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.
I picked up a set of tiny brass hinges at a local hardware plus a stack of ⅜-inch ceramic disk magnets shaped like washers. Two pair of the magnets are more than enough to keep the door closed - I countersunk one pair into the frame and mounted the other pair on the back of the frame - a pair of dowel centers came in super-handy for this step!
The result? a reasonably nice-looking display case, nothing special, but definitely equal to the task.
One Simple Trick
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| 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.
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| Itsy magnets hold the door closed |
I picked up a set of tiny brass hinges at a local hardware plus a stack of ⅜-inch ceramic disk magnets shaped like washers. Two pair of the magnets are more than enough to keep the door closed - I countersunk one pair into the frame and mounted the other pair on the back of the frame - a pair of dowel centers came in super-handy for this step!
The result? a reasonably nice-looking display case, nothing special, but definitely equal to the task.
Cost to Build
| Frame | $9.00 | On half-price sale at Hobby Lobby |
| Hinges | $3.49 | Packet had two pair, so I have an extra pair |
| Magnets | $4.99 | Came in a pack of ten, so I have six extras |
| ¼" hardwood plywood | $5.28 | I should've checked my stock: already had some |
| 1"x3"x6' poplar | $7.25 | I could've used oak, but it's so hackneyed |
| stain, paint, glue, fasteners | $0.00 | "Shop supplies" |
The Finished Product
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Tips:
• The picture frame must be wood: plastic (probably) won't hold the fasteners and metal would be too hard to work with.• I had to bend the little "points" holding the glass in place double to keep them from showing, but that was easy with a good pair of needle-nose pliers.
• The frames are expensive, but they're also eternally on sale. If not, the craft store Michaels always has a 40% off coupon in the newspaper over the weekend.
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