You have received some good advice regarding pedistals and their design.

In addition to these excellent "think" categories, think safety,
security and fire proofing - to include fire suppression.

Kind Regards

Roger Wulff
Museum Services International
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LaserRay wrote:
>
> Scott Reuter wrote:
> > In my opinion, the most important thing to take into account before you
> > design your pedestals is to make both the bottom and the top of the
> > pedestals removable
>
> other things to keep in mind:
>
> 1) think modular. Scale your "family" of pedestals so that
> they can work together in a variety of arrangements, side by
> side or at right angles, alone or in pairs. One system
> may be to start with a 2' x 2' size as a "basic unit," and from
> there make others based on multiples of that unit. Making them
> this way also saves space when storing. Keeping their dimensions
> in whole or half foot lengths makes it easier to remember later what
> sizes you have. Of course, make your pedestals within doorway or
> elevator dimensions so that you can move them easily throughout
> your building. Also, make all your pedestals so that they can be
> seen from all sides, even if you know they're going against a wall:
> you never know!
>
> 2) think surface. You may want to keep a mix of pedestals:
> some to be painted for color changes, some in a natural
> wood finish that looks like "furniture" for your interiors, some
> in durable laminates. Joints should be mitered, not butt or rabbet.
>
> 3) think portability. Besides making sure the pedestals have
> "leg buttons" for ease of movement across floor types, you may also
> want to design them with a 1" reveal about 4" from the top edge:
> this not only visually "lifts" the upper part of the pedestal (into a
> "visual deck" for the objects) but it also gives you a handy handle
> for moving these things around (perhaps this "visual deck" could be
> the removable top that Scott suggests). And don't forget a toe-kick:
> besides visually "lifting" the pedestal from dull ponderousness, it will
> save the rest of the pedestal from the wear and tear of moving, mopping, etc.
> Again, perhaps this toe-kick could be the removable part of the bottom,
> as Scott suggests.
>
> 4) think access. With at least one part removable, your pedestals
> can accomodate applications for alarms, silica gel, etc.
>
> 5) think sideways. Consider how the pedestals can
> also work for you if placed on their sides (for low displays, area
> separators, supports for platforms, stacked).
>
> 6) think simple. A four-sided plain box will see you through more
> general uses than an octagon with mouldings and bevels...
>
> You didn't mention if you're using vitrines with these pedestals or not,
> but if you are, it's easier to build the pedestals first and then have the
> vitrines made to fit. The vitrines should fit into a groove on the pedestal's
> top surface; that way, even without the vitrine the pedestal still looks
> presentable with its top surface flush. Also, if using vitrines, consider
> that they should be either tall enough to go above a viewer's field of vision,
> or short enough to allow unobstructed views of the gallery (having a mix
> of both is a good idea).
>
> Ray
> ***