Storage/Transport solutions?

[Raven Morpheus]

Hey all

So, as I've been collecting miniatures this past couple of years I am starting to run out of storage space. In the past I've bought Kaiser Rushforth Multicase stuff - I have 2 card cases, several trays, and a "Halo" branded Kaiser1 bag that I switch card cases (and my OG Necromunda box, which just about fits, with a bit of a squeeze) out of depending on what game I'm playing.

But...

...as the hobby budget is being squeezed currently I don't feel willing to shell out £25 for what is essentially a card box with foam inside, I might if it were half that price...

I'm aware of the magnetic route (steel rubber sheet in a box, magnets in bases) - that's not inexpensive either once you've bought tons of magnets...

The usual alternatives, Battlefoam, Sabol and Feldherr seem to be on a par cost wise with KR, or more expensive, so I'd like to ignore them. And GW just isn't even an option...


So, I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of a less expensive alternative that is just as good, even just significantly less expensive card boxes with handles on and foam to go inside?

Has to be readily available in the UK also, otherwise shipping negates any cost saving...


Thanks in advance for any input on this.

 

[Stoof]

If you don't mind a bit of cutting, then insulation foam board is easy to work with and pretty cheap (you can often get bits for free). Scalloping out bits for your miniatures is easy enough then you can stack it up in a box.

 

[Ben_S]

You can get sheets of packing foam too. (More the spongey stuff that KR cases use, rather than insulation board.)

You can either cut holes in a thick piece for minis to drop into or get thin bits and cut squares/rectangles to line something (either a cardboard box or a plastic storage thing).

You can see some of my examples here:

https://yaktribe.games/community/threads/bens-bits-n-bobs.4055/page-40#post-157306

https://yaktribe.games/community/threads/bens-bits-n-bobs.4055/page-3#post-69510

Took a bit more effort, but must have cost under £2.

See also this one:

Cheap and Easy Miniature Carrying Boxes

I made these using card-holder boxes (about $0.75 each), scrap cardboard, hot glue and 1/2" foam. The foam was the most expensive part, being about $20 for 1 square meter of material. Even with that, each box works out to be a little over $3. Different lengths are available. The ones I chose...

yaktribe.games

 

[Mr. M]

If you want a really cheap storage solution, you can try using old egg cartons. I've had success with those - they stack nicely, add some protection against bumps & breakage, and fit nicely in standard sized bankers boxes. Heck, the newer egg cartons are even made out of XPS foam! Obviously, this isn't as robust as something with foam cut-outs, but it's cheap, fast, and fairly effective for storage (possibly not for frequent transport though).

 

[Sundown Dreamer]

I can't think of anything better and cheaper than doing it yourself.

For example, I also have some sorting boxes like Ben_S. Only with the difference that I use bubble wrap packaging for lining.

 

[Ben_S]

This thread prompted me to explain something on my own thread...

I should explain why my models are often shown on cardboard boxes. I got some quite nice boxes as packaging and thought I'd use those plus some foam to make my own KR-style storage. But they're still just cardboard and not very resistant to water, etc.

So, whenever I varnish some models, I do it on one of these boxes. The result is that I get some heavily varnished boxes at the same time.

 

[Punktaku]

I’ve got a bunch of Chessex miniature boxes. They’re plastic with a snap-lock lid and punched foam inside. I use the deeper ones that hold 40 minis. They have a shallow one with two layers of foam (minis lay down instead of standing up), but I felt like it squished the minis so I only ever had one of that style. I don’t know if Chessex is a UK company or not. And I don’t think they’re overly inexpensive, but they do protect the minis! I haven’t purchased a new one in over 15 years…

 

[Raven Morpheus]

Thanks guys.

Looking at it I think I'm going to just stick with KR.

I don't have anywhere handy, within a short bus commute and short walking distance (arthritis limits my mobility), to go pick up unwanted good looking boxes, egg cartons (we don't use eggs in our household, allergies), or foam.

Even buying generic boxes of a similar size to KR's and foam to go inside is almost as costly as buying a KR case with trays. Also I made my own "tray", from a block of Kayak foam, last year for the Ravenwing Nephilim/Dark Talon, and to say it was messy is an understatement...

I thought about buying upholstery foam, but I don't have anything I can use to neatly punch 25 to 60mm holes in it, and such tools are quite expensive. And the upholstery foam isn't any cheaper than buying ready made trays.

Yeah I know, I need to lower my standards...

Thankfully it's not critical as I just found out that the 2nd KR card case I have, is not even half full. It's got 4 trays in, so 160 models capacity, and now I've moved what was in it back to my big 15+ years old GW case, I only have about 33 figures and one Sentinel in there, so there should be some space for the rest of the figures I bought recently and a few more...



@Punktaku - Chessex afaik are a US company, they also make dice. From the looks of it they're cases are no less expensive here in the UK than a KR card case with trays.

 

[Ben_S]

If, at some point, you need more then you might also look at Navara. They are somehow connected with KR (I'm not sure of the exact details) but seem a little cheaper.

Navara - Figure Cases and Trays for Tabletop Gaming

Navara Cases manufactures Cases and Trays for Tabletop Gaming. All orders have free postage and packing!

www.navaracases.com

 

[Raven Morpheus]

As I understand it Navara is just a new brand/sister company by KR but UK based, where KR are based in Germany. Exact same products as far as I can tell also, although the card case handles appear to be red, not black...

Navara's second phone number has a Colchester, Essex area code, and KR's ebay UK store is based in Colchester, Essex, so I'd wager they're now "Navara"...

Currently KR's UK ebay site is cheaper on shipping and they have Navara branded cases with trays for less with postage than the website...

If it weren't a 2hr+ (multiple) bus journey, I could collect - I'm only 16 miles away!

KR Figure Cases and Trays for Tabletop Gaming

KR Multicase manufactures soft foam for figures, hard cases for soft foam. All orders have free postage and packing!

www.krcases.com

Navara - Figure Cases and Trays for Tabletop Gaming | About

Navara Cases manufactures Cases and Trays for Tabletop Gaming. All orders have free postage and packing!

www.navaracases.com

 

[Ben_S]

I'm Colchester born and raised. Not there any more, but both my parents still are.

 

[spafe]

I'm aware of the magnetic route (steel rubber sheet in a box, magnets in bases) - that's not inexpensive either once you've bought tons of magnets...

Just on this point, depending heavily on the models, you can do this for a lot less than buying cases. Assuming you have plastic models, a 2x1.5 round magnet on ebay is roughly 6 or 7quid for a hundred or so. Then all you need are biscuit tins, which are a free by-product of eating biscuits! Of course you might have to be a little more choosey on the biscuits to ensure a proper tin but hey, nothings perfect.

 

[rustedchrome]

I have a bunch of Chessex boxes like @Punktaku. It's one of those things I've bought one at a time over the years as I run out of storage.

I also have a half dozen cigar boxes that I store larger critters in or unpainted minis I've bought that have yet to be graced by a brush. Those can obtained sometimes for free sometimes from cigar/smoke shops.

Over last fall I tried the glued/gs'd magnet thing and a deep metal baking tin from the Dollar store as a storage solution for a zombie hoard I was working on. It seemed to make more sense than trying to properly store them. It works... but I found that gluing tiny strong magnets to ninety something bases a bit of a chore and sometimes each figure needed several magnets to stay attached. Such is the hobby though, I guess.

 

[MusingWarboss]

I’ve been using KR cases for years (just over a decade now I think, my first was designed to fit the contents of Assult on Black Reach) and I’ve found them to be pretty reliable storage.

They can be expensive if you think “it’s just card” but it’s pretty decent archival quality card so it’s pretty resistant to most wear and tear. Foam has always been quite expensive.

I had a look at the Navara range earlier in the year. What I gather is that the cases are identical except for Navara branding which includes the red handle rather than black.
It’s the foam which cuts costs. The Navara foam is a stiffer variety, though still protective of your models. Crucially it appears to be cheaper than the softer blue they usually use.

If you’re set up for KR stuff then the Navara will fit right in. Including your carry bag (mine was Terminator branded as it was half the price of the regular Kaiser bag even though they’re identical bar branding. Interestingly inside it has a label which says ‘Halo’ on).

So if you think you’re ok with the stiffer foam then save a few coins that way.

 

[Chaos Moomin]

I have a couple of KR multicases - my glacial converting and painting pace ensures storage space/costs are unlikely to be a problem any time soon - but I've had the occasional problem of little bits of foam sticking to parts of minis that are wedged into their slots particularly tightly. Anyone else had this? I don't know if it's the varnish, or what, but there's a couple that almost always have foam stuck to them whenever I take them out, which has to be firmly - but carefully, so as not to take any paint off - rubbed off.

I've been tempted to go down the magnet route since it seems more space efficient (and would avoid the aforementioned problem), but my experience of magnets is that, while they won't easily detach, they do slide... Seems like it'd be way less safe then foam if the container were accidentally dropped.

 

[MusingWarboss]

I've had the occasional problem of little bits of foam sticking to parts of minis that are wedged into their slots particularly tightly. Anyone else had this?

Not really. I’ve had a few spiky plastic dudes snag a little bit of foam occasionally but it’s fine.

I have had an art matte varnish stay sticky for a long long time though so I stopped using it. Probably fine on a painting, not so much on something to be handled.

So maybe check that varnish is cured?

my experience of magnets is that, while they won't easily detach, they do slide...

I would advise anyone with old metal models to not go down the magnet route. Particularly if they have old metal dreadnaughts or anything that size as you’d need a pretty damn strong magnet to stop that turning into a wrecking ball if you dropped the case.

Honestly, the foam trays from whatever manufacturer will probably look after your models better than a metal biscuit tin.

 

[Chaos Moomin]

Not really. I’ve had a few spiky plastic dudes snag a little bit of foam occasionally but it’s fine.

I have had an art matte varnish stay sticky for a long long time though so I stopped using it. Probably fine on a painting, not so much on something to be handled.

So maybe check that varnish is cured?

My hunch is that, somehow, it's the varnish but I usually let my minis sit for a day or two after varnishing before putting them in so they should be cured, and I've had one or two reacquire blue fuzz on the end of their weapons in the same place months or years after they were finished.

 

[MusingWarboss]

My hunch is that, somehow, it's the varnish but I usually let my minis sit for a day or two after varnishing before putting them in so they should be cured, and I've had one or two reacquire blue fuzz on the end of their weapons in the same place months or years after they were finished.

Perhaps the foam is deteriorating? Is it a vibrant blue or does it have a yellow tinge?

The only thing close to what you describe I’ve had is with blood effects on some Ork Weapons. I put that down to the BFTBG paint on them.

 

[Chaos Moomin]

Foam still seems fine, and it's done it since it was brand new.

Interesting about the BFTBG, since I'm guessing that has a similar composition to gloss varnish, given its finish. I thought it might have been the Army Painter anti shine stuff, which I've mostly stopped using now, as I've noticed it can give a slightly 'rubbery' feel to minis once they've had a coat. But it's hard to say because I usually use a mixture of it and Vallejo (Army Painter is too matte, Vallejo isn't matte enough).

I'll check next time I have the case out and see if it's less of a problem on my newer stuff; I switched out Army Painter for the AK Interactive stuff a couple of years back.