Display cabinet

Do any of you have display cabinets that you are happy with?

I considered building one myself, but the last thing I need is another "project", I'm leaning hard towards buying one.

The only ones I've found are insanely expensive ($5-10K USD - commercial purpose like a jeweler or something) or are really just a bit fancy/girly for the mancave. Like this one (below), it is beautiful, but not cheap and not exactly what I was looking for. Adjustable shelves and adding more shelves is mandatory. Most cabinets I've seen have a huge space between shelves, for taller objects than my collection which is mostly 1/48 aircraft and 1/35 armor with a few cars thrown in.

Five to ten thousand bucks is a bit much. At those prices, it'd better be Norm Abram building it for you.

I'm pretty certain you'll find something less expensive than that, but you might have to look at second-hand sources. For example, if you're on Facebook, the Marketplace can be a good place to look. I've been looking in Facebook, with a filter for sales within 25 miles of my home, for example.

Look at auction listings, online or in-person. Even keep an eye open as you travel locally. I bought an old china cabinet, for example, from a dentist whose office is about 10 miles from my home. I happened to pass his office on my cycling route, and he had it out in front with a "For Sale" sign on it. I stopped and talked to him, and made a deal. After I got home, I went back to pay him and pick up the cabinet. Now, I have a pickup truck, which made that easier. I stripped several layers of paint off it and found that it's maple. It has two shelves, but I can add more. Right now, I'm working on getting some pieces of mirror from a local window & glass company; I'll glue those to the back of the cabinet.

As far as other sources go, Ikea has some nice display cabinets, that aren't too expensive. I want to get a couple of their Fabrikor cabinets, metal frame and glass shelving. They have a 30s-40s retro look that I like. The stock unit comes with 2 shelves, but again, you can add more.

Local flea markets and farmer's markets are another place to look. Antique shops can be, too. But you should be prepared to spend some time looking, till you find the style you want for a more reasonable price.

Hope that helps!

I was lucky to find a local antique store going out of business and got a case similar to the one pictured but a little larger for $250. This was about 7 years ago but they are still around and pop up now and then on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist. Check your area for shops that are closing and getting rid of their stock. Another likely place is Goodwill. I have seen display cases very cheap there too.

Howard Miller is a pretty high-end brand. You might want to search for China Cabinets. Most will have some drawers at the bottom but there are some full-length cabinets out there.

plastickjunkie said:

I was lucky to find a local antique store going out of business and got a case similar to the one pictured but a little larger for $250. This was about 7 years ago but they are still around and pop up now and then on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist. Check your area for shops that are closing and getting rid of their stock. Another likely place is Goodwill. I have seen display cases very cheap there too.

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Excellent suggestions, PJ!

So, I found this on 'offer-up" a few years ago. $60 US Dollars. Local to me, I drove over and got it. I prefer wall mounted display cases.

And I have run out of room. Especially since now I am leaning towards 1/16th scale armor. But I still build 1/35th military miniatures and the occasional 1/24 cars and trucks.

It's time for a dusting....!!!


Gotta have enclosed curios for the kits at a dusty location!

I'm considering building smallish 3'H x 5'W x 6" or 12" inches deep wall mounted curios. With glass doors.

Beautiful cabinet. I have an ikea bookcase to show my completed models.

Thanks and have a nice day

The marketplace on Facebook was a great tip.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1709959879577164

A little on the fancy side but for $180 it is a good buy, there's a LOT of others for sale too.

One of our well known members gave me the idea of hanging planes with fishing line from the wall only using a single thumbtack. I've been doing that recently. It saves a great deal of space and you can hang a lot of models very efficiently. It allows you to pull off the model. Show it to somebody if you like and then rehang. It. Saves a tremendous amount of money and space.
Docsudy

I have two right now, both countertop height, a 3' wide one I got from a store going out of business at a mall and a 6' long one from the widow of one of my modeling friends. I paid $50 for each of them. The small one had the doors in the back which is awkward but the new one has them in the front and is already pretty full.

Hit up garage sales to look for something or businesses going out of business that may have glassed cabinetry they'll sell. I just put them on a shelf and dust once in a while. My wife just actually had me purchase a shelf to put over my desk in our shared office so they aren't all hidden up in my room. Just got a new big desk with extra space, so I filled the space with a couple of builds. Today I will likely mount the shelf I just got. I'm blessed with a wife that enjoys my hobby.

In my garden cabin I use Ikea Billy Bookcases with glass doors and plexiglass shelving cut from large sheets. This was 2016 I now have four in all of these cabnits.

PatW said:

In my garden cabin I use Ikea Billy Bookcases with glass doors and plexiglass shelving cut from large sheets. This was 2016 I now have four in all of these cabnits.

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So your garden cabin is also your workspace I take it.

Edbert said:

The marketplace on Facebook was a great tip.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1709959879577164

A little on the fancy side but for $180 it is a good buy, there's a LOT of others for sale too.

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That's a nice cabinet, and I agree with you, that's a good buy. If I had to, right now, I would not regret buying that one. But I also agree with you, there are a lot of others for sale, too. I think you'll find something that fits what you're looking for.

Yes Jim62 here it is.. My wife and I bought a kit about 12 years ago. Prior to that a mate of our youngest son built a deck as the ground slopes downwards right to left on the Friday. The kit came on Saturday afternoon on a truck, we took the parts onto the back garden grass area. At about 7pm my wife and I started to built it and were up to roof height about 9.30pm as it got dark. We put the roof on the next day, but the weather changed and we covered it up with two large tarpaulins, a few day later, the rain having stopped I climbed up and nailed on black tar shingles. We put in the top hinged vertically long double glazed windows and double doors, hey presto. Another friend dropped round and laid an armoured electricity cable in the ground into a consumer unit on the inside back wall and ceiling lights. We painted the inside walls with white emulsion paint, bought a table and chairs from a DIY store, all done. The manufacturers wanted £800 for two men to build it in two days! We did it for free! The logs lock together on the corners, the walls being about 3 inches thick. I also added IKEA shelving and made a spray booth. This all started when I used to build kits on the dining room table and we had to clear it for Christmas dinner with our two sons and about 6 relatives!

philp said:

I have two right now, both countertop height, a 3' wide one I got from a store going out of business at a mall and a 6' long one from the widow of one of my modeling friends. I paid $50 for each of them...

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Nice find, Phil!

This is the Ikea "Fabrikor" cabinet I've been watching:

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fabrikoer-glass-door-cabinet-black-blue-00363171/

It also comes in an off-white, though I don't think Ikea has it listed right now. I like the retro look, like something from the 30s or 40s, and it's small enough for a couple of spaces in my house. It comes with 2 shelves but apparently you can buy additional shelves at Ikea. For a steel cabinet, the price isn't too bad.

I do prefer the look of stained wood, though, and I'm always watching for wooden display cabinets, too.

Well, at that price, Edbert, you could not only build it, but also get some decent wood butcher tools to go along with it. I built my own years ago from red oak because everything on the market was outrageous in price and most of the cabinets in antique stores go long before you ever see them. However, if you're not inclined to make saw dust, you'll end up making something rinky-dink and wish you'd spent the money anyway. Actually, it's not difficult, and there's plenty of tutorials online to help you make one. Is it a priority? If so, it'll get done.

This cabinet was built in 2000 with my Shopsmith and a few minor tools, so it can be done.



P.S. Don't mind the dust on the shelves, HA! I won't let my wife dust in there, no wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Edbert said:

Do any of you have display cabinets that you are happy with?

I considered building one myself, but the last thing I need is another "project", I'm leaning hard towards buying one.

The only ones I've found are insanely expensive ($5-10K USD - commercial purpose like a jeweler or something) or are really just a bit fancy/girly for the mancave. Like this one (below), it is beautiful, but not cheap and not exactly what I was looking for. Adjustable shelves and adding more shelves is mandatory. Most cabinets I've seen have a huge space between shelves, for taller objects than my collection which is mostly 1/48 aircraft and 1/35 armor with a few cars thrown in.

View attachment 131442

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Looks familiar…


Display Cabinet - Models by Steve J, on Flickr

I needed a deep cabinet for the large scale ships. I found that by varying the heights of the stands I could really pack them in close together,

Yeah, I dabble in woodworking, too, and it can be like a larger scale model build. If there is Advanced Modeler Syndrome in scale modeling, there is Advanced Workworker Syndrome, too. The display cabinet I mentioned in an earlier post has been sitting in progress in my garage for at least 10 years. Maybe as long as my USS Pennsylvania build (you can see that in an old thread elsewhere in the forum).