Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Greetings alien robot lovers!

Hope this is okay posted here as it's not so much a custom Transformer but a custom made display case for Transformers, or anything really but I'll get to that later!

The story goes...

My wife started asking odd questions regarding the size of a Transformer, height, width, depth, name etc which I thought extremely out of character?
She likes the movies, tolerates my collection and I think she has a thing for the voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen!!

Now I love a surprise and was filled with hope that she had some crazy plan for a gift for my recent 40th birthday!

After visiting relatives over in Dublin the gift was realised!

This was made by my brother-in-law in his home studio/workshop.
Its made with 2mm thick clear plastic, laser cut and etched with a faction logo, mode and name.

Made from six pieces, the edges are cut to form interlocking teeth (for want of a better description) which clip together around each edge forming the case.
The plastic sheets have a thin layer of protective film over them which needs peeling back, which is why a couple of my photos look a little scratched, so dont worry!

Being a test piece/gift, if I had known what was coming I would have increased the dimensions a little to accommodate lil Prime a bit better.
Once I had assembled the display case and popped Optimus in there it got me to thinking about other Transformers and their needs when displaying them.

Imagine your Classics/Henkei Mirage taking pride in himself in his own little plastic box!

My brother-in-law told me he could make the case larger to fit any size Transformer or other figures I have, so Im going to fire him an email with some ideas.
This smaller case feels very strong and sturdy, but I would guess a Masterpiece sized case would need slightly thicker plastic, perhaps 3mm or 4mm?


So what do folk think?

Wow, thats a pretty snazzy gift you got there!
It looks almost like what a store or even a museum would display a figure from, the etching and perfect edges are so well done!
The only thing that bugs me is that the text isn't centered, but thats just me being OCD and liking things center-justified
And unless the current plastic is that flimsy or needs to bear stress, which it doesn't look like it is, I wouldn't think a much thicker plastic would be needed for larger figures. 3mm seems like a good measure.

Protecticus Maximus wrote:Wow, thats a pretty snazzy gift you got there!
It looks almost like what a store or even a museum would display a figure from, the etching and perfect edges are so well done!
The only thing that bugs me is that the text isn't centered, but thats just me being OCD and liking things center-justified
And unless the current plastic is that flimsy or needs to bear stress, which it doesn't look like it is, I wouldn't think a much thicker plastic would be needed for larger figures. 3mm seems like a good measure.

Thank you! I am really pleased with it and hope to have a couple more made up, but this time at my own cost!

Yep, the 'Robot mode' etching is a little off centre but I'll allow that as its a gift!

I am going to suggest a slightly larger case, maybe to try a large Voyager or Alternator with one. I may drop the name and mode, keeping the faction symbol so it could be used with any Transformer of an appropriate size?

Oooh decisions, decisions!?

I think your brother-in-law could make some money taking in online orders for these cases from TF collectors.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:I think your brother-in-law could make some money taking in online orders for these cases from TF collectors.

Very much this^

I bet more than just TF fans would want cases like this for their collectables too. Gundam, Macross, Kamen Rider. You name it, I bet there's plenty of collectors that would want cases like this for their stuff to keep it safe and display it proudly .

Looks great. Think a collector of anything would love to have those.

Thank you for everyones positive feedback so far. I have passed on a link to this thread and a couple more suggestions for further cases to my brother-in-law.

He rang me last night, feeling rather pleased with himself, has offered to make me a couple more at cost, so as soon as they get delivered I will get some more photos up.

Whilst he is still tweaking the cutting process (its all done with lasers!!) and sourcing the acrylic sheets, I have asked if he could work out some sort of price list and delivery costs, so all being well a small production run could be started if there is enough interest.

I have asked about the possibility of sourcing some sheets with a blue tint so a Mirage display case could be produced. He is looking into it!

I am very pleased with my gift and looking forward to the next two cases arriving.

Woo hoo! A couple more display cases on their way!

I will get some new photos up as soon as...

Hey folks!

Package has arrived with some more display cases from my brother-in-law.

Popped a quick picture below with more to follow once I get them all put together!

Just a another quick update on the display cases. popped the little yellow fella in to see how it looks.

This case is slightly larger than the first, with no faction logo this time.

I have received a nice large case with a Decepticon logo which I will get together and pop some pictures up over the next few days.

My brother-in-law wins again in the design stakes!

So I have finally got my new display cases put together, so Ive popped a couple of Transformers in them and took a couple of pics!

What do you think!

A few more up close and personal snaps!



I know Sideswipe isnt a Decepticon as the faction logo depicts, just I could lay my hands on a 'Con at that moment!
That case would easily accomodate an Alternator/Binaltech or Voyager within reason.
I will do some swaps, its just a lot of my figures are either in storage boxes or still MISB!

Ive managed to crack a couple of joints whilst squeezing the cases together (Doh!) and the Decepticon faction logo is slightly off centre but we're getting there!

All in all I am very impressed with my cases and my brother-in-laws work with his laser kit.
Just gotta PayPal some euros over to him for costs! Roll on pay day!!

These are very cool! I imagine that they would also appeal to MISB and MOSC collectors if you had cases that were exact fit so that they could keep their minty toys staying minty fresh.

Ah, they look so cozy in there! The new large size looks perfect for Sideswipe. Just enough to accommodate him for some decent poses. I might have to take you and your brother-in-law up on a few of the smaller ones for my "not so MIB because they came in a plastic baggie and no box" shelf figures. Dion, Swerve and Sideburn aren't enjoying the dusty air.

Is there a way to get them to stack one on top of another and stay secured, with small tabs, joining rods or something along those lines? I had a vision of a whole wall of them similar to the way the Lego figures are able to:

robotmel wrote:

I think you need dark rodimus banging on the ceoling of hiswith his sword yelling HEY YOU YOUNG WHIPPERSNAPPER!, CUT IT OUT UP THERE!

That's what I think.i also think I haveway toomany tfs for something like that, although a large display case for, say Unicron and a few disciples could work. Hpw well do they do on their sides, say for vehicle modes?

robotmel wrote::D
My brother-in-law wins again in the design stakes!

So I have finally got my new display cases put together, so Ive popped a couple of Transformers in them and took a couple of pics!

What do you think!

Group Shot.jpg

Group Shot 02.jpg

Group Shot 03.jpg

Those look really handy...a bit claustrophobic...but vastly easier to clean.

Don't suppose I could just, steal your brother-in-law please? XD

ArmadaPrime wrote:Don't suppose I could just, steal your brother-in-law please? XD

Actually he is willing to make them to order, but being a custom, what you'll get is what you'll get!
That didnt quite come out right!

The materials are relatively expensive as he has only bought to order, i.e. the ones created for me, also the power usage of the laser machine he uses is expensive too; throw in an odd mistake whilst measuring/cutting with any replacement pieces for the odd crack which may appear whilst constructing/handling (as I have done! Doh!) could result in quite a few Euro being spent, obviously more the larger the display case!

They are super awesome though! I find myself pulling them apart when I unbox a new figure and seeing how it looks cased and displayed!
It is sooo nice to walk into my office and see individual figures encased and proudly displayed, setting off the figure really well!

Flashwave wrote:i also think I haveway toomany tfs for something like that, although a large display case for, say Unicron and a few disciples could work. Hpw well do they do on their sides, say for vehicle modes?

Me too, quite a few of mine which are handy and unboxed are displayed in an Ikea Detolf cabinet but when I feel taken by a particular figure, I pop one in a suitably sized display case and display on to with pride!
I havent got anything in vehicle mode just now, but will get one or two transformed and photographed soon!

Sinnertwin wrote:Is there a way to get them to stack one on top of another and stay secured, with small tabs, joining rods or something along those lines? I had a vision of a whole wall of them similar to the way the Lego figures are able to:

Hmm, I guess something could be cut/adjusted to link them together, would be costly and the figures would all have to be the similarly sized?
Actually maybe not so costly if you used Kreon figures!

robotmel wrote:
Hmm, I guess something could be cut/adjusted to link them together, would be costly and the figures would all have to be the similarly sized?
Actually maybe not so costly if you used Kreon figures!

Double the thickness of the top and bottom plates? Enough that the ends of two of the uprights can fit into one? Of course, then how do you get the lower case's figure out without undowing the whole stricture, and I'd be worried about the strength of the upright panes, the weight of additional figures and plexi would be concerning to me...