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Thread: Anybody combine foam with a plastic organizer as a storage solution?

  1. #1

    Default Anybody combine foam with a plastic organizer as a storage solution?

    Hello All,

    I've accumulated enough Wings of Glory gear that every time I play I have to juggle an armada of boxes from the closet to the table and usually end up leaving a trail of casualties . It also eats into my play time having to remove everything carefully from their boxes and then return them safely at the end. I'd like to be able to consolidate everything into one box as seen here: https://therewillbe.games/blogs-by-members/4625-wings-of-warwings-of-glory-bulk-storage-solution-for-under-50 . The problem is the pictures that actually show how the author's gear is stored aren't showing up for me. Does anybody have a similar setup that wouldn't mind posting some pictures for me? I imagine just letting the planes float in the plastic is a disaster waiting to happen, how do you keep them secure? I can probably find some sheets of foam and cut them to fit but was curious what everyone else uses. I also saw some of the Navara options but shipping really throws cold water on it. I'm open to other ideas too, appreciate the input.

  2. #2

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    Brian, storage is always a challenge, but I agree -- the default plane boxes don't aid setup time or compact storage. I can't see the individual storage pics either in the link above but there are lots of storage solutions and a number of posts/threads on the forum.

    imo, some things to consider:
    How large is the collection currently, or is likely to become? (I didn't realize how many I'd get lol)
    Will maneuver decks be stored with the planes? (I started out Yes, then No, and am much happier storing a few copies of decks I need separately)
    Will bases be stored with the planes? (Again, initially Yes for me, then No, as I changed to generic bases and using magnetic telescoping tools that attach to the base with a removable machine screw)
    Need a container of some sort for the counters, rulers, etc (either a Plano style or old cigar box, or game token "bins" etc.)
    Damage decks storage: Lots of options here from tuck boxes, baggies, a card holder, etc.

    I used the foam trays and Flagship bag from Games Plus for quite a while and they work well. I still use that for large bomber planes, balloons, and other items and the bag holds a thin Plano for counters, rulers and such as well as rulebooks, and other bits in the side pockets. Then I changed most of my storage to using 4" x 6" photo boxes from Michael's (they come 16 to a case and the cases are stackable). I like that it's compact and I can just pull a few photo boxes and set up a Flagship bag for a road trip with what I want. You can see some pics here
    Heavy card stock could also be used to make the dividers pictured.

    You can do a similar thing with what you're looking at in the large Plano boxes and many folks here have done that effectively. Good luck!

  3. #3

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    Storage is our bugbear. There are a few solutions so it is personal preference. I chose what I think is the most compact storage. My plane and movement card storage is 'HERE. I go a little overboard and cut basswood spacers that I measure to touch the top of the box so the cards will stay put.

    I keep all the markers in a comparted plano box. I make my own movement stands with litko bases and extending magnet rods. Those I keep in another plastic box. Damage decks, I use triple decks, and keep them in the red Rules box with my terrain, trench, AA and other target cards.

    So it's a matter of personal preference. I'm not a fan of foam but others make great use of it. Good luck finding your way Grasshopper!

  4. #4

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    I really wish somebody would license Keith's Aerodrome Accessories trays and get them back into production... they were the best "miniature per cubic inch" solution I've yet found.
    Historical Consultant/Researcher, Wings and Sails lines - Unless stated otherwise, all comments are personal opinion only and NOT official Ares policy.
    Wings Checklists: WWI (down Navarre Nieuport, Ares Drachens) | WWII (complete)

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamondback View Post
    I really wish somebody would license Keith's Aerodrome Accessories trays and get them back into production... they were the best "miniature per cubic inch" solution I've yet found.
    I second that "emotion".

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamondback View Post
    I really wish somebody would license Keith's Aerodrome Accessories trays and get them back into production... they were the best "miniature per cubic inch" solution I've yet found.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Teaticket View Post
    Storage is our bugbear. There are a few solutions so it is personal preference. I chose what I think is the most compact storage. My plane and movement card storage is 'HERE. I go a little overboard and cut basswood spacers that I measure to touch the top of the box so the cards will stay put.

    I keep all the markers in a comparted plano box. I make my own movement stands with litko bases and extending magnet rods. Those I keep in another plastic box. Damage decks, I use triple decks, and keep them in the red Rules box with my terrain, trench, AA and other target cards.

    So it's a matter of personal preference. I'm not a fan of foam but others make great use of it. Good luck finding your way Grasshopper!
    Thanks Peter, I actually saw that thread before starting this one. Looks like a great solution! Do your planes wobble around much? I'm a little worried about props / other delicate parts breaking off. That said it will only really need to go from a closet to the table (at least right now anyway).



    Quote Originally Posted by malachi View Post
    Brian, storage is always a challenge, but I agree -- the default plane boxes don't aid setup time or compact storage. I can't see the individual storage pics either in the link above but there are lots of storage solutions and a number of posts/threads on the forum.

    imo, some things to consider:
    How large is the collection currently, or is likely to become? (I didn't realize how many I'd get lol)
    Will maneuver decks be stored with the planes? (I started out Yes, then No, and am much happier storing a few copies of decks I need separately)
    Will bases be stored with the planes? (Again, initially Yes for me, then No, as I changed to generic bases and using magnetic telescoping tools that attach to the base with a removable machine screw)
    Need a container of some sort for the counters, rulers, etc (either a Plano style or old cigar box, or game token "bins" etc.)
    Damage decks storage: Lots of options here from tuck boxes, baggies, a card holder, etc.

    I used the foam trays and Flagship bag from Games Plus for quite a while and they work well. I still use that for large bomber planes, balloons, and other items and the bag holds a thin Plano for counters, rulers and such as well as rulebooks, and other bits in the side pockets. Then I changed most of my storage to using 4" x 6" photo boxes from Michael's (they come 16 to a case and the cases are stackable). I like that it's compact and I can just pull a few photo boxes and set up a Flagship bag for a road trip with what I want. You can see some pics here
    Heavy card stock could also be used to make the dividers pictured.

    You can do a similar thing with what you're looking at in the large Plano boxes and many folks here have done that effectively. Good luck!
    Appreciate the input Chris! You gave me a lot to consider especially leaving room for customizations like the bases and different kinds of mounts I might want to try. I ended up going to Walmart earlier to fiddle with all their tackle boxes, tool boxes, and craft boxes. I ended up overdoing it a bit on what I selected but it seemed to be the most future proof / customizable option. My only complaint (and probably the wife once she sees it) is that it's gigantic haha. I might end up returning it but will give it a test run in a bit. Still not sure how I want to work the actual plane storage, I think modifying the dividers and adding foam would be the best way to get protection but I also don't want to add too much bulk.

    I'll keep this thread updated as I tinker around.

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  8. #8

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    Did some mock ups tonight and I think I'm going to keep the case. For plane storage I am thinking I will cut out that shorter horizontal divider and then use some thin foam to keep the planes in place similar to how they are mocked up in the picture (not all planes shown). For the B17 I would have to cut the bottom divider so that the tail will fit but that shouldn't be a problem. I haven't settled on a spot for the plane bases yet. They do fit well in the top of the lid but I might dedicate the smaller case on the right side for bases and altitude pegs. Still overkill overall in the size of the case but at least I'll have a lot of room to grow. The smaller rack setups just didn't seem as workable for plane storage and just getting the cases separately wouldn't keep everything together so I would rather deal with the bulk but be happy with the overall solution.

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  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Midnight Goat View Post
    Thanks Peter, I actually saw that thread before starting this one. Looks like a great solution! Do your planes wobble around much? I'm a little worried about props / other delicate parts breaking off. That said it will only really need to go from a closet to the table (at least right now anyway).
    I've traveled to dozens of conventions and have not had any damage while in the case. From setting up at home, the drive, into the hotel room, in and out of the convention, back to the room, back to the car for the drive home and back to their home aerodrome, these cases have servewd me well.

    Planes on the table with clumcy gamers is another story.

    With the felt inserts the planes tend to not move unless you tip the case over. Setting up and turning around for another game is pretty easy as I can set up several games in one case.

  10. #10

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    Best storage solution I ever saw was Tomats at the first Doncaster, with the flexible rubber tubing on flight pegs, that was genius.

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Teaticket View Post
    Planes on the table with clumcy gamers is another story.
    YEP!

    One of our "Flight Club" meets had a player select one of my rigged Fokker E.IIIs, fumble it, drop it onto the table, from which it bounced and fell to the floor!

    Cursing liberally, I snatched it away from him, and gave him a one-piece RAF 3D printed eindeckker instead...
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  12. #12

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    Planes on the table with clumcy gamers is another story.







    sadly can confirm.......

  13. #13

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    i us kr multicase and am very satisfied with them. my only real problem is getting more lol.

  14. #14

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    Made some progress over the weekend. Here is a little step by step for my solution. Would have been a lot easier with pluck foam but figured I'd use what I had on hand which was some leftover packing foam from my new computer delivery this past Christmas.

    Here is what I started with. I needed to remove the horizontal divider which unfortunately was molded into the case. I used some tin snips to make initial cuts into the divider.
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    Then I used some flush cutters to cut diagonally and remove enough material until I could fit the cutters enough to cut across. I used the flush cutters to cut as far as I could horizontally and then the tin snips to cut vertically and remove sections at a time.
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    This was the end result. There is still a slight lip at the bottom but I didn't want to remove any additional material and compromise the structural integrity of that section. It's slight so provides no interference with laying the foam on top.
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    This was the big piece of foam that I had leftover from my computer box.
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    Nothing fancy here just laid the foam over the case and cut to size. Don't have to be perfect with your cut.
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    For the first few planes I used a box cutter until my wife saw me struggling and brought me an x-acto knife. That worked much better
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    I still have my B17 to add to one of the other cases but figured I'd wait until I had a few more planes to go along with it. Overall I'm really happy with it. We've played a few times over the weekend and it's a lot easier to get everything setup and it's definitely been less risky to the planes during setup. Plenty of room for the props while still securing the rest of the plane. I can even turn the box upside down with no plane movement. My wife is working on a cool decal for the box using her cricut machine. Looking forward to what she comes up with. Happy to answer any questions if anybody is considering a similar storage setup.

  15. #15

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    Nice solution for your storage Brian.

  16. #16

  17. #17

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    I remember a show in York with an ADHD child whose father used us a crèche.... Tim was NOT amused and looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel most of the day, mind you he wasn’t the only one.

    Never Knowingly Undergunned !!

  18. #18

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    Very nicely done! I am also struggling with storage ideas for my 25+ plane WW2 collection. I happened to buy a couple of the really nice trays that were sold here to try them out, then procrastinated on a followup purchase(s) as my collection grew. . Sadly production/sales ended before I could get anymore. Ya snooze, ya lose!

    One idea for a change would be to get some draw bags or separate opaque containers for the damage counters instead of storing them in a space in the box. Otherwise you will have to extract the counters, play with them and and then return the counters back to their allotted space.

    Thanks for documenting your solution and giving me some ideas.

  19. #19

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    Just wanted to provide an update on my storage. Took it on a road trip down to Florida about (11 hours in the trunk each way) and it did great. I was a little worried about the heat (it was in a covered truck bed isolated from the AC) but the inner spaces of the box (where the planes are stored) did not get nearly as hot as the outside. Very easy to setup and put away while on vacation which is key when trying to keep everything safe from the little ones. Only issue is I can definitely see running out of space in the not too distant future but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.




    Quote Originally Posted by StocktonDave View Post
    Very nicely done! I am also struggling with storage ideas for my 25+ plane WW2 collection. I happened to buy a couple of the really nice trays that were sold here to try them out, then procrastinated on a followup purchase(s) as my collection grew. . Sadly production/sales ended before I could get anymore. Ya snooze, ya lose!

    One idea for a change would be to get some draw bags or separate opaque containers for the damage counters instead of storing them in a space in the box. Otherwise you will have to extract the counters, play with them and and then return the counters back to their allotted space.

    Thanks for documenting your solution and giving me some ideas.
    I had that thought about the draw bags (especially the nice looking official ones) but we do like having everything laid out on the table. It would cut setup time drastically though as we have to spill them out, make sure everything is turned over, and then put them all away again. Definitely something to keep considering.

  20. #20

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    I use a similar method for storing and transporting my terrain pieces to shows Dave.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."



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