transporting models

[wizuriel]

Just curious but what do people with large collections use for transporting models? Currently I have an army transport case with 2 3" foam trays and 3-4 1.5-2" foam trays. I know people are my FLGS have started moving to magnetized cases which look better (have had a few models break in transport, espically old metal ones), but I'm just worried I couldn't transport as many models using a magnetized case.

 

So just wondering what people use and how much they can transfer

[HydroMog]

really depends on how much your willing to spend. i only play neverborn at the moment but will be expanding into another faction next year. as such i plan on having a battlefoam malifaux case for each faction. if i happen to need more room than what those cases provide for each faction then i will probably end up selling the case and getting a bigger battlefoam case.

but i have seen people also use the gw crusader case with battlefoam trays in it for every model of a single faction and still have room for about 8-10 50mm models and about 30-35 30mm-40mm models

[EnternalVoid]

I use a paperbag from a bagel place that has handles and inside I have two shoe boxes with foam trays inside.  I carry books, notebooks, tape measurer, and anything like that in my backpack.  So I went very cheap for mine.  It has worked pretty well though, been doing it this way for years just every couple years I need to replace the paperbag.  That all said though I don't bring everything I have got.  I swap around what is inside a bit depending on what faction I plan to be playing..

That said I am working on magnetizing models as well.  The advantage of using magnets is that they are all standing up and can be put in pretty tight.  With a foam tray I get about 25ish laying down *a good chunk being older metal versions*.  I started with my Gremlins for magnetizing and I am guessing I can get 50ish standing up in the same area.  Of course the models would be standing so that takes a bit more vertical room but I am guessing I can do two levels in less space then 4 levels of foam.  The problem that started making me think about this route was models like Ototo, dismounted McCabe, the old metal Austringers, and such with their abnormal shapes.  It really eats up room on a foam tray trying to get proper spacing for these guys.  But with proper playing with magnets it is fine as you can have them next to a model that compliments that position for space. 

If you go magnets I suggest getting rare earth magnets.  I get mine from K & J Magnets .  The size I am using for most of my stuff is 1/8" x 1/16" N42 Discs.  If I remember the price right they were 10 for 1.10.  They pretty much fit perfectly under the newer slit less 30mm bases.  They also fit just as well under most of the older 30mm I had.  I just put 1 on, unless the model is really heavy.  For 40mm so far I have only needed one magnet as well, my Bayou gator and the metal Lenny both only took 1.  Though for 40mm I have used a little bit of Millputty on the bottom of the base, just a ball about the size of the magnet, put the putty under the base where you want the magnet to go, put the magnet in the putty lightly, then press the base down on a flat smooth surface like a counter or your desk.  This gets the magnet level with the bottom edge of the base.  Then I turn it over and leave it for a while for the putty to cure, then I used a bit of superglue around the magnet and putty to cement it in.  So far only two magnets have still came out and that was on some of my earliest tests.

[Bengt]

I have refurbished one of GWs original hard skinned foam cases from the 90s to use magnets. Its foam was intended to fit 108 (3 layers of 36) standard infantry type models. It can now hold 10 trays of 14 30 mm based typical Ht 2 models, two of the trays get a little extra head room for Ht 2 models that wave their weapons in the air and some Ht 3 models. Now obviously I get less than 140 models in there as 40, 50 mm bases means fewer models per tray and I'll have to shift (I used 15 mm dividers with 1 mm gaps to slide the trays into) some trays to make room for taller models (I can also shift down some trays for a fair amount of Ht 1 models), but the same goes for foam cases. My point is, at least in my case magnets didn't mean I could fit less models in a given volume.

Anyway to give a concrete example, from Arcanist I own Ramos, Rasputina, Mei Feng, Ironsides, Colette, Kaeris and all models that aren't beasts (or Gunsmiths) from wave 1 and 2 (and some from wave 3). All that (and a few select mercenaries) fits at the same time. My Resurrectionists have their own sets of trays, so I have to decide in advance which faction to play.

[Four_N_Six]

This is the box I use.  Meijer sells them in store for $12, but for some reason it's listed as higher online.  The yellow parts that fold up on top are in 2 sections each, and the sections just happen to be about the perfect size for a deck of cards.  I typically keep a deck, soulstones, and random markers in the top.

The plastic container is from a slightly high end dollar store called 5 Below, they sell them for $3.  The picture isn't the exact one that I use (couldn't find it), but it's extremely similar.  Has the added benefit of fitting perfectly into that Stanley box, leaving a little room on the sides (foam or something similar to stop them from sliding left and right).

I play Gremlins and Neverborn, and just started getting Ressers.  Both gremlins and NB both have their own box.  However, I ended up getting pluck foam for the gremlins instead of the plastic storage containers.  Works just as well, much more expensive.  I can fit 3 deep pluck foam sheets into the box, and 1 shorter one (don't know the exact depths of the foam).  So far it has almost my entire gremlin faction inside, a few models don't fit and I have no more room for foam, so I have to figure out something to put on the side for the leftover models.

The plastic bins have my entire Neverborn faction (Pandora, Lilith, Dreamer, Titania, Zoraida, Lynch, plus a few boxes of extra models).  It fits 30mm and 40mm bases perfectly.  The models bounce around slightly, but I've been toying with a solution to that.  Might not need it, as I've never had a model break or pop off of a base during transport (gorilla glue).

There are other plastic bins at Walmart that I've seen, and I use one for X-Wing because the sections inside are variable.  Might work for some larger models, but I don't know that it's deep enough for 50mm bases anyways.  So my larger NB models have to sit next to the plastic bins, loose in foam right now as I haven't figured out a solid solution.

I'm still painting my Ressers, but I'm expecting to just go back to the plastic, since it's a cheaper solution than foam, and has worked perfectly well for me so far.

[wizuriel]

Been debating picking up this: https://www.amazon.ca/Plano-Molding-1363-Graphite-Sandstone/dp/B001TH8P1E/ref=pd_sim_469_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=62E6WD70XPY1XTFZVRWG

Figure the 2 deep shelves should work for most models and the large inside can work for any really big pieces. Small one can hold the cards and misc game pieces. Just not sure if better to go with magnetic tape then and washers in the bases or try and go with metal containers with rare earth magnets in the models. 

[Mikey_C]

7 hours ago, wizuriel said:

Been debating picking up this: https://www.amazon.ca/Plano-Molding-1363-Graphite-Sandstone/dp/B001TH8P1E/ref=pd_sim_469_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=62E6WD70XPY1XTFZVRWG

Figure the 2 deep shelves should work for most models and the large inside can work for any really big pieces. Small one can hold the cards and misc game pieces. Just not sure if better to go with magnetic tape then and washers in the bases or try and go with metal containers with rare earth magnets in the models. 

I would not trust magnetic tape with pewter models. I likely wouldn't  really trust it much at all, those magnets struggle to hold a few sheets of paper to my fridge.

Get a metal case, invest in 2mm thick rare earth magnets. (bought mine here, at a time when the Canadian $ was high http://www.gaussboys.com/ ) 

I will not use anything but magnets since I've made the switch. For larger pewter models just use 2 or 3 magnets and you'll be fine. I used magnets for a bulked up warmachine Khador behemoth (pewter not the new resin) and never once had an issue. I used army surplus ammo boxes as my transports and put them in the saddle bags of my motorcycle. Never a problem even when hitting potholes on the highway when I travelled to tournaments. Even models with a single magnet would not spin in place, they always maintained the same facing I had put them in. Since switching to magnets I haven't had any chipped paint. If you want to be more discrete than ammo boxes (and lighter too) you can get tin lunch boxes for cheap at dollar stores. You could get a frozen lunchbox for your Raspy crew.

 

TLDR = RARE EARTH MAGNETS FTW

 

[Bengt]

2 hours ago, Mikey_C said:

tin lunch boxes

Well I hope they are not really made from tin as tin is not noticeably attracted to magnets.  While a lot of stuff is made from iron/steel since it's an abundant and versatile material it's probably a good idea to bring along magnets if you go hunting for bargain metal boxes.

Another thing to consider is how to get the models away from the metal as RE magnets are quite strong. I slide them of trays cut from steel sheets, the lipped bases are not very easy to grip and grabbing the model itself would break a lot of models if I were to try to lift them up from the metal. E.g. a metal box with a fold along the rim would make it harder to get the models out.

[Clement]

I'm a fan of KR personally; and put 2 of their standard boxes in a backpack I take with me.  That's plenty of room for a full faction and lots of mercs.  (I can condense it down to a single case wiith a bit of forethought).   The only time I've used magnets is for Som'er Teeth's skeeters, where I just glued a chunk of metal into the bottom of the foam tray and glued to that.  Mostly because they were so spindly I was worried they would break (more than the antenna, which break basically whenever they want).

I'm always nervous about magnets because we had a local player who magnetized all of his models and broke a BUNCH of them when he slammed on his breaks in his car and they all went sliding to one end of his trays.   This would likely not have been a problem if his models weren't mostly metal or he magnetized them *more*.

 

 

[nottschris]

Genuinely, an old biscuit tin and some magnets on the bottom of my models.  I feel no shame as I pull my old Scottish Shortbread tin out of my knackard rucksack and dump it on the table; I just feel the smug glow of recycling joy.  

A rare earth magnet superglued to the bottom of each model serves to keep them snug as a bug.  Just make sure you don't get ones that are too thick or your models will weeble around when you put them down and have a jaunty lilt that isn't as attractive as it sounds.

[HydroMog]

On 11/7/2016 at 3:36 PM, Clement said:

 

I'm always nervous about magnets because we had a local player who magnetized all of his models and broke a BUNCH of them when he slammed on his breaks in his car and they all went sliding to one end of his trays.  

 

 

This. accidents happen alot, which is why i go with foam trays/cases. and even then models can break, but i feel more comfortable than having a magnetized case. but since your wanting to go magnetic make sure they stay put.

Its also a shame that Rook is no longer in buisness since the last product they produced was a metal tin that holds heroclix style models which works just as well for malifaux models that can be a display as well.

[EnternalVoid]

One thing I have seen someone do before was put a layer of foam on the outside edge in the tupperware container he had put a metal bottom on.  That way if they did get slammed into the side there was some cushion there.  He also said if he had to do it over he would have also put a layer on the bottom and the metal on top of that to give it some cushion there.

[MrDeathTrout]

I finally pulled the trigger and got a TableWar case.  It has a bunch go groves and removable shelves that slide out the front.  With a couple of magnetized shelves you have a lot of flexability.  Thye are not cheap though.  $150.  If I remember I'll take a pick of my fully loaded case and post it.

[Tenshi]

I use Baking Trays and magnets, as seen on my blog. The magnets shown there are perfect for metal minis, for plastic minis you can use even smaller ones without problems.

In fact, for minis with small contact points to the base (like the Freikorps Librarian) bigger magnets can be too strong and rip the mini off the base if you don't pin it. But you can use a card or something to gently slide the mini to the tray.

And to carry the trays I just use a big bag with a flat bottom. It also has a couple of small pockets inside to keep cards, measuring tape, counters and the like.

[MrDeathTrout]

Here's the Table War case.  You can see it holds quite a few minis.  I have two shelves in there holding a good portion of the TT faction.  The drawer on the bottom holds my book, cards, tape measure, markers snacks, etc...  If I wanted I could take it out and have a third shelf for minis.

The drawer is included with the case as is two shelf "frames".  You need to purchase the bits to complete the shelf extra.  They do this so you can customize to for what you want.  They have various options both magnetized and not.  I had som 1/4 plywood and bought a piece of sheet metal for $10 US .  Glued the sheet metal to the plywood and ran it thorugh a table saw to make my shelves.  right now I have paper towels on the sheet metal so there is no direct metal-to-metal contact with the magnets.  Long term I plan on coating them with either fabric or some sort of spray on coating.

You can get all the details here: http://www.tablewar.com/