Глава 24. Display Cases. 

 

29.07.2026

 

My first attempt at ordering dust-proof panels for display cases was a failure. I got my money back and for a long time couldn't bring myself to order more from other carpenters. But now the products have arrived, and they're a whole new level. Naturally, I'll still be finishing the interior, making plexiglass boxes to protect against dust, and laying a panel with felt on top of the base, but the fact that I have them already is already very encouraging.

Ash wood will most likely turn very yellow over time under oil, so I will cover the surface with a stain in the color of dark pear or ebony and on top of that several layers of teak or Danish oil and maybe even bitumen (but this is not certain).

The design turned out to be practical as planned. The grooves on the bottom surface for fingers make it very convenient for one or two people to grasp the slab.

At first I thought about making a display the size of the ship, but then I decided to make a model with a bowsprit. This is what the project looked like.

 

The models inside the display case will be positioned off-center. The first hull will be without a mast (it will rest on a slab next to the hull), but a bowsprit will be installed.

 Therefore, the height of the plexiglass box will be 30 cm, and the length and width: 84 x 25 cm.
Since the first hull (pictured) is essentially a skeleton, some parts will be located on a plate in front of the model. These will include a stove, several cannons and falconets, a few anchors, and maybe a boat and other items. The bowsprit will have partial rigging. This fragment will show the main joints, blocks, and ropes and will continue the main idea of ​​this model—to show all the details from the inside, at least in one example, but everything related to this ship. So, in fact, the entire rigging won't be there, but some will be there for clarity. The cannons won't be on the deck, so as not to obscure it, but they will still be part of the composition, albeit not 12, just a couple, and on a plate.

The second hull will be located in the same way, but with one significant difference. It will remain in this state until the entire hull, including all the mast and rigging components, is completed, and only then will I move this model to a new display case, which will be much larger. In the meantime, this small display case will protect it from dust. So, essentially, the current display case for the second hull will be temporary.

 

 

 05.08.2026

 To lighten the entire structure, I made the slab not solid but like a picture frame. Inside, I inserted rectangular 2mm plywood inserts, alternating them with 15mm-thick wooden inserts.

 For convenience, four of the five were identical, so I cut them into a single piece. Then I glued the wooden inserts with PVA glue and filled the plywood with CA gel and activator.

This made the structure rigid but not very heavy.

 I drilled holes for ease of installation and centering before gluing. Then I sanded all the boards and treated them with steel wool.

 From below, through these holes, bolts will hold wedges to which metal columns will be fixed.

On the underside of these wedges, I screwed and glued anchor nuts for the aforementioned screws.

The end result will look like this, but between the wedges and the slabs there will also be a spacer with felt (blue or green fabric) stretched over it.

The next step is to stain the wood and apply Danish oil, and glue the plexiglass boxes together.

 

 

19.08.2026

 I ordered plexiglass immediately with laser cutting. The accuracy is high and the edges are smooth, but there is a slight bevel from the cut and this is a plus (I’ll tell you why below).

Assembly isn't difficult; you just need to secure everything (while it's dry) with masking tape. Regular tape won't work; you need masking tape—it has a little elasticity, which helps keep the pieces taut.

It's important to have a very flat base! I used a glass display case from Victory.

 I glued it with dichloroethane. It's not really an adhesive in the traditional sense... it's a solvent! If you draw it into a syringe and carefully pour it into the joint with a thin needle (like an insulin syringe), its incredibly fluid nature will cause it to seep into the joint via capillary action, dissolving the plexiglass on both sides. After a few minutes, the dissolved plexiglass will fuse and fuse into a single, solid piece. This isn't a bonded joint, but essentially a cold weld. This type of joint is extremely difficult to damage. The bevel left by the laser cutting provides a place for the solution to flow. Avoid pouring onto a joint with masking tape, as the liquid can seep under it! You need to be extremely careful and act very carefully and slowly! Even the slightest leak should be wiped off immediately with a glove (which you should wear at all times!). If 2-3 seconds pass, the leak will become a permanent stain! You can wipe it off only in the first second and without any consequences.

Then you need to wait 15 minutes, remove the masking tape, and apply the sealant to the seams underneath. They're clearly visible. I apply the sealant again to the corners (joints) where there's no wall, from the inside, so that the liquid gently flows 10-15 cm along the inner corner. This area will be the most heavily loaded and can be reinforced.

After another 20 minutes, you can carefully move the box to a suitable location where it should sit for another 24 hours. After this, the box will be in one piece.

Point 1: Dichloroethane is highly toxic, so it's essential to use gloves and a respirator. It's heavier than air, so it's best placed above the plexiglass. It's highly recommended to apply the sealant either outside or on a balcony. The internet warned me that it had a very unpleasant odor, but I didn't notice it at all. I applied the sealant on a shared balcony, and there was a draft. I didn't notice any odor or discomfort.

Step 2. Plexiglass is cut and transported with a protective film on both sides. This must be removed before gluing, otherwise dichloroethane can seep under it and cause stains. Removing this film creates a tremendous amount of static electricity, and dust and debris will stick to the plexiglass like a magnet, so the room must be clean. To get rid of this, coat the box with an antistatic spray every other day or spray it on and wipe dry with a microfiber cloth (not cloth, paper, or napkins!!) using a solution of regular fabric softener. Spray one teaspoon per 200 ml onto the box and wipe. Wipe off dust only with a microfiber cloth.

On this same shared balcony, I stained the display panels and wedges.

I ordered two 100ml stain samples at once (it's cheaper that way). One was black (I didn't like it because it had a blue tint). The other was dark walnut. I didn't like the single application, but... I applied four coats. And the dark walnut turned black, not with a blue tint, but with a brown undertone, and I liked that.

100 ml wasn't enough for all the surfaces, but it was just enough for the entire visible area. I covered the rest (the bottom surface and the center, which will be under the fabric) with black stain.

I liked the fact that the ash texture is very visible and doesn't have a paint-like effect. And a huge plus is that the filler is consistent in color and the surface is highly uniform. Overall, I'm pleased with the result so far.

All that's left to do is apply two coats of Danish oil and wait for it to dry completely, and the display cases will be ready...

 

 

 22.08.2026

So, with an interval of 24 hours, I applied two coats of Danish oil.

Above for the first model, below for the second (temporary).

Both wedges will await their fate for now, as the models will simply lie on the slabs. When the time comes, I'll install them on these wedges, followed by the column, but more on that later.

 I tested the strength of the plexiglass box and found that the dichloroethane hadn't leaked in two spots, but the seam had come apart. I applied the sealant again from the outside, as I had the first time, and then applied the sealant again to all the seams. However, I tilted the box each time so that the seam was at the bottom and the surfaces were at a 45-degree angle to the horizontal. This ensured that when applying the sealant to the seam, the walls would act as a V-shaped stop to hold the liquid. This way, I could be sure that the entire surface was perfectly sealed. Here's the result:

To prevent the plexiglass from scratching when the second slab is placed on top of it, I glued felt stickers underneath the wooden slab (like the ones I use on chair legs to prevent them from scratching the floor). I also wiped the plexiglass with a solution of fabric softener diluted at 1-2 ml per 100 ml of distilled water. This eliminates static electricity and prevents dust from sticking to the surface (otherwise, it's a real disaster... the surface crackles with static electricity).

Well, here is the intermediate result.

 While the models are in the stands, they will be freely displayed in the display cases. Then I will mount them on the wedge-shaped holders of the stand with columns.

 That's it for now, I'll wrap up the whole saga with the display cases; it took a lot of my time. Plus, I accidentally dripped water on the slab, causing streaks because the Danish oil hadn't had time to cure. Just for fun, I coated it with Teak Oil (since this slab is for temporary storage, I decided to try this mixture on it). It's sticky and very glossy right now, but we'll see how the slabs react to water in 2-3 weeks.

This chapter isn't finished yet, as the display cases are still in progress. For now, they'll serve as dust covers during assembly. To be continued...

 

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