Need help with riker case

Dug

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Feb 18, 2013
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Hi;

Working on a Riker case and have some items like bullets that I want to sit down inside pockets in the white material as the case will be displayed vertically.

I tried using a small hot iron but it is hard to control how much material is removed and leaves behind black beads of burnt material.

Is there a better way to create pockets in this material for artifacts to lay in?
 

I don’t know if this is of any interest to you, but I now often use what are called ‘membrane boxes’ for display of small or delicate items.

They have a hinge on one edge and have a sheet of tough, stretchy, high-clarity transparent plastic membrane in both the lid and the base. When you close the box, the 2 membranes come together in close contact and stretch around the specimen. It then looks like it's hanging in mid-air and you can view it front and back.

I bought a load of small ones in different sizes with a completely clear surround, like these:

Membrane 1.jpg Membrane 2.jpg

My supplier also had larger ones (up to about 7 x 5 inches and an inch thick) with a concealed magnetic catch in a black frame surround, including a leatherette finish which had much more the feel of a sleek museum case than the ‘clunky’ ones I’m showing above. The large ones could be stood up like a picture frame or hung on a wall and whatever is in there won’t move around no matter how much you shake them. It’s also easy to remove the items any time you want.

Sorry I don’t have pictures of those and my supplier doesn’t have a website, but here’s something similar from a different supplier (in the USA) I found with a very brief bit of Googling. If you’re interested, it might be worth a bit more Googling to see if there’s something available in the States that meets your needs, or which you could adapt.

Membrane 3.jpg
 

I don’t know if this is of any interest to you, but I now often use what are called ‘membrane boxes’ for display of small or delicate items.

They have a hinge on one edge and have a sheet of tough, stretchy, high-clarity transparent plastic membrane in both the lid and the base. When you close the box, the 2 membranes come together in close contact and stretch around the specimen. It then looks like it's hanging in mid-air and you can view it front and back.

I bought a load of small ones in different sizes with a completely clear surround, like these:

View attachment 1902210 View attachment 1902211

My supplier also had larger ones (up to about 7 x 5 inches and an inch thick) with a concealed magnetic catch in a black frame surround, including a leatherette finish which had much more the feel of a sleek museum case than the ‘clunky’ ones I’m showing above. The large ones could be stood up like a picture frame or hung on a wall and whatever is in there won’t move around no matter how much you shake them. It’s also easy to remove the items any time you want.

Sorry I don’t have pictures of those and my supplier doesn’t have a website, but here’s something similar from a different supplier (in the USA) I found with a very brief bit of Googling. If you’re interested, it might be worth a bit more Googling to see if there’s something available in the States that meets your needs, or which you could adapt.

View attachment 1902212

That's pretty cool!

Unfortunately I have over 50 items to go into a 14" X 20" (35.5 X 50.8 CM) Riker case. Many are flat and do not need depressions but a few items will need to be recessed into the white material so as not to put pressure on the material holding neighboring items against the glass. I have also built a wood frame that will hold the Riker case so that it can be wall mounted as horizontal space is a premium in most households.
 

I put an extra piece of foam about an inch thick, the size of the entire case, behind the original white stuff in the case. By making it thicker, it will allow you to display vertically, without your items shifting. This works very well, without having to make cutouts to fit your items.
 

I put an extra piece of foam about an inch thick, the size of the entire case, behind the original white stuff in the case. By making it thicker, it will allow you to display vertically, without your items shifting. This works very well, without having to make cutouts to fit your items.

Great idea thanks!
 

You can also cover foam with a different color of felt material that will make your displayed items stand out against the background. Good Luck.
 

I dye the foam with Rit Dye. Here are two frames done. If I have to I add padding behind the dyed foam. I know they are not Riker frames but the principle is the same.
 

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I dye the foam with Rit Dye. Here are two frames done. If I have ti I add padding behind the dyed foam. I know they are not Riker frames but the principle is the same.
Very nice looking displays.
 

Very nice looking displays.


The frame on the left is the finds from the last hunt I had with my brother and the one on the right is of the lead that came out of one hole. My brother found them several years ago.
 

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