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Post by paulshiroma on Sept 26, 2015 11:39:54 GMT -5
My wife had commented that scattering the rocks around the house (in particular, her china cabinet) was not the best way to display them since you couldn't really get a good look at them nor were they well lit. In addition, they got dusty sitting out like that. So, earlier this year, we trooped over to Ikea and picked up some of these glass display cases. It was a (late) Christmas gift from her . I had been looking on-line for cases and didn't like the prices. Her recommendation worked out much better. Unit 1: Unit 2: The only thing we didn't like was the lighting. It uses a single LED bulb at the top and when you start putting display items into the case, only the top shelf gets any light. Later we added a set of LED strips from Ikea to one of the units. We'll have to go and get another set as they worked perfectly and were installed in minutes. Unit 2 after additional LEDs installed: Some of the items: The following are early attempts at using the vib-lap: (Brazilian agate from Fish): (Mexican coconut geode): (Agate in maxtrix collected from Last Chance Canyon, El Paso Mountains, North of Mojave, CA). I had trouble with the lighting on this one. The agate inclusions were a dark cranberry color and the surrounding material was white making the contrast difficult for the camera. (Partial scallop shell, collected from Shell Ridge, Walnut Creek, CA): Thanks for looking.
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Post by vegasjames on Sept 26, 2015 11:55:47 GMT -5
Great display. Like how you did the lighting.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 26, 2015 12:00:12 GMT -5
Those look really nice. Why does one have a price tag?
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Post by paulshiroma on Sept 26, 2015 12:31:13 GMT -5
I bought the mimetite from Nevada Book and Mineral some time ago. I liked the tag but never bothered to remove the price tag. LOL
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 26, 2015 12:35:59 GMT -5
I was wondering if I should buy it.
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Post by captbob on Sept 26, 2015 12:47:14 GMT -5
Some darn nice specimens there!
All that empty space. Anyway to add more shelves for more rocks?
Neater and cleaner looking as is. But I'd be tempted to find a way to display more, at least on the top shelves.
Cases sure beat dusting!
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Post by paulshiroma on Sept 26, 2015 17:06:36 GMT -5
I was wondering if I should buy it. LOL ...
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Post by paulshiroma on Sept 26, 2015 17:16:57 GMT -5
Some darn nice specimens there! All that empty space. Anyway to add more shelves for more rocks? Neater and cleaner looking as is. But I'd be tempted to find a way to display more, at least on the top shelves. Cases sure beat dusting! Thanks, Capt! I'm sure there'd be a way to add shelving, even if it's a half-height / stepped type shelf towards the back half of one of the existing shelves. The setup uses long metal welded rods and everything is really flimsy on the initial setup. Once you get all the parts together, it's pretty sturdy.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Sept 26, 2015 20:29:05 GMT -5
AWESOME!!!!!!!!
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Post by mohs on Sept 26, 2015 20:39:08 GMT -5
classy Paul ! that's serious chunk of banded iron?
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Post by paulshiroma on Sept 27, 2015 19:08:01 GMT -5
classy Paul ! that's serious chunk of banded iron? Thanks, sir! We picked up that piece of banded iron last year at the Vista CA show. Interestingly, I bypassed it and was looking at some other items. My wife pulled me back and over and said we needed it for the collection - she thought it would look good. And she was right, as usual. :-)
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Post by jakesrocks on Sept 27, 2015 19:49:15 GMT -5
Digging on that display case. (And the contents). I'd like to have a couple like it, but the nearest Ikea is a 4 hour drive away. I'm afraid the glass wouldn't survive the long trip home. Especially after I leave paved roads for our local gravel washboards.
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Post by paulshiroma on Sept 27, 2015 22:42:27 GMT -5
Digging on that display case. (And the contents). I'd like to have a couple like it, but the nearest Ikea is a 4 hour drive away. I'm afraid the glass wouldn't survive the long trip home. Especially after I leave paved roads for our local gravel washboards. Bummer, that is a drive, Don. I spoke with John (JSGems) about some of the display cases he uses at shows but those are "commercial" type setups - heavy and unwieldy - although maybe that might be the trick for the drive out to your place? The glass plates were not quite 1/2 inch thick. Heavy, heavy plates.
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<'))))>< Fish
Cave Dweller
Gone Fishing
Member since April 2005
Posts: 1,841
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Post by <'))))>< Fish on Sept 29, 2015 20:06:57 GMT -5
Paul that's Sow Belly
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Post by Pat on Sept 29, 2015 20:56:44 GMT -5
Well lit cases and some outstanding rocks!
I use lawyer's wooden cases because they have a glass door on every shelf. Dark inside. Need flashlight. Like your setup for light better.
Thanks for the show!
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Post by drocknut on Sept 29, 2015 21:06:17 GMT -5
Seriously cool display cases. Great idea adding the lights. I was also wondering about adding shelves or acrylic risers the make use of the space. I wish one of those would fit in my trailer. Oh well guess that's a drawback to living in a 19 foot rolling box.
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Post by paulshiroma on Oct 1, 2015 7:57:26 GMT -5
Well lit cases and some outstanding rocks! I use lawyer's wooden cases because they have a glass door on every shelf. Dark inside. Need flashlight. Like your setup for light better. Thanks for the show! I think these IKEA LED bars were $20 for four of them. I didn't measure the individual cords but I seem to recall that they're almost 10 feet long. I had to roll up and tie the additional length at the top of the cases. They might work real well for your book cases. I like the idea of individual doors for the shelves.
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Post by paulshiroma on Oct 1, 2015 7:59:26 GMT -5
Seriously cool display cases. Great idea adding the lights. I was also wondering about adding shelves or acrylic risers the make use of the space. I wish one of those would fit in my trailer. Oh well guess that's a drawback to living in a 19 foot rolling box. Thanks! You get to move to where the rocks are when you want to ... definite "Pro" to mobile living. I've been watching the "Tiny House" movement for a while but I don't think my wife would like it and I know I couldn't carry all the lapidary equipments and rocks we all seem to acquire.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 1, 2015 9:26:29 GMT -5
Well lit cases and some outstanding rocks! I use lawyer's wooden cases because they have a glass door on every shelf. Dark inside. Need flashlight. Like your setup for light better. Thanks for the show! Pat, I have a 5 high barristers bookcase in the hallway. Top shelf is all mineral & fossil books. Next 2 are full of minerals in plastic baseball & golf ball boxes. Both shelves are stacked full. Shipper knocked the glass out of the bottom 2 shelves. Need to take the doors off & get them to a glass shop. The little drawer at the bottom is all but useless. I store labeling supplies in it.
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Post by drocknut on Oct 1, 2015 12:32:40 GMT -5
Seriously cool display cases. Great idea adding the lights. I was also wondering about adding shelves or acrylic risers the make use of the space. I wish one of those would fit in my trailer. Oh well guess that's a drawback to living in a 19 foot rolling box. Thanks! You get to move to where the rocks are when you want to ... definite "Pro" to mobile living. I've been watching the "Tiny House" movement for a while but I don't think my wife would like it and I know I couldn't carry all the lapidary equipments and rocks we all seem to acquire. That is a pro but unfortunately even when I do get to the rocks I can't take them all with me..lol.
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