Armour protective display case

[shibeni]

Hello,

I kindly ask for some information how to make good protective+display case for complete armour (sitting on box). Please let me know if someone has some experience or pattern for making it.

 

Thank you very much for help,

Bojan S.

[Justin Grant]

I made this case for my armor. It is oak wood with black stain with 1/8" tempered glass on the front, left and right sides and bottom. The back is a 1/4" mirror and the top is a sealed oak lid with LED lights and a hygrometer to measure and record humidity. It is not "air tight" but restricts air movement slowing the temperature changes within the room to take hours to equal-liberalize, thus preventing the urushi from cracking. It also prohibits any pests from entering easily, and LED light does not attract flying insects.

 

I am sure there are better, and if you want to know how I did this, I can email you the details.

 

Justin

 

 

 

[DaveT]

Justin, what will cause real damage to your armour is the light source behind it. UV will damage the urushi surface and dull it, and the odoshi-ge will fade and begin to weaken. The window is an issue. My armours are kept a a darkened room with zero natural daylight.

No heating.

[Justin Grant]

Hi Dave,

 

You are correct, and I used UV filtered glass, filtering 99% of UV light, and I have since moved it to be nowhere near a window or direct light. That room is the "to look at room" and we have light blocking drapes over the windows now.

 

I had to make a choice, hide it away or employ a high degree of safe guards so I can keep it out and enjoy it. It is a personal call most of us have to make that care for these wonderful items for the next generation.

 

UV Glass, LED, and thick drapes will help, I also keep that room at 68 degrees 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and I have a room humidifier that keeps it at 45%. Best I can offer.

[md02geist]

I made this case for my armor. It is oak wood with black stain with 1/8" tempered glass on the front, left and right sides and bottom. The back is a 1/4" mirror and the top is a sealed oak lid with LED lights and a hygrometer to measure and record humidity. It is not "air tight" but restricts air movement slowing the temperature changes within the room to take hours to equal-liberalize, thus preventing the urushi from cracking. It also prohibits any pests from entering easily, and LED light does not attract flying insects.

 

I am sure there are better, and if you want to know how I did this, I can email you the details.

 

Justin

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a simple and beautiful way to display your armor. I very like what you have done. Do you have a hidden latch/hinge somewhere to be able to open it if you so desire?

 

I do not have a suit of armor but one day I intend to get one, and if/when I do I will likely do something very much like this.

[Justin Grant]

Thank you.

 

Yes, the entire back comes off with 4 draw tight buckles. The glass on the sides and bottom extend 3/8" and slide into groves in the back panel. The buckles draw it in and tight.

 

The glass is set in groves on each piece of wood. I cut a single grove the entire length with a table saw that is .250" wide and .375" deep for the .180" glass (room for wood to flex without cracking the glass). I then put a small amount of silicone in the grove and placed the fixed glass pieces into the wood. The wood pieces are joined with wood pegs that are glued.

 

Very solid, but if I did it again, I would find a way to hinge the back, but I manage

[md02geist]

It's awesome, great work on it and nice work leaving a little extra space for the glass.

[rkg]

FWIW, your LED lights might be a problem too - check this out:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/1 ... 72742.html

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Luc T]

UV filters are necessary, but they only filter 50% of the light. As Dave says, you should avoid all daylight.

From time to time I see collections displayed in living rooms, full day light. You may be sure that these armors will be totally destroyed after a few decades. Dust, daylight and lack off humidity are disastrous. When I see how Barbier Muller is displaying fine armors in the lobby of a glass building...you may be sure the lacing will be gone in no time.

this display case is a good start, but try to change the armor from time to time, or fix the glass with uv filter tape.

[shibeni]

Thank you Justin for replay and pictures, I will be happy if you can send me your tehnical pattern (PM). You also have nice armour. I hed big problems with mine as urushi started to fall of, so I have to act very quick...

Regards,

Bojan S.

[Justin Grant]

FWIW, your LED lights might be a problem too - check this out:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/1 ... 72742.html

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

 

Richard,

 

LED's do not produce UV. I also use LED light on my 150 gallon reef tank and keep many SPS and LPS corals that are sensitive to UV and they are growing like weeks. When under Metal Halides, they need UV filters over the bulbs from killing the Acro's.

 

Let me be honest, I don't have the light on but to show it off in detail once in a while. The room is rather dark, even in the middle of summer. The temp and humidity stay at or around 68 deg 45-50%. The armor is cleaned every 90 days with a concoction recommended by Ian.

 

The glass is rated as 99% UV filtering, and I have to trust that it works, and the room is fairly dark 24x7. All of the lamps in the room use LED bulbs. As I said, I could stash it away in the cellar and just know it is there, or I can employ a high degree of safeguards and enjoy it.

 

To put the level of light in the room into perspective, you would not be able to read a book in the room, even with the lamps on. The light used during the pictures you see was just after completion of the case a year ago. Ian provided me with plenty of cautionary tails and I put as many safeguards in place as I could taking my approach of displaying it. If I took a picture of the case now, it would be hard to make out due to the low levels of light. Again, it is simply a room people pass by and don't use, so I use it for my armor. If I feel like looking at it, I can sit in a chair and stair at it for a new moments and then move on.

 

Each person has to make up his or her own mind on how to display or store the armor they own.

[DaveT]

UV filtered glass, good thinking batman.

 

Truth is that all armour will fall to bits when the odoshi-ge and silk blows, its a ticking time bomb.

[Justin Grant]

Yes, I know the silk issue.

 

Trevor (Toraba) told me the odoshi was redone in the last 50 years, but to be honest, it looks newer. But, I took clear fishing lines and ran it along the mimi ito and took the majority of the weight off the bits that hang. Again, in the same vein, just trying to cover my arse.

[DaveT]

zero to fifty isn't telling lies is it I wonder who he used to do his restoration work

[uwe]

:lol: .......will be have the same issue next time.

 

Uwe

[shibeni]

Hello,

finaly I recived my protective case for armour. Ti is my design but made by friend who runs store equpment factory. I want to be as much transperent, that can be resembled and to protect texile from moth..It is made from plexy glass from 2 halfs, top and bottom. Two halfs are attached together by 2 plexy stripes (left, right) and screwed in to 2 half circled halfs. The top circle is just laying on top of the tube.

P.s.

sorry for bad pictures from my Tab..

 

Bojan S.

[Brian]

Bojan,

I think that is very well made, and will do a great job of protecting your armour.

If it was me, I think a nice little low wooden "plinth" or raised base would look great to finish it off. But that is just personal preference.

 

Brian

[shibeni]

Hi Brian,

thank you for positive comments. Completly agree with your opinion, wooden base is on working desk..

Best regards,

Bojan S.