Moving with Models

Depending on how many models you have....check on places in the phone book under packing...your looking for a place that would sell to places like MBE or other pack/mail shops. My uncle owns a business here in town which specializes in packaging supplies wholesale(to all the MBE's/local pack shops) and I know people can walk in off the street and buy a #20 bag of loosefill(Peanuts) cheaper than if they went to MBE and got 1/4 of that size bag...His prices are around $15.00 for a bag. I dont know what part of Va your in Im assuming Norfolk or near there...If so check to see if FoamPro is still open there off Tidewater Dr(or Were) they are a wholesaler who sells to the public.
Chris

Thanks, all. I moved them on the back seat of the car last time, but that was just across town. This time I am going from VA to TX, so that's not really an option.

Looks like I am off to the store for packing material...

-Mike

mgilsbach

Try the link below.

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8525

Here is my 2 cents worth. I have packed the following 1/48 scale models (F-14, F-15c, B1b, B-52, SR-71)with very little damage (i.e. flimsy landing gear, pitot tubes, missles etc..) or no damage at all. The military moved me from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska to Norton AFB, Calif, to Fort Riley, Kansas. Between Calif and Kansas my stuff sat in storage for 6 months. I found a box that was at least 3-6 inchs deeper, 3-6 inchs longer and 3-6 inchs wider than the model work the best. Then fill the box part way with foam peanuts. Place the model upside down. Make sure no part of the model is touching the box. You also need to gauge how much peanuts you need underneath the model. After you are happy with the palcement start covering the rest of the model with peanuts. Tape the lid down. Then write this side up on the side of the box. With an arrow pointing in the direction of up. For aircraft with landing gear extended ship it on its back. Then place this sealed box in another box with a shallow layer of peanuts packed all around the box. Now for obvious reason a very large B-1 or B-52 is not the easiest pack. Take your time. I have packed and repacked them several times. Another good filler is shredded paper. My last shipment from Fort Campbell, Ky to Little Rock AFB, Ar went very smooth.

Office Depot has peanuts. Gets expensive. I spent roughly $200.00.

Actually, I wouldn't reccomend packing peanuts. In fact, I wouldn't reccomend packing at all. When I move, it's usually no more than a city away, so I just carefully rest my models down on the backseat of the car, and make certain to drive as slowly and safely as possible. As long as the model doesn't move, nothing breaks!
Of course, if the move is interstate, use shredded fibers(I hear coconut fiber, or spanish moss are both real good for this) to pack the model in a box, and praying doesn't hurt!
Hope all goes well in the move!

Here are the steps that will work the best, and save your movers any trouble, or any later liabilities:
1. Place a small towel on the floor for each model you have.
2. Place your models, one on each of the towels you laid out..
3. Take another towel, and place over the top of each of your kits.
4. Now take a sledgehammer and crush each model into as many small pieces as possible.
5. Take up all the pieces in the towels and throw them into a box and tape it shut.
There. Your problems are solved: no worries about breakage in transit, and you've already done what the movers are going to do anyway.

I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist. I think I'm just in one of those Friday afternoon moods.

Actually, demono69 and Swanny's posts just about have you covered.

Oh, yeah: Welcome to our forum, Mike! Hope you enjoy it here! Glad to have you aboard.

Gip Winecoff

Yup, packing peanuts and you will get some small pieces broken off so have a staging area set up so you can dump the peanuts and collect the pitot tubes and occasional landing gear from the bottom of the box afterwards. I moved about 100 built kits from upstate New York to central Ohio this way and took very minimul damage and the peanuts came in handy for other stuff over the years also.

Welcome to the forum! Hope you enjoy it here.

Two words: Packing Peanuts. Lots of them.

demono69