Has anyone considered magnets to store fully assembled pieces?

Its a possibility, but it comes with its own drawbacks, usually...

1 - The storage container itself is bulky.

This is because it has to accomodate the full size of the piece, and if you are forward-thinking, the full-size of the pieces set to come, like the ISD... This adds up to a fairly extensive LxWxD when you're talking about more than just a Core Set.


2 - More often than not, the storage container is heavy.

This is a follow on from #1... Not only is the container bulky, its usually a metal toolbox, or has a sheet of metal integral to the bottom... Either way, heavy.

3 - It can be a lot of work.

If you're building a custom setup, you need to prepare your magnets for the underside of the playing pieces - potentially even in multiple points. You need to worry about Polarity (if you're doing a Magnet-to-Magnet rather than a Magnet-to-Metal) Solution, and oftentimes, you need to be able to seat the magnet in the piece so the magnet itself is not going to impede sitting flat on something other than your carrying solution...

That's not to say its impossible... But given the considerations I'd have to take, there are simpler solutions for me... Even if I go and buy cheap upholstery foam offcuts from my local Fabricland and hack-and-glue up appropriate dropboxes.

Its a possibility, but it comes with its own drawbacks, usually...

1 - The storage container itself is bulky.

This is because it has to accomodate the full size of the piece, and if you are forward-thinking, the full-size of the pieces set to come, like the ISD... This adds up to a fairly extensive LxWxD when you're talking about more than just a Core Set.

2 - More often than not, the storage container is heavy.

This is a follow on from #1... Not only is the container bulky, its usually a metal toolbox, or has a sheet of metal integral to the bottom... Either way, heavy.

3 - It can be a lot of work.

If you're building a custom setup, you need to prepare your magnets for the underside of the playing pieces - potentially even in multiple points. You need to worry about Polarity (if you're doing a Magnet-to-Magnet rather than a Magnet-to-Metal) Solution, and oftentimes, you need to be able to seat the magnet in the piece so the magnet itself is not going to impede sitting flat on something other than your carrying solution...

Maybe I should have expanded my comment: I've used magnets with certain hard-to-pad Warmachine models for years. It just seems like a natural solution where you want stuff to stick up. The space under the Armada bases is problematic... one would have to design an appropriately sized spacer for the magnet to reach the bottom, or I wonder if I can get appropriate sized magnets to fit in the front corner... hmmm.

Or alternatively - maybe just having magnets where the base attaches to the model is fine (and one can glue magnets to the bases) so you can have a 'quick connect' system that allows for models to attach to the bases quickly, but then also have a piece of metal for the magnetized ship to cling to (sans base). Saves the problem of having to magnetize the gap under the base...

Now I'm just thinking out loud.

Has anyone considered magnets to store fully assembled pieces?

Allright guys n gals! I broke down and bought some foam and a toolbox to store my stuff in!!! I think the foam came from Foam Factory online and I grabbed a toolbox kit from Harbor Freight. I'm liking the way it's looking and can be upgraded for Wave 2 (will need to make a 2nd tier in the box).

But it was easy to just pluck or cut some space out and go one ship at a time once I knew what I was shooting for. Half inch foam was quite sufficient, plus a 1/4" base layer. Toolbox set was $20, and the foam was $30 shipped but I definitely got more than I needed immediately.