How to Make a Watch Display Case

Do you have a collection of vintage watches you want displayed in a case, either at home or perhaps in your store? This article walks you through step-by-step instructions on building a portable wooden watch display case two feet long and one foot wide and two inches deep, able to hold 15 to 20 watches. All that is required in accomplishing this task is a few carpentry tools, plywood, wood stain or paint of your choice, hardware and a pre-cut piece of glass.

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring tape 1/2" high-quality smooth-finish plywood Circular saw 1/4" plywood Sander Wood stain or paint of your choice A pre-cut piece of glass One-inch wood screws Screwdriver Glue Cloth lining of your choice

Instructions

Cutting the Pieces for Your Watch Display Case

Step 1

Take the piece of 1/2" plywood and measure out a piece two feet long and one foot wide for the bottom of your display case. Cut this piece out with the circular saw.

Step 2

Measure out two pieces that are two feet long and two inches wide each from the 1/2" plywood. Cut these out for two of the sides for your case.

Step 3

Measure and cut out two pieces from the 1/2" plywood that are each 11 inches long and two inches wide for the other two sides.

Step 4

Cut out two sections from the 1/4" plywood that are each 1'11" long and 1 3/4" wide. These are part of the inset to hold the glass over the watches.

Step 5

Measure and cut out two sections that are 10 1/2" long and 1 3/4" wide for the other sections of the inset.

Step 6

Sand any rough edges off all cut pieces. Apply wood stain or the paint of your choice and allow to dry.

Step 7

Go to a local glass shop and have a piece of 1/4-inch-thick glass cut so that it is 1' 10 7/8" long and 10 7/8" wide for the display window of your case. Have all edges smoothed and finished.

Constructing Your Watch Display Case

Step 1

Gather the four outer sides of your case and form a rectangle. Place the two-feet-long pieces parallel to each other one foot apart on their short edges. Complete the rectangle by placing the 11-inch-long pieces on each side in between the other pieces. Drive two screws through each end of the longer side pieces into the shorter pieces. You now have a frame for your display case that is two feet long, one foot wide and two inches deep.

Step 2

Lay the frame flat and attach the bottom of your case to it. Place the bottom piece over the frame and drive a screw every three inches into the frame through the bottom, all the way around the frame.

Step 3

Turn the finished section over on the bottom and gather the four inset pieces. Place one 1' 11" piece inside the case against the long side of the case so it is up on its edge. Squeeze some wood glue in between the inset piece and the side piece and press together. Repeat this process in attaching the other three inset pieces all the way around the inside of the box. You now have an inset for the glass that is 1/4" deeper from the outer sides of your display case.

Step 4

Cut your cloth to fit across the bottom of your case and up the 1 3/4" sides of the inset pieces. Spread glue over all surfaces inside the case and carefully attach the cloth. Allow to dry.

Step 5

Set the piece of glass on the insets inside the case. The glass will be even with the top of the four sides.

Step 6

Your new watch display case is now ready to use.

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CD Spindle Earring Stand

A very simple project to take the leftover stuff from a stack of blank CDs and make a stand to hold earrings. 

step 1Find a suitable CD stack spindle

I had a stack of blank CDs stored on this spindle. There was also a plastic cover, but it's unfortunately gone to the landfill, as I couldn't figure out another use for it. But the spindle that held the blank CDs was quite nice, and the little plastic top that held the whole thing together screwed on nicely. Obviously this won't work with just any spindle without som…

step 2Drill holes in the CD

I had a stack of CDs with useless data on them. This one came from a tourist bureau, and I liked the color, so decided to have the colored/label part show. You could also put the silver, shiny side up. Start with the CD. I used a Dremel cutting tool, but a power drill would also work. 1) clamp the CD firmly to a piece of wood. The wood will have a few dozen tiny …

step 3Glue drilled CD to spindle top

First figure out where the CD and the top of the spindle are touching. There were relatively few contact points on mine. That influenced my decision about what glue to use, as I wanted to use a glue that would 'fill in' a little, and increase the area of the bond. Household GOOP was perfect. Epoxy would likely also work fine. I usually squeeze the goop out onto a p…

step 4Assemble

Here's what mine looked like when I screwed it back together.

step 5Load with earrings and admire

Now you can end the jumble of earrings on your dresser, and have all your lovelies neatly displayed and ready for action. If I can find a tall enough spindle, I'm going to try to do something with necklaces next.

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