captaincold69 | 29 Jul 2018 7:49 a.m. PST |
I'm building a decent size US Army in 28mm and I'm looking for transportation options. I've seen some pro made cases but they're expensive. Curious to see what cheaper alternatives are out there. Thanks |
Fred Cartwright | 29 Jul 2018 7:58 a.m. PST |
I base my 28mm on metal washers, then carry them in plastic Really Useful Boxes with self adhesive magnetic sheet to hold the minis in place. Others use boxes with foam tray inserts, but they are not cheap and if you are looking for just a few figures you sometimes have to sort through several trays to find the ones you want |
Daithi the Black | 29 Jul 2018 8:07 a.m. PST |
I use dual-layer hard pistol cases. Once, someone saw me putting my cases in Storage, some Bad Guys apparently saw the cases and broke in later on. The next time I went to get stuff, my cases were all opened and dumped over, my miniatures everywhere. Lesson learned. |
miniMo | 29 Jul 2018 8:12 a.m. PST |
My 28mm WW2, I go with foam trays packed into boxes with terrain and other bits. Compared to the cost and painting time of the minis, the foam trays aren't that much more cost for the protection. As much as possible for the units invvolved, I use tray where I can lay the figures flat — much easier to ID figures that way and more economical of storage/transport space. Also for figure ID, once a unit gets its own dedicated foam, I use acrylic paint to label where everything goes, that helps tremandously with packing up after a game too!. Canadians here:
For my 28mm chibi fantasy figures, I did go a cheaper route. Magnets on the figures and I bought a stack of half-sized cookie trays cheap at Walmart. But before I can take this system on the road, I'll have to build a custom carrying box with runners so I can slide the trays into the box for safe transport. |
MajorB | 29 Jul 2018 8:13 a.m. PST |
"How do you transport your mini's?" How do I transport my mini's what? I keep all my wargames figures in box files. |
captaincold69 | 29 Jul 2018 8:17 a.m. PST |
MiniMO Did you make those foam trays yourself or were they bought from somewhere? Thanks |
Hlaven | 29 Jul 2018 8:29 a.m. PST |
Plastic tool boxes from Home Depot. Figures are on bases with magnetic sheet cut to base sizes or magnetic bases. I super glued metal sheets to bottom of the trays and bottom of the tool boxes. Bottom of tool box is deep enough for Cavalry or flag infantry bases. My figs with metal washers are the same but with magnetic sheeting cut to fit the trays and bottoms. |
donlowry | 29 Jul 2018 9:06 a.m. PST |
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Brennus | 29 Jul 2018 9:27 a.m. PST |
FAO Major B: Mini's = mini(ature)s. Perfectly acceptable to use the apostrophe to denote omission of letters ;) |
John Armatys | 29 Jul 2018 9:42 a.m. PST |
My figures, vehicles and ships have magnetic tape under their bases. I transport them in box files lined with steel paper. Two thick or up to four thin box files fit in a figures in comfort bag. |
Frederick | 29 Jul 2018 9:55 a.m. PST |
Foam in containers for some In tool boxes for others |
dragon6 | 29 Jul 2018 10:13 a.m. PST |
captaincold69 it appears that MiniMo uses Sabol pluck foam. The trays are 7.5 x 13 inches and the 'fingers' are 0.5 inches each way. The depth of the trays varies 1 inch to 4 inches. Each tray also has a 0.25 inch bottom. Sabol sells carrying containers of various sizes to hold the foam trays. Battlefoam also sells pluck foam. The fingers are the same size, the trays also have a 0.25 inch bottom so each tray is the foam depth plus 0.25 inch. Battlefoam trays are 15.5 x 12 inches. Battlefoam also sells containers to hold their trays. Battlefoam has much larger containers available. Both sets of pluck have a solid 0.5 inch outside row so the available pluck space is 1 inch less in length and width. There are other foam companies that make predetermined space within the tray, i.e. you cannot alter the spaces without cutting the interior borders |
Sundance | 29 Jul 2018 10:38 a.m. PST |
I do the same as Fred, but use 2" or 4" document boxes instead. |
Keith Talent | 29 Jul 2018 10:48 a.m. PST |
I have no idea, I'll have to ask my servants |
redmist1122 | 29 Jul 2018 10:52 a.m. PST |
funny to see this post in two different forums and you get two different style of responses..what a waste to post here! P. |
skipper John | 29 Jul 2018 10:56 a.m. PST |
I like this stuff; Games Plus Products: link |
miniMo | 29 Jul 2018 11:00 a.m. PST |
@captaincold69 those are KR foam pluck trays. They sell them online, but navigating their website is pure PITA. Fortunately my FLGS carries them, so I can poke through the piles that are in stock. I have other trays with pre-cut spaces. These are generally more economical of storage/transport space because the separating wall are skinnier. Some of the walls can be cut away to make room for bigger pieces. Sometimes the pluck foam works better for particular units, or I was just able to grab it at the FLGS when I needed it. There are various brands that do this sort of thing. I have a bunch of Battlefoam ones that I like (their website is also pure PITA). Feldherr is another good one: link |
robert piepenbrink | 29 Jul 2018 1:18 p.m. PST |
I don't have any minis, but my 28mm wargame figures go in foam trays. Feldherr gives you a lot of tray for the money. |
Lion in the Stars | 29 Jul 2018 1:39 p.m. PST |
My 28s are in old GW hardcases. (well, and one Battlefoam that I'm never going to buy again, additional foam is significantly more expensive than Sabol) My 15s are in Sabol foam. |
captaincold69 | 29 Jul 2018 1:41 p.m. PST |
I struggle to post here sometimes. Usually get a couple comments or rude comments. Oh well…safety of the internet I guess. Thanks to all those who took a few seconds to post constructive comments. |
pvernon | 29 Jul 2018 2:35 p.m. PST |
I use a computer form box called a "4 up" and foam trays made from 2" upholstery foam. The foam is sold in 4'x 8' sheets for $20 USD to $50 USD depending on where you get it. |
robert piepenbrink | 29 Jul 2018 7:02 p.m. PST |
Captain, if that was aimed at me, please note I also had a constructive suggestion. But in language I have my limits: No such toy as "minis." No such wargame period as "nappies." No such genre as "scifi." Nouns and not people have gender. And neither "journal" nor "fellowship" are verbs. Yes, I'm an old fussbudget. But I try to treat the language with some respect. |
captaincold69 | 29 Jul 2018 7:13 p.m. PST |
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whitphoto | 29 Jul 2018 8:23 p.m. PST |
I got tired of fixing minis so I decided to stop being cheap and get some Feldherr cases and storage containers. I have three carrying cases and five cardboard storage boxes for foam trays. I'm not rich, but I have far less free time than I have hobby budget. So I pinched my hobby penny's for a year and started buying cases. With a newborn I have even less time now so I bought some more cases, no point growing the lead pile when I can hardly paint. Plus we're looking to move late next year and I want to transport things safely. |
Martin Rapier | 29 Jul 2018 11:18 p.m. PST |
A4 box files lined with steel paper and magnetic sheet on the figure bases. Sometimes I put a bit of bubble wrap inside the box lid too. |
Arteis02 | 30 Jul 2018 1:07 a.m. PST |
This is how I transport my paper minis (Jacobite Rebellion figures by Paperboys):
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robert piepenbrink | 30 Jul 2018 3:40 a.m. PST |
Arteis, that's almost exactly the system I use to transport soft plastics! |
uglyfatbloke | 30 Jul 2018 7:04 a.m. PST |
Mostly K&R multicases. Have to say K&R have been immensely supportive of our Arnhem project which has called for a lot of cases. |
Old Wolfman | 30 Jul 2018 7:06 a.m. PST |
A mix of cases,plastic,cardboard,and many placed inside a mid-sized duffel bag. |
Mark 1 | 30 Jul 2018 7:14 p.m. PST |
At 6mm scale, I can fit a reasonably sized force into a shoebox. Not that I use shoeboxes, mind you. But I could, if I wanted to. I use a variety of small plastic boxes. Most are bought at shops that sell cards (baseball cards, Pokemon cards, etc.). Some are bought online -- I think the vendor on eBay calls them Panzer Keepers or some such. I buy foam packing material at the local electronics shop (Frye's), size it as needed and glue it in place. The small boxes typically fit a company (infantry or smaller vehicle). The very small boxes typically fit attached platoons. The larger boxes (Panzer Keepers) can do companies if the vehicles are larger, or more frequently a company plus some attached vehicles. My entire Italian force is in the picture, including a company of infantry, a company of M13 medium tanks, a platoon of M11 medium tanks, a company of L3 light tanks, a company of L6 light tanks, a company of AB40/41 armored cars, an understrength Sahariana recon company, a platoon of engineers, two batteries of 100mm howitzers, two batteries of AT guns, a battery of light SPGs (Semoventi de 47) and a battery of heavy SPGs (Semoventi de 75), a motorpool of about 20 trucks, a few one-off vehicles (for example a Semoventi de 90, a Fiat tractor, two Breda 20mm AA Portees) and a few HQ units. OK, I said "entire force", but my Italian aircraft are not in the picture (2 x Br20m, 4 x SM79, 2 x BA65, 2 x MC200 and 4 x MC202). So just my "entire ground force". This is one of my "smaller" forces. My Italian, French and Romaian forces are all about the same size. My US force is about 3 or 4 times larger, and my Russian force is about 5 or 6 times larger (maybe more). I can fit about 80% of my WW2 forces (Russians, US, Italians) in one medium-sized tool box. The rest of my WW2 forces (French and Romanians) go in an additional small-sized tool box. My post-WW2 forces (Russians, US, French, Chinese) all fit in another medium-sized tool box. It's too much to carry all at once, but then I can't use them all at once, so they typically travel separately. -Mark (aka: Mk 1) |
Lion in the Stars | 30 Jul 2018 9:03 p.m. PST |
I should point out that certain people lose their minds with blow-molded cases like the GW cases. Police, for example, and crooks get attracted to the cases. I also have more $$ in my Infinity civilians case (3x36 and 1x40 at ~$10/mini) than I do in my pistol case. So I cannot really recommend those blow-molded Plano gun cases for miniatures transport. K&R, Plano tackle boxes, or Sabol would be my recommendation. Pizza boxes also work well, we use Papa Johns boxes a lot. The smallest boxes, like what they send brownies in. |
Must Contain Minis | 30 Jul 2018 9:05 p.m. PST |
I use a plain old metal tool box and place magnets on the bottom of my Figures. See… link
Article at… link |
Lee494 | 30 Jul 2018 11:52 p.m. PST |
I go cheap and it has served me well. I take a lot of 28mm (and 15mm) minis to a lot of cons and stores to demo games and use Plano Plastic fishing tackle boxes. Can be found on Amazon for a few dollars each. I stuff them in a cheap Walmart Duffle bag although Plano makes higher end carriers holding 4 boxes. You can adjust the internal subdivisions with removable plastic partitions which are included so they don't rattle around. Each box fits more than a full platoon. No fuss. No foam. No breakage. No magnets. |
Andy ONeill | 31 Jul 2018 7:36 a.m. PST |
All sorts of boxes. a4 box files; "really useful" plastic and steel toolboxes. Steel toolboxes used to pretty much be a standard at our local club. All lined with magnetic vinyl. I base on 1p or 2p or plastic and steel paper on the bottom of that. I know someone who bases all his 15mm dbm on 1mm steel. His armies each have their own steel toolbox lined with magnetic vinyl. Apparently, he has to prise the stands off every once in a while so it's easier to get em off when he starts a game. Over time, the vinyl forms an air seal. |