Display Case

Show off a special collection with this clear-fronted accent piece.

This simple project has movable shelves and an acrylic insert to house and protect decorative objects.

How-to Instructions

General: Cut and label all the parts as needed, using the Cut List as a guide and adjusting for fit.

Step 1: Prepare the sides, top, bottom, and nosing

Cut a 1/8-inch-wide by 3/8-inch-deep groove along the inside face of each 8-foot-long 1 x 6, positioning it 3/8 inch in from one edge.
Then cut a 1/4-inch-wide by 3/8-inch-deep groove along the opposite edge of the inside face of each 1 x 6, again positioning it 3/8 inch in from the edge.
Cut a 30-inch-long piece from one 1 x 6, and set it aside to be used for the (05) top and (06) nosing.
Test-fit the (09) front and the (07) back in the pieces' respective grooves. The plywood should fit snugly in its groove for the back, while the acrylic should slide freely. Widen the 1/8-inch groove if needed for the (09) front. However, do not widen the groove in the 30-inch piece from Step 1c.
From the remaining grooved 1 x 6, miter cut the (01) sides and (02) bottom so that they all measure 24 inches from long point to long point.
To make the (06) nosing and the (05) top, miter cut the 30-inch piece from Step 1c to measure 24 inches from long point to long point. Then rip a 3/4-inch-wide strip from the side that has the 1/8-inch groove.

Step 2: Attach the cleats and fillers

Rip the 1/4 x 6s to a width of 4 1/4 inches.
Place the three boards on top of each other, and then clamp or tack the pieces together. Cut and label 8 pairs of (03) cleats, each measuring 2 inches wide, from the 1/4- x 4 1/4-inch boards. As you cut them, number each pair of (03) cleats 1 through 8. Set aside the remaining portion, which you will cut to size later for the (04) fillers.
Lay the two (01) sides with the grooves facing up on a work surface, and then butt the edges that have the 1/4-inch grooves up against each other.
Insert a scrap piece of plywood in the 1/4-inch groove on one of the (01) sides. Spread glue onto the back of one (03) cleat from the first pair. Position this (03) cleat against the plywood so that its bottom edge is flush with the inside edge of the mitered corner on the (01) side. Secure the (03) cleat with 3/4-inch brads. Repeat this procedure for the opposite (01) side using the other (03) cleat from the first pair.
Slide the scrap piece of plywood so that it will align with the next set of (03) cleats. To leave a groove for the (08) shelves, press a scrap piece of 1/2-inch stock and additional material, such as three index cards, against the first (03) cleat. The stock provides a snug fit for the (08) shelves, while the index cards leave a uniform amount of space for each shelf. Apply glue to the back of the second (03) cleat, position it, and secure it with brads. Repeat this procedure for the remaining (03) cleats on both (01) sides.
Using the material set aside from cutting the (03) cleats, create the (04) fillers by cutting them to size so that the top edge of each (04) filler fits flush with the inside of the mitered corner when spaced in the same manner as the (03) cleats.

Step 3: Assemble the box

Attach the (01) sides to the (02) bottom using wood glue and 4d finishing nails as shown in Figure 2.
Slide the (07) back into the 1/4-inch grooves in the (01) sides and (02) bottom.
Clamp a framing square to the frame assembly to keep it square. Attach the (05) top with wood glue and 4d finishing nails.
Lay the frame assembly on a work surface with the (07) back facing up. Apply hot glue around the perimeter of the (07) back where it touches the (01) sides, (05) top, and (02) bottom.
Apply a finish to the (06) nosing before attaching it to the acrylic sheet. Be sure to keep the finish out of the 1/8-inch groove.
Run a bead of silicone inside the 1/8-inch groove on the (06) nosing. Center the (06) nosing on the acrylic sheet, and press the acrylic sheet into the groove. Remove any excess silicone, and then let it harden. Lift the assembly by the (06) nosing to test the hold. If needed, apply a bead of silicone on both sides of the acrylic sheet where it touches the (06) nosing.
Attach appropriate wall fasteners to the back of the (05) top. For more details on which wall fasteners to use for your situation, see Put It Together on page 16.
Position the (08) shelves as desired.

Step 4: Apply a finish

Fill all holes with stainable wood filler. Sand, and apply the desired finish.
To fill the grain of the oak when staining, apply a coat of stain, and sand again while wet. This forms a slurry that will fill most of the wood grain. Stain again until the desired hue is reached, and apply a coat of paste wax or polyurethane when dry.

Good to Know
We recommend the ColdHeat Freestyle Cordless Glue Gun found in the hardware department. Although the glue is warm, the tip remains cool, so it's even safe for kids' projects.

Skill set

Project Part Spacing

Exact spacing is key when you're working with duplicate project parts such as the (03) cleats that support the (08) shelves in this project. The scrap wood accumulating in your shop can be used to create spacers that will help keep project parts spaced apart based on desired dimensions. Position the first part per the project instructions, determine the required space between each piece, and use the spacer to lay out each sequential part.

It's best to follow these steps during the same work session, rather than starting them in one and finishing in another. Doing everything at once will improve consistency and accuracy in the spacing of the project parts.

Illustrations and Diagrams

Cut List

Part	Material	Size (in inches)	Quantity
sides	1 x 6	3/4 x 5 1/2 x 24*	2
bottom	1 x 6	3/4 x 5 1/2 x 24*	1
cleats	1/4 x 6	1/4 x 2 x 4 1/4	16
fillers	1/4 x 6	1/4 x 4 1/4 x 4 3/16	2
top	1 x 6	3/4 x 4 11/16 x 24	1
nosing	1 x 6	3/4 x 3/4 x 24**	1
back	1/4 inch plywood	1/4 x 23 x 23	1
shelves	1/2 x 6	1/2 x 4 1/4 x 22 3/8	4
front	acrylic sheet	1/8 x 23 1/8 x 23 1/8	1
Measure length from long point to long point. *Cut from the (05) top.
Finished Dimensions Height: 24 inches Depth: 5 1/2 inches Width: 24 inches

Please feel free to post a comment and someone from LowesCreativeIdeas.com will review your submission. You can check back after 24 hours to see if your comment has been posted.

Fields in BOLD are required to preview and submit your comment.

Your Name (displayed with comment)
close[X]

Instructions

Your email will only be used in the event that one of our moderators needs to clarify your comment. It will be used strictly in the context of or relating to your comment.

Your email will NOT be used for marketing purposes or shared with any 3rd parties.

Your Email
(Why do we ask?)
Your Location (eg, 'Chicago, IL')
Your Photo

Have a photo? Attach it to your comment here.
Make sure your photo meets the following requirements:
Max File Size: 2 MB
File Types: jpeg/jpg, gif
Photos will be scaled to fit this space.

Upload Photo
Your Comment

Character count: 0

(500 character limit)
Enter the above image text

close[X]

If you do not see the security words image:

• Make sure the version of your browser is current. For example, you need to have at least Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 6.0 or higher.

• Make sure your graphics (pictures and images) are turned on or enabled in your browser.

• Refresh your browser and try again. You may want to copy your comment though as it will not be saved.

Can't see the image?

close[X]

Instructions

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

If you are not sure what the words are, either enter your best guess or refresh the browser for a new set image.

What is this?
Terms & Conditions Terms of Use & Guidelines Lowe’s Creative Ideas Web Community Lowe’s and its affiliates (“Lowe’s”) offer this Creative Ideas Web Community (“Community”) to users to enable them to share projects and ideas and discuss how to use and enjoy a variety of home improvement products and services. If you have questions or concerns regarding a Lowe’s home improvement store or the services or products offered by Lowe’s, please contact at http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=topicSelect&topic=contactUs These Terms of Use & Guidelines (“Community Terms”) govern your use of and conduct associated with the Community, including all comments, information, and any other content submitted by you or other users. If you submit any content on or through the Community, you are acknowledging and accepting these Community Terms, as well as Lowe’s Terms and Conditions of Use (“General Terms”) for Lowes.com and Lowe’s Privacy and Security Statements (“Privacy Terms”). To the extent of any conflict between these Community Terms and the General Terms, Privacy Terms, these Community Terms shall control with respect to the Community. Lowe’s has the right, but not the obligation, to monitor, review, revise, and/or remove any content posted by a user. Lowe’s assumes no liability for any content posted by a user and Lowe’s does not regularly review all such content. You are solely responsible for any content that you submit, the consequences of posting that content, and your reliance on any communications found in the Community. By submitting any content you acknowledge and agree to the following: • Lowe's has the right but not the obligation to display all content you provide for public view; • The content you submit is non-confidential for all purposes; • You are not using a false e-mail address, impersonating any person or entity, or otherwise misrepresenting yourself or the origin of the content you submit; • You represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to content you submit; • All content you post is accurate, truthful, and lawful; • Use of the content you submit does not violate these Community Terms; • Use of the content you submit will not cause injury or harm to any entity or person; • Use of the content you submit will not give rise to any claim against Lowe’s, and the content you submit shall not, in the judgment of Lowe’s, expose Lowe’s or any of its customers or suppliers to any liability or detriment of any type; • You grant to Lowe’s and all Community users an unrestricted, irrevocable, world-wide, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense through multiple tiers of sublicensees) and right: (i) to use, reproduce, display, perform, modify, adapt, publish, translate, and transmit and distribute your content for any purpose and in any media; (ii) to rate, review, comment on and tag your content; and (iii) to send and distribute your content via E-mail, Instant Messenger or otherwise over or through the Internet or any other electronic communications system; • With regard to any media content that you submit (such as photos, audio, etc.), you warrant that you have permission from all persons appearing in such media content for you to make the submission and grant the rights described herein, and you certify that any person pictured in the submitted media content (or, if a minor, his/her parent/legal guardian) authorizes Lowe’s to use, copy, print, display, reproduce, modify, publish, post, transmit and distribute the media content and any material included in such media content. • You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Lowe's, its affiliates and subsidiaries, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, shareholders, agents, attorneys, assigns and successors-in-interest, and third-party service providers from and against any and all liabilities, damages, losses, claims, demands, assessments, actions, causes of action, costs (including attorneys' fees and expenses) and any of them, arising out of or resulting from the content you submit, your failure to comply with the terms set forth herein, or your violation of any law or the rights of any third party; • In addition to all other remedies available, you acknowledge that Lowe’s has the right to (i) remove your content from the Community or refuse to include your content in the Community, (ii) suspend or terminate your account or refuse to grant you access to any current or future use of the Community or any other Lowe’s service, with or without warning, if Lowe’s, in its sole discretion, believes you have: (1) violated or tried to violate the rights of Lowe’s or others; or (2) violated or tried to violate or otherwise acted inconsistent with these Community Terms or any other applicable terms or conditions. • Lowe's assumes no liability for any content posted by you or any third-party; and • All content you submit is subject to each of these Community Terms, the General Terms, and the Privacy Terms, collectively. You further agree and represent that you will not submit any content: • that is illegal, obscene, vulgar, offensive, threatening, harassing, defamatory, libelous, slanderous, hateful, abusive, discriminatory, racially or religiously biased or offensive, pornographic, profane, sexually explicit, indecent or embarrassing to any other person or entity, or otherwise restricts or inhibits any other user from using and enjoying the Community; • invasive of privacy, infringing of intellectual property rights, injurious or objectionable to third parties, • that is fraudulent or otherwise constitutes or contains false, inaccurate or misleading indications of origin, endorsement or statements of fact; • that violates, plagiarizes, misappropriates or infringes the rights of third parties including, without limitation, copyright, trademark, trade secret, confidentiality, contract, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other intellectual property or proprietary right; • that violates any law, statute, ordinance, code or regulation; • that consists of or contains advertisements, political campaigning, commercial solicitations, chain letters or pyramid schemes of any kind, mass mailings, any form of "spam", embedded links, or references to other products, offers, Websites, URLs, or viruses. For the purposes of these Community Terms, "viruses" includes, without limitation, software routines, codes or instructions, hardware components or combinations thereof, that are designed to (a) permit unauthorized access to software; or (b) disable, delete, modify, damage, or erase software, hardware or data, including, but not limited to, components that are commonly referred to as "viruses," "back doors," "time bombs," "Trojan Horses," "worms" or "drop dead devices"; • that consists of or contains e-mail addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses or other forms of personal or contact information; and • for which you were compensated or provided any consideration by any third party. Lowe's has no obligation to post any content that you or anyone else submits. Without limiting the foregoing, Lowe’s reserves the right not to post your content if it contains any of the following or violates other posted or referenced guidelines: • Keep it clean: Obscenities, profanity, discriminatory language, or other language not suitable for public display. • No ads: Advertising or referencing other products, offers, or websites is strictly prohibited. • No personal information: Email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses or other personal information will not be accepted for posting. • No content that identifies any specific store or employee. • No harassing content: Do not attack other users or make overly critical comments regarding other reviews. • No off-topic information. Lowe’s shall have no liability to users of the Community or any other person or entity for refusing or failing to post, or removing, editing, or disclosing, any content that you or anyone else submits. Copyright Infringement If you believe any content accessible on or from the Community (including the content of other users’ posts and submissions) infringes your copyright rights, you may request removal of such content (or access thereto) by submitting a DMCA Notification at http://lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=topicSelect&topic=dmcaNAT. If your submitted content was removed from the Community (or access thereto is disabled) due to an allegation of copyright infringement, and you believe such content is not infringing, or that you have the authorization from the copyright owner, the copyright owner's agent, or pursuant to the law, to post such content, you may submit a DMCA Counter-Notification at http://lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=topicSelect&topic=dmcaCN. In an effort to protect the rights of copyright owners, Lowe’s maintains a policy for the termination, in appropriate circumstances, of the accounts of repeat infringers.
I have read and agree to all of the Terms & Conditions
Please review your comment for accuracy and click submit. To edit your comment, click edit.
Once submitted LowesCreativeIdeas.com will review your submission. You can check back after 24 hours to see if your comment has been posted.

Total Votes: 16

close[X]

These "social bookmarking" services make it easier to share and manage your favorite online content.

StumbleUpon, digg, and del.icio.us help you gather content from around the web, describe it how you see fit, and tag it for easy sorting. These sites also allow you to see what other people are gathering and tagging (if they've made it public), and find new content that may interest you.

Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace also allow you to share content that you find interesting, with people who visit or subscribe to your personal profile.

(What are these?)