Kit storage

[Bbdave]

I wasn't sure where to post this but is it OK to store kits in an uninsulated but watertight loft?

 

Dave

[Heather Kay]

While the plastic probably won’t be harmed, the boxes, instructions and decal sheets may be. The boxes aren’t all that important, but you might consider storing the decals and instructions in something like a ring binder system on a shelf in the house itself.

[Toryu]

Changing conditions like heat - cold - humitity are not good for the varnish and decals

[Bertie McBoatface]

Get them up there. The insulation qualities of a big stash are well documented!

 

Seriously, I've kept kits in the loft (floored and insulated and therefore colder/hotter than the flat) with no problems but if you are worried, try half a dozen for a year and see what happens. Maybe a good idea to take the decals out though.

 

And keep resin kits downstairs for fear of warping.

[Toryu]

4 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

like a ring binder system

 

But be careful with the plastic bags you use. Some have high content of chemical softeners which isn't good either

[Heather Kay]

1 minute ago, Toryu said:

Some have high content of chemical softeners which isn't good either

Good point. Most decals have a tissue sheet on them, but It might be worth sourcing some acid free paper (art supplies shops sell it) to protect things.

[HansReggelsen]

30 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

While the plastic probably won’t be harmed, the boxes, instructions and decal sheets may be. The boxes aren’t all that important, but you might consider storing the decals and instructions in something like a ring binder system on a shelf in the house itself.

I agree and this is also what I do! 

I found that out the hard way! 

 

Cheers

Hans J

[tempestfan]

1 hour ago, Heather Kay said:

 The boxes aren’t all that important, 

That depends on if the kits are realistically intended to be built. If not, a bad box may make a huge difference to price in case of reselling (at least if sold on to a kit collector like me...).

[Pete F]

Check for mouse droppings first. Old houses especially are very hard to make mouse proof and mice, voles etc may come in during the cold weather. Another thing to be aware of is condensation. An insulated loft, even if it is waterproof, may suffer from condensation when the weather dramatically changes from cold to warm - such as happened this winter. A small amount of water will then drip inside from the roof for a short time. I would therefore still store kits in sealed plastic containers such as really useful boxes or similar.

[Mike]

3 hours ago, Bbdave said:

I wasn't sure where to post this

I'm pretty sure you knew it wasn't suitable for WWII Aircraft, so please consider where is suitable next time.  I'll move it now, but next time I'm going to hunt you down and poop in your milk

[RJP]

Plastic storage bins are a big help.  They are available seemingly everywhere and usually pretty cheap.  Big enough to hold several kits - how big is your loft? And they have lids.  It would take a voracious mouse to eat his way though the bin to get inside.  Mostly, they are good to keep out the dust and any drips from the roof.

 

I keep my decals (from the kits and the stash too) in a similar bin under my desk, away from the heat/cold cycles of an attic and close enough to fondle.

[John Laidlaw]

I store most of my kits in the crawlspace (an inconveniently low-ceilinged substitute for a proper basement), and make a point of keeping the instructions, transfers and any resin in the house, not with the kits. The kits are fine, and have been for years.

[LorenSharp]

I 've taken to storing my un-builts without their boxes, Labeled  zip lock storage bags in large sealable plastic storage containers in a modified crawlspace under the house. I've tried the attic/loft idea and had bad experiences with plastic warping because of high temps in the summer here in the mid Atlantic Colonies  States. The decals I store in individual sealed plastic bags in my workroom. and the instructions in several bookshelf magazine holders. I'm still trying to find a good way to store built models that I don't have room for. Currently they're stored the same way as the unbuilt kits, separate plastic bags labeled and in big totes. If anything breaks off it's contained in the sealed bag. MY preference would be to store them individually  in boxes padded on the inside. This would take up more room, but keep damage to a minimum (I think). But more often than not sInce I work in 1/48 they don't for the most part fit in standard packaging. But experimentation continues.

[Bbdave]

2 hours ago, Mike said:

I'm pretty sure you knew it wasn't suitable for WWII Aircraft, so please consider where is suitable next time.  I'll move it now, but next time I'm going to hunt you down and poop in your milk

No but there is no general area that I could find for such posts.

 

Dave

[Mike]

1 minute ago, Bbdave said:

No but there is no general area that I could find for such posts.

You're in it now

[Bbdave]

3 hours ago, Mike said:

You're in it now

Hardly, it's not a tool or a tip is it.

it's a general question

[Mike]

4 hours ago, Bbdave said:

Hardly, it's not a tool or a tip is it.

it's a general question

I set this forum up in 2007 with generic modelling tips in mind, of which "how should I store my kits?" Is one. I’ve forgotten a lot of things since then, but this isn’t one of them. You telling me that it isn’t what it was intended for seems a bit….  

[Bbdave]

9 hours ago, Mike said:

I set this forum up in 2007 with generic modelling tips in mind, of which "how should I store my kits?" Is one. I’ve forgotten a lot of things since then, but this isn’t one of them. You telling me that it isn’t what it was intended for seems a bit….  

Hmm agree to disagree on that one, maybe questions, tools and tips would have been more explanatory?.

[Mike]

2 hours ago, Bbdave said:

Hmm agree to disagree on that one, maybe questions, tools and tips would have been more explanatory?.

Look, if you don’t like the way the place is laid out, and think it’s a good idea to argue with the guy that set it all up (aka me) about what I meant, then maybe Britmodeller isn’t the place for you?