My New Card Display Case!!
- Thread starter Birdman
- Start date
Thanks champ! Yeah, I think a slimline would look hot, especially if I can make one as thin as possible so it only sits off the wall by 80-90mm.
The plastic is not UV resistant, I did look into that through the build process. But I figure if the sides are blacked out - light can't get in through there. And to be honest if you are sitting it in direct sunlight, or where sunlight will hit it on the front for a long period of time, then you're not a true collector! I don't know of any real collector who would let their cards get exposed like that, with or without a display unit.
But with that said, I am pretty certain that the Ultra Pro and Pro Mold cases are UV resistant. So the cards are already protected there anyway.
Hey Ersk. This particular unit does not hang, simply sits on a table or any flat surface. If I make more that need to hang, I use whats called a split batten system, which is basically 2 long wedge shaped pieces of craftwood that interlock each other then one is sat on the other. One would be attached to a wall with 2 screws, and the other would be attached to the unit. Its a very common technique of mounting heavy signage in the sign making industry, this link illustrates how it works...
Split batten methods for fitting signs and signage
The advantage of it is that it allows alot of weight to be distributed, not just hanging off one or two hooks. Its very effective and fool proof, as long as it is installed correctly.
I could do a mirrored backing, it would be more expensive though, as I would have to buy in some mirror backed clear acrylic, which as you can imagine is not cheap.
So in other words if money was not an issue it can be done!
Thanks mate - I thought as much. I did a bit of research and sort of figured out in my head labour time and costs etc, and that ballpark area seemed a fair price to me. I mean, considering the cards inside these units will be worth 4 or 5 times that anyway, I think its a good invstment to have them in a nice looking and safe display unit.
Unfortunately dove tail grooves are impossible - remember this is acrylic we are talking about, not timber!
This unit is more about simple functionality rather than adjustability. It is designed and built to be simple, sturdy and safe, whilst looking the part as well.
I see where you are going with your idea, and it is a good one, but unfortunately when working with acrylic, it would be more trouble than its worth, and probably not work very well at the end of the day when plastics are involved.
Cheers! Seemed like a simple solution in my head to the cards not falling off the shelves!
Well by the looks of it I will be making more!
I will sit down today or tomorrow and work out different sizes/models and work out pricing for each.
Then I will make a new thread and gauge interest on what people want.
I will have to look into the shipping thing though, and figure out what options are cheaper but also safer.
Yeah ditto to all the previous threads it does look awesome. 
The perfect design is always a series of iterations and ongoing refinement, I was wondering if you would perhaps allow for slightly differrent card configurations, not necessarily adjustable but manufactured to order.
I would be curious to see how it would come up if the clear acrylic shelves were black for example in an attempt to make them less visible.
Anyway again it looks awesome and that is a great skill you have,
Cheers
Ross
The perfect design is always a series of iterations and ongoing refinement, I was wondering if you would perhaps allow for slightly differrent card configurations, not necessarily adjustable but manufactured to order.
I would be curious to see how it would come up if the clear acrylic shelves were black for example in an attempt to make them less visible.
Anyway again it looks awesome and that is a great skill you have,
Cheers
Ross
Yeah ditto to all the previous threads it does look awesome.
The perfect design is always a series of iterations and ongoing refinement, I was wondering if you would perhaps allow for slightly differrent card configurations, not necessarily adjustable but manufactured to order.
I would be curious to see how it would come up if the clear acrylic shelves were black for example in an attempt to make them less visible.
Anyway again it looks awesome and that is a great skill you have,
Cheers
Ross
Yes Ross, I will definately be allowing for different card configurations. I think that will be the success of the unit rather than having set sizes. Of course I will have set sizes that I can make, and get them put together quicker and easier, but if I start making these I will also be able to make custom sizes to suit the needs of particular members.
I actually think black shelves would probably look just as good - if not better. But I think for this one the beauty of the clear acrylic is that it ties in well with the one touch cases.
With that said, I could also run a strip of black vinyl along the front edge of the clear acrylic shelves to give another added dimension to it again, the possibilities are endless really.
Will definately be doing different sizes once I sort out some sort of pricing and time frames.
WoobieZarz
OzCardTrader
Great design, and fantastic finished product.
Couple of suggestions..
Some people tend to use stands to hold their cards up, a shallower design, without the recessed shelves might make the design more versitile to allow the collector to house their cards in different ways (have Portrait with Landscape, etc).
30 Cards is not a LOT but that's probably because of the size of the design. A bigger unit would def. be of interest to most I would assume.
You mentioned the unit being safe, how strong is the front face?
Are they dust free? What good is a front face if dust can settle inside the unit. (just a question, not a criticism).
Also, with postage, is it possible to post as a flat-pack design, it would weigh the same, but it would be a lot less in dimensions, and would reduce the costs.
Great work, I hope it takes off for you.
Couple of suggestions..
Some people tend to use stands to hold their cards up, a shallower design, without the recessed shelves might make the design more versitile to allow the collector to house their cards in different ways (have Portrait with Landscape, etc).
30 Cards is not a LOT but that's probably because of the size of the design. A bigger unit would def. be of interest to most I would assume.
You mentioned the unit being safe, how strong is the front face?
Are they dust free? What good is a front face if dust can settle inside the unit. (just a question, not a criticism).
Also, with postage, is it possible to post as a flat-pack design, it would weigh the same, but it would be a lot less in dimensions, and would reduce the costs.
Great work, I hope it takes off for you.
Thanks for the suggestions Taz...
I get where you are coming from with your first point, I suppose if particular members wanted I could make a unit that only had bottom shelves, not top ones, so that the card can either sit portrait or landscape. I'm not sure how well the cards would sit there, as the top shelf makes them really stable and stops them either falling forwards or backwards. Food for thought though I spose.
I can easily make a bigger unit, but bigger unfortunately means heavier. I have no issues making them big in the future, but the cost will obviously reflect this and I couldn't be held responsible if it fell off a wall because it was too heavy!
Front face is stronger than glass. Well, when I say that, I mean if you walked up to a glass sheet the same size and tapped it with a hammer or solid object, it would shatter instantly, or at the very least crack. If you did the same thing to acrylic nothing will happen, maybe a tiny scratch where you hit it. The thing with acrylic is it is at least 1/2 the weight of glass that is the same size and thickness, plus it won't shatter like glass does. Sure if it fell off a wall it would crack into a few pieces but it wouldn't shatter. So to answer the question - its better than glass in many ways.
I'm sure a little dust would get inside after a while, as its not totally air tight and sealed. But 99% of the dust will land on the outside of it, just as if the cards were in a cardboard box.
Flat pack design is impossible. Everything is glued and nothing pulls apart other than the face from the back.
Yeah but if thats the case I can reduce the price of the units slightly to make it more affordable for members to buy.
I guess the whole idea is for this unit to be simple yet effective. If I go designing and building it with brackets for removable shelves, its going to be uglier, heavier, and it will take more material to make and twice or three times as long to construct (which would then reflect in the price).
So for ease of build, neat looks, less weight and cheaper price I think it best to follow as the old saying goes......the KISS principle........Keep It Simple Stupid!
:v:The thing you need to remember Taz, is that even if it is flat packed, it is still the same length and width as the unit, just not as deep. And it will weight more with removable shelves, and alot of transport companies base their prices on weight, not size. To be honest if it was flat packed the depth of the box it would be transported in would only be 50-60mm shallower than if it were sent as is now.
