When the Ms returned from a memorial service for her late father, she brought a dozen or so collectible models of Standard Oil trucks - not worth much in terms of cash (about $3.50 each on eBay) but full of sentimental value. She also had a little display case for Matchbox cars, but the trucks were too big for its little shelves. Thus came the request,. "Can you make something...?"
Making the body of a case like this was no problem. Oh, sure, there was the usual question about making the joints: mitered, box, dovetail, butt… But, the overall dimensions and the general design were pretty much set in stone, including the desire for a hinged front that had to be mostly clear glass. I don't know about you, but I find making a frame for a glass door to be a major pain in the butt. So I decided to let someone else make it…
Yep, you guessed it, I stopped by my local craft store and bought a simple black wood picture frame. That became my ready-made face, including glass (and glazing points). All that was left was to measure the frame's outside dimensions and design a multiple-shelf display box to fit behind it. I bought six feet of 1 x 3 poplar and a quarter sheet of ¼-inch birch plywood. With a couple hours' work with the table saw and router and I had a case. I cut my shelves and back from the plywood and painted them black, like the picture frame. The poplar I stained with some leftover wood stain I had in the shop.
One Simple Trick
 |
| An ordinary picture frame (from the Michaels website) |
Yep, you guessed it, I stopped by my local craft store and bought a simple black wood picture frame. That became my ready-made face, including glass (and glazing points). All that was left was to measure the frame's outside dimensions and design a multiple-shelf display box to fit behind it. I bought six feet of 1 x 3 poplar and a quarter sheet of ¼-inch birch plywood. With a couple hours' work with the table saw and router and I had a case. I cut my shelves and back from the plywood and painted them black, like the picture frame. The poplar I stained with some leftover wood stain I had in the shop.
