Easy sword cases

[Iain]

This might be of interest for some. I have been testing out some sword case ideas recently.

These have glass doors and I have fitted LED lights inside. The stands inside are rough and not a final design.

If anyone is interested the main cases and the LEDs are all from Ikea, not very expensive and very easy to put together. :)

These are just a few quick pics, the glass is still a bit dirty as I just put everything together!

[kahnjar1]

Hi Iain,
I don't often browse here but just came across this post. The idea is great and it would equally suit pistols, daggers and long guns. What is internal dimension of these cases?
Stu

[Iain]

Hi Stu,

I'm in the process of making up some clear acrylic stands and hoping to get 3-4 swords into each case.

The dimensions inside are about 120 x 35 x 18cm. Not sure if its enough for guns, but would definitely work for most swords.

[M ELEY]

Nice pics, Iain! I've already got a wood cabinet with plexiglass doors, but no lighting. Your LED lights really make a difference and I think I'll install some for my collection. Thanks for the idea!
Mark

[Iain]

Highly recommend it! They look nice and are very easy to fit. I just used some double sided tape.

[MarineCorps0311]

I like these cases. I am going to have to put a couple in my studio. Very very neat idea.

[Iain]

Here's the Ikea link if you are interested for the cabinet I used. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60280955/

[Iain]

Got some acrylic stands made up. Still working on lighting...

[DaveA]

I've tried the strip LED lights in display cabinets but the light and shadows are very unnatural. Recently I've found these online:

Fulcrum LED Battery-Operated Stick-On Tap Light, Black

The lighting is very natural daylight spectrum. The are in-between spot and flood up close. AAA Battery powered, tap on tap off. Super easy install. If use use the every day, evenings, expect to change ordinary batteries about every six weeks. And, they are very inexpensive so it won't cost much to experiment.

I use mine in a wood case, behind glass with interior painted flat black. Anything silver really jumps out and looks great. I will post pictures later,

[Iain]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the suggestion! My only concern would be how thick are the lights? I've got limited headroom in my cases.

[DaveA]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the suggestion! My only concern would be how thick are the lights? I've got limited headroom in my cases.

Iain,

The pucks are just under 1 inch. I too was worried about the headroom and also whether they would be obtrusive. I turned out not to be an issue in my case.

Here are some photos, taken in daylight (shades drawn) with the glass doors open on the case. In the last photo you can see the lighting through the glass doors. Even with reflections, the visibility is quite good.

I use three in this case, each one centered left to right.

[Iain]

Thanks Dave,

Reason I mention it is that mine are designed for three swords and there's not a huge gap to get 1" in without blocking the top sword. But I'm intrigued and will probably order a few. If they work well I think I'll look to router some holes in the top of the case and recess them.

[DaveA]

Iain,

I'm sure you can find recessed lights like this, or smaller ones, and ones that are line powered rather than battery. Other than the form factor, the quality of the light itself was important to me. If it is too red (e.g., like incandescents and some halogens) or too blue (e.g. like fluorescents) then the collection items looks seriously unnatural. I like the LEDs because you find ones that put off almost whatever spectrum you choose, and if you want to get really fancy you can even find ones that you can change by remote control!

Good luck. I'll be interested to see what you come up with. Displaying one sword is easy. Displaying 30 or so is a lot trickier!

- Dave

[Iain]

Iain,

I'm sure you can find recessed lights like this, or smaller ones, and ones that are line powered rather than battery. Other than the form factor, the quality of the light itself was important to me. If it is too red (e.g., like incandescents and some halogens) or too blue (e.g. like fluorescents) then the collection items looks seriously unnatural. I like the LEDs because you find ones that put off almost whatever spectrum you choose, and if you want to get really fancy you can even find ones that you can change by remote control!

Good luck. I'll be interested to see what you come up with. Displaying one sword is easy. Displaying 30 or so is a lot trickier!

- Dave

Hi Dave,

Indeed, I'm having a look round to see what will work best. Do you happen to know the color spectrum yours are on (3500k etc.)?

[Iain]

Well I finally completed these cases. In the end for lighting I ran a strip of flexible LEDs inside a groove in the top panel of the case. I'm pretty happy with the result.

The photo makes the light seem more uneven than it really is.