Display Cases
Display cases made to protect finished ship models from dust, handling and knocks. Available ready made in standard sizes and as flat pack cases for self assembly, with timber bases and made to measure options. Sized for model ships rather than adapted from general display furniture.
A ship model collects dust in the places you cannot reach. Rigging, ratlines, railings and deck fittings are effectively impossible to clean once dirt settles into them, and most attempts do more damage than the dust did. A case is the difference between a model that still looks right in ten years and one that needs re-rigging.
Acrylic rather than glass
Our cases use clear acrylic. It is lighter to lift on and off, safer if knocked, does not shatter, and is clearer for photography. Glass is heavier, more fragile in large panels and considerably more expensive to ship. For a model of any size, acrylic is the practical choice.
Two formats
- Ready made cases arrive assembled. Unpack, remove the film, place over the model. Simplest, but bulkier to deliver.
- Flat pack cases ship as panels and are assembled where the case will stand. Cheaper to ship, far easier to get through doorways and up stairs, and usually the better choice above about a metre.
How to measure
Take the model at its greatest extremes, not its nominal length:
- Length: including bowsprit and any stern overhang
- Height: including masts, aerials and the stand the model sits on
- Width: including yards and any rigging that projects
Then allow clearance on every side so nothing touches the acrylic. If your model falls between standard sizes, send us the dimensions and we will advise on the nearest fit or quote for a case made to measure.
What goes in them
Cases are worth considering for anything in rigged historical models, for finished kit builds after months of work, and for commissioned models, where we can build the case to the finished dimensions and ship it with the model.
Common questions
What size display case do I need for a model ship?
Measure length including bowsprit, height including masts and stand, and width including yards, then add clearance. Never work from the nominal scale length alone.
Can you make a case to fit a model I already own?
Yes. Send the three dimensions above and we will quote for a made to measure case.
Do the cases come with a base?
Most do, in a timber finish. Some are supplied as a cover only for models already mounted on a plinth. The listing states which.
Will a case stop the model fading?
It will not replace keeping the model out of direct sunlight, which fades rigging cord and timber over time regardless of a case.