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Possible New Project - Trophy

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NickM

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As some of you might know, one of my other hobbies is target rifle shooting. It's a very old sport with the first "Sovereign's Prize" being competed for in 1860 when the event was held on Wimbledon Common (the same year that the Open Championship began).

I represent Guernsey and recently managed to buy this at auction:

IMG_4560.jpeg

IMG_4558.jpeg

It was presented as a "souvenir" to the captain of the Guernsey team competing at Wimbledon in 1885. (Guernsey came second in the big international match that year, the "Kolapore", behind GB but ahead of Jersey, Canada and India!)

Rather than stick this in a museum, I'd like it to be used as a trophy, probably for something shot during the annual competitions at Bisley, which is the successor of Wimbledon.

So why is this a woodworking project?

The answer is that I need to design and make something so this can be displayed as a trophy which will also have space for names of winners to be engraved.

I haven't got any plans yet, but I'm envisaging some kind of small glass display case mounted on a wooden base. The base would be tall enough to give room for engraving plates. The display section could be a cuboid with glass on 4 sides (or potentially 5). I'm envisaging the spoons being displayed with their box open at just over 90 degrees. I think it would also be nice if the glass top can hinge open so that the spoons can be polished occasionally and so the winner can get them out to use on high days and holidays! I don't want to interfere with the box the spoons are in, so I think I'd need some sort of toggles to keep it in position.

Whilst I'm at it, I'll probably also make a box to store it in for transport etc.

That all sounds very straightforward doesn't it?!

Has anyone got any ideas on where I can look for inspiration.
 
Is it really worth keeping the case for display purposes?
Spoons are normally displayed hanging . A simple stand to hang the spoons on, under a glass bell type jar on plinth with a drawer to hold the original case.
 
AndyP said:
Is it really worth keeping the case for display purposes?
Spoons are normally displayed hanging . A simple stand to hang the spoons on, under a glass bell type jar on plinth with a drawer to hold the original case.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea, but it's the engraving on the case which links it to Guernsey shooting.
 
Sorry, I hadn't noticed the engraving.
Would it be too much to have another identical, plaque engraved to display alongside the spoons?
 
If I were you I'd have a day out in London and go round a museum or two. The V&A would be a good place to start - which reminds me that they are making great progress with photographing their reserve collections. You can browse a database of thousands and even book up to examine any object in person. Their new megastore museum is at the 2012 Olympic Park.

www.vam.ac.uk

Visit V&A East Storehouse · V&A

Make new discoveries, explore untold stories and share ideas at V&A East Storehouse. With half a million works, it’s a sourcebook for your creativity.
www.vam.ac.uk www.vam.ac.uk
 
AndyT said:
If I were you I'd have a day out in London and go round a museum or two. The V&A would be a good place to start - which reminds me that they are making great progress with photographing their reserve collections. You can browse a database of thousands and even book up to examine any object in person. Their new megastore museum is at the 2012 Olympic Park.

www.vam.ac.uk

Visit V&A East Storehouse · V&A

Make new discoveries, explore untold stories and share ideas at V&A East Storehouse. With half a million works, it’s a sourcebook for your creativity.
www.vam.ac.uk www.vam.ac.uk
Click to expand...
I went to the V&A just before Christmas. If only I'd had this in mind then!
 
Well I thought what you described summed up what I envisioned perfectly.
Holding it down or as you said toggles isn’t so easy though, all I can think of is something that goes between the two hinges? Thin metal plate which is screwed down, and magnets on the sides of the plate to secure it?
 
I hadn't noticed the engraving on the box either... sorry.

Now you've mentioned it though... possibly consider sinking the box in to a piece of wood, lid closed so the engraving is visible, and the spoons displayed above the closed box - displaying at a suitable angle?

The glass case and angled display board on a base box that engraving plates can to fixed to.
 
I just had a brainwave...

The sort of thing I have in mind is the sort of case that old aneroid barometers come in.

Something like this:

1773392446937.png

This one seems to have splines to strengthen the mitred corners for the lid and base of the glass box. That might be a good choice. Mitred mortise and tenon joints might be possible but would be incredibly fiddly.

The glass box on this one just lifts off. That would be an option for mine (i.e. no hinges), but I wonder if I could have two pins in each end which need to be pulled out to release it? I'm envisaging spring loaded pins which could be pulled back and turned to latch them in the open position. I can foresee a little lathe job too...

Secret compartment in the base??

At some point I'll have a go at drawing some ideas out.
 
It would give you the enjoyable challenge of making the three-way joints at the corners... 😏

The one in your picture looks like a simple splined mitre across the top, with a stub tenon or dowel underneath, but there's a variant which shows a neat mitre on every face.

I've seen diagrams but never felt the need to attempt them!
 
Adding spline for the glass seems OTT to me. My father made this case for a model ship he also made in the early 90s. He used simple right angled moulding and just glued the glass to the moulding. I have shifted the case, the glass simply lifts off, 3 times in the past few months and it is as strong and rigid now as it was when first made.
20250403_081201_resized.jpeg

Hard to see perhaps but the top corners are “simple” 45° mitres.
 
Accipiter said:
I hadn't noticed the engraving on the box either... sorry.

Now you've mentioned it though... possibly consider sinking the box in to a piece of wood, lid closed so the engraving is visible, and the spoons displayed above the closed box - displaying at a suitable angle?

The glass case and angled display board on a base box that engraving plates can to fixed to.
Click to expand...
If you want the engraving and the spoons on show, there aren't too many options aside from this. Some museum cases use cunning arrangements of mirrors, maybe possible to see the top of the case with the spoons still in it ? (and the right way up to read it !) The case is showing its age a bit though.
 
AndyT said:
It would give you the enjoyable challenge of making the three-way joints at the corners... 😏

The one in your picture looks like a simple splined mitre across the top, with a stub tenon or dowel underneath, but there's a variant which shows a neat mitre on every face.

I've seen diagrams but never felt the need to attempt them!
Click to expand...
I was looking at those earlier this morning. I might be up for the challenge, but I really want to keep the wooden parts of the glass box as slender as possible, and I wonder if a 3-way mitre would just be far too fiddly (and therefore too weak)?
 
AndyP said:
Adding spline for the glass seems OTT to me. My father made this case for a model ship he also made in the early 90s. He used simple right angled moulding and just glued the glass to the moulding. I have shifted the case, the glass simply lifts off, 3 times in the past few months and it is as strong and rigid now as it was when first made.

Hard to see perhaps but the top corners are “simple” 45° mitres.
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought about gluing the glass to the wood. That would massively strengthen it. I wonder what glue he used?

I love the model and the display case!
 
Sheffield Tony said:
If you want the engraving and the spoons on show, there aren't too many options aside from this. Some museum cases use cunning arrangements of mirrors, maybe possible to see the top of the case with the spoons still in it ? (and the right way up to read it !) The case is showing its age a bit though.
Click to expand...
The case is showing it's age, but I don't mind that. It's 140 years old after all!

I think having the case open with the spoons lying in it would be fine. I was a bit worried about the spoons falling out, but they're actually quite snug in the case and don't move around. As long as it's not turned upside down it should be OK!
 
CT1 or equivalent would stick glass to wood and is easily available, in black or clear as well as white. I think the barometer case would have used putty or maybe some felt in a groove or rebate
 
AndyT said:
CT1 or equivalent would stick glass to wood and is easily available, in black or clear as well as white. I think the barometer case would have used putty or maybe some felt in a groove or rebate
Click to expand...
I've got a few tubes of that on my Amazon 'Wish List' as in the finer weather I've got reseal a section of the 'shop exterior due to a leak somewhere. Seems to be good stuff that works on wet or dry surfaces - Rob
 
Hang on a minute... What happened to the idea of making a five-sided case? That could bring in some really challenging joints, if you want wooden framing.

There's another, much simpler option though. You can join pieces of glass quite neatly and easily. You apply self adhesive copper tape to the edges, stand them up touching and solder all along the joins.

There was a bit of a trend for making terrariums back in the 90s but I don't have any pictures of my creations, sorry.

I think they were a Victorian invention, when there was a fashion for growing ferns. A search for "Wardian cases" might give some inspiration.
 
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AndyT said:
Hang on a minute... What happened to the idea of making a five-sided case? That could bring in some really challenging joints, if you want wooden framing.

There's another, much simpler option though. You can join pieces of glass quite neatly and easily. You apply self adhesive copper tape to the edges, stand them up touching and solder all along the joins.

There was a bit of a trend for making terrariums back in the 90s but I don't have any pictures of my creations, sorry.

I think they were a Victorian invention, when there was a fashion for growing ferns. A search for "Wardian cases" might give some inspiration.
Click to expand...
By 5-sided, I just meant whether the top would be wood or glass. It will be cuboid!
 
NickM said:
I was looking at those earlier this morning. I might be up for the challenge, but I really want to keep the wooden parts of the glass box as slender as possible, and I wonder if a 3-way mitre would just be far too fiddly (and therefore too weak)?
Click to expand...
You could try this, although it would be a challenge on such thin members as I think you have in mind.


23094CF1-DE87-4D8A-96A4-A6677A319043_1_201_a.jpeg
 
The width of those stub tenons look to be about 1/10 that of the stock dimension. A three mm thick tenon would mean a 30 mm post. You could probably compress that down to a 20 mm stick and still keep a 3 mm tenon. Tricky work for sure. Maybe another design would be better.
 
Here's an initial drawing of the top part of the trophy. The sides and top will have glass (I'm thinking 2mm) in rebates (about 2.5mm deep). The top will lift off the base. I'm envisaging having a raised 'plinth' on the base over which the top part will fit. There will be some kind of retractable pins to attach the top to the plinth.

GRC Trophy v 3 v2.jpg

I'm thinking about how to construct the base.

I'd like to put a drawer in it and make it around 7.5mm tall so don't plan on making that out of a solid block of wood. Any thoughts on how to go about it?

I guess I need to do some kind of mitred box with a fixed lid and base. I'd need to leave an opening for the drawer in one side/end and would have sides in the drawer opening to keep the drawer on the straight and narrow and to add a bit of strength. should the 'lid' and 'bottom' be veneered ply to prevent movement?

I plan on putting the whole base on some sort of moulded plinth/feet.
 
That certainly is a shallow drawer, I’m just thinking about the bottom of the box and will it deform downwards under the even small weight of the spoons? Thus stopping the drawer opening cleanly?
 
I don't understand why you say that you don't want to make the drawer out of solid. Isn't that what happens with coin collectors' cabinets? (The nearest parallel I can think of.) Whatever goes in the drawer could have its own hollow, routed out to fit.
 
AndyT said:
I don't understand why you say that you don't want to make the drawer out of solid. Isn't that what happens with coin collectors' cabinets? (The nearest parallel I can think of.) Whatever goes in the drawer could have its own hollow, routed out to fit.
Click to expand...
I was thinking more about the base into which the drawer fits. If it's 75mm thick, that's a thick piece of wood that I'd have to find. I'm also not sure how I would create the opening for the drawer.

I'll do a drawing to better explain what I'm thinking.
 
If around 75mm which what are your other measurements? And what timbers have you considered for the base? I've not looked all the way back through the postings to see if you've said Nick.
 
Hi Nick
Somehow I missed a lot of this thread until this morning.

Going back to the suggestions about glueing the glass to the wood and Andy's re the copper tape, I can see no reason why the glass case can't be just made up like an aquarium and with glass to glass bonded using a specialist glue.

I did it years ago for a mate who had a snake, I can't remember which make of glue I used but it was virtually clear and incredibly strong. His missus asked me a few months later if I could "pretty it up" with stained mahogany trims to match her dresser and all I did as I was short of time was buy some L shape mouldings and stick them on with silicone. Worked a treat and looked just like a proper frame.
I don't know what happened to the frame after the snake expired but it certainly lasted well.

I made another smaller one for his son out of perspex to keep stick insects.
 
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Accipiter said:
If around 75mm which what are your other measurements? And what timbers have you considered for the base? I've not looked all the way back through the postings to see if you've said Nick.
Click to expand...
I'll carry on with the CAD model which should make it clearer.

Timber-wise, I'm thinking of making it from walnut.
 
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