Dust Protection for Dioramas and Scale Modelling — Made to Measure Display Cases

Acrylic display case manufactory in Germany for over 20 years

A diorama takes weeks: base board, terrain, figures, weathering. Those very surfaces – static grass, pigments, dry-brushed highlights – can no longer be dusted later on without damaging them. Sora makes the matching made to measure acrylic display case: any footprint, any height, and as an oversize or two-part split case where needed.

Configure your display case now → See typical model dimensions More about the made to measure display case

Measure the diorama · enter the inside dimensions · choose the base · order — in about 3 minutes

Any footprint possible Oversize & split cases too Made in Germany
Elaborately built diorama with a vehicle and figures under a made to measure acrylic display case

Why dioramas are the most thankless dust trap in the hobby

A smooth model can be blown clean carefully. A diorama cannot: static grass, pigments, scatter material and dry-brushed highlights react to every puff of air and every stroke of a brush – and dust settles precisely where the surface is roughest.

The usual cleaning methods are ruled out: compressed air blows away static grass and pigments, a brush smears washes and dry-brushed highlights, and anything damp is out of the question anyway. Leave a diorama in the open and after two or three years it visibly loses its effect – not through damage, but through a grey layer of dust that eats up the contrast.

On top of that comes the mechanical risk: aerials, tow cables, figures’ weapons and etched parts break when things are moved, rearranged or dusted. A display case removes both risks at once.

Because dioramas practically never have standard dimensions, made to measure is the normal case here – we build exactly to the base board, with or without a base, at whatever height is needed.

Which modelling projects benefit most from a display case

Six typical cases from everyday model making.

Historic stagecoach diorama with a horse team under a made to measure acrylic display case

Historic coach & landscape dioramas

Spoked wheels, leather harness and a painted backdrop: precisely the parts that make the value of a historic diorama are also the most delicate. A display case protects the whole scene without blocking the view of a single detail.

Aircraft model with lowered undercarriage under a flat wide acrylic display case

Aircraft models 1/72 to 1/32

Undercarriage, aerials and pitot tubes are exposed and break easily. A flat, wide display case protects exactly the parts that otherwise snap off when the model is moved.

Illuminated miniature village with many half-timbered houses under a long made to measure acrylic display case

Miniature villages & house dioramas

Dozens of miniature houses, street lamps and often a wiring loom of their own: in a model village every roof and every chimney counts. One long, flat display case protects the complete scene at once – with no need for a separate cabinet per house.

Painted tabletop miniatures tiered on an acrylic staircase under a display case

Tabletop & painted armies

Painted miniatures are playable and delicate at the same time. On an acrylic staircase every rank stays visible – under a display case the army stays free of dust until the next game.

Architectural presentation model under a clear acrylic display case on a plinth

Architectural and presentation models

For the office, reception or a trade fair: an architectural model under a clear display case stays presentable for months – even where the public walks past every day.

Large modelling scene under an oversize acrylic display case

Large scenes

Once the scene grows wider and deeper than 50 cm, the oversize display case takes over – Shipping to delivery addresses in Germany only. For very long, narrow set-ups the two-part split case is the answer, and it ships to all our delivery countries.

Typical model and diorama dimensions & the matching display case

Reference values for the common modelling scales, calculated from well-known originals. With dioramas what always counts is the base board plus the highest point – so trees, masts and figures with a raised weapon as well.

Model / diorama Typical dimensions (W × D × H) Matching display case Direct link
Aircraft 1/72 (jet) approx. 21 × 14 × 6 cm Made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 24 × 17 × 9 cm Made to Measure
Aircraft 1/48 (jet) approx. 31 × 20 × 9 cm Made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 35 × 24 × 12 cm Made to Measure
Aircraft 1/32 (jet) approx. 47 × 30 × 13 cm Made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 52 × 34 × 17 cm Made to Measure
Tank 1/35 (with barrel) approx. 24 × 11 × 9 cm Made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 28 × 15 × 12 cm Made to Measure
Small vignette diorama base board approx. 20 × 20 cm Made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 22 × 22 × 20 cm Made to Measure
Medium diorama base board approx. 40 × 30 cm Made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 42 × 32 × 30 cm Made to Measure
Large diorama base board approx. 60 × 40 cm Made to measure case – one dimension above 50 cm is permitted Made to Measure
Very large scene from approx. 70 × 60 cm Oversize display case (two dimensions above 50 cm) – shipping within Germany only Oversize
Long, narrow diorama e.g. 180 × 40 × 40 cm Split display case, two-part, up to about 220 cm Split Case
Tabletop army, tiered depending on shelf size Acrylic staircase as a stage, made to measure display case over it Staircase

Model dimensions are approximate values calculated from the originals – please measure your own kit. Rule of thumb: one dimension above 50 cm = standard case, two or more dimensions above 50 cm = oversize – shipping within Germany only.
The material thickness is always the same: 4 mm clear acrylic glass, a back panel in black or reflective acrylic 3 mm.

Configure a display case for my diorama →

How to configure your diorama display case in 3 minutes

The online configurator guides you step by step – no data sheet, no queries needed.

Measure the base board

Width and depth of the base board, height up to the highest point – count in trees, masts, aerials and figures.

The highest point, not the average height!

Enter the inside dimensions

Enter the measurements plus a little clearance as inside dimensions – that is the room your scene gets.

Inside dimensions, not outside dimensions!

Base & back panel

If the diorama has a base board of its own, usually without a base. Otherwise a base in black or reflective acrylic as a clean edge.

Order

Price in real time. Delivery in about 8 working days – assembly in a few minutes.

Placing it over the base board without a base – the normal case

Most dioramas already stand on a base board of their own made of wood or MDF. In that case the display case is made without a base and simply placed over the top; what is measured is the base board plus the height of the highest point. The figures are always inside dimensions; the outside dimensions come out slightly larger because of the material thickness and the plug-and-screw system:

outside width = inside width + 14 mm outside depth = inside depth + 8 mm outside height (without base) = inside height + 7 mm

Tip: allow 1 to 2 cm of clearance all round. When lowering the case you otherwise knock off exactly the parts that took longest – aerials, blades of grass, figures’ weapons.

Base and top panels in acrylic

If you want to order the base board at the same time: rectangular acrylic panels cut to size are available in your size, in clear, black or reflective acrylic and on request with rounded corners. A black panel under the diorama works like a passe-partout and separates the scene visually from the surface underneath.

Oversize and split display case

In the standard configurator at most one of the three dimensions may exceed 50 cm. For large scenes use the oversize display case – Shipping to delivery addresses in Germany only. For long narrow set-ups there is the two-part split display case (up to about 220 cm), which we ship to all our delivery countries.

Exhibitions and transport

Because everything is screwed and not glued, the display case can be taken apart again for the journey to an exhibition and stowed flat in the car – and put back together on site in a few minutes. Individual parts can be reordered at any time, should something break along the way.

Open the configurator now →

Material and quality

We work exclusively with high-grade PMMA acrylic glass of industrial quality – crystal clear, lightfast and in the lasting Sora quality.

4 mmclear acrylic glass
3 mmback panel in black & reflective
> 92 %light transmission
approx. 8working days delivery time

Lightfastness and UV behaviour

The acrylic glass we use does not yellow and does not become brittle even after years in direct sunlight. Important: the acrylic glass itself is UV-stable, but it offers no UV protection for the collectable on display. Pigments, washes and acrylic paints change noticeably under direct sun – a diorama next to a south-facing window loses contrast and colour depth within a few years.

The Sora plug-and-screw system: nothing glued, fully demountable

We neither glue nor mould in one piece; we supply the display case as a construction kit with small screws and nuts. Handy for dioramas: the case travels flat in the parcel, and if you later take the diorama to an exhibition, you simply take it apart again.

By the way: our plug-and-screw system is no passing fashion – we developed it ourselves more than 20 years ago and had it officially registered as a utility model. View the original document as a PDF ↗

Safe shipping Even large display cases arrive undamaged, because they travel flat.
Easy to move house with Unscrew, pack up, reassemble.
Spare parts If something breaks, simply reorder the single part.
Made in Germany Over 20 years of manufactory experience.
Close-up of the Sora plug-and-screw system with small screws in the corner of the acrylic glass

What you should know after delivery

Don’t be alarmed: the protective film

When your parcel arrives, the acrylic parts will probably look blue, green, white or even scratched. That is the protective film covering every part on both sides to prevent scratches during production and shipping (reflective elements are filmed on the front only).

Simply lift the film at one corner with your fingernail – acrylic cannot be scratched by a fingernail. Underneath, crystal-clear, flawless acrylic glass comes to light.

Protective film being peeled off an acrylic panel, crystal-clear acrylic visible underneath

More than the display case: further solutions for model makers

For base boards, tiered presentation and extra lengths.

Acrylic panels cut to size

Rectangular panels in your size – clear, black or reflective, optionally with rounded corners. As a base board, a passe-partout or a water surface.

Configure a cut to size panel ↗

Made to measure acrylic staircase

Tiers miniatures and models upwards towards the back – ideal for painted armies and groups of figures under a single shared display case.

Configure an acrylic staircase ↗

Made to measure display cabinet

Compartments, columns and dimensions freely chosen – for model collections, vignettes or a whole kit series side by side.

Configure a display cabinet ↗

Split display case for extra lengths

A two-part case up to about 220 cm – for long narrow scenes, street and railway dioramas.

Configure a split display case ↗

Frequently asked questions about display cases for dioramas

Do I need a base under the diorama?

Usually not: if your diorama already has a base board of wood or MDF, the case is made without a base and simply placed over the top. An acrylic base is worthwhile if the scene is to be built directly on the base of the case, or if you want a clean black edge as a finish. With a base the usable inside height is reduced by 4 mm.

How much clearance should I allow?

1 to 2 cm all round is a good figure. Lowering the case needs room to manoeuvre, otherwise you knock off aerials, blades of grass or figures’ weapons. With tall, delicate set-ups (trees, masts, cranes) allow 3 cm instead.

Can I order the base board at the same time?

Yes – as a rectangular acrylic panel cut to size in your size, in clear, black or reflective acrylic and on request with rounded corners. Make sure the panel is slightly larger than the inside dimensions of the case if the case is to stand on it.

From what point do I need an oversize display case?

As soon as two of the three dimensions exceed 50 cm. A single dimension above 50 cm – a scene 60 cm wide but only 30 cm deep, for example – is still fine in the standard configurator. Shipping to delivery addresses in Germany only. Oversize items carry an automatic shipping surcharge.

Does condensation form inside the case?

Not in normal living spaces. It only becomes critical if a diorama with materials that have not fully dried out (plaster, modelling clay, water effect gel) is covered straight away – leave set-ups like that open for a few days to dry through first.

Can I take the case to exhibitions?

Yes. All our display cases are screwed rather than glued: they can be taken apart, transported flat and put back together on site in a few minutes. Individual parts can be reordered at any time.

Real customer photos from modelling workshops

No renderings: this is how Sora customers really protect their dioramas. A selection from the photos that customers send us after delivery.

Customer photo: historic stagecoach diorama under a Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: illuminated miniature village under a long Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: miniature Eiffel Tower model under a tall Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: quarry diorama with landscape scenery under a Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: model airport diorama with miniature aircraft under a Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: round miniature landscape diorama under a Sora acrylic display case
See all customer photos →

All photos were provided to us by Sora customers and are published with their consent.

Your diorama is waiting for its display case

3 minutes in the configurator, price in real time, Made in Germany.
Delivery in about 8 working days – assembly in a few minutes.

Configure now →