The inner base having been completed, the top may now be glued in position using Evostik contact adhesive.
Before fitting the top, remove the inside protective backing. If left on, it can be difficult to get off
as there are no exposed edges.
When it is dry, cut strips of protective backing from the outside edges where the veneer is to go and
roughen the acrylic surface with wet & dry paper.
The edging veneer is prepared by taping it onto a large board and sanding it down.
Then a good grain filler is painted on and allowed to dry.
After another sanding, I spray it several times (sanding down each time) with Clear Lacquer.
This is obtained from (in the UK )Halford�s car accessories.
The beauty of using lacquer rather than varnish is that it dries hard within a few minutes.
The lacquered edging strips are then cut out and glued on the case edges with Evostik contact adhesive.
It makes for a neater job if the corners are mitred. Once the glue has set, the veneer may be given
a final rub down with fine wet & dry paper. A final light spray of lacquer may then be applied to bring up
the gloss.
The base quadrant should then be unscrewed, pulled off the display case and filled and lacquered in the same way as the edging veneer.
After replacing the quadrant, run a scalpel carefully along the veneer edges all around the case and peel off the protective backing sheet on the inside and outside of the case.
The completed display case
The external base is made by cutting a piece of card to the size of the quadrant and sticking it on
a piece of green felt with contact adhesive applied to the card only.
Lay a steel ruler along the outside edge of the card and trim the green felt down to leave
a felt rim, the width of the ruler, all around.
Cut off the corners. Finally, apply contact adhesive to the edges of the card and fold the felt over,
pressing it down on top.
Making the green felt base....
The display case and base are now complete.....
However one or two additional notes may be appropriate.
I am amazed at the number of modelmakers, who, on being told the sequence of display case construction, then proceed to make the inner base first, followed by the display case, that in most cases, turns out to be either too big or too small for the base. If you assemble the case sides first, as described, it is an easy matter to make the base fit perfectly, as you are able to work through the open top. Also, it does not take long to mitre the corners of the veneer on the case edging, but a surprising number of modellers simply put it on with square ends; which do not look half as neat.
Go easy on the Evostik when gluing the sides of the acrylic together, a thick coating of adhesive on the inside of the corner joints is very unsightly.
Leave the protective backing on as long as possible.
It does not take long to make a display case.
I usually veneer and assemble the quadrant on the first day.
The second day, I cut and fit the sides and cut the top.
The third day, I cut and edge the inner base.
The fourth day, I veneer the case and finish it off.
The inner base having been completed, the top may now be glued in position using Evostik contact adhesive.
Before fitting the top, remove the inside protective backing. If left on, it can be difficult to get off
as there are no exposed edges.
When it is dry, cut strips of protective backing from the outside edges where the veneer is to go and
roughen the acrylic surface with wet & dry paper.
[attachment=5]case21.jpg[/attachment]
The edging veneer is prepared by taping it onto a large board and sanding it down.
Then a good grain filler is painted on and allowed to dry.
After another sanding, I spray it several times (sanding down each time) with Clear Lacquer.
This is obtained from (in the UK )Halford�s car accessories.
The beauty of using lacquer rather than varnish is that it dries hard within a few minutes.
The lacquered edging strips are then cut out and glued on the case edges with Evostik contact adhesive.
It makes for a neater job if the corners are mitred. Once the glue has set, the veneer may be given
a final rub down with fine wet & dry paper. A final light spray of lacquer may then be applied to bring up
the gloss.
The base quadrant should then be unscrewed, pulled off the display case and filled and lacquered in the same way as the edging veneer.
After replacing the quadrant, run a scalpel carefully along the veneer edges all around the case and peel off the protective backing sheet on the inside and outside of the case.
[attachment=4]case22.JPG[/attachment]
The completed display case
[attachment=3]case23.JPG[/attachment]
The external base is made by cutting a piece of card to the size of the quadrant and sticking it on
a piece of green felt with contact adhesive applied to the card only.
Lay a steel ruler along the outside edge of the card and trim the green felt down to leave
a felt rim, the width of the ruler, all around.
Cut off the corners. Finally, apply contact adhesive to the edges of the card and fold the felt over,
pressing it down on top.
Making the green felt base....
[attachment=2]case24.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=1]case25.JPG[/attachment]
The display case and base are now complete.....
[attachment=0]case26.jpg[/attachment]
However one or two additional notes may be appropriate.
I am amazed at the number of modelmakers, who, on being told the sequence of display case construction, then proceed to make the inner base first, followed by the display case, that in most cases, turns out to be either too big or too small for the base. If you assemble the case sides first, as described, it is an easy matter to make the base fit perfectly, as you are able to work through the open top. Also, it does not take long to mitre the corners of the veneer on the case edging, but a surprising number of modellers simply put it on with square ends; which do not look half as neat.
Go easy on the Evostik when gluing the sides of the acrylic together, a thick coating of adhesive on the inside of the corner joints is very unsightly.
Leave the protective backing on as long as possible.
It does not take long to make a display case.
I usually veneer and assemble the quadrant on the first day.
The second day, I cut and fit the sides and cut the top.
The third day, I cut and edge the inner base.
The fourth day, I veneer the case and finish it off.