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A how-to for building a dealer display rack out of PVC

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Perhaps mschmidt could take preorders on the display rack kit and then truck them to a big local comicon like Wizard Chicago for forumites to finalize payment (perhaps 1/2 deposit, 1/2 upon pick up). :idea:

 

I second that. :headbang:

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The current footprint is about 34" - I have an idea for making that smaller that I'll try tonight, though.

 

Just move the Wye down a shelf. How much does that shorten the depth? There will be a point where tipping becomes a concern, but 34" for a 72" rack seems overkill. 28" or less would be ideal, that way you can fit a long box under there and it should still be as sturdy as the expensive aluminum ones.

 

 

 

 

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Wombats use a cord lock like this which the nylon cord passes through. Users can tighten the string periodically between conventions or loosen it to allow easier removal of comics. No knowledge of knots required. (The wombat passes the nylon cord through metal hoops along the shelf edge.)

 

http://www.basegear.com/cordlock.html

 

 

96966.gif.1fdc2574ffdb030462f921c5287aafe5.gif

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The current footprint is about 34" - I have an idea for making that smaller that I'll try tonight, though.

 

Just move the Wye down a shelf. How much does that shorten the depth? There will be a point where tipping becomes a concern, but 34" for a 72" rack seems overkill. 28" or less would be ideal, that way you can fit a long box under there and it should still be as sturdy as the expensive aluminum ones.

 

I've experimented with that and didn't like the result - the rack is 86" tall, and with the wye moved down, it becomes too top-heavy and looses a great deal of stability.

 

I think I have another solution, though - been playing around with the back leg tonight, and if I can find some 11º elbows tomorrow, I should be able to get the footprint down to 26" or so. I'll post once I know more.

 

Also - somebody asked about strings to keep the books from falling off the shelf. What I do is drill some small hooks into the pillar - about 1" down from each shelf. I then use an elastic wire with latches on the end to catch onto the hooks. Keeps the books safe & sound. I'll take pictures of that later this week as well.

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Ok, after playing around with a bunch of different configurations, I came up with this solution to reduce the footprint. It also incorporates cross-bracing at the bottom, for even more stability (as pr. roy's suggestion).

 

The footprint is now only 21" - which is nice when space is at a premium.

 

I'll update my how-to tomorrow with the new build info (it's only the front & the back leg that changed), but this is what it looks like:

 

revisedback1.jpg

 

revisedback2.jpg

 

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Very cool. Reducing the footprint is important if you have a lot of books or a lot of friends. :) A setup we often use it to take two of Shin's aluminum racks (6' wide) and have those as the two inner sides of a corner booth, and the outer side is the 8' table the con provides plus a 6' table I bring. This still leaves room inside (thanks to the smaller footprint) for a 4' interior table and generally seats for 3 boardies. Tight but okay.

 

Strings are definitely a must, I agree. Often someone else's rack is right behind yours with only a curtain between and if they bump theirs, yours can sometimes get hit.

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Very cool. Reducing the footprint is important if you have a lot of books or a lot of friends. :) A setup we often use it to take two of Shin's aluminum racks (6' wide) and have those as the two inner sides of a corner booth, and the outer side is the 8' table the con provides plus a 6' table I bring. This still leaves room inside (thanks to the smaller footprint) for a 4' interior table and generally seats for 3 boardies. Tight but okay.

 

Strings are definitely a must, I agree. Often someone else's rack is right behind yours with only a curtain between and if they bump theirs, yours can sometimes get hit.

 

Definitely - and this is what I use for my string setup. The hooks get screwed into the pillar, about 1" down from each fitting, and the elastic string then latches onto the hooks - keeps the books completely in place:

 

string1.jpg

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I think that bracing will make all the difference in the world.

 

Great job!

 

Does it feel stable when you try the old "tipsy bar trick" on it's forehead?

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I think that bracing will make all the difference in the world.

 

Great job!

 

Does it feel stable when you try the old "tipsy bar trick" on it's forehead?

I learned the hard way about proper bracing. My brother-in-law built one for me out of wood when I was in college and selling at shows to raise money for school.

 

Everything looked great until after I put a run of Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish on it and said brother-in-law came over and stated, "See - sturdy," and shook it. The entire top row fell forward and hit the ground. Corner bends o'plenty.

 

:cry:

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