Star Wars® Display Case & Bar
A Step-by-Step Project Journal of Joe's Design, Fabrication and Installation
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Project Origins
The final destination for the Star Wars display and bar project. The owners are huge Star Wars toy collectors. This was a big deal for them and I thought it was a super cool project.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Design Elements
The design for the display. Basically the setup was a large laminated storage cabinet for the base. Adjustable shelves in the cabinet created a ton of storage. The base cabinet would support the cantilevered aluminum bar and also housed the electronics for the LED lighting system. The upper cabinet was where the magic was.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Finished Storage Cabinet
A pic of the finished storage cabinet al la Frank Jones. Sweet!
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Welding Portion
The formed aluminum parts from our supplier are notched and jigged together for welding. Notice that the formed aluminum angles have been welded to the upper and lower members creating the light pockets.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Securing Cabinet Assembly
Just a little welding to secure the cabinet assembly.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Upper Cabinet Frame Up
The basic upper cabinet is framed up.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Graphic Application
The Star Wars graphic was supplied by our client and was laminated to a special plywood panel we supplied. This unit was over nine feet long so this was a large piece. We had pre fit the graphic panel backer so we new when we got it back it would slip in perfectly. The panel was secured to the flanges on the cabinet with a half a dozen machine screws.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Paint Application
Back from paint and the pieces are being installed at the clients’ home. This piece fit like a glove and this was good but the cavity in the wall was very out of square and we fought that quite a bit. Notice the wires that have terminated from the lighting system and switchgear. The bar has been installed and we have the shelves thrown in for good measure.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Acrylic Shelving
Yes that is right the vinyl graphic has a steel sheet behind it and these clever little acrylic shelves we made have high power magnets in them. A flip of the wrist and you have an adjustable shelf anywhere at any angle.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Client Collection
Here is an array of the shelves with an old school Star Wars toy. I must have sized the cabinet right because that toy just fit.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Lighting Controls
The bar was pretty slick and it certainly fit right into the theme. The lighting controls were a fanciful touch with little red indicator lights and lighted switches and also a custom aluminum dimmer knob.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Support Brackets
A view of the bar support bracket. Nice and clean. Lots of wiring for two runs of lights but nothing about this project is simple except for how it looks in the end.
Star Wars® Display & Bar: Final Results
Grand finish. The client, Erin, did a magnificent job on the arrangement of toys.