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Hey all! I am tired of showing up to my FLGS with my army in a cardboard box. Not because I'm ashamed, but because it's inconvenient. All my models slide around while I'm driving, and it's not very sturdy. So, I set upon a quest to find a cheap alternative that would reduce model slide while being structurely sound for every day use. Here's what I came up with:

Note: This review is written for those who play the game of Budgethammer. I know that foam is safer than this system. I also know this costs a fraction of the total investment of a foam and carrier. While the chance of chipping/breaking a part increases here, it's less risky than you think (there is very little play in the box).


This organizer was found in Wal-Marts hardware section, along with screws, nails, and their relevant organizers. It was priced at $3.11, so I imagine it comes to something like $3.25 with tax.


It holds 36 Firewarriors with all 30 dividers set in. My hand is there for size reference.


Here is a side shot. The slots are perfect for 28mm bases; and long enough to accommodate our Pulse Rifles. All in all, it's almost as if it was designed for Firewarriors...


Some assembly required. There are 30 slots in 10 3-slot connections. These can be easily cut with an exacto knife. Make sure you cut close to the plastic or they won't slide in correctly. Child's play compared to other plastic cutting we have to do


It can also be used for Crisis suits. They *almost* fit in two slots, but the "ears" make it to tall, and require 3 slots.
WARNING: I don't think suits will fit with weapons glued to the arms. Luckily, my suits are magnetized on the arms. Also, if you suit is wider than your base, it might not fit.

I'm very pleased with this small investment. Unfortunately, Kroot take up two slots, so it's not a very cost effective transport for them, unless you confine them to two to a cell! Actually, I could see myself doing just that.

Like I said, there is very little play with movement, and all models fit snuggly, so you are pretty safe from scratching paint. The only major snag I ran into with Firewarriors were the Commanders. A couple of them use the gun arm that points straight up into the air, and they are too tall for the box to close. If I put them diagonally into the slot, their guns still poke out slightly, but it's enough that I can still close the box. With a little work and another box, I could fit them into one of the two slot cells.

If I find something equally effective for skimmers/vehicles, I will post another time. The quest continues!

~Sync

Without padding, that looks like a good way for you to get models chipped or broken.

Wal-mart sucks don't shop there.

Yeah, that's how we did it in the 90's. Tackle boxes and a lot of chipped and broken figs. Buy extra glue.

Ah, it brings back memories! Some good, some bad

Actually I use these to hold my bitz. Broken down into category.

i use these too.

Centurian99 wrote:Without padding, that looks like a good way for you to get models chipped or broken.

I'm also not going to pay $100.00 for foam and a transporter, I'd rather spend that on more figures. Call it Budgethammer. Like I said in the review, there is very little play for movement. Just don't shake it like a rattler, turn it upside down, or throw it up in the air and catch it. Nothing will get chipped if you follow these guildlines!

Centurian99 wrote:Without padding, that looks like a good way for you to get models chipped or broken.

I concur... but it seems a good start to something better

It may not be the optimal way to keep your models from getting chipped or broken, but for those on a budget, it's a better way to transport and organize your models. You can get similar boxes at Michael's in the sewing section for $2 each.

synchronicity wrote:

Centurian99 wrote:Without padding, that looks like a good way for you to get models chipped or broken.

I'm also not going to pay $100.00 for foam and a transporter, I'd rather spend that on more figures. Call it Budgethammer. Like I said in the review, there is very little play for movement. Just don't shake it like a rattler, turn it upside down, or throw it up in the air and catch it. Nothing will get chipped if you follow these guildlines!

You could also call it being careless with models that you've bought and painted.

I'd rather just get a cardboard box and layer it with bubble wrap. That "case" gives you a false sense of security and really is a piss-poor way to treat the time and money you've put into your army.

stick some cotton in there and be happy I might use some of these for my guard, if walmart has that size (I currently have a smaller version. but with only 8 slots and it's not as spacious lol I use it for my paints)

Centurian99 wrote:

synchronicity wrote:

Centurian99 wrote:Without padding, that looks like a good way for you to get models chipped or broken.

I'm also not going to pay $100.00 for foam and a transporter, I'd rather spend that on more figures. Call it Budgethammer. Like I said in the review, there is very little play for movement. Just don't shake it like a rattler, turn it upside down, or throw it up in the air and catch it. Nothing will get chipped if you follow these guildlines!

You could also call it being careless with models that you've bought and painted.

I'd rather just get a cardboard box and layer it with bubble wrap. That "case" gives you a false sense of security and really is a piss-poor way to treat the time and money you've put into your army.

Obviously, this article isn't written for everybody, so I'm going to edit that into the OP. It's written for those on a budget, and who want a carrying system that is practical and efficient. I don't paint my army to Golden Demon standards, nor do I intend to. We assume a certain amount of risk everyday, just by walking out the door. I know that I increase the chances of chipping/breaking a model than by transporting them in foam. I also know that this costs a fraction of that system, and have no problem re-gluing the arbitrary piece every now and then, however low the possibility of that happening is.

It's certainly not for everybody, and I don't think it would be a stretch to say it's not for the majority either. I know there are others out there who will find this useful, however.

synchronicity wrote:

Centurian99 wrote:Without padding, that looks like a good way for you to get models chipped or broken.

I'm also not going to pay $100.00 for foam and a transporter, I'd rather spend that on more figures. Call it Budgethammer. Like I said in the review, there is very little play for movement. Just don't shake it like a rattler, turn it upside down, or throw it up in the air and catch it. Nothing will get chipped if you follow these guildlines!

I agree with you! Finally someone else who thinks like that! I would much rather spend the money on models and the box i've been using hasn't made any of my models chip in the past 4-6 months I've been using it. Of course being a kid and all and only getting money from B-Day holidays etc I have an EXTREMELY low budget. That is why I checked all my options and I might just buy a case of the internet or from a friend for much cheaper seeing as my B-Day is in 4 days =) If all else fails I WILL be forced to buy one from the store using that voucher thing to get 20$ off since I've had my army painted for awhile but been too busy to base. ANYWAYS I'm thinking of using the walmart thing instead now after seeing what synch did.








EDIT: sorry meant synch =P

Use the foam pads that come in miniature blisters. It cuts down on chips and knicks a lot.

If you use a good clear coat, chipping should not be a problem. I've had more issues with the spiky protuberances on my chaos space marines snapping when they snag on the &%^$#&%*)(^*^%$$ foam! I'm gonna head out to Wal-Mart and check those out. After all, the Chinese already own our asses as it is.

To help a fellow gamer go to the bedding area in Walmart and get a foam pad for a twin bed cut that to your compartment size. get some double stick tape to secure it to the compartment sides top and bottom and no chips. This is what I did with my tackle box carrier back in the day.

Hey, your figs, but for transporting models its really less than ideal, and really its false economy.

The largest part of the cost in any of the army transport systems are the cases themselves. If you're really in a financial bind, your best bet is to purchase trays individually.

Individual Sabol trays can be purchased online from places like Warstore or Chaos Mail Order for about $7-8/tray. Custom-cut trays from Battlefoam are a bit more, but are somewhat easier to use and can fit a bit more models. If you plan ahead and lay out your trays properly, you can fit an incredible amount of models into a single tray.

The biggest way you can save money when using the foam trays is simply to purchase the trays so that they're height will allow you to place your figs vertically, as opposed to horizontally. This is how I mounted the figs in the tray below.



Instead of laying the models on their side, most of the models are mounted vertically, with their base on the bottom of the tray. This lets me pack in a lot of models - 26 with space to spare, even with four of the models placed on their sides because they're taller than their fellows.

Centurian99 wrote:Hey, your figs, but for transporting models its really less than ideal, and really its false economy.

The largest part of the cost in any of the army transport systems are the cases themselves. If you're really in a financial bind, your best bet is to purchase trays individually.

Individual Sabol trays can be purchased online from places like Warstore or Chaos Mail Order for about $7-8/tray. Custom-cut trays from Battlefoam are a bit more, but are somewhat easier to use and can fit a bit more models. If you plan ahead and lay out your trays properly, you can fit an incredible amount of models into a single tray.

The biggest way you can save money when using the foam trays is simply to purchase the trays so that they're height will allow you to place your figs vertically, as opposed to horizontally. This is how I mounted the figs in the tray below.

I totally get what your saying. My roommate has a couple trays of Battlefoam, and I think they're great! However, when tasked with upgrading my carrying system and the costs of various foam, I first wanted to try to see if I could do it for less. That's what this thread is about, the results of my experiment. I did plenty of research before embarking, however.

Spend $25 on Battlefoam 72 figure tray, $20 on 2 sabol modular trays, or $6 on two walmart hardware organizers. You can hardly call that false economy...

synchronicity wrote:
Spend $25 on Battlefoam 72 figure tray, $20 on 2 sabol modular trays, or $6 on two walmart hardware organizers. You can hardly call that false economy...

Sure I can, when you figure in the cost of continually repairing damage to your figs.

What a buddy of mine does at the FLGS is when people buy the Sabol trays we give him the pieces we pull out for his Wal Mart cases. He has not had a single break since he started stuffing his cases with other peoples trash.

Also, I used to use the foam from the metal figure packs as padding before I made the plunge to foam.

I also don't want to spend a lot of money on carry cases, but I do not want to chip my models and I think that your method would do just that. My suggestion would be to purchase some really cheap boxes like the one you have and put a layer packing foam in them and cut out the shapes you need. Best of both worlds. You can get big sheets of packing foam for pretty cheap. I do think that those tray's are a bargain though. Look for pick and pack foam for a really easy option. For me the branded trays are just another money making scam from the gaming companies and you can make something just as good yourself for a lot less money. I would consider buying something specific for my bigger models that took me ages to paint.

Centurian99 wrote:

synchronicity wrote:
Spend $25 on Battlefoam 72 figure tray, $20 on 2 sabol modular trays, or $6 on two walmart hardware organizers. You can hardly call that false economy...

Sure I can, when you figure in the cost of continually repairing damage to your figs.

Bah! How far do you want to take this discussion? Do you want me to calculate the variable cost of each drop of glue per repair, or the variable cost per stroke of paint? I can assure you its negligible. I've carried my army for the last year in a much worse case than these, and have only had to re-glue a broken off part under 5 times. The risk is not as great as you would think. Sure, it's greater than foam, but not by much, and that's good enough for me.

It's not like I'm throwing them all in a plastic sack...

I use a very similar plastic box for my minis now as well... a quick wrap/lining of some tissue/paper towel, and you shouldn't have to worry about chips too much...

i've been using these things since i started gaming. I glue the foam from blister packs to the bottom and sides of the compartments. It works well.

I STILL use a tacklebox for my marines.
All of the little foam sheets that come in blisters were cut up to fit the slots in the trays.
My vehicles and bikes go into the main compartment (bottom) which has a sheet of galvanised iron in it (bikes, dread bases and vehicles have magnets in their bases). I have a SM (infantry) company in that box.

I haven't had ANY breakages/chipping during transport in over 20 years.

I have a couple of lockable watertight cases for use when travelling interstate and carrying the minis with me, but they are also my camera cases (foam trays swap out). But generally, the tacklebox wins.

Edit: 90% of my infantry is metal. My bikers are metal, too.

For something like plastic figures, I can see that working.
But metal stuff?
Oh heck no.

I use the same one as the original poster. walmart also sells a fabric case bag that holds five of those individual cases.

I have breakages all the time with my foam cases. Convenience is really the only thing that makes them worth the money. They're made to carry miniatures so you can fit a lot more in the foam tray carrying cases. You can customize and optimize them to fit your army whether you need to carry 100 troops or a bunch of vehicles. The $10 wal-mart pistol cases are great army carriers if you're on a budget.

The trick is you buy a foam case that you have to remove the foam yourself. Then you have foam to line the plastic tray with. It has worked with my Battletech minis for 15 years.

i use plastic containers lined with foam and scrunched up paper, cheap, and minimum chipping (metal modals packed individually)

I would not use this ( battle fome for me ) but I have seen people who have . With a plastic army thats held together with plastic glue and a nice coat of varnish it will hold up just fine .