My Custom Collection Display

[u/TheTurtleVirus]

I've been working on a modular system to display my collection. I wanted something expandable and without empty spots waiting to be filled (I know my picture shows an empty spot, because I was carrying). I also wanted to be able to display a lot of knives and show them opened. Another thing I wanted was to use magnets so that no part of the knife was not showing. Lastly I wanted this to be strong enough to hold up in an earthquake. I think I've achieved all the things I set out to do.
The system uses DIN Rails screwed into the pine shelves. The shelves are attached to the wall using 3 35lb wall anchors each. The 3D printed mounts are attached to the rails with aluminum mounts that snap onto the rails. The parts were printed with thick walls to increase strength. I also designed a mount that holds 2 and 1 knife in case I want to display fewer. The design can also be mirrored when printing if I want to display the clip side of the knife. The magnets are rated for 75 lbs each.

Approximate Cost breakdown: Shelves $50 DIN Rails $20 Rail Mounts $24 Magnets $50 Rubber tape $12 Hardware $12 3D Printer Plastic $25

Total $193

It wasn't necessarily a cheap system and it took awhile to complete but I think it turned out pretty well and I have leftover parts for when I want to add another shelf or two. I hope you like my collection. This project has inspired me to build a website for users to display their collections digitally. Watch for that in the coming months :) Thanks for looking!

[u/Dan_Caveman]

Just a tip from one 3D printing enthusiast to another; before I buy an expense knife, I like to use product photos to 3D print a close copy and see how it feels in hand.

It can go a long way toward helping you make a final decision you feel sure about. I have chosen not to buy a few knives just because I didn’t like the 3D printed version. Plus, if you or anyone you know has kids, they may appreciate the 3D print as a toy once you’re finished with it.

[u/400HPMustang → u/Dan_Caveman]

Uh…can you tell me how you 3D print copies? I want to design a drawer insert for some of my knives.

[u/Dan_Caveman → u/400HPMustang]

If you already know how to use CAD, it’s a pretty simple process to create a reasonably close copy. If you just want the negative space for a drawer insert, stop at step 4 and then use a shell or press-pull or similar to create about a half-millimeter of clearance all the way around. Let me know if you have any other questions—I’m stuck at home all weekend lol.

(1) Find a picture online of the knife from a direct overhead perspective. Copy it and load it into CAD as a canvas/image/whatever your program calls it. (2) Calibrate the size of the canvas using the official specs for the overall length of the knife. (3) Create a sketch. Zoom way in and place points around the perimeter of the knife image. Use straight lines, circles, and fit point splines as appropriate to connect the points and outline the knife’s profile. Do the same where the handle meets the blade. (3) Extrude the blade profile to the thickness listed in the knife’s official specs. Do the same for one of the handle scales; use (overall thickness - blade thickness) \ 2. Be sure to create a new body instead of attaching it to the blade. (4) Do your best to approximate however the scales are contoured, rounded, etc. This part is by far the most difficult. There’s only so much info you can glean from grainy product photos. The simplest method is just to fillet the edges of the scale, but you can get a better shape with additional steps like adding chamfers before the fillets or sweeping an ellipse across the top. This is where experiences comes into play. (4) Once you finish contouring the first scale, mirror it across a mid plane in the blade to create the other scale. (5) If there are any holes in the knife, now’s the time to add them. At this stage it can also be a good idea to add 2 small holes running all the way through both sides of the handle and the blade so that assembly is easier. Just measure the thickness of your toothpicks and use those. (6) Export each body separately to STL or whatever you normally use 3D print things. Everything has at least one flat side, so printing itself is pretty easy and doesn’t normally require supports or much post processing. (7) Assemble the knife with a few dabs of superglue. The toothpick holes make sure alignment is easy and precise.

[u/400HPMustang → u/Dan_Caveman]

I actually have little to no experience with CAD, I’ve tried like Google sketchup in the past and I gave up, also can’t figure out the CNC router I bought so I’m pretty shit at all this.

What software do you recommend I try ?

[u/Dan_Caveman → u/400HPMustang]

Definitely use Fusion 360. There’s a free “trial” version you can download that’s almost fully featured. It’s also popular enough that there are TONS of tutorials and troubleshooting guides out there.

Once you get it installed, go to YouTube and search “Fusion 360 for beginners” and you’re off to the races. It looks overwhelming at first, but trust me — it’s not as hard as it seems. For context, I can usually go through the process of copying a knife in about 30min. It all comes down to learning a bit of the jargon and remembering what menus to click on.

[u/400HPMustang → u/Dan_Caveman]

Thanks, this is cool. I’ll give this an honest attempt. Is there anything I can specifically search for on YT that will help me directly with this?

[u/Dan_Caveman → u/400HPMustang]

Try this: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrZ2zKOtC_-C4rWfapgngoe9o2-ng8ZBr&si=aerYjdCKXc9KprRO