Paranoid :( - This is a long one

[Linthart]

Hey guys.

Im a little paranoid right now so i'm going to start a little bit of a yellowing thread for what i'm sure is the millionth time.


I've been designing my new place for months now and more specifically, my personal living room collection room (its going to be a sharehouse).
The floorplans are changing on a constant basis due to the purchasing of furniture etc and the ever changing ideas of how the display my pride and joys; my maximuses.

I've been toying around with the idea for about 6 months of having a plexiglass display case made so that i could see them in full view after i've decided i ultimately dont like having them in my current(ly dismanteled) ikea cabinet as i cant see them side on and makes them look a little more cooped up and smaller than they really are

http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/73089_PE189494_S3.jpg

one benefit was that i had mounted LED lights into the door frame which looked amazing at night without damaging the toys directly.


Since the sale of my home (finally!) i've started to bring my toys back from storage and the first ones to come back were my maximuses.

I've currently got Brave out and about perched upon a Detolf containing my movie collectibles and i love how he looks just out upon a pedestal. Just so massive and overpowering.

so here is where my concerns begin.

i'm not a fan of open storage like bookshelves.
what ever was not in the glass cabinet above was stored in:
http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/73086_PE189491_S3.jpghttp://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/0083725_PE209983_S3.JPG
This matches the glass cabinet above and can be closed when i'm not around minimizing dust etc.

I've also decided i paid way too much money for better quality boxes not to also display them beside/near the toys themselves. i love the look of them too but its doubled my storage requirements.

My dilemma is yellowing paranoia. i love the look of brave in the open and would love to mount a shelf almost the entire length of the main wall just so i can stand each toy next to his box.

Dust is another fear of mine but i may be able to get over that.

The shelf wont be in direct sunlight but it is between 2 windows on the same wall with aluminium blinds. Windows tinting is not an option because the wired security glass is not flat. i'm thinking of putting a plexiglass panel infront of the glass to act as a UV filter.

But if i get the windows sorted then i'm still worried about my lights.

I know that realistically there is nothing i can do about yellowing apart from a lead air tight vault but i think i'd cry if my bone white grand max yellowed
and the box front has already started to fade from the previous owner:mad:

Lighting will be surface mounted CCFL energy saving light bulbs approx 1.5 meters diagonally from the shelf (shelf would be 2/3's up the wall)

In your opinions, am i simply asking for it?
should i shell out for a custom acrylic case and forgo the prospect of wall mounting.

The custom case will cost anywhere from $300+ and will only hold the toys, not the boxes.

Has anyone here had a fort max yellow before their eyes?

how do people display their braves and fort maxes?

How do you protect your toys?

what should i change the lighting too? LED is impractical for room lighting at this stage.

my other option is the buy a second glass case like above and whave 2 in one and a single in the second cabinet and install my lighting again
which would be healthy in order to validate those cabinets more (dont really need shelves that deep and wish i could get rid of them but they cost me almost $600 - anyone to buy them :D)

I'm going out of my mind during this long long wait until my room is finished and i can start trying things out so in the meantime i've only got my thoughts and my floorplans.

cheers guys

Lint

[jgon2098]

dont forget that yellowing is also due to heat and oxygen. Realistically these factors are outright unavoidable.

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

custom acrylic cases are way too expensive. especially if your getting it from afa.

this might be a good first point of reference if you wanted some DIY with acrylics.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/jg/index.php

a little off topic here. have you thought about using display cubes? aethetically they look awesome.

Ultimate fail-proof as described in the article in the first link is to

"Seal your unit in a lead-lined, temperature-controlled, evacuated vault away from any radiation, visible or otherwise."

I would stronlgy advise against having artifical light in your cabinets.

[Linthart]

ha yeah AFA is out of the question. there is a company locally who specializes in custom acrylic cases for collectibles. not sure it they do afa style but i'm just thinking of doing something like whats pictured below but on a larger scale
http://www.legacydiecast.com/images/products/000135/cmc-a005.jpg

display cubes defy for the point for me because of dust. i'm only just getting comfortable with the idea of no door in front of them
i have 3 more ikea detolfs sitting in their packaging that i'm going to return as they were just too tight a fit for my liking.

Oh and i've read that piece, its quite interesting and unfortunately very true

[bruticus]

how do people display their braves and fort maxes?

This is how i do it (excuse the quality of the photo):
732
Its structurally sound, secure and keeps away dust. However, the cabinet is not cheap though....


How do you protect your toys?

i assume you mean how do i protect them from yellowing?
-I have 3M security film installed on all windows which blocks out 99% of all types of UV
-I have thick black-out curtains.
-I dont leave any form of artificial lights on for long periods of time.
-I try to minimise exposure to potentially harmful heat sources.

Are your aluminium blinds vertical or horizontal? cos if they are vertical then you can aim the light away from your cabinets...


custom acrylic cases are way too expensive. especially if your getting it from afa.

If you are going to invest in a custom fitted acrylic case just for Grand Max, then you may want to double check that it is resistant to all forms of UV.
Correct me if im wrong, but none of the typical acrylic cases on offer from AFA protects you from the type of UV that induces yellowing (UV-C??). As expensive as the standard acrylics cases may be, you will need to pay even more on top for AFA's UV-resistant range!! :eek: So check first with whoever you intend to custom order the case from.

Btw, whatever you end up choosing, dont forget to factor in weight and mishap. If your grand max is not going to be free standing near the floor or perched directly on top of a sturdy cabinet, then yellowing and dust will be the least of your concern if theres a chance it will fall down!!!... :( Touch wood...

It is a shame that those $600 ikea cabinet you bought are not transparent on the sides...

[Linthart]

I am so envious of your huge cabinet. i've been looking into a massive glass cabinet for about the same time as the PVC option but i'm not ready do drop $1K :(

Falling off a shelf is a concern but i'll be using ikea LACK wall shelves dynabolted to a double brick wall which in theory can hold 25kg each, i'll have 3 of them so weight shouldn't be too much of an issue.


hmm potentially harmful heat eh? the room will have ducted heating/cooling from an overhead bulkhead on the opposite wall 3 meters away. does that seem like a bad thing?

Oh and bruticus, i demand more photos of your collection. oh how i long for a Black Zarak. Do you have a photo thread?

[Linthart]

Oh just read that yes the cases this company make do infact protect against UV yellowing. i think i'm just have to bite the bullet and shell out. now to wait for the quote after they finish moving warehouses.

such a horrid decision - spend a boatload and protect them;
save a boatload and have a potentially better display but risk $1000's worth

mind you they'd probably look insane in a case.

ha maybe i need a poll

[Linthart]

Ok guys after more research and some input from the guys at TFW2005, its been established that plastic is opaque to UV rays. Some even to rays that cause yellowing.

Also that lightbulbs that shine 'blue' as opposed to a standard warmer yellow color have less UV emitted.

What do we think about light fittings diffused with frosted glass? clear glass will let UV straight through but does anyone know anything about frosted?

[shokwave2]

Not sure if you're looking into a new cabinet as well but here's some nice cabinets at pretty good prices me thinks.

http://www.shopfittingsdirect.com.au/frameless_glass_showcases

[Linthart]

Not sure if you're looking into a new cabinet as well but here's some nice cabinets at pretty good prices me thinks.

http://www.shopfittingsdirect.com.au/frameless_glass_showcases

I've been monitoring them for a very very long time and their prices are not tooooooooooo bad but its an extra $250 for delievery. plus thier ideal cabinet is about 10cm too shallow :(

[shokwave2]

$250 for delivery?!? Where do you live? The moon? hehe

I buy my glass cubes from them and postage is only $40 for me. The only problem with the cubes is that dust gets in between the gaps. No biggie though. Gives me a reason to get my figures out for a dusting every now and then.

[Linthart]

Yeah the difference is I'm in victoria and you're in NSW which happens to be where they are also

[liegeprime]

Erm not much knowledgeable on display systems but hope this helps.

http://www.displayandracksystems.com.au

unfortunately the price is quite prohibitive

[Linthart]

Yeah i first discovered them back when Tiby was forming the megatron club and recommended their acrylic case but yeah their prices are certainly out of the question. they have lots of nice stuff though. pity:(


Erm not much knowledgeable on display systems but hope this helps.

http://www.displayandracksystems.com.au

unfortunately the price is quite prohibitive

[GoktimusPrime]

How about this mob?

http://www.displaydesign.com.au/

[Linthart]

How about this mob?

http://www.displaydesign.com.au/

the cabinet I designed for them isn't structral enough as they use a frameless
Design as opposed to the largest manufacturer 'showfront' who frame in aluminium so they can span larger distances.

But realistically the question at hand is whether I go the acrylic route or I'm overly pananoid and they're not overly likely to yellow out of direct sunlight under household lights.

Been speaking for numerous people who have jetfires under lights with no issues.

Have anyone here had a toy yellow on display before their eyes out of direct sunlight?

[bruticus]

Oh and bruticus, i demand more photos of your collection. oh how i long for a Black Zarak. Do you have a photo thread?
Sorry dude, dont have a photo thread cos A) i cbf signing up with flickr etc and B) my camera broke a few months back and the one my GF lent me doesnt take great shots under artificial light....

Windows tinting is not an option because the wired security glass is not flat
You might want to look into using UV-Resistant Clear Coat Spray Paint (http://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant_clear) that the hobby shop and art stores sell.
But instead of using it to spray directly over your toys (which is what they were meant for), you spray the inside face of your windows and the outside of your light fitting covers instead...
Muhuhaha.... it may actually work...:D

hmm... now if only i had a white junker TF to try it out on it first....

[Linthart]

You might want to look into using UV-Resistant Clear Coat Spray Paint (http://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant_clear) that the hobby shop and art stores sell.
But instead of using it to spray directly over your toys (which is what they were meant for), you spray the inside face of your windows and the outside of your light fitting covers instead...
Muhuhaha.... it may actually work...:D

hmm... now if only i had a white junker TF to try it out on it first....

Actually thats a really intelligent idea. no matter what i'm going to track down that stuff and spray it on my light fittings and windows. IF its truly clear i may do a cabinet with it

hmmm hope i can actually find some. let the hunt begin.

if it fails then atleast it's a great placebo which what i'm really looking for: something to calm me down


IF anyone else likes Bruticus' idea, i found an australia online retailer:
http://www.carreroart.com.au/artsupplies/13700e.htm - near the bottom
$15.57
who know, could be a small amount to pay for a big pay off

[bruticus]

ah yes, your paranoia should be at ease now Linthart...
Go nuts with the spraying but always remember to use PPE!!

I saw a can of Mr Hobby - Mr Super Clear UV Cut (that does the same thing) in a hobby shop today but it was like double the price (per mL) compared to the Krylon version on the net....
I wonder if its cos its really good quality stuff or just branded hype?

Hopefully i can find a local shop that sells Krylon cos i just found a white junker TF that i can experiment with....:p

[Linthart]

ah yes, your paranoia should be at ease now Linthart...
Go nuts with the spraying but always remember to use PPE!!

I saw a can of Mr Hobby - Mr Super Clear UV Cut (that does the same thing) in a hobby shop today but it was like double the price (per mL) compared to the Krylon version on the net....
I wonder if its cos its really good quality stuff or just branded hype?

Hopefully i can find a local shop that sells Krylon cos i just found a white junker TF that i can experiment with....:p

What's PPE?

Thankfully the shipping is only $10 for upto 4 can via courier as you cant send sprays through the post. i was worried the shipping costs would be extreme