I'm Building A Display Cabinet

[jpc]

Hello folks-

I just signed up for a woodworking class. I want to build me a nice display cabinet for the ole fossil collection. My little mind says a bottom section with drawers and a top section with diplay shelves and sliding glass doors. Any of you guys/gals ever build anything like this? We are expected to show up to class next week with actual plans. I checked out a few web sites for plans and found some inspiration. I will be heading out to the library to see what they have, But I am more than willing to accept any input from anyone out there who has any ideas.

On the odd chance that someone actually has plans for something like this, I would love to beg borrow or steal them...

Thanks

jpc

[Terry Dactyll]

jpc.... I have always bought collector drawers off ebay for my carb stuff..... but great idea.... good luck with the venture and let us see you collection finally housed in it....

[erose]

JPC,

I've designed and built a few cabinets over the years. I'm an exhibit designer and this is a bit of what I do for a living. A few questions first: Will it be a built-in cabinet or free-standing? How tall will it be when finished? Can you get it in the door if you build it offsite?

The classic design would be a base about 16-18 inches deep with shallow drawers as you mentioned and a cabinet above maybe 12 inches deep for display. Take a look at different kinds of glass door hardware. You need to match hardware to the size/weight of the doors. It's always a good idea to know your hardware before the final detailing. By example drawer slides come in set sizes and you must have room within the cabinet for them.

I designed and built cabinets that wrapped around most of our living room back in NYC. They were built in. I did not make them go go the ceiling because that made the room look smaller. I did not make the glass cases go above eye-level since it did not make sense to be looking up at the bottoms of fossils. The top shelves were for books. I based the lower cabinet depth on the drawer slides I was using. Also remember you are filling these drawers with rocks so some typical drawer details like 1/4" bottoms may not be adequate. I used glass shelves in the display case sections and included lighting. And you have to match the shelf thickness for both wood or glass to the amount of weight you need to hold and the span.

If you plan on displaying minerals as well, there are conservation issues related to certain woods and the acidic off-gassing that occurs. This could be an issue with Pyritized fossils as well.

By example Oak gives off an acidic(acetic?) gas for years and it has been known to eat up mineral specimens, artifacts and old paper. In history museums we now use specially formulated wood products and finishes that are inert.

[bear-dog]

Just a thought,build a display cabinet by itself.Build the drawers seperate as another smaller case.It will be more work but it gives maximum room for your fossils also it really looks cool side by side if you have the room.

[redbrick]

See if you can design an under cabinet fluorescent light fixture into each of the shelves. My son has his specimens displayed in a china hutch with no light, and it's very difficult to see any kind of detail on them.

[Stonebreaker]

woodmagazine.com ,finewoodworking.com and woodworking-magazine.com all are good outlets for plans.Many are free as well.

[Ordovician_Odyssey]

sounds like a good project ive made a little shelf for my fossils really nothing but good luck with your cabinet

[jpc]

Thanks for the good ideas, folks.

erose-Lots of good thoughts inthere, and I am proud to say that I had thought of many of them already. Free-standing, andmy basement ceiling is all of 6'10" so shorter than that. Your dimension suggestions are about what I had in mind. I nedd to go see what is availablein pre-made drawers and see if they look solid enough. Thanks for the thoughts about glass door hardware. And yes, lighting will be included. I work in a museum too, so I know about oak. My teacher suggested oak last night and I told no. He's not a fan of pine, says you have to use furnture grade pine out here (Wyoming) and it costs nearly as much as hardwoods.

Last night in my mentalmeanderings I stumnbled across the idea of making it in thre epieces... base, drawers section, and upper diplay case. And make it take-apart-able, so that I can fit it into the basment without having to knock out any walls. That would be a bummer.

Terry D-

I will show it off on here after Xmas, assuming I get it done and filled by the end of the semester.

Thanks again

jpc

[Stonebreaker]

rockler.com has tons of hardware. I use alot of their hinges and draw slides. They go up 150 lb. I believe.

[erose]

Thanks for the good ideas, folks.

erose-Lots of good thoughts inthere, and I am proud to say that I had thought of many of them already. Free-standing, andmy basement ceiling is all of 6'10" so shorter than that. Your dimension suggestions are about what I had in mind. I nedd to go see what is availablein pre-made drawers and see if they look solid enough. Thanks for the thoughts about glass door hardware. And yes, lighting will be included. I work in a museum too, so I know about oak. My teacher suggested oak last night and I told no. He's not a fan of pine, says you have to use furnture grade pine out here (Wyoming) and it costs nearly as much as hardwoods.

Last night in my mentalmeanderings I stumnbled across the idea of making it in thre epieces... base, drawers section, and upper diplay case. And make it take-apart-able, so that I can fit it into the basment without having to knock out any walls. That would be a bummer.

Terry D-

I will show it off on here after Xmas, assuming I get it done and filled by the end of the semester.

Thanks again

jpc

Drawers actually become economical to make when you do a handful. When you set up to do slots or rabbits and when you set up to cut specific lengths doing a half dozen or more makes it worthwhile. Building in sections for assembly later is a great idea. When designing exhibits I often think in terms of assembled parts. Most of my cabinets had painted finishes and I would use Poplar for face frames and blocking and use Birch Plywood for the carcass. But you can do something similar with maple and HD WD veneered plywood. And LED lighting is so much better now. You can get quite a variety of lamps meant to fit in tiny spaces.

Have fun, but watch them fingers....

[jason longboard]

I wish you the best of luck with your builds, Ive built several reptile enclosures in a rustic type way, but its very rewarding in the end. Take your time planning and dont skip steps. You will be very happy. Cant wait to see it in the end. Jason

[flyguy784]

Never built one but, I got a beauty from IKEA. Glass display up top, drawers below. I also purchased an old blueprint drawer set, from the 60's. 8 drawers, 3 inches deep, 36 inches wide and 24 inches front to back. i love that thing.

[jpc]

Never built one but, I got a beauty from IKEA. Glass display up top, drawers below. I also purchased an old blueprint drawer set, from the 60's. 8 drawers, 3 inches deep, 36 inches wide and 24 inches front to back. i love that thing.

Nice... blueprint and map drawers are great for fossils.

[flyguy784]

Nice... blueprint and map drawers are great for fossils.

Got it at a used office furniture store,you know, file cabinets, chairs etc.