# Display case, maybe?



## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

I had to make a shelf for a bookshelf the other day and I had like a 25 inchish piece of high-density fiberboard left over... It was wide enough to lay three parallel tracks on it, so I lined them up and screwed them down... I was _thinking_ about making a *plexi*glass shell for it, but I have a couple questions 


Where can you buy *plexi*glass?
How much does it cost?
What do you cut it with?

EDIT: WTH am I talking about, *fiber*glass??? Doh, I am dumb


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Acrylic sheet*

Good question. You want to look at acrylic sheets. A local hardware store or home improvement would stock it. A common size is 2 by 2 feet other izes are available. They come with protective paper on both sides because they do scratch easily. Cut on a table saw with a fine plywood blade though a bandsaw is best. It is a perfect replacement for glass but not cheep.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Would a hand-held circular saw suffice? I know that I have a plywood saw blade, so that is half of it, LOL...


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## smokey (Mar 6, 2008)

Fiberglas stuff is available at most auto parts and probably even walmart and all. Practice a little first, but it's easy enough to work with. Pretty cheap.

But T-Man's on the right track !! When cutting it, use the absolute finest, highest tooth-count blade you can get. Once you get it cut and fit and sanded on the edges, take a butane torch, set on low, and run it over the edges rather quickly. It'll shine them back up and take the haze off. You'll get a feel for that, too :thumbsup:


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Table-saws? Butane torches? Guys, I am only 18 and my tool chest is even more limited than my train collection :laugh:

Thank you for the tips though


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Shelf*

Orrr, you could buy a couple of brackets and with a laser level and portable drill just mount it on the wall and call it a day.:laugh:


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

LOL, I was thinking about doing that, but wanted to poke around at this idea first... My house is very dusty, that is why I wanted some protection


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## smokey (Mar 6, 2008)

Hmm... wonder if you have any of those self-help type shops around, where you pay a small admission, bring your own wood (or buy theirs) and can work at a bench in a school-like carpenter shop? I know I've heard of them but the name escapes right now...

Ya know, a torch is cheap. You could get a sheet of plexi, measure and decide where you want the bend and make an L-shape cover that sits in grooves in your wood. The ends would be open, obviously, but that might be better than nothing.

If you go that route, lemme know. I've bent large sheets of plexi with nice, even bends. The results are worthy of sitting on the mantel :laugh: You basically make a brake out of wood, clamp it on the plexi after triple-measuring it (!!) and use gentle heat and you'll slowly get your bend. If you set your wood right, you can even use it to make your 90* : 

(does that make sense? You could even do it at home if you can get everything cut nice and square)


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## Only_in_a_YJ (Jun 8, 2008)

Lowe's sells acrylic sheets for fairly cheap. If you get a thin sheet, you can score it several times with a utility knife on both sides and break it like glass. Be carefull if you decide to use a saw though, the stuff cracks pretty easy.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

It looks like this idea just died on me, thank you for all of the tips though... The base is just sitting on a shelf type thing in my room now with no covering over it


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## smokey (Mar 6, 2008)

Have you checked any Hobby Lobbys or Michaels? Those stores where the old ladies buy the arts and crafts stuff :laugh: 

('round here, you might even run into a few modelers there :hah:.... oh, wait... I go there :laugh


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

smokey said:


> Have you checked any Hobby Lobbys or Michaels? Those stores where the old ladies buy the arts and crafts stuff :laugh:
> 
> ('round here, you might even run into a few modelers there :hah:.... oh, wait... I go there :laugh


The only time I ever go through a craft store is when I use it as an entrance to my local mall, and it takes like five seconds to walk through


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## smokey (Mar 6, 2008)

Boston&Maine said:


> The only time I ever go through a craft store is when I use it as an entrance to my local mall, and it takes like five seconds to walk through


 I used to be the same way, but you oughta check it one day. Wear shades and a hat so no one recognizes you :hah:

Man, they've got all sorts of stuff that could aid anyone's layout, and at least here, Hobby Lobby sells trains and parts. Not too much but they surprise me sometimes. It's a good place for couplers or knick-knack crap when it's 5times closer than the hobby shop :thumbsup:

I saw a Revell (I think) HO scale Big Boy model for like $20 there. I used to do quite a bit of car models thru the years so this would be a cool diversion. I think I could make it look good and just park it somewhere on the layout; maybe next to the engine house, maybe near a passenger station... until I get real one 


Back to you, B&M, I bet you'd find pre-made cases there. 

Don't be scared!!! Go check it out :thumbsup:


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

smokey said:


> Wear shades and a hat so no one recognizes you :hah:










...go to the YMCA...

Err, yeah, back to craft stores, hehehe... Last time I actually looked around in one, I was following my mother around, LOL... I do not remember them selling trains, because I would have found them... Maybe I will take a look though next time I am near one :thumbsup:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I like AC Moore. I got the magnets there. This fall they will have some scenery items, trees and LED's.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

What a cowinkidink, AC Moore is the craft store which I walk through to enter the Mall of New Hampshire


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Hey, I don't choose your path to get into the Mall.
There must be over twenty ways to get in there.

Gee it must be a big store. I didn't know one opened up there.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

It is not super big, but bigger than a usual size store in the mall... I can not remember what shop used to be in there before, but this store has been there for a few years now... The outside entrance to the store is to the left of the food court, and then it enters the mall floor next to Best Buy...


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