Display Plinths
- Thread starter Steve Brodie
- Start date
- Status
G
I'd say the cheapest solution by far must be to use a mitre box & saw, some 2"x2" or 4"x4" and wrap the base of these with mitred wood mouldings from your nearest DIY place.
Especially if you need more than a couple...
https://www.homebase.co.uk/our-range/building-and-hardware/timber/mouldings/timber-mouldings
All the ready made plinths I've seen have been cast in resin, often as imitation wood, but they're quick to make if you're handy and you've got the tools!
Especially if you need more than a couple...
https://www.homebase.co.uk/our-range/building-and-hardware/timber/mouldings/timber-mouldings
All the ready made plinths I've seen have been cast in resin, often as imitation wood, but they're quick to make if you're handy and you've got the tools!
I think if you want something simple and effective you can go to your local DIY store and pick up some 2x2 like Jens said, cut some squares out. Get a belt sander and sand down the edges and corners, then stain the wood and finish with a varnish. I reckon after a few tries you would get the hang of it and you can experiment with different shapes. I think it would be a lot cheaper and more fun to do your own. See below, is a plinth i made out of a £3 vinyl tile sample and some old plastic pipe. Used an aluminium rod for the stand, only cost a couple of quid from B and Q and got about a metre left still.
Flea markets and car boot sales often are a good place to find old unwanted trophies. Unscrew the trophy from the base and you have good base for a figure. I have a small stash all in polished marble, granite and the like. I also like near the coast, so every trip results in a small collection of flat stones ... Even an old brick looks good after it has been tossed around in the sea for a few years. Have yet to find a stone that has warped or cracked with time....
What size do you want Steve?
I'm thinking of scrap pieces of hardwood with an edge moulding from a router.
Pete
I'm thinking of scrap pieces of hardwood with an edge moulding from a router.
Pete
G
The reason why I suggested the DIY wood with mouldings route is because it is so simple when you've got the tools and routine - and the parts costs pennies!
I've built myself a pretty descent wood workshop throughout the years, mainly to cover the bits I need for the never ending house restoration project but also for running repairs.
I've got custom size windows on my house and this is an expensive problem, that's until I learned to make my own windows that is. It's a fairly quick job with a proper table saw and a bench router (with the correct bits).
Ok, we're talking a few hours per window frame and the first ones I made were debatable whether they were cost effective, but I made them myself and that's also worth something!
Today I can make them a lot quicker and I recover the glass from the previous windows so I don't have to use modern glass either.
If you haven't got a bench router, or a hand router, you can buy cheap mouldings and glue to a wider piece of wood to create the right look.
Making the plinths in hardwood is the best but if you're going to paint them, or heavily stain them, you're fine with ordinary pine - which costs nothing!
Also making your own display plinths/stands should add to the "I made this" feeling to the whole project!
My Schwerer Gustav diorama is going to be built as a furniture due to its size and paying someone to build the custom display cabinet would cost a fortune whereas doing it yourself will mainly just cost time, and some material costs.
I've built myself a pretty descent wood workshop throughout the years, mainly to cover the bits I need for the never ending house restoration project but also for running repairs.
I've got custom size windows on my house and this is an expensive problem, that's until I learned to make my own windows that is. It's a fairly quick job with a proper table saw and a bench router (with the correct bits).
Ok, we're talking a few hours per window frame and the first ones I made were debatable whether they were cost effective, but I made them myself and that's also worth something!
Today I can make them a lot quicker and I recover the glass from the previous windows so I don't have to use modern glass either.
If you haven't got a bench router, or a hand router, you can buy cheap mouldings and glue to a wider piece of wood to create the right look.
Making the plinths in hardwood is the best but if you're going to paint them, or heavily stain them, you're fine with ordinary pine - which costs nothing!
Also making your own display plinths/stands should add to the "I made this" feeling to the whole project!
My Schwerer Gustav diorama is going to be built as a furniture due to its size and paying someone to build the custom display cabinet would cost a fortune whereas doing it yourself will mainly just cost time, and some material costs.
I winced at that part, but only because I lost the tip of a finger to a bench router. :cold-sweat:
G
Yes, it can be a quick widow maker but as long as you keep your fingers away from the pointy and sharp bits you're almost always fine.
Bench router is probably the most dangerous tool I've got in my arsenal...
Yep, learned that the hard way. Also learned not to use power tools when you are tired.
Did you hear about the man who fell asleep on a table saw?
He woke up with a saw head!
Ill get my coat
G
cut
- Status
Legal Notice
scalemodelling.co.uk is a privately operated online discussion forum. All content posted by members reflects their own views and opinions and does not necessarily represent those of the forum owners or administrators. While reasonable efforts are made to moderate content, no responsibility is accepted for user-generated material. By using this site, you agree to comply with UK law and the forum rules.