Whether you collect action figures, love to show off your LEGO creations (that’s me!), or just hate dusting (also me), you’ll want to pay attention to this hack.
It’s also perfect for keeping curious kitties from knocking over your displays, which was the catalyst for this particular bookcase modification.
Davidtsh @toytsh really liked the ideas for displays he saw on Wicked Brick, but the cost, especially to ship from the UK to Barcelona, pushed the shelves out of his financial comfort zone. To stay on budget, he decided to hack his own display units for his existing BILLY bookcases.
The DIY route was worth it because he said, “In total for a little bit less than the price of one ‘wickedbrick’ I got two.”
If you’re looking for a similar solution to protect your collectibles from dust or feisty felines, here’s what you need to do!
What You’ll Need
- 1 Methacrylate sheet (3mm thick, 60cm x 100cm sheet)
- Small clamps
- Masking tape
- Bookends (for stability)
- Acrylic glue
- Utility knife or plexiglass knife (if planning to cut sheets yourself)
- Steel straightedge ruler (if planning to cut sheets yourself)
The BILLY Bookcase Display Window Upgrade
1. Buy Acrylic Sheets
Purchase acrylic sheets from your local home improvement store or even online. Davidtsh got his from Servei Estació, a big supplies, crafts, and home improvement store in Barcelona. One sheet was enough for two shelves and cost about $70.
2. Cut Acrylic Sheets
Measure your BILLY bookcase shelf opening to get the accurate dimensions for the width and height of your display fronts. Davidtsh said that after the cuts for the two fronts, the leftover pieces were perfect for creating the four sides.
He had the shop cut the sheets for him since they only charged a small fee per cut. But if you decide to do it yourself, you can use a circular saw with a fine-toothed, sharp blade, or score the sheets with a sharp utility knife.
Scoring and snapping is a simple way to cut plexiglass if all you need is a straight line, especially if you don’t want to hassle with power tools. It’s also a solid option for sheets with a thickness of 3mm or less.
Use the straightedge ruler as a guide when you score the sheets. After scoring, snap the sheet. (Check out this tutorial on how to score and snap plexiglass.)
3. Glue Acrylic Sheets
Use the acrylic glue to attach the acrylic sides to the front at 90 degrees. David taped down the front so it wouldn’t slide, applied the glue, and then used bookends to add extra support while the glue dried. (He clamped a bookend to the acrylic sides for extra stability.)
After everything dries, remove the protective layers, then slide the bookcase display window into place!
Maximize Your Display’s Mojo
These acrylic covers make excellent display cases out of the BILLY, protecting your collectibles from dust, pets, and curious fingers. To take things to a new level, literally, use acrylic risers for items in the back so they’re more visible.
One commenter suggested that the hacker could make these as well, using a similar method, just smaller. However, you can easily find reasonably-priced acrylic risers on Amazon and similar sites, which would be much simpler, as Davidtsh himself points out.
So what would you use this hack for? Do you have a prized collection that you can’t wait to show off, but you’ve been dreading the thought of dusting?
Well, now you have a solution, especially if you already have a BILLY or other shelving. Apply this technique to any set of shelves; just adjust your measurements as needed.
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Want to show us a hack of your own? We’d love to see it! You might even be featured next!