"Budget" travel systems for minis - your ideas.

[connivingsumo]

Howdy,

I have a bunch of AT-43 plastic minis and I need a way to store & transport them, but I can't afford a bazillion plucky-foam trays @ $5-$8ea.

Anyone have any ideas or have their own 'budget' travel systems?

[imp522]

Put washers on the bottom of the bases and magnetic sheets on a sterlite plastic 3 drawer chest?

Just place them in a plastic container?

Econo storage from the warstore? http://www.thewarstore.com/EconoBoxFigureStorage.html

[s_o_r_r_o_w]

Put washers on the bottom of the bases and magnetic sheets on a sterlite plastic 3 drawer chest?

The alternative to that is magnetic sheet bottoms and a metal toolbox. I've also seen AT-43 transported in a big tackle or hardware box, some multi-drawer thing on wheels....

[kturock]

Here's what alot of the 40k players made around here. It's cheap but takes some time.

Go to the local grovery store and get banana boxes. Their strong and sturdy and cheap if you can get them.

Go to the craft store or better yet, an upholstery repair shop, and buy foam. Like the type in couches and chairs.

Go to the home improvemnet store and buy a cup hole drill bit. [you need an electric drill, a cordless can work.] The bit needs to be the size of most of the minis you plan on making holes for. Getting the idea yet? [cup jole bits are the ones used to cut holes in doors to mount door locks.]

Now, you can be exact and mark circles on a grid on the foam to maximize the number of holes per piece. You're going to cut out 25-50 holes in eaxh piece of foam. Basiclly you're making you're own custom case. The foam is very similair to the GW and Sabol cases foam. The boxes are strong and light, and free. You can easily carry 2-3 stacked and have almost no weight. The minis stay in each slot, no sliding or bending. You cna custom cut the holes to whatever size you need. Each mini can have it's own slot. You can custom color the sections to show what minis go where. Then you can tell if you're missing any. [That part is especially useful for horde armies like orks and nids.]

Voila'. A custom made box for you're armies.

The most expensive part is the foam. You'll get more minis in it for about the same price or less than the precut ones. The foam can be as thick or thin as you want. Just make sure you can stack 3-4 layers into the banana boxes.

Once you buy a cup hole drill bit, you won't need another, and you can make multple boxes with it.

Be careful cutting the foam. You'll need to use a varible speed drill. If you cut to fast, you tear the foam, and it'll pull it and you could rip it.

[connivingsumo]

These are all awesome ideas. Thank you all for answering/suggesting!


I think you're on to something there Kturock, and I may look at the tackle box idea if there's one with adjustable compartments - that might work too, but I'm leaning towards the banana box idea!

If you want to vary the size of the holes in your foam, you'd just pick up a larger or smaller cup bit or? I'm thinking smaller holes for individual troopers, and then the larger holes for the vehicles & armored mechs, and wasn't sure how you'd do that if you just bought one cup bit.

[kturock]

Yes you can drill larger holes with a bigger bit or, just drill multiple adjoining holes. Picture a figure 8 as a hole dor something on a cavalry base. @ figure 8's side by side for a larger mini.

Tackle boxes are heavier and aren't as big. Also you have to buy them.

You can get banana boxes, if you got later at night and talk to the night shift clerks. Usually they're part-timers and aren't as gung-ho about giving the boxes back to the banana company.
Tomato boxes are ok. SO are any other nesting style box.

[montaa]

Another good product that saves you some drilling:

http://www.healthsuperstore.com/p-convo ... t-each.htm

or something like it. Remember to pack it tightly if you are going to do more than move them from home to storage.