Building a Hollow Core Door Booth

Hi all,

I could really use some help with making booth walls that look very professional and can support glass pieces weighing about 30 lbs each.  I plan on hanging large 26" x 28" flat glass panels using edge grips from Hang Your Glass.  I am preparing for the ACC show in Atlanta.  I think the hollow core doors will work best but am open to other ideas.  I do have a set of propanels and another option is to hang painted plywood from the pro-panels but this seems a bit redundant like building a wall to hang from a wall...

Back to the hollow core door idea.  How do I attach the doors together and how would I brace them so that they cannot fall over?  I do have a showoff aluminum tent frame that I can bring to use as added support if needed. 

Ideas? Any pictures would be really helpful!  

Thanks,

Nancy Cann

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  • I used industrial Velcro straps to attach the panels to the tent frame.

  • I just built my first booth using hollow core doors.  Not sure if this will work in the long run but it wasn't terribly expensive.  I bought over the door bathroom hooks to hang my wall pieces.  I am concerned about level ground issues.  Doing my first show in May...with lots of shims in tow.  Here is a pic.

  • Remember if you build a display with doors, the floor space in your booth needs to be completely level and flat or the doors will wobble. Pro Panels has adjustable feet to compensate for an uneven floor.

    Larry Berman
    http://BermanGraphics.com
    412-401-8100

  • If you use your Propanels, there are hanger straps from them for $15 that are almost 4 feet long. Here's a photo of it;

     

    hanger1.jpg

    If you use Propanels indoors without a tent frame (looks better that way), make sure you have a support bar for the front of the booth display to keep it from wobbling.

    If you use the doors, try adding the door hinges to both edges. You can tap in hinge pins to tie them all together. Since you have a Propanel set, add some short sections of EMT tubing to the top of he doors. Get a short piece from the hardware store, along with a tubing cutter, and cut it into 5-6 inch sections. Drill a hole at the top of the door at the edge the same size as the tubing. Tap the tubing into the hole with a hammer, and you'll have a stub just like on the Propanels, and you can use your support bars.

    My money would be on the metal hanging straps; looks better, doesn't cost that much, and you can still use the Propanels.

    • Will those propanel hanger straps also work if hung over a hollow core door?

    • Thanks.  I had thought about adding the tubing to the top of the doors but did not know what it was called.  So great now I know what to ask for.  

      Another question,

      My propanels are 7 feet tall.  Do you feel that is tall enough or would it look better with the 8 foot doors?

      • The doors are 7 feet tall typically, so they're the same height. Most ceilings are 8 feet and the doorways have about a one foot header above them. You can add adjustable extensions to your Propanels and get another foot of height, more or less, if the height is important. I believe the retro fit kits are about $35, and are easy to install just needing a hammer and screwdriver. I bought some six foot Propanels  from another artist and wanted them to match my existing 7 foot panels. They work like a charm.

        Keep in mind you can also get panel extensions to drop in on the top of the Propanels to gain more panel space and usable height. My own feel is if you go with the Propaanel accessories, you can always sell them later if you don't need them without much loss. The doors will be almost unsellable after you're done with them. If you've got a source for very cheap doors that are matched identical, then that's a different matter.

        • Funny, I do work for a door company and can get some good pricing on the doors.  Would that make a difference with your answer?

          • If the doors are really cheap (your price) it might be less than the Propanels. I would look at it as how much work is involved and how well would the doors hold up to getting banged around. I'mmstill more inclined to the propanol hangers as that involves virtually no extra work and the money would probably be about the same.
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