Carrying case/toolbox help

[InStride]

Hi all,

I am in need of a reliable transport for my Legion army, and I am leaning toward the idea of magnets and a toolbox rather than the pricey foam transports. With all the wings and strange shapes of Legion, I feel like this choice is a better idea ergonomically and economically. I was wondering if anyone could give me any ideas of where to get said magnets, how best to install them in bases, and what toolbox would work well. As of now I have 86 Legion models and 25 Minions, so I need something decently sized. I'm thinking a deep bottom for large figures and a drawer or 2 for all the small-based. If anyone could give me any tips it would be greatly appreciated!

[Debris]

Save yourself some hassle, time and money and just get a Sabol Army Transport - Motor Pool case. They are customizable, have a ton of space and range about $65 fully loaded with large foam trays. Picking up enough magnets, not to mention a rather large and heavy metal toolbox, is going to cost you roughly the same amount. Factor in the cost of your time converting all of your bases with the magnets and you start losing money.

[CeltKhan]

Not really, Debbie. Mags are what, five bucks for a fEw hundred? The toolbox is about the same as the sabol, and greenstuff for the mags is cheap.

The killer on ATs is the foam, esppecially since you can't put the foam back if you change out models or even switch armies. Whereas you can reclaim mags with a set of flush cutters.

There are tradeoffs. I love my craftsman 3-tray box; I can fit all my minis in and it takes less than a third of the space my Battalion does. I don't have to worry about foam snagging spears or rubbing paint. However, it is one heavy mother.

OP, get your toolbox at Sears, go to http://kjmagnetics.com and get some 1.5x6mm mags, and some greenstuff. Mix up the greenstuff and use it to affix the mags to your bases. Don't use glue because it won't sit flush with the bottom and you won't get a solid hold.

[amazonwarlord]

I know a lot of people in my old club used magnets from these guys
go to http://kjmagnetics.com

Here's the link to the exact magnet you want http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ZD1

i know they used super glue without problems but I believe you Celt ... and they were talking about Wahammer bases so ... :D

[phulcrum]

I stand by my Army Transport. It's the best thing since sliced bread IMO. Plus if you save the foam you pull out not only can you use it to prop stuff up that you're gluing but if you get some gel glue or hot glue you can use the extra foam to fill in your old trays when you switch armys or whatever.

[CeltKhan]

i know they used super glue without problems but I believe you Celt ... and they were talking about Wahammer bases so ... :D

I superglued the mags I put on my Arcanists. It held, but they slid around a bit. Meanwhile, my flush-magged Ironclads stay put with the exact same magnet.

[amazonwarlord]

Gotcha Celt... Deeper bases I guess.

[amazonwarlord]

Btw, here is a blog on Skaven and on page 4 there's a bit about building custom magnetic trays.
http://warmongers.ziggyqubert.com/wmbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12791&start=30

[LionElJonson]

Not really, Debbie.

LOL you called Debris, Debbie...

[InStride]

Thanks for all the tips and links everyone (especially the magnet link). I'm weighing my options, looking at the Sabol case. I guess it'll come down to the pros and cons of each. My biggest concern was not fitting everything in 1 case, but it looks like the Sabol should still do it. You've all been very helpful, I appreciate it!

[Debris]

LOL you called Debris, Debbie...

I've been called a LOT worse.

[Greywolf]

Here are some cost comparisons I made in another post. They aren't perfect of course, but a fairly good guideline. And it varies depending on magnet strength, size, and supplier as well.


Its not really cheaper at all. If you spend $40 on a tool box (a metal one at that which is going to be heavy and not hold most of your other stuff like books), you then need to spend $33.00 just to get enough bases for any basic set up. Thats 25 small, 16 medium, and 6 large bases. So you are already at $73 which is more expensive than just picking up a Motor Pool or Transport from Sabol. Now, if you need more of any of the sizes, its another $11 a pop per package of bases. To get the same amount of storage using the toolbox / magnet system, you would have to spend a whopping $88 in magnetic bases alone. Add that to the cost of the tool box itself and now you could have just bought the Battle Foam bag.

If you decided to use the disc magnets in the existing bases, you are still going to spend roughly around $24 to get enough that are thick enough and strong enough to hold the models in the box. That brings that option up to $64 and again, you could just buy one of the Sabol bags and save yourself the time and still have plenty of pockets for other things such as books, dice, templates, etc. In the long run, most of the foam options out there are cheaper and better for the purpose of carrying miniatures. Trust me, I'm a cheap SoB at heart and have tried just about every homemade method out there. L

I love my Battle Foam bag. Here are some pics of it in use.


http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u283/Wigginisms/Warmachine/P1150277.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u283/Wigginisms/Warmachine/P1150276.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u283/Wigginisms/Warmachine/P1150275.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u283/Wigginisms/Warmachine/P1150273.jpg

[theuntamedfox]

i love the khador the most XD
back to OP, imo, the foam is a better investment than the magnetic bases, if the following are true
1.) do not have much time to greenstuff/glue magnets to the bottomw of every base
2.) do not wish to carry around a large and blucky metal box
3.) Are terrified that if the magnets fail at all, every model u own will get pwned......... hard
4.) etc etc etc (watever else u want)
go with the foam, but before that, plan out the foam (i beleive Army Transport as a nifty app on their site for planning foam)

[MrChom]

Greywolf, that is a seriously nice case.

Personally I use a KR Case, myself. Only problem I'm having so far is that my collection has trebled in size over the last month and it's now waaaay too small to fit the whole force.....damn you Privateer!

[ButcherOfKhardov]

Like yourself MrChom, am also a big Kr fan. I used the card system and metal cases simply because it is great, but in the end I did invest in a Battlefoam like Greywolf. The sheer amount of space and pockets makes life so much easier when travelling around with my forces. I see the economical value of using magnets and have done so in the past, but I opted to take that extra step for protecting my favourite gaming figures.

BoK

[Parintachin]

Magnets must be very expensive in america, or foam bags very cheap. A couple months ago, I magnetized around 140 models, large and small, and made a nice discrete carry case for a friend for about $70. 200 magnets, milliput for fixing them on, a flight-case style briefcase, a piece of custom-cut steel plate epoxied in. Took a total of about 4 man hours to make the case and magnetize the whole shebang.

An army transport is nearly twice that, here. It's less storable, much less discrete, will squash if dropped or sat upon, and will wear the paint off the miniatures, even if you're careful.

[phulcrum]

I can never remember a time that I've pulled a mini out of one of my foam trays and saw paint rubbed off. And after looking at my older mini's, like my battle box figs and pGaspy that have been in a foam tray for about 7 years, transported to gaming nights almost every week and even been in the trunk when I totaled my car, they are not missing any paint.

So I have no idea why people think that foam strips the paint off of everything it touches...

[Greywolf]

Magnets must be very expensive in america, or foam bags very cheap. A couple months ago, I magnetized around 140 models, large and small, and made a nice discrete carry case for a friend for about $70. 200 magnets, milliput for fixing them on, a flight-case style briefcase, a piece of custom-cut steel plate epoxied in. Took a total of about 4 man hours to make the case and magnetize the whole shebang.

An army transport is nearly twice that, here. It's less storable, much less discrete, will squash if dropped or sat upon, and will wear the paint off the miniatures, even if you're careful.

It must be the case price then bud, cause as I said in my post, you can get a decent foam bag for around $70 with none of the extra time or work involved, plus all of the pockets to store your none miniature components such as dice, templates, cards, books, etc. What I don't get with the magnet/toolbox thing is why you want to make your army even heavier than it already is? Thats a lot of metal to carry around and thats just the minis and box. I have done it, and quickly moved on to other options based on weight and lack of extra storage alone. Economics is really the only reason I can see using this method, but thats just me though.

[PaintVagrant]

Ive heard of people using JBweld or some other epoxies to hold magnets to basebottoms, anyone here do that?

[Greywolf]

Since you are not modeling with it, just about any two part epoxy will do to hold magnets on. But, JB Weld is really meant for metal work and dries very hard and heavy. You are really adding more weight to the model by using that particular product. There are plenty of epoxies out there cheaper than green stuff and lighter than JB Weld.

[sharpe]

I just have to complain about how every thread in which the OP asks for tips on doing a magnet/toolbox set turns into this giant shill-fest for foam bags. Unless these curious posters have been gaming in a dark cave (not just the sweaty basement of their LGS) they have seen foam bags. We've all seen foam bags. We get it.

I love my magnet toolbox. There are indeed downsides. These are:
1) You cannot drop/shake/smash or otherwise make aggressive motions with your toolbox. If you are reasonably careful though, and do a good job of the magnets, nothing should touch anything.

2) The practicality of toolbox transport goes way down if you want to carry a ton of models. Big toolboxes full of metal are heavy. I think ideally you are limited to a 75pt set army or 50pts with some ability to swap. If you drive everywhere, larger toolboxes, possibly with sliding trays, are awesome. I don't. I tried the big-box-for-all-my-models idea and almost threw my back out. If I drove I'm sure I would still be doing this, it rocks.

3) You may not have space to carry accessories. If I only bring a small army, it can go in the bottom of my box while the accessories go in the tray. Easy. If I need the tray for trooper sized models, and I normally do, I have to work out the cards books dice and whatnot by another means. I usually carry a backpack or satchel anyway, so that stuff isn't a problem.


Upsides to magnets, near as I can tell, are:

1) I have three armies, and all are magnetized. I had to buy 1 toolbox. This cost me 20 dollars. Canadian. I can carry what I want without switching or modifying tray, buying new trays, or making any more of an investment to add or remove models than applying magnets, which are cheap as dirt in bulk. If you stick mags on as part of normal model assembly, it is not going to cost you noticeable amounts of time.

2) When it comes time to game, or to switch tables at a tournament, I do not need to fuss about. It all pops in and out of the box with no fuss. Fuss free. The lack of fuss and fuss related issues is the big selling point for me.

3) This may not matter to most, but I prefer not to saunter about town with the GeeDub, or any other gaming company's logo, branding me. If possible I try to give the general impression that I am not the sort of dude who spends his spare change on toys. Thusly I reserve the right to the possiblity that I might, just might, some day, God's willing, interact with a mostly normal female. Oddly, being more or less married has not changed how I feel about this. By the time they get back to my place and see the room dedicated to gaming and sci-fi and the other nerd paraphernalia, you've had time to cushion the blow, possibly with alcohol.


Lastly - @ foam shilling magnet haters - like I said at the beginning - there is very little chance that any miniatures gamer is unfamiliar with the foamier options available to them. This is why there very rarely is a thread dedicated to people who are curious as to the possibility of buying a foam bag. We've seen them. We understand them. We probably can't afford them. Nuff said. When people take to the forums to ask advice about magnets, responding with "Buy BattleFoam (Tm)" is goofy. Its like if I asked after interesting paint scheme for my new Circle army and you shout out "Loosers play circle - you should have a Cygnar gun line army".

No offense intended to anyone in particular mind you. Just a peeve of mine.

[fire4effekt]

Speaking of magnets, i did this with my skorne this morning none the less, and used the metal box that the 40k rule book came with, i fit all of my army(about 50 points) and my models with banners(infantry sized) fit fine with room for like 6 more beasts+.

[Greywolf]

I just have to complain about how every thread in which the OP asks for tips on doing a magnet/toolbox set turns into this giant shill-fest for foam bags. Unless these curious posters have been gaming in a dark cave (not just the sweaty basement of their LGS) they have seen foam bags. We've all seen foam bags. We get it.

Lastly - @ foam shilling magnet haters - like I said at the beginning - there is very little chance that any miniatures gamer is unfamiliar with the foamier options available to them. This is why there very rarely is a thread dedicated to people who are curious as to the possibility of buying a foam bag. We've seen them. We understand them. We probably can't afford them. Nuff said. When people take to the forums to ask advice about magnets, responding with "Buy BattleFoam (Tm)" is goofy. Its like if I asked after interesting paint scheme for my new Circle army and you shout out "Loosers play circle - you should have a Cygnar gun line army".

No offense intended to anyone in particular mind you. Just a peeve of mine.


There is nothing wrong with posting other options that are out there and yes, sometimes gamers are not aware of which products are available or their inherent specifications. The main reason to highlight good and bad points of both are some of the exact same reasons you have listed. You've listed the up and down side to magnets which is commendable. But to say to someone "go purchase magnets and a metal box" without giving them a proper comparison of the other options available is doing them a disservice in my mind.

I personally don't hate magnets. I use them all the time in fact to get the best value I can from my models as well as to make it easier to store some of the larger models. But as you yourself pointed out, for the size of some armies or the needs of the gamers, it is not always the best option. If the cases were posted in and of themselves without information, specification, or price comparisons, I would agree that it is overly pushy of the product. But as most folks who have posted here and in other relative topics have also included breakdowns and comparisons of the pros and cons, I believe it only serves to make the OP of each of those posts a more informed consumer in the long run.

[Morise]

I use magnets, but really only for one reason-my painted models. With magnets they knew move into each other and I never have to worry about paint chips. If you're not planning to paint then, I'd just go with the easiest suggestion to date.

[PirosLupis]

I don't know how people are getting >$60 dollars on a toolbox with magnets. I have about 75-100 points of Trollbloods with a smattering of Mercs and Skorne tucked into a three drawer toolbox with all of my cards, dice, tokens, bits, and measuring implements and plenty of room left over. All in all I paid a grand total of $40 for all of the setup and it probably took me an hour of extra work to magnetize it all. A $20 Craftsman toolbox (on sale from $30) and $10 dollars of magnets (a crap-ton) made it all work out. I had the green stuff already and it worked fine, but to be doubly sure I affixed a small circle of plasticard that I had on hand to the bottom of each base. The plasticard probably doubled my magnetizing time, but it also makes the bases look good from underneath.

All of my GW stuff is in foam and I hate carrying around multiple cases just to bring an army to the gaming event, not to mention to each table. With my toolbox I just close the lid and stick my army to the top of the outside and can easily move between tables for each round, leaving me ready to roll for deployment as my opponent scrabbles around in his foam trays or worrying about sliding around on his carrying board (for those without the sweet base-sized hole ones). Once my sweet new rulebooks come in I will probably bring an over-the-shoulder backpack to place the Primal MkII and Forces of Trollbloods in there (spiral bound because I have had far too many bad experiences with soft spines on GW books) or else carry them in my conveniently unused other hand.

The extra pound or two is not an issue for me over foam cases due to being semi-fit, but if it was I'm sure a foam bag wouldn't be that much easier. If it comes down to it I'm also pretty confident I could find a small handle-dolly to affix my toolbox to and make it roll.

In short: toolbox and magnets are the best decision I ever made.

[Greywolf]

I don't know how people are getting >$60 dollars on a toolbox with magnets. I have about 75-100 points of Trollbloods with a smattering of Mercs and Skorne tucked into a three drawer toolbox with all of my cards, dice, tokens, bits, and measuring implements and plenty of room left over. All in all I paid a grand total of $40 for all of the setup and it probably took me an hour of extra work to magnetize it all. A $20 Craftsman toolbox (on sale from $30) and $10 dollars of magnets (a crap-ton) made it all work out. I had the green stuff already and it worked fine, but to be doubly sure I affixed a small circle of plasticard that I had on hand to the bottom of each base. The plasticard probably doubled my magnetizing time, but it also makes the bases look good from underneath.

All of my GW stuff is in foam and I hate carrying around multiple cases just to bring an army to the gaming event, not to mention to each table. With my toolbox I just close the lid and stick my army to the top of the outside and can easily move between tables for each round, leaving me ready to roll for deployment as my opponent scrabbles around in his foam trays or worrying about sliding around on his carrying board (for those without the sweet base-sized hole ones). Once my sweet new rulebooks come in I will probably bring an over-the-shoulder backpack to place the Primal MkII and Forces of Trollbloods in there (spiral bound because I have had far too many bad experiences with soft spines on GW books) or else carry them in my conveniently unused other hand.

The extra pound or two is not an issue for me over foam cases due to being semi-fit, but if it was I'm sure a foam bag wouldn't be that much easier. If it comes down to it I'm also pretty confident I could find a small handle-dolly to affix my toolbox to and make it roll.

In short: toolbox and magnets are the best decision I ever made.

Because the price of magnets fluctuates with manufacturer and also if you wanted to go with the magnetic bases vs. just the disc magnets was included in the comparisons. Magnetizing and a metal tool box can become expensive depending on product quality and personal aesthetics as with any choice to protect your models.

If you are hauling multiple cases, then you just have the wrong case for your collection. There is not one army I can think of in any of the gaming systems that can't be contained in a single case produced by several of the case companies. The only possible exception to this would be an Apocalypse event where you need to bring 3,000+ points and/or super heavies. And you say you are going to do the same thing for your books. That kind of defeats the purpose doesn't if you have to buy an additional bag or case just to carry your gaming necessities? You are back to carrying multiple cases at an event. As far as ready to roll, display boards serve the same purpose and look better. And if your opponent is "digging" around for miniatures, he/she brought more than they needed for the event anyway.

Weight is only an issue in WM/HDS due to all of the metal models. A toolbox does not come with straps nor is it ergonomically designed to be carried around. I don't think many players are so out of shape that they couldn't handle it, it is just awkward and ill designed for lengthy transport. The fact that the bags are designed to be carried in fact does make them much easier to carry around.

While it may be the best decision you have made, I think touting this method without proper comparison of other options is doing a disservice to the OP.

[Oniichan]

You know, the OP did specifically ask about magnets and a toolbox instead of foam carrying cases. I think you're doing a disservice to him by turning this into a "foam cases are always the best and most ergonomic option" debate. That said, I've also briefly looked into the toolbox option, but couldn't find a metal toolbox anywhere. In the end, I went with foam simply because it was less hassle. I sewed myself a carrying bag that holds three of the foam trays right now, and I also have a gun case with eggshell foam that holds a few other minis. Not the best option, but as I said, less hassle.

If you're going to magnetize, I think finding/modifying the toolbox is what will be most time-consuming, but especially for Legion, it seems like a toolbox would be the better option, if only because of all those awkwardly shaped and winged models.

[Greywolf]

Actually he said he was looking for a reliable option and "leaning" towards magnets and a toolbox meaning that he had not ruled out other options at that point. Yes, later in the post he did specifically ask about the process, but there is nothing wrong with sharing information. Again, I reiterate, that I did not just post "skip the magnets and buy a foam bag", I merely listed the options out there and a comparison on those options as far as function and cost based on my own experience with using the magnet / toolbox method. I did not turn this into a debate, others did after I posted the comparison information. In the end, its really up to what he wants in function, storage, value, and aesthetics that will help him decide which is why giving him as much pertinent information as possible is only going to help him make a better informed decision. Magnets may by right for him, they may not. Thats really for him to decide after looking at all possible options.

To the OP - I sincerely apologize that your thread has turned into a discussion on magnets vs. foam bags. It was not my intention. I sincerely hope that the information provided here helps you to make a more informed decision and that you make the choice that is right for you no matter which it is.

[fire4effekt]

OP-
I have both, foam cases for my cygnar/mercs and i just did the magnetizing route for my skorne, I really gotta say i enjoy the magnetizing more. Its simpler to put everything away and easier to retrieve. I do like at the pockets my cases provide(as i only magnetized my skorne and put them in a single metal box) but i think when i find an apropriate Tool box i may switch completely over. The wieght is signifigant though.

[amazonwarlord]

I just wanna say ... OMG.

Let the reader decide what's useful and what's not. I'm sure he or she can do that ... Jeesh ..

[InStride]

All the advice here has been great, both for the toolbox AND the foam cases. I'm glad I get to hear both sides and see how everyone has different reasons for their transport choice. I'm STILL in limbo over what to do, basically because I see both being quite practical. I have over 100 models and still growing, so I want something that can handle all of that and have room to grow. The big toolbox seemed like it could hold more and would be better for storage in my personal case. I actually have a small briefcase I can use to carry 35-50pt armies if I was going to an event. I guess what it is going to come down to is the volume of either transport. Thanks again for the discussion and tips.

[whitekong]

I keep a toolbox for all my figs, it holds tons of 'em. I use it to store fig's at home so they don't get all dusty and I don't have to have have 4 or 5 transport cases. I also have a hard sided plastic case wih foam inside that I use when I want to take my models to the game store or whatnot. Personally I like having the best of both worlds, I also have 4 army's each playable at around 100+ points. I just don't need a special case for each army.
By the way I got my all metal tool box from lowes for about 15 bucks on sale, it has a large opening on top and 3 pull out drawers. You should really look around because some of them can be quite expensive.