Learning Center What is a mineral?The most common minerals on earth Information for Educators Mindat Articles The Elements The Rock H. Currier Digital Library Geologic Time

Minerals by Properties Minerals by Chemistry Advanced Locality Search Random Mineral Random Locality Search by minID Localities Near Me Search Articles Search Glossary More Search Options

The Mindat Manual Add a New Photo Rate Photos Locality Edit Report Coordinate Completion Report Add Glossary Item

Mining Companies Statistics Users Mineral Museums Clubs & Organizations Mineral Shows & Events The Mindat Directory Device Settings The Mineral Quiz

Photo Search Photo Galleries Search by Color New Photos Today New Photos Yesterday Members' Photo Galleries Past Photo of the Day Gallery Photography

Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

╳Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

Groups

Recent Images in Discussions

GeneralBuilt-in Display Cases and Lighting

7th Sep 2016 23:28 UTCDenise Bicknell

I am going to be building a built-in specimen display. I want it to be enclosed to help with dust and to keep small toddler grandchild fingers from delicate specimens. If you were building a built-in would you use slider doors or hinged doors? I do not want the frame to interfere with my viewing either. I am thinking glass shelving. Lighting is also a topic of interest. LED strips or something else. This display will not be near windows and direct light but will be opposite of north facing windows at a distance.

All input us appreciated.

8th Sep 2016 01:27 UTCD. Peck

Hi Denise,

Long time . . .! A few years ago, I built cases into my rock room. The lower 36" were drawers to hold specimens not on display. Above those I had glass faced cases, set back to give me about a 10 inch counter in front. The cases had glass shelves and glass sliding doors, so no viewing was lost to frames. I used white painted pegboard for the backs, and pegboard hardware to hold the shelves. I made label holders that fit the pegboard, also. I never got around to putting in lights, but I would have used LED strips for cost, longevity, and pretty much elimination of shadows.

Best,

8th Sep 2016 01:47 UTCDenise Bicknell

Hi Don! It has been a long time. So, do you like the sliding doors?

8th Sep 2016 03:16 UTCSteven Kuitems Expert

You might want to consider a hinged door with some sort of gasket to really keep dust out, my sliding glass door cabinets are rather an ecclectic lot of old and new but some dust does get inside with time and my hinged door case is really the only one that does not accumulate dust on the specimens.

Steve

8th Sep 2016 03:39 UTCBob Harman

I have a 3 shelf triangular display case. The 2 wood back sides are flush with the corner of the room. There is a glass front, making up the third side of the triangle and this faces into the room. There is a single hinged glass door which opens the whole glass front so I can get to any of the 3 shelves. There is LED lighting, but a type used early in their development. If I were to upgrade the lighting or start over, I would use strip LED lighting in an unobtrusive spot on each shelf and include dimmer switches so the light can be reduced for night time ambiance.

All this is subjective so what ever works for you and the size of your space and budget is all important. CHEERS.....BOB

8th Sep 2016 04:48 UTCJuan Ángel Tort Figueroa

Very interesting!

Could put some photos please!

8th Sep 2016 12:32 UTCJoshua Chambers

Hi Denise

My grandad built me a cabinet a few years ago. Glass shelves, glass sliding doors and a pine frame. In my experience, the only issues are that the glass sliding doors are very heavy to slide and the shelves are not moveable as they were routered into the frame. With regards to lights, make sure that they can be accessed because mine are inaccessible as the cabinet is fixed to the wall and extremely heavy and now I have only one set of strip lights that work, the rest don't; so I can't use them. If i was to design it again, I would make the shelves moveable (to make room for new specimens when needed), put the sliding doors on runners with wheels (as opposed to a plastic groove holding the doors in) and have the transformers for the lights on the side, so that if they break, they can be accessed and fixed. Dimensions: 1530mm (H) x 1000mm (W) x 140mm (D)

Hope this helps

Josh

8th Sep 2016 16:27 UTCD. Peck

I do like the sliding glass doors. I used aluminum tracks, purchased at the hardware store. Ball-bearing runners on the bottom of the door would be even better. My largest case has three doors, not two. The track is meant for two doors, but with three, I put two doors in the rear slideway, and one in the front. They overlap about 2 inches. I never had a problem with dust, and my woodshop is right around the corner.

8th Sep 2016 17:53 UTCDenise Bicknell

Thanks for the suggestions Don, Steve, Bob, and Joshua. Also thanks for the photos, they help this visual learner/person a bunch.

I am seriously considering doing wood shelves like I previously had with risers. The labels go below each piece above the piece on the lower riser. I'd use one dark paint color for the display and use a square of white cards stock beneath and behind dark specimens. The shelves would have lights on their undersides to illuminate each section. Most of my pieces are on the small side being thumbnail and miniatures. I do have larger pieces too. I think the riser systwm helps a person's eye focus on a section at a time. I DO need good illumination though if I do this.

The room has a good sized long wall that will be devoted to this built-in. I like the idea of enclosed drawers and shelves for the lower portion! Thanks Don. Good place to keep micromounts, scope when not in use, mounting and labeling supplies. Joshua, the access to lighting equipment is an important thing to remember. Thank you.

More discussion please.

I am still considering glass shelves too...! Need to make a plan and stick with it.

9th Sep 2016 02:43 UTCJim Robison

One of the disadvantages of wood shelves is the thickness of the wood needed to provide rigid support. If there are more than just a few shelves, a lot of vertical space can be lost to the shelves themselves.

With glass shelves it is important to get the glass thick enough to support the load, and not flex. There is not much worse in displaying a collection than having a shelf break and drop fragments, and all the lovely rocks on it, onto the shelf below and on its contents. Adjustable heights are quite helpful, and the glass can be supported on small steel supports placed in drilled holes at vertical intervals. A good cabinet supply store will have the supplies you need, and glass can be obtained from a glass shop custom cut for size, and with the edges polished and rounded. The latter is very important. Less likely to later break and much safer to handle and use. With a little care, the support holes can all be placed at the same height, very critical to allow level and even support. You can support long shelves on six supports instead of four..

9th Sep 2016 02:47 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Welcome back, Denise! :)-D

I'm not at my house currently, but over this weekend I will post some photos of what I have which are wood cabinets with sliding glass doors and wood shelves. My only downside currently is I need better lighting so I am pondering LEDs.

Or, you could just visit the house sometime and see them for yourself! :-D

9th Sep 2016 04:54 UTCDenise Bicknell

Thank you Jim and Paul.

I look forward to your photos, Paul. I'd love to see your and Nat's collection in person some day.

9th Sep 2016 18:13 UTCD. Peck

Denise, to add a couple of points: another advantage of glass shelves is that the light passes through; use at least 1/4 inch thick glass in both the shelves and doors (I didn't and it was a mistake).

9th Sep 2016 22:48 UTCMatt Courville

Hi Denise, I recently went through this thought process about how to display my minerals. 95%+ of what I have is self-collected so I was concerned about going too fancy at first. I looked at many used curio type cabinets and then decided that the least amount of wood trim, the better. I bought this glass display case at Ikea (not sure if you have one nearby?) They have a few types for good prices. I made some labels-up at work, bought some tack + display stands, and now it feel like it looks even better than I had hoped for. Here's my set-up - post what you end-up with in the end for us to see :)-D

Matt

10th Sep 2016 02:00 UTCNiels Brouwer

I've gone virtually the same route as Matt with a number of Ikea display cases, as I wanted as little of the cabinet to be in view as possible. Unfortunately they no longer sell this model, but luckily there are still plenty of second hand ones for sale - here in the Netherlands at least.

[img]http://nielsbrouwer.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Panorama1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://nielsbrouwer.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Vitrine-1-HDR-final.jpg[/img]

The fifth one now also hangs on the wall beside the others. I prefer to have a single dimmed light in the center of each case as I didn't want them to be too bright in the middle of the living room. However it does mean that need to take care not to place the specimens in each others shadow. I did not bother with any labels in the case, as almost all of it is baryte anyway. :)

13th Sep 2016 12:39 UTCKeith Compton 🌟 Manager

Hi

you could also run a strip of clear flexible plastic tubing down the join of the sliding doors to keep the dust out. You just need to leave a little tiny piece extending outwards so as to be able to remove it when you want to get into the cabinet (top or bottom). After all, most of the time we don't keep opening the doors to the display. So it is only on those occasions that it involves a little effort to open and re-close. That way the dust is kept at bay - doesn't affect the visual display, is cheap and easy to do.

Cheers

Keith

31st Jan 2017 23:10 UTCDenise Bicknell

Hi everyone. I am to the point now that I've talked to a cabinet maker to get a quote. I have decided to do the adjustable wooden shelves. Now I need some help on lighting.

LED strips seems to be the best bet from people here and elsewhere. How do these work? Not really familiar with them. They have transformers that need plugging in? Are they easily removable? Do they burn out? What color temperature, natural daylight? Anyone have a link to share? All suggestions are welcomed.

1st Feb 2017 04:10 UTCJim Allen

I put LED tape strips in my case last year, and love them. They consist of adhesive-backed tape, about 1.5 cm wide, with LED elements every cm or so. A transformer is required. Conveniently, several vendors sell kits that include tape, connectors, and transformer. By purchasing additional connectors the tape can be cut into sections and configured for multiple shelves. I have a wide variety of minerals, in many colors. I purchased natural white color temp, and am very pleased with the result. Perhaps they will eventually burn out, but the lifetime is very long.

I have purchased online from superbrightleds.com and was very pleased.

Good luck.

Jim

1st Feb 2017 16:01 UTCDenise Bicknell

Thank you, Jim! Do you suggest one or two strips per 12 inch deep shelf?

Anyone else want to add your two cents?

1st Feb 2017 16:39 UTCTimothy Greenland

Hello Denise,

I had a wall cabinet made to my specifications last year. Bottom section: h=80 cm w=75 cm depth = 25 cm. Sides top and back solid wood, galee hinged door. Top section h=145 cm, w= 73 cm and depth15 cm. Glass shelves on adjustable slides. Easy to add others if needed... It is lit by Ikea LED strips mounted behind the door mountings. The transformers are housed in the top and bottom sections. Under the floor of the lower section (with ventilation space to the back out of sight) and on the 'roof' of the upper section in a wooden 'hat' open at the top for ventilation. One great advantage is that the case does not heat up even if the lights are on all day... (don't take a lot of power either...). The photos show day and night views. I often sit in my 'mineral room at night with just the showcase lights on while consulting Mindat! It's restful... My wife is not a mineral fan, so these are restricted to my 'den'...

Hope you find a good solution to your display

Tim

2nd Feb 2017 02:19 UTCJim Allen

Tim

That's a very handsome cabinet. Well done!

Denise

I found one strip per shelf to be ideal. My case is a china hutch with 3 shelves, 48" wide and 12" deep. Each shelf is lit by a strip of LEDs mounted under the front edge of the shelf above. The LEDs strips come in three densities (30, 60, or 120 LEDs per meter). I used 120 LEDs/meter. The LED strip is attached to a beveled molding to angle the direction of the light inward, instead of straight down. This increased the amount of sparkle coming off the minerals, compared to putting the strips at the center of the shelf and pointing them straight down.

Good luck.

jim

2nd Feb 2017 05:13 UTCJohn M Stolz Expert

To continue Tim Allen's thoughts, I used his same vendor and did 2 rows for a 12" wide shelf. You can see the results here

For 6 strips 24" long, I used an old laptop power supply. Everything was wired in series. I put a couple of incandescent lights up top for dichroic minerals

2nd Feb 2017 12:20 UTCJohn Collins

Hi Everyone,

If you are using glass shelves with heavy minerals, the glass will flex as it is not like other solids. One suggestion would be to use plastic dowels (1.5 cm diameter or so) cut to the exact original shelf separation and center them vertically between the shelves. Use a bit of mineral tack at the ends to hold them in place. This would alleviate worries about the glass fracturing due to the ever increasing weight of one's collection.

The dowels would be a must if you were using thin plastic shelves as it is even more flexible than glass.

I use LED strips which are very effective.

BTW, nice shelving everyone!

I cleaned out my Mother's old hexagonal china cabinet (teacups, etc) to hold my collection - the heavy stuff is on the bottom wooden base and the rest are on the glass shelves. I'm using LED strips down the edges facing away from the viewer.

Regards,

John

2nd Feb 2017 13:30 UTCTimothy Greenland

Hello John,

I agree that you can get warping over time with glass shelves, however mine are not that long and are 8mm thick. I expect them to last me out as I am getting on a bit... I had similar ones at my old appartment for over 20 years without noticeable distortion, but I did reverse them every 5 years or so (when I remembered...). To protect the glass and stabilize the specimens I use little cork-backed plastic squares used by glaziers to separate sheets of glass during delivery. The plastic face adheres quite strongly to the glass (electrostatic attraction, I think) and the cork gives a good contact for the specimen...

Cheers

Tim

2nd Feb 2017 15:19 UTCAndrew Debnam 🌟

thanks everyone for your pictures and ideas for displays I have found them very useful.

Cheers

Andrew

4th Feb 2017 06:18 UTCDenise Bicknell

Yes, thanks for sharing y'all!

Denise

21st Jun 2017 16:17 UTCDennis McCoy

I started this project two years ago, and just finished this week.

The old doctor's cabinet had multiple layers of paint that had to be stripped. I had hoped to just lacquer the bare metal, but it wasn't in good enough condition, so I painted it again.

The lighting is an inexpensive 3W LED puck from a local home improvement store.

21st Jun 2017 17:22 UTCDon Saathoff Expert

Hello Dennis,

Very nice restoration!!! but what happened to the lizard??!

Don

21st Jun 2017 18:12 UTCDennis McCoy

Sharp eyes Don!

The skinks love to bask in the sun outside the garage. When you open the door they run inside to hide.

25th Jun 2017 19:11 UTCDenise Bicknell

I decided to use the Ikea Billy cases with glass doors ( I don't have them all put together yet). The lower shelves will be wood and house my fossil wood, fossils, and pieces that are not so display worthy. The top half will have glass shelves and house the prettier pieces. For lighting I am talking with the electrician that built the house about 4500 to 5000K LED puck lights for the top section and strips for the wood shelves. I thought 3 good sized puck lights. Have to work out the connections and hiding the wires still. Home Depot had no LED lights the that range in stock nor did Lowes.

If anyone knows of a source for these lights that are reasonably priced I would entertain those ideas. Thanks!

Once finished and loaded I will post a photo.

26th Jun 2017 18:19 UTCJim Allen

www.superbrightleds.com

I bought three of the 12 LED/20 watt equivalent recessed puck lights for a 24x36 display case. Worked really well.

Good luck

Jim

26th Jun 2017 19:42 UTCDenise Bicknell

Thanks for the info, Jim!

Mindat.org is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: May 4, 2024 12:53:48

Go to top of page