Ray Gun Display Stands?

[JohnA]

Hello all,

Does anybody make good stands for ray guns? I am going to assume the answer is no since so many voice the trouble with displaying them. I'd really love to get something like Phil's display but in clear acrylic.


Since that may not be available now, what about smaller stands? Are there others, maybe ones that look/display differently?

Thanx all!
John

[dratomic]

Those small acrylic stands can be had for much less money at various, gun-related web sites. They're apparently pretty standard display solutions. I don't mind them, but I find that often, the guns need to be displayed at an angle when using them. Sometimes this looks okay, sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the size and design of the gun.

The problem with gun displays is that no two guns are alike, which means it's very hard to come up with a universal stand that not only fits every piece, but also looks good. Every ray gun collector I know has resorted to either the above stands, or to something they've created themselves.

I think I've finally come across a system using wire that should work really well. It'll customize itself to every gun, and allow for easy removal -- that's important to me. I like being able to take down the toys and show them to people. Once I've got the stands made -- hopefully in the next few months -- I'll definitely post pictures.

Electric Robot & Son has made some really nice stands, too. Feel like posting some pics, Joe?

[JohnA]

Doc:

The problem with gun displays is that no two guns are alike, which means it's very hard to come up with a universal stand that not only fits every piece, but also looks good. Every ray gun collector I know has resorted to either the above stands, or to something they've created themselves.

Ah, but that's the thing. You don't *need* to have a universal with the right maker. My buddy Oscar made a small business out of doing this for SW called Oscar's Cases. He started small just making standard cases for 6"x9" standard carded figures. He then moved into different styles of cases, cases for proof cards, double cases, playsets, vehicles, etc. He even moved into other toy lines, like GI Joe, Justice Leauge, etc. The idea is to make a style and make it in different sizes. For example, I'm sure the Buck stand would fit several of the early guns. Then make a few other stands for the most popular. Then as custom orders come in save the dimensions for future guns. I've seen several guns that made using the style of another. An enterprising guy could make a decent sum of hobby money by doing this. Oscar doesn't even do the work himself. Of course he lives in Mexico where labor is much cheaper but he has 3 or 4 guys who just fill his orders and he pays them. He's gotten so big that he works with local stores and Museums on custom displays now. Sadly, his shipping time on orders for toy cases has slowed a lot, a LOT, but he also quit his job and only does the acrylic business now. If he weren't so busy I'd ask him if he wanted to take this on but he just has no time.

Doc:

I think I've finally come across a system using wire that should work really well. It'll customize itself to every gun, and allow for easy removal -- that's important to me. I like being able to take down the toys and show them to people. Once I've got the stands made -- hopefully in the next few months -- I'll definitely post pictures.

Sounds interesting. Looking forward to seeing this.

Doc:

Electric Robot & Son has made some really nice stands, too. Feel like posting some pics, Joe?

I'd love to see these too. (I just looked through his posting history and Joe's are the acrylic slabs I mention below - VERY COOL)

Any and all ideas are welcome here. Just looking to find a solution. I've seen a few nice ones but they are on a piece by piece basis and complicated. Somebody had neat acrylic slabs with pegs for the gun but each was a one-off and it looked great but also complicated.

BTW, Doc, do you have a link to some of those gun stands you mentioned that were cheaper?

John

[dratomic]

These are the two links that Ogdorg once emailed me:

http://amobhitman.com/customer/product.php?productid=13877

and

http://shortyusa.com/index.html?RID=4328

These stands still aren't cheap -- I think the first link has 'em for about $4.50, but it's still way better than the alternative.

[Electric Robot and Son]

John,

I made these stands for my rayguns by cutting up acrylic shelves I bought at a store fixture liquidation and installing acrylic rods to support the guns:

http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/index.ph...ic=7919&hl=

I made different style brackets for the Raygun Rifles but I haven't taken any pics of those yet. Maybe this will be an incentive to get my camera out.

[Clunkclick]

Great topic John. I was going to ask the same question. Some of the commercial offerings are dearer than my guns. I just lie mine down but it isn't the solution. ER & S's idea is brilliant. :D

[JohnA]

A stand like this would be great:

I wonder if there's a way to make something like that but slightly adjustable to accomodate more than one type of gun. Maybe just 4 sizes then (S, M, L, and rifle)

Anybody ever try these?

They look nice but no brace in the back makes me think most ray guns without a flat grip would wobble.

What about these?

These have that brace for the grip which is nice but I'm not sure what size ray gun it would hold.

John

[dratomic]

The stands I'd originally made for my guns, way back when, were similar to that fancy one up above, except in acrylic. I used a clear rod sticking up from a clear base, and used a bit of museum wax to hold everything in place. It worked well for the lighter guns, but I didn't love how they were stuck to their stands -- museum wax is supposedly safe for plastic, but it was making me a bit nervous... Plus, I had to custom make every stand, and that was kind of a pain. Looked nice, though.

[Clunkclick]

I remember those Brian. They looked great. I am sure that our Host Meister Brian will know about the safety of museum wax. It is used extensively in displays but wax contains oil (I think) and many guns are brittle plastic unlike the oily plastic used for figures?

[dratomic]

Museum wax -- the stuff I know of, anyway -- isn't actually wax. It's more like that sticky blue stuff, though it's often white. It says it's chemical-free, for the most part, but still.... I started to get a bit nervous towards the end. Anyway, I didn't like that the guns were stuck tot he stands. I wanted them to be more removable.

[JohnA]

The thing with Blu-tack, museum wax, and even dental wax (all of which I've used) is that it can remove paint. I have tried all of them on bootleg action figures (poor quality casts often makes it hard to stand on thir own) and paint has been removed from the bottoms of feet. Of course, an unpainted piece should be fine. I wouldn't risk it on something with paint or litho on the bottom though.

John

[Joe K.]

I got to thinking about an easy way to wall display a large, or small, collection of ray guns that would give you the ability to reposition them as the collection evolved/grew in number. One word: (No, not plastics, dear Graduates!) MAGNETS!

Take a look at this web site, specifically Item A - White Magnetic Hooks:

http://www.magnetsource.com/Consumer%20Pages/Hooks.html

I found these at my local hardware store for only $2.20 a pair. They have a 1 inch (25 mm) base and can support a decent amount of weight. I should think that Lowes or Home Depot would probably have something very similar. Originally, I thought the hook could be unscrewed from the base and replaced with a machine screw of the necessary length. There are threads showing on the shaft of the hook where it goes into the larger diameter collar. My attempt to do so resulted in snapping the hook off completely at this point. On the other one, I tried straightening out the hook with some pliers. The steel rod used to make these hooks is very hard and somewhat brittle. Stress cracks quickly appeared. For the one broken off hook, I cut a length of soda straw to slip over the remaining collar. Perhaps the right diameter PVC tubing (approx. 5/16" I.D.) would work even better. Anyway, what I basically ended up with were two support rods with magnetic bases that could be used to support the gun at any two points.

Of course, the other component of this mounting system is a steel sheet cut to the appropriate size.

Individual stands could be made by forming smaller pieces of the sheet steel at a right angle. The magnetic support rods could then be positioned anywhere on these "stands" with the gun orientated as desired. It's what ER&S did with his acrylic shelves, only made out of metal...and with unlimited flexibility.

[dratomic]

You could possibly combine ER&S's system with the magnets, Joe. Create the stands as ER&S did and then glue them to the magnets. Then the whole thing could stick to the sheet of steel. Not QUITE as flexible, but presumably, once you've set up the stand for the gun, you wouldn't really need to change the placement of the rods.

[Joe K.]

How about this idea, Doc...

Just the disc magnets themselves can also be purchased:

http://www.magnetsource.com/Solutions_Page...SCSceramic.html

Take a piece of ER&S' acrylic. Place a "hook" magnet on the front (display) side and a disc magnet on the back side. Correct magnet polarity required, or course!

You still have the look of clear plastic along with the versatility of positioning the mounting posts wherever you want.

Depending on the thickness of the acrylic and the weight of the gun, a larger pair of magnets may be needed.

These acrylic shelves are also available in the form of picture frames. These frames are made of thinner acrylic and come in a variety of sizes.

Something to work on as we await the Spring thaw, eh Doc?!?

[Clunkclick]

I like it Joe! :D