display your work

Got something to say about the hobby of model making?
longstreet2763
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 13
Joined: August 24th, 2014, 6:20 am

display your work

Post by longstreet2763 »

I have just recently returned to model making and my dilemma is how to best display my finished models. In my youth I would hang them from the roof but that seems a little kid like as an adult so I bought a display cabinet but I can see that it could be full in a short time. So I would really like to hear how members display their finished models, especially those hobbyist that have a large number of finished kits.
User avatar
iggie
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 23360
Joined: July 31st, 2013, 11:04 am
Location: North Somercotes, Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: display your work

Post by iggie »

I'm using Ikea display cabinets; glass on four sides, with four shelves. I have added three extra shelves to each cabinet using home-made shelf supports glued onto the metal frame supplied with the cabinet. Even so, I'm getting tight for space and a US Navy carrier deck marshal would be proud of the aircraft parking on every shelf! Another cabinet is needed, and planning discussions have been commenced with the authorities.... :grin:

I am also going to be a Granddad in January, so that should open up the use of (someone else's!) some ceiling space for overflow storage :-D
Best wishes

Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
User avatar
PaulBradley
Staring out the window
Posts: 21115
Joined: April 6th, 2011, 3:08 pm
Location: Flagstaff, AZ

Re: display your work

Post by PaulBradley »

I have a custom-built 6 foot tall, wood-frame, 4-shelf glass cabinet for my best stuff - that sits in our entryway - and a host of open shelving in my den for the rest. There's about 100 models in all, the majority in 1/72.
Paul

За демократію і незалежний Україну

"For Democracy and a Free Ukraine"
User avatar
JohnRatzenberger
Why is he so confused ?
Posts: 15708
Joined: April 5th, 2011, 3:42 pm
Location: Living on a sandbar - Nags Head, NC.

Re: display your work

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

There's nothing wrong with hanging a model from the ceiling, unless maybe it's a ship or tank :grin:

In fact there may be no better place for them, to wit:

Image

and yes, there is a 1/24 Hurricane up there also ....


We all use whatever space we can afford - both cost & how much room SWMBO will let us have. Could be cabinets, open shelves, the ceiling ....

When that space gets full, and cannot be expanded, then you have to make some decisions on what stays and what goes, perhaps to a display elsewhere such as a local museum, veteran's club, school, library, etc .... or simply into the bin or the attic because simple fact is that 99.9% of us are not going to create a completed model collection of any enduring significance to anyone but ourselves.

Remember it's a hobby, try to have fun building and try to keep SWMBO happy.
John Ratzenberger :???:
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
User avatar
beany
Fat git, glasses, goatie - Avoid!
Posts: 4306
Joined: April 6th, 2011, 11:05 am
Location: Chellaston, Derby

Re: display your work

Post by beany »

Hang them on the wall - you have to have a very understanding wife of course...

Airfix 1/72 Douglas Invader
Image

Image

Airfix 1/72 F-51D Mustang in a frame ready to hang.
Image

I've also got some on shelves and an Ikea glass display cabinet but I feel the models are too remote and isolated in there, but it is better than nothing - and tanks and motorbikes don't lend themselves to being frames and hung on the wall as much as airplanes!!

Cheers
Al.

P.S. I should have said- Welcome to the forum by the way. We look forward to seeing some of your work soon. ;-)
2024 Acquired: 9 Built: 1
User avatar
tonp
Onto the Clever Stuff, Now.
Posts: 122
Joined: May 9th, 2013, 1:31 pm

Re: display your work

Post by tonp »

I like the idea of the planes, in front of a scene/picture, it looks great
User avatar
Dazzled
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 9592
Joined: October 1st, 2011, 11:08 pm
Location: Mid Glamorgan, South Wales
Contact:

Re: display your work

Post by Dazzled »

jRatz wrote:There's nothing wrong with hanging a model from the ceiling, unless maybe it's a ship or tank :grin:

In fact there may be no better place for them, to wit:

Image

and yes, there is a 1/24 Hurricane up there also ....


We all use whatever space we can afford - both cost & how much room SWMBO will let us have. Could be cabinets, open shelves, the ceiling ....

When that space gets full, and cannot be expanded, then you have to make some decisions on what stays and what goes, perhaps to a display elsewhere such as a local museum, veteran's club, school, library, etc .... or simply into the bin or the attic because simple fact is that 99.9% of us are not going to create a completed model collection of any enduring significance to anyone but ourselves.

Remember it's a hobby, try to have fun building and try to keep SWMBO happy.

Love the display John. 8-)

I don't think I could get away with that unfortunately.
COLD WAR S.I.G. LEADER

Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
User avatar
Softscience
Staring out the window
Posts: 7378
Joined: April 5th, 2011, 4:34 pm
Location: Maryland, near Washington DC

Re: display your work

Post by Softscience »

I use ikea ivar shelves. They are 6 ft high by about 3.5 wide by 1 foot deep. I have seven shelves per unit. They are modular so when you run out of space you just add more units. Best of all they're relatively cheap.

I can fit about 10-12 single engined 1:72 aircraft to a shelf, or about 8 larger jets or 1/35 tanks. In 1/48 you can get about 4 modern jets or 7-8 ww ii fighters.

For really big models you can get some of the ivar corner units. A 1/48 b-17 fits easily on one of those shelves
Barry
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 2610
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 1:23 am
Location: Eastvale, California, USA

Re: display your work

Post by Barry »

I have glass display cases sourced, sadly, from model shops that went out of business. With 460-470 models, am also running out of space.
2012 A:12 B:13 C:0
User avatar
jssel
Still crazy after all these years
Posts: 11975
Joined: April 5th, 2011, 3:42 pm

Re: display your work

Post by jssel »

Like Barry I have a couple show cases from stores that went out if business. But 48 scale stuff eats up space quickly.
Besting 60 years of mediocre building of average kits in the stand off scale
ShaunW
NOT the sheep
Posts: 26118
Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire

Re: display your work

Post by ShaunW »

I have Ikea cabinets with glass fronted doors, which were reasonably priced and quite easy to put together (I managed it, enough said :ha: ) but the cabinets have to be securely fastened to the walls to avoid them tipping forward. The cabs have five solid shelves inside that are adjustable for height and additional glass shelves can also be purchased if required. The shelves are wide enough for 1/48th single engined types such as Spits, Me-109's etc and the cabs will accommodate a fair few models, particularly fighter types in the smaller scales or military vehicles parked side by side.
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.

Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
User avatar
jamesaw
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 1117
Joined: October 16th, 2011, 1:30 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: display your work

Post by jamesaw »

Ditto on the IKEA, but have only been allocated one shelf by the planning department. Overflow is now being parked on the downstairs TV room coffee table which has attracted a comment from said Department Head that I'm fast assembling an entire airforce which is threatening to encroach on the space normally reserved for crochet wool. Another trip to IKEA is in the offing whereupon I fully expect to be allocated a greater proportion of space.
User avatar
Softscience
Staring out the window
Posts: 7378
Joined: April 5th, 2011, 4:34 pm
Location: Maryland, near Washington DC

Re: display your work

Post by Softscience »

Somebody needs to learn some negotiating skills
User avatar
Ratch
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 9889
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 9:16 am
Location: Northampton

Re: display your work

Post by Ratch »

I really have too many :oops: Many are packed away in boxes, but lots are collecting dust (or rather developing topsoil :oops: ).
The ones suspended are the worst for accumulating dust :cry:
Image
cleaning them is troublesome too :roll:

If you like your aircraft in flight, the Five-Fighter Stands are good for smaller a/c
Image

some end up on shelves
Image

some are on diorama bases
Image

Clear plastic boxes keep small models clean
Image

Like Al's off-the-wall displays, picture frames and boxes are good
Image

I do have one cabinet
Image
made by my brother-in-law ;-)
All models are equal. Some models are more equal than others.
Airfix Tribute Forum
longstreet2763
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 13
Joined: August 24th, 2014, 6:20 am

Re: display your work

Post by longstreet2763 »

Very very impressive Ratch. I hope I have a similar problem one day :)
Post Reply

Return to “Small Talk”