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Preparing diecasts for moving

4K views 45 replies 17 participants last post by  Scuddy 
#1 ·
Ahead of a move next year (hence my recent decorating spree), I’ve started the long (and completely boring) task of reattaching my diecasts to their bases. It’s a lot fiddler than taking them off, that’s for sure, especially when there are a couple of attaching plates. For instance, my Norev R5 GT Turbo and I had strongly opposing views as to how it was going back on its base. Noting its recalcitrance, I’ve made a mental note to shove it as far back in a storage area as I can once I’ve moved.

These two things amused me. I noticed my white Aa Toyota GT86 had a code label that was peeling. Curious to see what was underneath, I peeled it off to see the original label for an orange GT. Either I’ve got the wrong box, or the wrong diecast.

I was also amused by the ‘best before’ date on the XJS. I’d not noticed that before. I didn’t know diecasts could go off :)

That’s ten diecasts now safely repacked. I’ve only got about another 120 to go…

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Font Material property Plant Packaging and labeling Brand
Automotive tail & brake light Automotive parking light Vehicle registration plate Automotive lighting Motor vehicle
 
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#3 ·
Good idea to start early.

I just sold over 200 1/18 scale Nascar models and it was amazing how time consuming the process of screwing each one down to its base and trying to stuff them back into their box.

Sometimes it seemed like the outer box shrank in storage.
 
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#4 ·
If you can't find the correct screws/mounting plates and the wheels are spokes I would get some of those plastic tidy strips with the thin metal inside.
Then tie the wheels down to the base and use strong clear tape on the underside of the base to hold the ties in place.
Another alternative would be actual cable ties, but finding some long enough yet thin enough to go through the spokes may be a problem.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the advice, Slartibartfast. I always keep the boxes, screws, attachment plates (if there are any), so I should be ok. Plus, they’re only going to be transported by a van (that I’ll be driving - carefully), so I hope that the original packaging will be sufficient for the trip :)
 
#9 ·
hehe I love the best before date on the XJS.

I also have similar story putting models back in their original boxes. In the past I used to flatten the boxes and separate all the bits and pieces but I used to chuck them all in a ziplock bag or box without separating them. This makes it tricky when I need to find matching mounting brackets and screws when it comes to re-assemble them back into their original base. I've wised up now and keeping the parts separate in its own ziplock bag with clear label on. In fact I have even stopped trying to flatten those with window boxes in order to save space so I can put the models back quicker without having to trawl through my storage boxes for the box, plinth, frame, cardboard backing, screws and so on.
 
#11 ·
I've had a few screws gone missing over the years, but so far, never from model car boxes.😁

I also keep one of these magnetic sticks handy, which I use to "scan" the floor whenever I hear the noise of something metalic and pick up whatever fell off.

Office supplies Writing instrument accessory Writing implement Tints and shades Font



Now seriously, you really have to watch out when you hear these guys cawing about - they don't screw around!

Bird Magpie Beak Grass Feather


😀
 
#12 ·
I also keep one of these magnetic sticks handy, which I use to "scan" the floor whenever I hear the noise of something metalic and pick up whatever fell off.

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Haha funny you brought this up.. I have the exact same thing LOL although i never thought of using this to track runaway screws before though.. bought it years ago mainly for the purpose of searching for items that roll under the couch LOL

No matter how large a mounting screw is, if it gets away from you, it will always play hide and seek..... :LOL:
Remember an eBay ad i posted under Limp bucket awhile back? One can always fork out 40 bucks for an Autoart screw if it ran away from you LOL
 
#15 ·
Hi Gino,
I read that you are driving your models yourself, I would cling wrap the opening parts on some of the rarer / more expensive ones so they can't open & close en-route. If you have a Kyosho Lancia Delta Integrale, be sure to secure the boot, otherwise it will bend and might even sheer off.

Maybe even cling wrap some models to their bases in case they sheer off (unlikely, but you never know!)

Good luck with it :):)
 
#17 ·
Make sure that you don't have bare cling wrap against paint (or clear plastic) for a very long time, especially if exposed to heat.

I have seen models wrapped in bubble wrap experience paint issues and clear plastic melt.

The tissue paper interface is a good idea.
 
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#18 ·
totally agree about the tissue paper.. i tend to use tissue paper to cover the entire model before putting them in the clamshell style Styrofoam box just in case the surface accidentally rubs against the surface during transit. And for that extra piece of mind i too chuck in small bag of silica gel just in case the model has to stay in it for an extended period of time.

the worst experience i had with melting plastic/rubber was a super rare Revell Porsche 914. The previous owner tied rubber band around the bonnet area to secure it without anything underneath it. Needless to say after 10+ or 20 years of storage the rubber band melted and eat into the paint. :mad:
 
#20 ·
This is all great advice, and much appreciated! I will take it all on board. Thank you! As it happens, I do have a Kyosho Delta; one reason I was going to secure the boot was to stop the spare wheel coming out and bouncing around the inside of the box and over the car :)

I’ve got some diecasts with bits that keep dropping off (like Norev’s CX) which I’ve yet to reattach; I may cellotape these parts (rear bumper, something from the chassis that’s suspension related) to the plastic base the car is mounted to. I can reattach them after the move :)
 
#21 ·
If you are really thorough, you would have kept those round clear stickers they used to keep opening parts shut and methodically place each and every one of them back in their original positions.
Maybe you should put it in the freezer to keep it "fresh"! (Oops, I see that it's already stale and "expired"! Oh well ........) :cry:
Freezer storage is the biggest instigator of zinc pest. So I've heard the rumor...
 
#22 · (Edited)
If you are really thorough, you would have kept those round clear stickers they used to keep opening parts shut and methodically place each and every one of them back in their original positions.
I know you're joking, but I actually tried that myself and it's no use, they never stick back properly again. :oops:

However you can actually buy new ones:



https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Packaging-Self-Adhesive-Stickers-Envelope-Transparent/dp/B07TKHZ1TY/ref=sr_1_9?crid=261V523XFIUVF&keywords=runde+durchsichtige+aufkleber&qid=1663807899&sprefix=round+clear+stickers,aps,60&sr=8-9&th=1




I have seen models wrapped in bubble wrap experience paint issues and clear plastic melt.
I can confirm that bubblewrap damages paint, it happened to an old Bburago - the bubbles got imprinted on the paint and no amount of polishing removed it.
 
#24 ·
From what I've experienced, hobby tape doesn't hold well during transport for the very fact it's designed to come off easy (as a masking tape should), and especially if the model has been polished. A good "shake test" should reveal that.

Tape residue caused by those round plastic stickers only occurs if left for years. For example, I mostly found that issue on old and NRFB models from UT and AutoArt, but carnauba wax removes glue residue easily.
 
#27 ·
I feel for you. At my old house I used to change out my displays as I had limited area and after the second or third time I stopped as I realized how time consuming it was. When we moved I had about 40 to repack and it took forever (especially as we ending up having a short time to get out). Once I built the shelves here, I was surprised how long it took to unpack them. I’m never moving again as I’m never packing them up again😜

My move was easy so I didn’t need to secure many doors etc but I did have a few that I bought that had painters tape holding the parts closed and it worked well - at least for the short time they were being shipped.

best of luck wrapping them all up and keep a baggie handy for the inevitable mirrors etc that will fall off. I still have a set of light that I’ve no idea what it came from….
 
#31 ·
Hey gang. I thought I’d use the time over Christmas wisely to do some more diecast packing; I’ve done another 35 over the last two days so there’s still a few more to go. But I’m easily on track for them to be ready to move when the time comes.

Paint rash has affected some of them; Norev (of those ones I’ve packed so far) seem to be immune from it. I was disappointed to see some of my AutoArts have it, albeit minor. I was surprised though that my Kyosho Ferraris weren’t nearly as bad as I feared they would be. I still have the M5 to check and I’m worried; not just because I love it, but because I have four of them:eek:

While packing my Norev R5 Turbo, I noticed something I’d not seen before; a pivot at the front of the seats. They actually tip forward!

Wheel Tire Automotive lighting Automotive tire Vehicle


Anyway, here’s my Kyosho GTO. I don’t think I’ve viewed it in two years, which is crazy given how beautiful it is. Maybe because I don’t see it every day adds to its allure and mystique. So I thought a quick snap would be a nice idea :)

Automotive parking light Car Wheel Tire Vehicle
 
#32 ·
We're currently in the process of packaging about 1100 1:18 scale models for the move when we retire in a couple of years. Don't trust the movers to do it and wouldn't trust that once we arrived there wouldn't be anything missing so doing the whole packaging and moving thing myself. Using a fair bit of cushioning material to try to ensure that after the approximately 12 hours they'll spend on the road in the back of a rental pantech truck that there aren't a million little parts shaken loose. It's going to be a pretty stressful exercise but hoping that with plenty of care taken it all ends well and I'll finally be able to get the models out of their boxes and display them after many years of collecting.
 
#33 ·
I hope your move goes well!

So many of the comments in this thread resonate with me!!

I had about 50 1:43 models in my office, all of which I had unscrewed from their plinths. Why I did this i'll never know. Last month I packed them up in anticipation of shipping them to the UK and it took a huge amount of time and is still not completely done.

Despite carefully putting the screws in the correct plastic boxes, many seem to have vanished.
Of the ones that I can find, many of those seem to have shrunk because they are not long enough to go through the little plastic cube that goes in between the model and the plinth in Almost Real packaging.
When I do have screws that fit, getting the model lined up on the plinth correctly is not easy for me. Lack of patience for even one second seems to get punished with a bent mirror or aerial :cry:

Like another poster in this thread I have promised myself I will never, ever ever remove another 1:43 car from its plinth!
 
#35 ·
Interesting stuff, chaps! I’m wondering what’s the most practical way to carry boxed 1:18ths to the van. How many boxed 1:18ths can fit in a larger box? Guess it depends on the size of the box :) four? Six? Eight? I’m not worried about lifting the boxes, (I’m pretty strong), but how cumbersome the box they’re in is to carry… and at what point it gets cumbersome. Or, do I bind up, say, batches of six diecast boxes, then pop them in refuse bags and carry them, instead?

I’m just thinking of how many trips I’ll have to make from my front door and to the van and back. I think I’ve got about 120 1:18ths, so I’d like to do it in as few trips as possible… given I’ve got other household stuff to move, too :) Any suggestions would be appreciated :)
 
#36 ·
Interesting stuff, chaps! I’m wondering what’s the most practical way to carry boxed 1:18ths to the van. How many boxed 1:18ths can fit in a larger box? Guess it depends on the size of the box :) four? Six? Eight? I’m not worried about lifting the boxes, (I’m pretty strong), but how cumbersome the box they’re in is to carry… and at what point it gets cumbersome. Or, do I bind up, say, batches of six diecast boxes, then pop them in refuse bags and carry them, instead?

I’m just thinking of how many trips I’ll have to make from my front door and to the van and back. I think I’ve got about 120 1:18ths, so I’d like to do it in as few trips as possible… given I’ve got other household stuff to move, too :) Any suggestions would be appreciated :)
I had moved mine (twice as I had them stored for 14 yrs😬) in the extra large uhaul boxes. You can Tetris the model boxes in with different size model boxes and by turning them. I want to say you can get 5 of the old bigger AA boxes on the bottom with the corner filled with a smaller one standing on its end. I think I got 20-25 into mine by leaving the top flaps taped up, extending the sides. Theyre bulky but a person can lift them, although it would be safer with two (I’m generally an idiot…) but with the newer heavy packaging from companies like Tecnomodel or BBR, they might get heavy fast.
 
#39 ·
I am doing the very same thing to my collection which includes 33 1/12’s and about 200 1/18’s…… I had all of the boxes in my attic and putting them back in their boxes is a pain in the butt….. then I stack a bunch of them in a much bigger box…… I am about 85% done so far…. The worst part is I cannot find the box for my 1/12 40 anniversary Lamborghini Merci
 
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