Storage

The humble A4 document box, the workhorse of my miniatures storage

The arrival of a new batch of figures has forced my hand and off I went to Tesco to get some more document boxes. Tesco are definately the spot to go to as they are significantly (40-50 per cent) cheaper than going to a stationary store. I base my figures with magnetic signage material to that they could be stored in tool boxes. However, I found that the tool box itself didn't hold as much as I'd like and it was also very heavy. There were mentions in the wargaming press of gamers using A4 box files lined with steel paper. I'd never seen it myself, but I ordered some steel paper from Magnetic Displays and I haven't look back since.

The stuff that makes it all happen

I've realised that my previous system of two regiments per box may be unrealistic. Firstly because it doesn't tie in particularly well with how I use the majority of my figures and secondly because it means that there is empty space in my boxes that could be used to hold additional figures. The boxes were organised to hold two Charge! regiments and associated hangers on, while I generally play Command & Colours Napoleonics these days.

I would shift from fitting six units per box to eight. This would substantially reduce the amount of boxes required.

The Finished product,
with some John Cunningham Sepoys in evidence

The net result is that there is going to have to be a reorganization of the collection, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I'm also going to have to start a set of box files for my Cold War Collection and the Indian Collection.

The long term plan is to dress the boxes up, but I think I'll need a wargames room that has a solid floor and some solid shelving for that first!

Old Kinchs figures lie a moulderin' in a box...

A forlorn and somewhat mouldy box

I store my 1/72 scale figures in file boxes, which has been a success so far as organising them is concerned. It's not the most attractive way to store figures, but it does work - though Savage has come up with a cunning plan for adding fake book covers to them. The idea being that when placed on a shelf, the box will look like a large book.

Savage came up will all manner of smart ideas for bookcover designs that would incorporate information into the cover. The colour of the cover would indicate which nationality the troops inside belonged to, a logo which arm they belonged to and a "title" to indicate the regiment.

Therefore the box contains the 4th and 88th regiments would have a red cover (British troops), a stand of arms on the spine (infantry) and a title, "Adventures with the Fourth Foot and Connaught Rangers".

This is no doubt, a long way off as I will obviously have to organise somewhere to put them - but the grand plan develop a minor setback today, when I went to inspect boxes in advance of a game next week and discovered that some of them had mould growing on them.

The field forge of the 13th cuirassiers

I moved the boxes to a new location, have been cleaning off the mould as best I can with a cloth and hopefully while the boxes are a little damp at present - this won't effect their strength and durability in the long term.