My Office Showroom Build (Display, Lighting, Mod Tips & Service)

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Slow progress lately as I have just too many things on the go right now.

After considering how to display a number of figures on my "must display" list, I've had to shuffle around my plans again and have now dedicated one of the Detolf cabinets exclusively to Star Wars. It's a sort of "Then and Now" display, except that even the "now" is already 15 years old. Here you can see 1978 Kenner 12" figures mirrored by their 1996-1998 counter parts. Still missing vintage R2 and Leia and '97 Stormtrooper is already on the way.



The top shelf in my "nook" cabinet is going to be dedicated to 1996-2000 Kenner/Hasbro 12" - I cleared up a lot of space here by moving the vintage and counterparts to the Detolf.



And here's an update on the Hoth dio with a few more goodies added.



No action on the Bat cave this past week, sorry.

 

[y2sandrock]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

The Hoth Display is sick. Thinking of doing other Star Wars displays?

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

A few 1/6 scale backdrop scenes, much smaller scale, only for a few figures each.

- Sandtroopers, Tusken Raiders and Dewback with Tatoine photo background and creative lighting.

- Tatooine architectural tryptic background - plaster on foam, three sets, cantina entrance, search for droids alley, doorway for 3po/r2 hiding

- Hoth/Tantive IV - foam snow tunnel, stryrene hallway

Probably won't start them until sometime in the summer, unless I get so busy I have to push them to the fall.

I've already started a detolf shelf for my HT Bespin Luke. Background image and working on a lit floor to match the Vader duel scene before Luke goes out the window.

 

[K07]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Wow. I love your Detolf with the Vintage guys mirrored by the... NeoVintage guys? What's neat about collecting vintage figures is there is a definate end in sight. Collecting nowadays, you never know how long a line is going to last. Will they make all the essential characters before ending? Or will it ever end or just keep going forever? When do I quit?

Anyways, awesome to see your buildup getting stuff put inside it. I'll keep an eye on this for sure!

 

[aaronViolator]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

epic star wars display - awesome work!

 

[RobertoBagg10]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Hi there Piper, as promised I have been building my own Bat Cave Diorama for my upcoming 1:6 1989 Batmobile. I have almost completed the first part which is the Diorama for the DX09 Batman figure and I would very much like your thoughts on it as your display gave me the inspiration to achieve my own design. You can find it on my Show Your Shelves that. Thanks pal!

Looking forward to more updates

 

[slynger]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Great SW display, looking forward to seeing the finished Batman display!! Nicely done.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Haven't done too much since the last photos and I haven't gone back to the Batman dio yet as it just needs some final electrical work. My priority lately was cleaning out some boxes and next is cleaning out the office itself, things like tools and parts I'm not actively using at the moment. With spring weather comes a lot of work to do outside too, and I knew this was likely to take me the rest of the year to finish off properly.

Here are some additional images...

Hasbro Star Wars 12" shelf:



Test-fitting the Bespin Luke Detolf shelf - AT-AT driver kindly stands in.



Custom-lighted Superman crystal base on Detolf shelf:






Close-up of how power is delivered on my Detolfs (see message above about electrifying the rails). This is not how I'll leave the wire when the install is finished - my intention is always to hide the wiring completely and this visible example was only for this photo.



This is how the Superman base was lit internally using 5mm LEDs:



Instructions: https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5659175&postcount=13249

 

[Brian87]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

nice collection men !!

 

[pavehawk78]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Looks great!! I've modded a few of the fortress bases myself. The plastic bottom sure is a pain to remove.

 

[GE 7]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Super creative! I loved the back illumination and the elevation of the Detolf.
Did you glued the LED ribbons or just taped them?

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Thanks for the compliments! Within the Detolf units and the Batman diorama, I'm very much concentrating on the "less is more" principle and going for dramatic lighting, sometimes using only a few single LEDs.

Super creative! I loved the back illumination and the elevation of the Detolf.
Did you glued the LED ribbons or just taped them?

Are you talking specifically about the Detolf shelf with the Cloud City/Bespin Gantry lit from below? If so then the LEDs are not actually attached to the glass at all. I made a custom shelf which contains a pocket to house a few strips of LEDs. The glass then sits on top of that. Pictures of it will be coming soon when I have the chance to remove it again. Work still needs to be done on the glass by attaching the white vinyl which provide the details for the lit floor panel.

The LED ribbon I use has 3M adhesive on the back and comes in 3m rolls. That adhesive is usually enough to stick it in place. On my custom shelving where you see the vintage 3 3/4" Star Wars and Hoth dioramas, I've attached the LEDs to a 1/8" thick wooden dowel and then used glue to attach the whole thing to the shelf edge, on an angle. I'll next add a small lip to cover the profiles so you can't see the LEDs when standing in front of the shelf.

On the all-glass Klingsbo shelving (the first images in the thread), I've used the self-adhesive to stick the LEDs to the inside of the frame of the cabinet so you can't see them at all from any viewing angle in the room.

Yesterday I did a bit of work on wiring for the Batman display, including adding the previously shown computer/electrical panels to the wall. Right now I'm working out lighting for my Superman display on the top shelf of one of the Detolfs, plus some lighting for my Indiana Jones and Fertility Idol display. These are being done with single LEDs, the same kind I used to light up the inside of the Superman crystal base.

 

[Dark_Clint]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Thos Hoth battle scene is amazing!

 

[GE 7]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Thanks for the compliments! Within the Detolf units and the Batman diorama, I'm very much concentrating on the "less is more" principle and going for dramatic lighting, sometimes using only a few single LEDs.



Are you talking specifically about the Detolf shelf with the Cloud City/Bespin Gantry lit from below? If so then the LEDs are not actually attached to the glass at all. I made a custom shelf which contains a pocket to house a few strips of LEDs. The glass then sits on top of that. Pictures of it will be coming soon when I have the chance to remove it again. Work still needs to be done on the glass by attaching the white vinyl which provide the details for the lit floor panel.

The LED ribbon I use has 3M adhesive on the back and comes in 3m rolls. That adhesive is usually enough to stick it in place. On my custom shelving where you see the vintage 3 3/4" Star Wars and Hoth dioramas, I've attached the LEDs to a 1/8" thick wooden dowel and then used glue to attach the whole thing to the shelf edge, on an angle. I'll next add a small lip to cover the profiles so you can't see the LEDs when standing in front of the shelf.

On the all-glass Klingsbo shelving (the first images in the thread), I've used the self-adhesive to stick the LEDs to the inside of the frame of the cabinet so you can't see them at all from any viewing angle in the room.

Yesterday I did a bit of work on wiring for the Batman display, including adding the previously shown computer/electrical panels to the wall. Right now I'm working out lighting for my Superman display on the top shelf of one of the Detolfs, plus some lighting for my Indiana Jones and Fertility Idol display. These are being done with single LEDs, the same kind I used to light up the inside of the Superman crystal base.

Yes, I was talking about the cloud city's lighting.

It looks like a great plan! but I don't know about that lip, wouldn't block some of the light?

I am looking forward for the next wave of pictures.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

I don't know about that lip, wouldn't block some of the light?

I've mounted those LEDs on an angle pointing toward the back of the display, so a small lip in front won't block any usable light. It should just cover the sides of the surface mount LEDs so that you don't see them when standing and more importantly, so I don't see them when I'm sitting at my desk.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Testing Mr. Supes new home lighting. The final will use this top-mounted LED to light up the chest area and I'll use two additional LEDs to light up his face.



5mm LED and a little piece of heat shrink = instant mini spot light.



Added the two larger panels to the Batman dio. The electrical does actually run through the electrical panel in the back - the switch is just for show however.

 

[K07]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

It's pretty cool to see Hasbro's 12" figures given so much love and attention. I am so happy I didn't sell off my collection. They will remain in storage until the day I have kids/nieces/nephews to have play with this stuff. I'll hold a few PotF2 and 12" pieces for myself that have sentimental value but the rest is theirs.

Can't wait to see more

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

This guy won't be part of my collection, as I've put him together as a gift. But I've just finished him and his presentation box this week which meant less time to work on a few other things. I'm still missing the final head sculpt which is on the way from Hong Kong, so excuse the toy-like head on him right now.

Loads of pictures in the new link in my sig titled My Brother's Worker

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

With some spare time the other afternoon I managed to wire up a few more LEDs for the Detolf, including the ones below. 3 LEDs glues together, then wired in parallel and attached to a custom shelf. Power provided from the Detolf's support rails.



The LEDs provide the key light for this display:





When it's done I'll take some better photos to better represent what it looks like live. Unfortunately these two last images were taken with the world's most popular, but also one of the world's worst cameras, the iPhone. Just in case, the worker in the post before was not shot with the iPhone.

Preview of finished shelf (see first page for more photos):

 

[Mr. EcKo]

Re: My office "showroom" build-out.

Amazing work buddy