Right.. Let's be clear on this: I love the miniatures... In my opinion they are the best 1/144 scale WWI mini's available bar none.

This means that they are very collectable and that they eventually will take up too much space on your desk or in your cupboard or wherever you want to stack them.

I 've put them on a shelf where i can admire them whenever I want but as I''ve ordered some new ones , the little aerodrome on the shelf is rapidly going to become too crowded for comfort.

An other problem is that whenever I want to take them with me to a friend to do some dog-fighting I have to put hem in a cardboard -box lined with some soft material to have them survive the trip.

I was thinking of building a wooden foam lined box to carry them but i want to get some input from some forumites here.

I am waiting for your idea's guys!

Let me know how you handle the storage and transport problem of your favourite little aircraft!

Currently I'm keeping them in the little boxes in which they come, but that too takes up more space than I prefer. I was planning to put them in a foam case as soon I have more "copious free time."

I am thinking along the same lines : a wooden box lined with some foam...

But that too poses some problems... You need to know which foam to use and how to cut out the spaces for the different aircraft.

It is also important how to divide the spaces for the mini's in your box so you use the available surface to the maximum.

I would like to talk this through here on the forum before i start building the box and buying foam.

And then of course there's the time to build all this

Like Schoon I've stuck to keeping them in the little boxes. Over the years I have painted a few fleets and armies, and one of the biggest pains in the butt is making some sort of travel case for when you have to transport them to a game. So when I saw that the planes come in a box that holds plane, base, and cards I was kind of happy.

The one modification that I recomend is to puch the little studs that hold the planes in place inside out. Every time I get a new plane it feels like those studs are going to pull the wings off when I get it out of the box for the first time.

I kept the boxes...But like Banichi said I got worried every time I wanted to get an aircraft out of its little box...

Perhaps turning the stud keeping them in place inside-out isn't such a bad idea

I am just afraid that the very thin plastic that holds the planes will tear to shreds after prolonged use.

One should find a wy to use the plastic as a mold for some "foamy" product...hm...I think i need to do some tests before I start building a wooden box ...

Have you guys checked out Army Transport products? I have used them for all of my tabletop miniature gaming and they are great for transporting models.

The individual squares of foam pop out for maximum customization in the tray. The trays come in different depths, so you can use them with the planes on the stands or off. I am just now getting into WoW so I don't own any of the models yet, but you guys may be able to judge if these would work.

www.saboldesigns.net/figurefoam.html

What i've been using is the Games Workshop/Warhammer carry cases with "Figures in comfort" foam inners. www.figuresincomfort.co.uk do Wings of war foam inserts designed to fit into the Games Workshop/Warhammer cases, the only down side is that the figures in comfort team have been very slow recently at sorting out there orders recently, and as a concequence, i've been waiting over 2 months for one order at the moment. However, proir to this, there are pretty quick with their deliverys, and more to the point you have a pro looking layout and your minis are well protected.

I use those metal cases you can get from B&Q* for pretty cheap. One of the sizes, conveniently, fits 12 of the mini boxes perfectly (24 if you use two layers):

*A british hardware store chain.

I don't know what "B&Q" is but i think i can find a similar shop over here (Belgium)...

I must admit that you win first prize for least effort with most result

If I could find a way to make the thin plastic boxes more durable your solution combined with the reinforced moulded plastic "boxes" would defenitely be the most useful solution...

I am going to try with Pu-foam .. you know the stuff they use to close up gaps? It expands on itself , filling up all the gaps...so maybe that could work.. I have a similar moulded thin plastic "box" that used to hold a perfume bottle ( nicked it from the mrs ) that I can use for the experiment: it has a couple of protruding bits that I am going to push inward so I can see if they stay put when the foam is expanding.

Hopefully the foam will fill up the "box" withoutto much pressure on the plastic as it stays open at the bottom.. If it works I can let it dry out and the trim it flush with the plastic "box"...

I really don't know if my exposee makes any sense to you guys.. now I read it myself it doesn't mak e much sense to me either

It is probably going to be a very messy experiment but any way... I'll let you guys know the result..for better or worse ...

Hm, yes I see your problem.

Wouldn't be easier to have your friend come over to you to play, that would solve your transport problem.

You would need some stuff that would shape itself around the planes. I remember seeing something like that on a telly program ones, but I'm not sure if this is available for privat use, nor do I remember what it was called.

So you could simply stick your plane in a box, poor the stuff in and it would shape itself around the plane. Hmm, but than you'd need two half boxes or you'd never get it out again and if it shaped itself around the plane you'd never get it out again.

No forget that idea, that won't work.

I'm awaiting the arrival of my copy of the game as we speak, but I can see myself having storage problems in future, so....

Still the idea of sticking your plane in a box and pooring something in that'll enclose it and keep it from harm doesn't sound all that bad, but what could you use. Something that's light and poor-able. Some kind of foam, but that'll probably stick to your plane and create a lot of nuisance.

your idea with the stuff that fills up all the gaps, seems simular to what I mentioned, but won't you be unable to get the plane out? I mean you're undercarriage would get stuck and you'd have a hell of a time getting it out again. If this stuff is designed to fill ALL the gaps, I fear you could really get into trouble. Than again, which model will you use for your test.

I wouldn't like to risk any miniature on this experiment. Maybe you could find something different equally fragile and try that first.

Good luck with this, let us if it worked.

Well i've tried with the thin plastic box that used to hold a perfume bottle...and it worked to some extend.

The foam filled up every gap perfectly but squeezed itself to every minuscule little pinhole available...

To set things right : i a m not going to pour foam over my models! I intend to fillup the plastic boxes like this ( and that is how i did with the perfume box ) :

1 get out the model

2 turn the plastic box ( aircraft holder if you like ) upside -down

3 fill up with foam

4 let the foam set

5 pull plastic aircraft box from the foam so as to get perfect moulded foam container for your model

It worked fine up to point 4.. when i wanted to pull of the plastic it became messy because the foam ex^panded through every little crack or hole in the plastic

My "perfect" foamy container wasn't perfect anymore and got ripped to pieces

It could work but the pu-foam i used isn't the right thing ...Gotto look for something lighter, not as dense and not as strong...something euh.. "foamier"

I putting this idea into the fridge till i get a more suitable foam to try.. till then i'll use a box and their original containers ...

Bluedevil_be said:

Putting it in the fridge, now there's a novel idea.

Simply fill your containers with water and freeze your models. That way nothing will happen to them, you can transport them savely and when at your friends home, you put them in a warm place, so they've defrosted by the time you're ready to play.

Yes I was kidding ofcourse, or was I....

Sorry about that, it's not that I don't take your problem serious. (allthough from what I've heard getting the miniatures out of the box first time in one piece may be my bigger worry for now) I simply couldn't resist and I think I should be in title to one stupid remark every day.

On a dull and grey sunday morning like this, I probably am in title to a view more.

Good luck solving the problem.

monkeylite said:

ENVY...ENVY....CAN YOU FEEL THE ENVY! ;-)

That looks like a pretty good solution! I am using Plano 3700 series trays (fishing tackle) right now. The cards and minis all fit (at least until I get more minis...). I may use an open 3700 tray with two 1" pluck foam trays from Sabol Designs . But then I have to figure out how to carry all my trays. I may just get the Army Transport case from Sabol - I would probably spend that much to get the number of foam trays and Plano boxes I'd need anyway!

To get back to bluedevil_be's problem -

As you said in one of your posts "... afraid that the very thin plastic that holds the planes will tear to shreds after prolonged use."

Try the following : take out plane - push back the studs that holds the planes in place - turn over and fill with PU-foam - let dry (at least 24 h - preferably longer) - cut PU-foam flush with bottom of plane holder - stuff everything back in the cardboard box (you will need the protection over top of the plane).

This way you get a sturdy protection. If after prolonged use the thin white plastic wears off the PU-foam will have hardened enough and will no longer deform.

Hope this helps.

By the way, bluedevil, do you know of any shop in Belgium where the series 3 miniatures can be found ?

Cheers all ...

Thought I'd show you how I was storing my WoW gear. I saw this concept originally on Boardgame Geek, and added my own touches.

1) Plano 3700 for mat, rules, consoles, balloon cards, tokens, and tape measure

2) Inside the 3700 - 3'x3' felt mat removed

3) Mat, rulebooks, consoles, and balloon cards removed

4) Plano 3600 for tokens, rulers, and flight pegs

5) Plano 3730 for minis and cards

6) Inside the box. Dividers for cards are cut from index cards.

7) Showing arrangement of cards

My next step is to provide better protection for the minis. I know that I could fit 12 minis in a pluck foam tray, and could fit two trays in another 3700 open box. The tricky part is then going to be carrying 4 of the Plano trays (Cards, Consoles/rules, 2 for minis). I think a fishing tackle catalog may have the solution. Or, as I said previoulsy, I'll use one of the Sabol cases.

My requirements are that the miniatures be transported safely, without damage or knocking against each other; they should be easily removable from the storage case (which I cannot say for the package they come in); that the storage method be cheap.

Solution: I scrounged a large, flat box (used to hold computer equipment) with a lid, it measured out at 16- inches by 13 inches by 2 inches. I bought a 16-in by 20-in piece of 1/2-in thick artist's foam board, and cut it so it would fit snugly in the box. Just to be on the safe side, I glued the foam board into the bottom of the box with PVA (Elmer's white glue). I arranged all my planes in the box and marked where the mounting plug was, as well as the wheels and the propeller blades. Using a sharp X-acto knife, I cut a "well" in the foam board for the wheels and the propeller (where needed) and punched a hole where the mounting plug goes using a needle-file. With the miniature nestled down in the well, I marked the wings at their furthest point forward and aft, four marks in all. I punched a hole where the markings were (after removing the minis), and inserted a round wooden toothpick in each hole, with a dab of white glue. Trim the length so that the toothpick extends above the wings 1/2 inch or so. Once dry, I simply place the minis in their assigned wells, and hold them in place with small rubber bands tensioned around the toothpicks and over the wings.

The minis are securely held in place by the rubber bands and toothpicks. I can even take the whole box, hold it upside down and shake it, and all the minis stay where they belong. To remove the mini, just pull off the rubber band and pop it out!

The rest of my stuff-- cards, pegs, bases, counters, etc.-- fits nicely into a Plano box as mentioned above already.

The box was free (scrounged). Foam board, toothpicks, rubber bands, and white glue were the only expense. The whole set-up, including the Plano box, cost me under $15 US.

BTW, I have one copy of each mini released so far, plus a few from other makers, and they all fit in the one box with a little room to spare for future releases. I may need to make another box, though, as I'm working on a scratch-built Caquot and Parsival, and would like to aquire a few Gotha bombers as well.

I like to use Stanley tool organizer with adjustable compartments. I picked it up on sale at Lowe's for $20. I can put everything in it.

Here are my storage containers for Wings of War miniatures and components. The top box, Burning Drachens, contains the flight boards and instructions for all three WWI games.

This box is a Plano box bought at Longs for about $5. It holds damage decks, maneuver decks from the box sets, tokens, measuring tapes, rulers, and pegs for the minatures.

These containers are available at my local Orchard Supply Hardware for about $12 each. A bit pricey to me, but they're absolutely perfect for the expected twelve models in each series:

Series I

Series II

Series III

My storage is similar to Hex Enduction Hour - albeit my planes are first placed in a clear card sleeve. This way they do not move around at all inside the PVC container.

SHVAK said:

Clear card sleeves? Not sure what you mean, but would like to see a picture. If I can reduce any rattle for my miniatures during transport, I'll do it.

Thanks.

Card sleeves = card protectors, used for baseball cards, Magic (game) cards, etc. A pack of 100 good ones sell for a buck. Note that the bombers won't fit in the standard sized card sleeves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_sleeve

SHVAK said:

Interesting. You put the plane itself in the card sleeve?

Each (fighter) plane slips nicely into a card sleeve, including the Fk DVII and Snipe which are larger than the rest. That plane's maneuvre cards + base go into another card sleeve. Both sleeves (card/base on bottom) then are placed in the same plastic storage container slot. Better quality card sleeves are softer and UV protected - so don't worry about fading or scratching paint on your plane.

Once in a storage slot a plane barely moves, if at all - as the card sleeve acts as packing material.

SHVAK said:

That's brilliant! Nice idea. Thank you for sharing it. I won't hesitate to do the same.

Thank you sir.