with wooden framing, Luckily not far from me is one of those -cut-to-size plastic places, which I found to my surprise only yesterday when I was looking for a mirror base for another model case. '3 days turnround' they said on the phone. So I went barrelling in with a smile and walked out with it cut to size, no delivery, no £40 minimum order

I've tried making cases in the past - for me it was a pain in the arse,took ages and they never looked that great, but each to their own.

[Elderly]

The one time spend on a good custom made acrylic case is not my problem, as once I've spent it, I forget about the spend
and then get long term pleasure from looking at the displayed models.

Was money a big factor in your choice of cases for your camera equipment?

But my real problem when ordering a custom case is deciding on its dimensions.
I don't want the view of the model disturbed by the case's edges from certain viewing angles.

Because of the above reason - for ME wooden framing is an absolute no-no (and it would make my house
look like a Victorian museum); I don't even like bases under my acrylic cases.

[dr_gn]

Elderly said:

The one time spend on a good custom made acrylic case is not my problem, as once I've spent it, I forget about the spend
and then get long term pleasure from looking at the displayed models.

Was money a big factor in your choice of cases for your camera equipment?

But my real problem when ordering a custom case is deciding on its dimensions.
I don't want the view of the model disturbed by the case's edges from certain viewing angles.

Because of the above reason - for ME wooden framing is an absolute no-no (and it would make my house
look like a Victorian museum); I don't even like bases under my acrylic cases.

I don't like beaded edges either. The cases I've got have heat-bent, radiussed edges along the length, and the sides are glued on. The radiussed edges do distort things depending on how you view the case, and the glued edges are obviously imperfect due to the adhesive.

On the case for the Emden ship, the masts are quite tall, so most of the height of the case (expensive) is fresh air. It's all a compromise. You can over-think it for months. In the end I just went with something that was the best compromise, and screw the cost , it's not thousands of pounds. After buying the first one, I wanted subsequent ones to match, so I just buy them and forget the cost.

[Elderly]

dr_gn said:

You can over-think it for months.