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I am new to the hobby and i just today finished gluing the models i bought together, and while putting them together i noticed how fragile some parts are especially my standard bearers and horns
(chaos warriors from fantasy).

so my mind turned to carry cases, i know there are many placed that sell them, but are they worth the outlay? or would i be better off getting some foam rubber and making them myself?

has anyone made their own before and can give some pointers?
also if i did make them what grade/type of foam would you recommend?

if i did make what could i use for a shell?

OR if buying is a better option what sites would you recommend?.

thx

US-based players have a wide range of gun cases that they can purchase cheaply. For us, here in Australia, that's not really an option.

You might find that posting this question on Wargamer.au gets you a better answer. If you do, be sure and let us know.

If you ever plan to bring your figures on a plane, I'd make my own. That's what I did. I picked the airline I use most often, bought a rollercase that matched the exact specifications for allowed carry on, and visited a custom mattress shop to get custom inserts cut. Now I just cut a out a tray when I have new models.

Here are 4 advantages:

1) Cheaper than major sellers like battlefoam.

2) Inconspicuous--i don't feel like announcing to colleagues, clients, and strangers that I'm a model geek as most people don't get it. So no logos and no bizarre chunky designs.

3) Bought trays are fine for standard models, but kitbashes/conversions need unique cuts.

4) Multipurpose--you can use a roller case in the course of you regular life, bought wargaming case...not so much

I might have a go at asking on wargamer.au a bit later on.

and as for the "roller case" im guessing you talking about a solid rolling luggage case, that sounds like a good idea, may need to try and find a cheap nasty one, the luggage/bag shops will charge you crazy prices.

when you say mattress inserts, can you show me a pic of what you mean?



Automatically Appended Next Post:
lol i would have asked on there about it, but alas i cannot for now as i only just made the account and i need to be "verified" by an admin before i get posting permission.

Making cases is okay if you have more time than money.

Cutting foam is time consuming and will run up a surprising billing in new knife blades (it blunts them quickly!).

You will then need to glue it together - so a hot glue gun (my recommendation) or a foam friendly adhesive.

All of this needs either a case or a box to fit in snuggly to protect the minis.

All in all its a bit of a ball ache.

I would instead say get a nice cheap card case with the correct sized apertures for 28mm miniatures. My preference is for KR card multicases but there are also cheap cases from Feldherr and others. I think BattleFoam do a card storage system now too.

I would suggest then a look at KRs site. You can pck up a standard multicase for about £24 delivered, so peanuts against the hassle of making one.

They're UK based and ship worldwide so guess that you will be able to take advantage of AUD/GBP exchange rates too.

I would recommend K-R Multicase, $50 and you get a heavy duty cardboard box that holds all the sheets. Just select what sheets you want and it's all good

Camera cases can work as well, just have to have a look around at all different things really.

 AesSedai wrote:
If you ever plan to bring your figures on a plane, I'd make my own. That's what I did. I picked the airline I use most often, bought a rollercase that matched the exact specifications for allowed carry on, and visited a custom mattress shop to get custom inserts cut. Now I just cut a out a tray when I have new models.

Here are 4 advantages:

1) Cheaper than major sellers like battlefoam.

2) Inconspicuous--i don't feel like announcing to colleagues, clients, and strangers that I'm a model geek as most people don't get it. So no logos and no bizarre chunky designs.

3) Bought trays are fine for standard models, but kitbashes/conversions need unique cuts.

4) Multipurpose--you can use a roller case in the course of you regular life, bought wargaming case...not so much

How much did the custom foam set you back?

I'm not familar with your models but plastic kits and good (not GW) glue/cement create very robust models. Magnetising helps with transporting too, allot i will add.

For cases as above.
Time - make your own
Money - buy

A toolbox. Buy and cut foam. A gluegun. Magnetic sheet or steel sheet and magnets on model bases.

Or a large sports bag. Make a liner in the inside of bag or boxes which hold foam trays. I used 1cm thick cardboard. I can throw my bag around, drop it, whatever. My models are indestructable when transporting.

I use KR case foam for ease. Slight mods made. Plus the excess foam can be used for terrain. Tear it up and spray = looks like rocks.

for a kit make up from KR will cost me around 90-100 AUD

i could easily make a case in a cardboard box with foam rubber for less then that :/

does anyone know the grade/type of foam KR use?

A lot depends on what sort of handling it has to take.

I use a plastic box with magnets in the bottom and that works just fine for carrying around and putting in the car, but it's not for rough handling.

There's alot of options for DIY. My particular method uses gun cases, but my methods for making foam trays are pretty universal and may help you, especially in learning how to cut holes without burning through alot of knife blades.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/362407.page
For your use, a luggage case seems like a brilliant idea. Cheaper, less conspicuous and as strong as the toughest (and stronger than most) miniature cases.

 Okottekoneko wrote:
for a kit make up from KR will cost me around 90-100 AUD

i could easily make a case in a cardboard box with foam rubber for less then that :/

The main thing to consider is - how much do you value your stuff?

I spend a lot of money on these models, so I want decent protection for when they wander outside the house. So I bought Battlefoam, though KR is a good option, as are the other makers out there like Feldherr, Sabol, etc. There's also a local Australian company you might want to look up - Lasertouch, but their selection is pretty small now. But they do custom cut pretty cheap.

Something to consider when making your own case is - do you think you can build one well enough that can protect your stuff and still be cost effective? As someone already said, building your own can get expensive.

While a case can run you some decent money, it's worth it in the end. I have a Battlefoam 1520XL that my FLGS stocked. The case itself ran me about $180au. I've got lots of trays for it, from various pluck foam to laster cut trays for specific models (Tyranids and Vampire Counts have some odd shaped models). Add to that an Infinity Alpha bag for taking my smaller Infinity armies out of the house. I've never had a chipped or broken model, not any wear on the paint from ill fitting model slots in foam. I've spent well over $500au on foam and cases for my armies.

To me, spending a little extra on a decent bag/case and foam is worth more than what extra models I'd have bought with the same money. But I don't have time or the DIY skill to make my own. I also simply couldn't be arsed.

I spend the extra for KR cases, because:
Custom foam trays hold oddly-shaped models very well, and allow for other models to fit in alongside them,
I value the time and effort put into fixing models that might get broken due to bad packing, and with good foam, that's avoided,
KR's cardboard box system works well for me, to be able to pack just the army selection I want to take for that session,
Their Kaiser bags are good for carrying the extras, like books (BRB is too big), dice, etc.

I split my armies between Aluminium 2 cases, and the Kaiser 1 and K2 bags and the backpack.

For info, I recently got the 2/3-thick pluck-and-play foam, to pack in the 3 sets of Wall of Martyrs. I'll post picks of the trays on my Gallery later on.

i get why people splurge on the pricey custom cases, but personally, i am a new player haven't even finished getting all the models for my army yet, the el cheapo will be for storing around the house and maybe some short distance travel.

when i have more invested and can afford the more expensive cases ill be happy to do so, money is scarce at the moment so i am looking for a way to make one on the cheap that will do the job until i can upgrade.

For something cheap how about mantic cases they are just video type cases with thin foam in them and the pressure of the case keeps them in place, I don't think the thin foam you get is enough but buy a little extra foam to stick to the bottom of it and it's a cheap storage solution for beginners.

They don't come with cutouts but they work well enough especially if they are your standard rank and file troops that don't need as much protection.

I've recently become something of a fan of magnetised storage, Its surpisingly cheap and easy you don't need 'custom' foam.

You can get the magnetic/metal sticky sheets on-line and then you can use plastic storage boxes or box files for the container. If you're in a particlary stingly mood you can even use something like a cheap poundland oven tray as the metal surface. Magnets stick to them just fine.

A cheap solution is tissue paper/paper towels and a cardboard box. I've found that a small plastic Tupperware box, with each model wrapped in paper towels has worked wonderfully for my Scourges. Meanwhile the Warriors and Wyches in my plastic/foam case have spikes, barbs, chains, and banners that always get bent or break completely just sitting in a corner.

I also do the magnets. A magnet on every base and sheet metal in the plastic bin:




This works better with light plastic models. Some bigger metal models are heavy enough to come un-stuck if you bang the container hard enough.

i might have to look into getting magnetic sheets.

what should i use as keywords to find the right things?

because its fantasy battles, having magnets will make it easier when using movement trays, wont have to worry about them falling down.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
would the stuff for fridge magnets be strong enough?

No, what you're looking for are Rare Earth Magnets. They're pretty cheap, plenty of people sell them on ebay. If you're looking for a more local supplier, plenty of Australian online and brick and mortar stores stock them. Online, good places are Back to Base-ix and The Combat Company.

What you then do is get metal sheeting - not very thick though - to line your movement trays. Glue a Rare Earth Magnet underneath the base of each model with the right polarity facing down, and they will stick to the metal sheet. For your case, simply line the tub with the same sheeting, and the models will stick to the sheet in the tub.

I'm not a fan of this method as it places undue stress on the models ankles. If you have an army that has fragile ankle areas, like Skeletons or particularly Tyranid Guants, you can easily snap the model at the ankles if you use magnets that are too strong. But then going for weaker magnets gives you a less secure hold for transport.

hmm :/

ill have to hunt around and see what i can come up with,

-Loki- is completely right.

You spend a hell of a lot of money on this hobby. Having models break because they are badly packed is heart breaking. However you end up doing it, it's defiantly worth spending a bit of time and money getting it right, be it magnetic sheets in a box or foam.
Personally, I use Kr multicase, the foam keeps my models really safe, I don't think i have had a single breakage so far, and the cardboard storage boxes is an absurdly simple, but ingenious idea for storage.
Having a tower of cardboard boxes full of armies in the corner of my hobby room means packing for games is really quick, grab the right box and rulebooks then go.

I have a big KR case that works well, but it wasn't cheap. You could try getting some kind of suitcase and then buying some nice foam from Clark Rubber or wherever and cutting it to fit. That can let you cut nice custom cubbies for your miniatures to accommodate their weird shapes and flailing arms or what have you, but it's very time-consuming and when all is said and done I'm not sure how much money it actually saves you.

With plastic models, I've once wrapped them in tissues like Christmas baubles and just put them in a plastic tupperware container. That wasn't too bad for the small number I was transporting.

 -Loki- wrote:
No, what you're looking for are Rare Earth Magnets. They're pretty cheap, plenty of people sell them on ebay. If you're looking for a more local supplier, plenty of Australian online and brick and mortar stores stock them. Online, good places are Back to Base-ix and The Combat Company.

What you then do is get metal sheeting - not very thick though - to line your movement trays. Glue a Rare Earth Magnet underneath the base of each model with the right polarity facing down, and they will stick to the metal sheet. For your case, simply line the tub with the same sheeting, and the models will stick to the sheet in the tub.

I'm not a fan of this method as it places undue stress on the models ankles. If you have an army that has fragile ankle areas, like Skeletons or particularly Tyranid Guants, you can easily snap the model at the ankles if you use magnets that are too strong. But then going for weaker magnets gives you a less secure hold for transport.

Personally I base my stuff on coins. So instead of putting magnets in them I stick them to magnetic sheets.

 carlos13th wrote:

 -Loki- wrote:
No, what you're looking for are Rare Earth Magnets. They're pretty cheap, plenty of people sell them on ebay. If you're looking for a more local supplier, plenty of Australian online and brick and mortar stores stock them. Online, good places are Back to Base-ix and The Combat Company.

What you then do is get metal sheeting - not very thick though - to line your movement trays. Glue a Rare Earth Magnet underneath the base of each model with the right polarity facing down, and they will stick to the metal sheet. For your case, simply line the tub with the same sheeting, and the models will stick to the sheet in the tub.

I'm not a fan of this method as it places undue stress on the models ankles. If you have an army that has fragile ankle areas, like Skeletons or particularly Tyranid Guants, you can easily snap the model at the ankles if you use magnets that are too strong. But then going for weaker magnets gives you a less secure hold for transport.

Personally I base my stuff on coins. So instead of putting magnets in them I stick them to magnetic sheets.

Are your coins made of iron?

i believe you can use a hot wire cutter (which can be useful later anyway for terrain and stuff) to cut Foam.
http://www.advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16497
Actually that was the guide i remember.

British pennies are magnetic or at least have been for the past 30 or so years. They are copper coated nickel I believe.

 carlos13th wrote:
British pennies are magnetic or at least have been for the past 30 or so years. They are copper coated nickel I believe.

They'd have to be steel/iron for a magnet to pick them up.

Copper plated steel sorry.

It all depends on time. Cutting foam is a nightmare, but eggshell foam might solve your problems if you only have a small number of models.

KR are at the cheaper end of the Carry case industry, and their basic case is USD65 shipped to Australia.