Plano 3inch deep boxes

[Roland Fricke]

I use Plano tackle boxes to carry all my armies and have a Plano 1234 tackle system that allows the shorter 1.5" deep 3700 series of boxes to be slid in and out as required. I really like the sytem as it allows me to get everything I need into one thing to carry with a single handle. I can bring 3 of the 3700 series boxes inside this thing and thats about 9+ armies. Plenty of room up top for all the terrain and other stuff. See here: http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=58096&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

Problem is that the deeper 3" boxes needed for Pike and tall knight or elephant stands don't fit in the hsorter cases that go in this sytem. Flambeau makes a box that carries deeper cases but it uses a special rail on each box so that blows the whole idea of being able to swap boxes in and out.

So anyone know of a commerically available tackle box or carrying case that allows both the 1.5 and the deeper 3" Plano boxes to be carried at the same time? Got a web site?

[ July 31, 2005, 09:46: Message edited by: Roland Fricke ]

[Jim Rapczynski]

I just looked through the Plano site. I didn't see anything that was really suitable, but I did get an idea. How about you just find an appropriately sized run-of-the-mill soft case or gym bag to hold them? The stuff Plano makes to carry multiple cases of that series is little more than that, although their system has them carried on edge.

[miros]

I was at K-Mart Saturday and saw a soft bag with 4 or 5 of the thinner boxes carried on their sides. It was big enough to turn them flat, you could carry the deeper boxes that way. It was from another company but the boxes were the same size as Plano.

Jason

[beckerdo]

I really like the Plano boxes too. First, they are clear and it is easy to see the figures inside. Second, I like the modularity of the boxes and being able to grap 2 or 3 for a battle.

I have both the 3700 series and a number of the ProLatch 3731 which is 14x9x3.25 inches (35x23x7 cm).

I use Shimano soft sided tackle boxes. These allow about 6 of the 3700 trays. I usually have 2 3 inch trays (for 15 mm scenery) and 2 to 3 1 inch trays (for 15 mm armies). The drawback to soft sided boxes is they tend to flop from gravity if you pull out most of the trays. I've got to make some wire supports for these things.

How are you holding your figures in the Plano boxes? I have Litko magnetized bases for the figs, and I put tin strips in the boxes. I found that hot glue flexes and comes loose, so I have moved to Liquid Nails glue (kind of like an instant epoxy).

I think I might change to steel bases and glue some flexy magnets into the boxes. It is probably best to have the cheapest most inert thing glued to the figures and have fancier bases so that the bases can be swapped for different rule sets.

Thanks, Dan

[miros]

Dan,
Where do you get the tin strips for your boxes? I am looking for something to glue inside my boxes to hold the magnetic bases.
Jason


Originally posted by beckerdo:

How are you holding your figures in the Plano boxes? I have Litko magnetized bases for the figs, and I put tin strips in the boxes. I found that hot glue flexes and comes loose, so I have moved to Liquid Nails glue (kind of like an instant epoxy).

Thanks, Dan

[Roland Fricke]

I just place the figure sin the box and adjust the dividers so that theres no gaps once the figures are in. Unless the box takes a bad fall I usually don't get much figure movement. I have soem armies on magnetic bases and I'v thought of putting steel shim stock on the bottom of the plano box but I haven't bothered.

I saw a lot of soft sided bags online but they all carried the trays on edge. I'll look for ones that fit them flat but the beauty of the Plano Tackle box is that it hold all sorts of the other stuff in seperate compartments and you can access any tray without unpacking the whole thing so I'm reluctatnt to commit to a soft sided bag just yet.

[RonG]

If you use mettalic bases for the figures, then just line the bottom with adhesive magnetic strips. They are available at WARWEB.COM.

[Pthomas]

Originally posted by miros:
Dan,
Where do you get the tin strips for your boxes? I am looking for something to glue inside my boxes to hold the magnetic bases.
Jason

Jason,

Mike D has moved to a magnetic black board paint for the inside of his boxes, of course he uses metal bases, but it seems to be working out very well for him.

[Jim Rapczynski]

I use Rennaisance Ink bases with the rubber steel bottoms and glue magnetic strip in to the bottom of the trays. I also cut out some of the permanent dividers. Plano has a three-inch deep box with no dividers, which I will look for.

[ August 01, 2005, 15:25: Message edited by: Jim Rapczynski ]

[beckerdo]

For my Litko magnetic bottom figures, I line the Plano box with tin strips that I glue with Liquid Nails. I cut the tin from galvanized roofing material (very common here in Texas) with tin snips. One advantage to magetic bases is there are so many metal things to stick your figures to. Put them on file cabinets, refrigerators, baking trays, TV dinner stands, the hood of your car.

Others have used metallic paint which is not magnetized, but is metallized to allow magnets to stick to it. My paint can is "Magic Wall Magnetic Paint" by Kling Magnetics (www.kling.com). It looks like primer, but you can paint it easily.

Most recently I have used metal bases for my figures from http://wargameaccessories.com/. I moved to metal bases because a) I like extremely thin bases, and b) I found lots of cheap flexible adhesive magnetic sheets from sign makers. I found it easier to put magnetic sheets in storage boxes and on movement trays. It is easier to cut mag sheet with a scissors than tin with a tin snips.

[E_A_Lindberg]

Originally posted by beckerdo:
One advantage to magetic bases is there are so many metal things to stick your figures to. Put them on file cabinets, refrigerators, baking trays, TV dinner stands, the hood of your car.People seem to get a kick out of all of the light troops I store hanging bat-like, upside-down on the lid of my fishing-tackle box.

My main reason for sticking with magnetic bases is that I can cut the material to the desired size, rather than ordering bagfulls of precut bases.

Downsides are that I still have to go through the process of cutting an additional base as stiffening material (usually wood) or else the bases curl up over time. And then there are occasional problems when two adjacent elements magnetically repel each other!

[Redwilde]

I like using sheet magnet under balsa wood bases. By cutting the magnets smaller than the bases, its easy toget your fingernails under the edges to lift them out.

I line my plastic boxes with strips of 'paper steel' by Renaissance Ink. Its metal filings sandwiched between paper, quite light and cuts with scissors.

I used to use steel toolboxes, but once you load them up with lead and magnets, they weigh a ton!

[Ed Dillon]

Roland, did you see the black, ballistic cloth shoulder bag that I have used at Hictoricon for the last 3 years? I got it at a Michael's art supply store. I think that it can take 4 of the 3" deep Plano boxes if you are willing to allow for a little deformation of the top of the bag. It cost about $40 and is designed to hold artists' folios of supplies. I'll get the name of the maker when I get a chance.

[cpagano]

Originally posted by Xanthippus:
If you use mettalic bases for the figures, then just line the bottom with adhesive magnetic strips. They are available at WARWEB.COM. I do the same thing, but I buy the adhesive magnetic sheets that are sold at Wal-mart and cut them into strips.
I think it's 99 cents for a 5x8 sheet. Other stores carry it as well.
-Chris P.

[Roland Fricke]

Ed thanks for looking but Plano just started making a new box here (http://www.planomolding.com/1373-00.htm) :

Holds two of the 3 inch deep Plano 3700 series boxes and one of the 2" deep boxes with room on top for terrain and stuff. The trays are interchangeable with the standard Plano 3700 boxes so you can slide out and change trays as necessary. I ordered it directly from planomolding.com by calling their customer service. Cost $32 delivered. Couldn't find many online suppliers (found one but it was over $50 delivered) and I didn't feel like driving around looking for it.