Idea wanted for display case / storage solutions

[lawnor 25939xp 0]

Mini storage is always at a premium in my house.  I have way more models than I have foam to store them in.  I am toying with the idea of getting some kind of display unit to house and show off my minis.  I’m not really sure what to google for though and I was wondering if there were some cost effective things not intended for this that can be repurposed, like how nail varnish racks make great paint racks?

I don’t have a lot of money to spend, especially this close to Christmas.  I don’t have anywhere I could stand more furniture either.  In my hobby area I have some of those black plastic shelves they have in the background of BoW all the time.  Ideas for something that could fit in them, or something that could be wall mounted but doesn’t weigh a lot would be great.  I don’t trust the plaster on the wall above my desk and I’ve no desire to re plaster the room.  It would need to be sealed to keep the dust off, and if it can do anything to protect the paint from sunlight that would be great.

Anyone any suggestions or pointers, or should I just be searching for “Display units” and hoping for the best?  With laser cutting being a big part of out hobby has anyone started making clear acrylic boxes/shelves for mounting on walls just for us?  Seems like a cheap effective method, if not necessarily as fancy or flash as real furniture.

Long term storage solutions for 1000’s of minis that are more cost and space effective than KR or Battlefoam would also be appreciated.  I currently have a tower of such cases that’s taller than I am and a toddler that has recently discovered they have handles he can tug on!

[sundancer 42977xp 1]

Well, there is IKEAs DETOLF display. I have seen people mounting extra sheets of glass/acrylic glass as additional shelves and it looks awesome. Just image the picture with 2 – 3 three times the space.

[lawnor 25939xp 0]

It is nice and it would need more shelves.  You say IKEA though, and I hear expensive.  I’ve also got nowhere to stand one really.

[lawnor 25939xp 0]

If anyone knows where we can get extra shelves for a similar but different unit that’d be great.  We do have something like that we already use and its mostly full of 30mm minis so there’s a lot of wasted space.

 

EDIT: A google hunt suggests that what we have is an Ikea Nartorp unit like this one: https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-household-goods/brand-new-ikea-nartorp-tall-glass-display-unit-height-74-width-18-/1270039405

[sundancer 42977xp 2]

It’s 69 Euro in Germany which is a reasonable price for an all glass shelf.

For something more packed and storage wise you could try KVISSLE (also IKEA 19,99 Euro) It’s a metal letter organiser as seen here

Those should fit nicely into any shelving you have and even pro painters like Doctor Faust use it

 

[lawnor 25939xp 2]

Detolf is £55 which is not as terrible as it could be after all.  I still don’t have anywhere for it though.  It’s something to think on for now.

I actually use something a lot like that letter organiser right now.  I have some card drawer units I’m using to hold assembled minis awaiting painting.  It is quite space effective, if shoddy and not as dust and spider tight as I’d like long term.  This metal one would be worse for that with its open front.  it’d be a lot sturdier though allowing stacking.

 

EDIT: There’s also a £35 delivery charge.  I don’t drive and I can’t cycle out of town to collect it and then cycle home with all that glass.

[zeker1966 1633xp 1]

I’ve used two shelving methods. The more expensive of the two is modular and better built.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O1FROO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The other (much cheaper) is also modular but with buying just a few boxes I get a lot of shelving (link to example below). Great for storage of games and boxes. You can increase the shelf space but you’d need to put card, pdf or cardboard down so that the miniatures don’t fall through the mesh.

https://www.amazon.com/SONGMICS-Organizer-Shelving-Bookcase-ULPI111H/dp/B078W6Y3B9/ref=sr_1_27?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1542301270&sr=1-27&keywords=wire+shelving

 

[lawnor 25939xp 0]

Interesting for long term storage.  If I was to head down that route I’d be looking towards the fabled Kallax and using it for board game storage too.  Unfortunatley I definitely don’t have room for this.  I might be able to squeeze in something like the Detolf.  Its one more thing to think about though.

[brushstrokeParticipant 17126xp 3]

I’ve gone the ikea route for a display wall in my hobby room, which I’m really happy with.

** old pic, it’s a lot fuller now 😉 **

[limburger 21707xp 1]

ooh … those are nice ideas.

@lawnor  I’ve got a similar problem. However I’m lucky enough that the Ikea in my area can be reached with public transport.
However that still limits the size and weight of the stuff I can manage to transport.

I’ve been thinking of adding a trailer to my trike so I could transport this sort of thing more easily.

[horati0nosebl0wer 19648xp 1]

I picked up a Detolf unit myself and jumped into a Kickstarter called the DASIK. I’ve since gotten it and it has helped. The campaign is long over but the guy who ran it put a site up that shows he at least wanted to try and push the follow on business further. Its rather a shoddy little site which does need work but it shows some of the photos of usage aside from the KS and has a contact section that you might be able to reach out to him.If anything you can get the dimensions of the interior to the Detolf, get acrylic cut to size and get the corner hardware to attach to the interior supports.

Display and Play UK

@brushstroke I am indeed in envy of the space but realize the limit of what I can build in my current place.

[gobboParticipant 2570xp 0]

@brushstroke – What shelves are those?  That I what i want in my game room!

[lawnor 25939xp 0]

@brushstroke Well that’s it then.  I just need to buy new land (Or dig a basement?), build an extension to my house on that land and set up an epic hobby space like that.  Problem solved 😉

@horati0nosebl0wer I saw the Dasik at the time.  If it fit my unit I’d buy some shelves.  Unfortunately I have the previous design, the Nartorp and it does not have those metal pillars. I’d have to drill new holes in the wooden corners which seems very risky in a cabinet with so much glass.  Its also not mine so I’m not keen on drilling in to it.

@limburger I still wouldn’t want to cycle with sheets of glass on a trailer, especially with the potholes and speed bumps in my area!  I can’t cycle with truly large stuff, but my KR backpack is the best thing I’ve found for cycling with large loads like my weekly shopping.  The split partition down the middle is great, so long as you don’t need anything too big for either side.  other than that I picked up a huge (1m+ wide) reusable carrier bag from Wilkos the other year.  It has a shoulder strap and I can cycle with that far easier than expected for large items, although not Detolf large!  Anything like that I’m arranging delivery or begging a favour from a friend.

 

I took some pictures of my storage and display solutions this morning in case anyone could take inspiration from them, or offer ideas to enhance them.

Plastic draws on my painting desk.  Used to store built models awaiting painting and painted models awaiting foam.  The tin underneath contains some of my X-Wing stuff that didn’t need foam.  The pot of chewing gum contains tokens for Deadzone I think.

Black plastic shelving & cardboard draws.  I have 3 of those shelving units on my desks.  They are cheap and cheerful and do their job well.  The gap between the shelves is perfect for holding KR cases.  Thos card draws were in the house when we moved in so I don’t know where they came from.  They are used to hold blister packs, GW tanks awaiting painting and a whole bunch of built or painted Dreadball models awaiting their time on eBay.  That paint rack is actually a nail varnish rack.  I have a second I’m building this weekend.

The Ikea Nartorp.  Currently out of print it appears.  Presumably a predecessor of the Detolf.  My housemate just came home with it one day after getting it for almost nothing from a shop that was closing down or something.  Its a dumping ground for models that have nowhere else to go, rather than a display unit.  At a push I might be able to move the fridge over and put a Detolf next to the Nartorp but that room is already very crowded as it is.  You can also see our tower of cases there too.  That’s perhaps half of them.  I don’t have a problem.  I don’t!  Shut up!  Stop looking at me like that!

As you can see the supports are a whole different design to the Detolf, so those extra shelves won’t work here, but would be very nice.  I suppose if they are the same shape and size then a drill and a length of dowel would allow me to use them?  Anyone know of a Nartorp compatible extra shelf system or anywhere I can order suitable sheets of acrylic cut to size?

Taking these photos (And looking the ones I didn’t use) has really highlighted how poor the lighting is in my games room.

[sundancer 42977xp 1]

Drilling holes for the little pegs in your Nartorp is a rather easy task. And acrylic glass can be bought rather inexpensive at home depo.

[lawnor 25939xp 0]

Drilling holes may be easy.  I’ts the vibrations and the glass I’m concerned about.  Not sure I can or should remove the side panels.   As for the Home Depot, I should probably mention that I am in the UK.  I can still look at the websites for our equivalents and see what they do.

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