Building a Lure Display Case

[SkunkedAgain]

This may not be the right forum, but has anyone here built their own display case for lures? I've got two tackle boxes full of my grandfather's wooden lures and want to display them.

Some tips on building your own case is what I'm looking for.

[upnorth]

There has to be someone with some carpentry/cabinet making skills that can chime in.

[hydro]

Ok I'll bite. I have been doing this type of work for the last 30 years so I probably have some ideas that may help. What kind of tools do you have? Have you ever built a cabinet before? Do you have any materials on hand? A lure display case is just a shallow cabinet with a glass door. It can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

Let me know your skill level, tools avaialable and a little about your shop facility and I'll try to give you some ideas.

[SkunkedAgain]

I'm not much of a carpenter so that should set the stage. My tool chest is more set up for working on car and boat motors versus anything else, but most of my buddies have miter saws and what not that I can borrow.

I'm not looking to make anything too fancy. I did a little searching online and found some suggestions about putting together the frame, using foam/cork for a backing, etc. Feel free to laugh me out of the forum, but I was considering buying some wood trim, cutting 45 degree angles, and fastening that together into a frame. I realize that I might be a lost cause with my lack of skills, but any advice would be appreciated.

[hydro]

Do you have any friends that have some woodworking tools? If you had access to a table saw, a square of some sort, and a router that's about all you need for a simple box and frame. You can use some 3" wide strips for the box, square it up, nail a piece of plywood on for the back and line it with cork tile. The door could be 2" strips fastened with long screws and wood plugs to fill the holes and hide the heads. The router is used with a rabbet bit to cut a lip in the inside for some glass, and that is held in place with mirror clips (box store stuff). Find "No Mortise" hinges to hang the door. Rockler has lots of stuff like this. Some sanding, a coat of stain and some varnish and you have a display cabinet.

[SkunkedAgain]

Cool, thanks Hydro

[Traxxx]

Heres one, thats probably not to hard. Its a coffee table with the middle cut out. Router the edge so the glass fits flush, stain, measure, cut a couple 2x2's, attach the cut out piece, as the base and assemble.

[SkunkedAgain]

That's a good idea Traxx. I might have to scout some garage sales. In hindsight, I would rather have wood on the edges that look as worn as the lures themselves.

[hydro]

Check the box stores for a wood medicine cabinet in the scratch and dent area. You can pull the mirror and replace it with glass and you have your cabinet!

[nofishfisherman]

I have a lot of old lures as well and thought about doing a shadow box frame with them.

I can build or buy the shadow box frame easy enough but the question I had is how best to hang the lures in the box. Anyone do something like this before.

My thought was to line the back with cork and then dig the hooks into the cork to hang the lures but I would like to be able to hang the lures upright as they would be seen when pulled through the water.

Any ideas?

I also like the end table/coffee table idea. I might have to look at that as an option as well and then just lay the lures in there.

[Surface Tension]

If you want the look of cork you can get 1' squares at a reasonable price. That will work on the smaller boxes. Use pins to hang the lure is the position you want. How about a small piece of driftwood with the back treble snagged on it and mono holding the lure stretched out. Maybe some river sand or gravel in the bottom. I guess use your imagination there.

When you start getting into larger boxes look for poster board rather then cork. That will have a paper type laminate over pressed fiberboard. If you like you can use felt of your choose to go over.

Choose the right dimension lumber according to the size box.

Joints, miter first comes to mind, then I thought how much more interesting a lap, dovetail, finger, rabbit, or dowel joint would look.

Which leads into wood types and treatment.

I'm thinking old barn board, a simple butt or rabbit joint with red felt over the backer would look nice.

For the small boxes use "parting stop" for the base. You could go on to use that for the face frame as well or pick out molding. Use tiny brass hinges and hardware. To hold the glass you can use small quarter round or make a relief cut in your frame to accept the glass.