🖼️
The project:
I needed a way to display my collection of 667 vinyl art toy figures that sat in boxes for several years. I used the hallway wall to become a massive gallery frame so I can enjoy seeing them all every day. There are 5 display 'windows' behind clear acrylic to keep the dust off! Smart LED lights are set in to the sides of each frame which come on every night. I made the acrylic doors set into tasmanian oak frames. The wall is over 5 metres long and when most people see it they say "WTF is this?".
- Materials:
Porta 78x21mm 2.4m Contours Lining Board Tasmanian Oak Riverine
Tasmanian oak timber frames
Pine for battens behind the lining boards
Govee RGB LED Strip Lights
Aluminium channels for LED light strips
Ramset wall anchors
Acrylic sheets
Liquid Nails
Clear finish
Shelf pins
- Tools:
Makita circular saw
Makita drill combo set
Ryobi Airwave Brad Nailer
Makita router
- Step 1:
Measured the full wall up and set out to install MGP10 pine as horizontal battens the full length. The Port panels will be glued and nailed to these as well as the display frames screwed to them.
- Step 2:
Made 5 display frames out of tasmanian oak timber. First I drilled out all the shelf pin holes which took ages. Then I routed out a groove for the aluminium channel for the LED light strip to sit in for a more polished look. I don't have a workshop or shed so it is all done on my back patio, living room floor or hallway floor.
Holes were drilled to feed the LED light strips through. Frame is screwed together and the screws will be hidden behind the Porta boards so it is a simple construction. Brackets installed on each side to attach to the pine battens and they will also be hidden by the Porta panels and appear to float within the space.
Applied 3 coats of clear finish to all the frames.
- Step 3:
Install the Porta wall panels and display frames from left to right, cutting the wall panels around the frames as needed. Applied Liquid Nails to back of panel to the pine battens and then secured by using nail gun through the hidden tongue part.
At each frame I fed the LED strip through - it is a 50m roll that runs continuously through all 5 frames and behind the wall panels between them.
Had to bring in some help from the big guns at one stage.
At the end I did 3 coats of clear finish over all the wall panels and did a trim section to frame the bedroom door.
- Step 4:
Made the door for each frame. I had some acrylic sheets cut to size, then made a very simple frame from tasmanian oak (which I basically use for every project I do). To keep a very slim door profile the acrylic is simply screwed to the frame from the back which is hidden when closed. A simple side latch holds the door closed securely.
I had all the acrylic shelves custom cut, installed shelf pins and the shelves, then loaded up my 667 figures (in date order they were released to market) across all shelves. The 5 display areas and widths were calculated to exactly fit them all. Then we got back to playing basketball in the hallway again with no danger to knock the figures over or break glass.
I programmed the Govee lights so they come on every night, but at my kids bedtime, they turn to red for 10 minutes, then they turn off.
