ilzho Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Hello: As I am going through my collection, I really want to display the good ones that I have. I have looked at display cases online and have come to the conclusion that I could probably refurbish a bookcase that I already have to display my goodies. I presently have 2 bookcases and thought of getting rid of the wood shelving and replace it with thick tempered glass and installing a few lights at the top, maybe a white or mirrored background and glass doors?? Has anyone undertaken a project like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Yes! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80298822/?icid=us|ilp|20161219|20l Lights such as these at IKEA work very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 My collection used to be all displayed on bookcases. All I did was string lights above each shelf. The one thing I would have done different is put some sort of glass doors on it. Instead I dusted every so often and that was a pain in the butt. I have since built my own display cases, which are tons nicer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 Yeah, I am going back and forth of just leaving the wood shelves in and putting lights above each shelf or get tempered glass shelves and also glass doors. Not sure of the cost of the tempered glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgehiker Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 If using wood shelves, try adding some 3 dimension stepped look to flat shelves. Use a bit of styrofoam with satin like cloth draped over it to prop up the fossils to give then more surface exposure. The cloth also gives the specimen a bit of grip so they stay in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 I saw what you are talking about and it's a good idea. I like the idea of glass shelves so I can have some lights to shine all the through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Sounds like a fun project really. I would deffinetly go with JP's idea of those glass doors too. All my display cabinets have glass doors too. Good luck Oh, I bought some tempered glass shelves,,,, about $50 a shelf it cost me. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 Cool. $50 a shelf? How big? My shelves in that bookcase are about 12"x24". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Glass is not cheap. But it is pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgehiker Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Whenever I use glass for a project I get it for free or next to nothing (thrift stores, alleys, etc). I start off with the glass first..then build the frame I can build a wooden frame for a couple of dollars and relatively quickly. No need to buy glass, get it cut to size, etc. There is a lot of tempered glass available...coffee table tops, stereo cabinet shelves and doors, old bathroom units, etc. A walk through any thrift store usually generates all types of possibilities. I do he same with my horizontal fossil and shell displays. I use the available sized plexiglass. Easier to cut and shape the wood than the plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 On 1/2/2017 at 6:54 AM, RJB said: Sounds like a fun project really. I would deffinetly go with JP's idea of those glass doors too. All my display cabinets have glass doors too. Good luck Oh, I bought some tempered glass shelves,,,, about $50 a shelf it cost me. RB As an alternative to spending $50 per shelf for tempered glass, you might consider buying a ready-made tempered glass display case from Ikea. Others here on the forum have recommended them, so I got two of them for Christmas at $69 each. The LED lights added about another $20 per case. I'm still working on organizing the displays. Right now I've got some of my fossils plus some other stuff in them. I might add two more lights to improve lighting for the bottom shelves. And my wife has already said I probably need to get two more cases to set up on the other side of our TV. Make sure you bolt them to the walls (in California at least!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerogrower Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Looks fantastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 So those are 2 cases pushed together? Love it. Road trip to IKEA this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 51 minutes ago, ilzho said: So those are 2 cases pushed together? Love it. Road trip to IKEA this weekend. They are set side-by-side, and I screwed a flat metal bracket on top to hold them together. Each case uses one bracket screwed into a wall stud, so they act as one piece for stability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 Thanks. What kind of cabinet light do you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 3 hours ago, ilzho said: Thanks. What kind of cabinet light do you recommend? Here is the one IKEA recommends to go with it: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70288343/ You also have to buy a transformer but one transformer will power up to 9 lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 Ok. I'll have to think about the lighting. I might get a few leds from Lowe's or Home Depot. I want to make sure I have the same lighting in the whole cabinet. I would probably need more lighting for the lower shelfs. I'll have to figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 Has anyone tried the led strip lighting in their display cases? it seems easier to affix to the bottom of the shelves, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 The glass shelves I bought were 14 by 3 feet. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 8 minutes ago, RJB said: The glass shelves I bought were 14 by 3 feet. RB OK, now I understand why they were $50 each. Must have been interesting to get them home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArrestedBeauty Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I am seeing you cabinet doors in the preexisting shelves by cutting out the center a bit smaller than what you want, bevel the edge, making a square edged bevel on inside to hold the glass in the back. If you find inexpensive glass, you can easily cut it down and bevel it with minimal tool expense given what is often used for prepping fossils. A top hinged front looks stunning. My ex had shelves similar to what I'm describing, in his den. They look quite austere, and would give one a sense of the high regard that one has for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 Ok, I bought 2 from IKEA. Here's one. I need to figure out lighting... They are nice, but it's hard to not junk it up. I know I will need more for my minerals.... Thanks for the help with the case and iding my fossils. I'll post my for identification when I get some more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagebrush Steve Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 22 hours ago, ilzho said: Ok, I bought 2 from IKEA. Here's one. I need to figure out lighting... They are nice, but it's hard to not junk it up. I know I will need more for my minerals.... Thanks for the help with the case and iding my fossils. I'll post my for identification when I get some more time. Very nice, ilzho! Looks like you have a lot of nice things to display and room for more. Let us know if you find a better lighting solution than the one Ikea recommended to me that I mentioned above. It only does a good job of illuminating the top half of the case. Also, I see you have the same situation I have. There is a lot of space between the shelves, and when you are displaying small fossils that leaves a lot of empty space between the shelves. I've tried to address that by adding a "3-dimensional" aspect to the displays by creating elevated stands for some of them. I use acrylic remnants I buy from the local TAP Plastics store and cut them to shape on a scroll saw (this was a good excuse to go buy a cheap scroll saw from the local Harbor Freight store!). You can also buy generic pre-made stands from Amazon. Here is an example of what I have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Yes, along with every surface in my house. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilzho Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Very nice, I like that. I am trying to find a cost effective way for the acrylic stands as they are/can be expensive. Yes the space between the shelves I will want to address either with clear stands or something else... As far as the lighting. I was looking into strip led lighting to affix to the top of each shelf, but too expensive. I am thinking of getting a floor lamp that has 4/5 moveable lights (up and down the pole) and place it in the middle/back of my 2 cases so it then can light the back of the cases at the right shelf levels. Haven't tried it, but thinking about different ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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