Model storage

[brad4321]

I'm moving into a new home with a nice attic.  I have a lot of models that need a place to wait til I again gain interest.  Is it wise to store them in that kind of hot/cold environment?  Thanks.  

[Greg Pugh]

Obviously, a temperature controlled environment would be best but above all, I'd say the most important thing is to make sure it's very dry.

[High octane]

I too prefer to store my un-built as well as built model kits in a temperature (heat & air) controlled environment. Do you have a spare closet or spare bedroom you could store them in, or no?

[Tom Geiger]

I too prefer to store my un-built as well as built model kits in a temperature (heat & air) controlled environment. Do you have a spare closet or spare bedroom you could store them in, or no?

And even then be careful and check on them from time to time.  I had mine stored in my old bedroom closet at my parents house. Termites got into the closet through the exterior wall, ate all the woodwork in the closet as well as ruining many model boxes and instruction sheets.    In an attic, garage or basement you may also get mice who will nibble on the boxes and leave scale fruit behind.

[High octane]

And even then be careful and check on them from time to time.  I had mine stored in my old bedroom closet at my parents house. Termites got into the closet through the exterior wall, ate all the woodwork in the closet as well as ruining many model boxes and instruction sheets.    In an attic, garage or basement you may also get mice who will nibble on the boxes and leave scale fruit behind.

Hmmm, that doesn't sound good and it is something to think about.

[sjordan2]

I had mine stored in a spare room at the office for a long time then moved them to climate-controlled storage at Pro Storage ($75 a month and totally unnecessary), then into a non-climate unit which was just fine. I'd stick a thermometer in your attic to check maximum heat - shouldn't be a problem if the roof is properly insulated,  but the cold should have no effect.

Edited October 20, 2015 by sjordan2

[Harry P.]

You'd be better off storing them in the basement. Not as extreme of a hot/cold temp range.

[High octane]

You'd be better off storing them in the basement. Not as extreme of a hot/cold temp range.

The basement would be good, as long as it doesn't flood..........................

[Casey]

You'd be better off storing them in the basement. Not as extreme of a hot/cold temp range.

Such a Midwestern thing to say. If the home has a basement and the humidity is controlled, definitely store them there.

Any attic in VA would likely be too hot during the peak of summer when the temp climbs well over 100* F up there. The less heat, less moisture, and less light that reaches the box/parts, the better.

[XJ6]

Why take the chance? Find some Floor Space and put your Precious Models in the Home ? 

All the Years of Building of my (precious models ) 67 total I would not put them in no attic get yourself Tall Display Cabinet and store them in there ??

[Zarana-X]

If you can afford to buy nice plastic storage bins, do that. Should keep moisture and vermin in check. I think peppermint oil, mothballs or dryer sheets will keep them away if you want to take extra precautions. 

I store built models in freezer size ziplock type bags, seal them with a bit of air cushion in them. Place an old shirt or bubble wrap on the bottom of a box and arrange carefully. Use a shallow box ( I use copier paper boxes cut in half an reinforced, theyre super strong, for cardboard) and don't stack built models on top of each other. 

The next best advice is move your own models, I don't care who's "helping" you move, nobody treats stuff carefully like you would. 

[slusher]

I don't think the heat would be good for them...

[Quick GMC]

cold is better than hot, IMO

[Edsel-Dan]

I Don't have a large enough spare room, NOR a Basement.

Most of mine are in the attic. Built, Started, awaiting resto, unbuilt

And YES, it gets VERY Cold in winter, and Past VERY HOT in summer!!!

Wish I Did have the room downstairs.

And MIGHT have it in a few months due to discarding mothers stuff not needed anymore

But, would only cut extreme temps not the variation

NO heat in there right now till furnace gets fixed.

(Circulator pump died)

 

I want to put them in plastic Totes up there, but...................................

 

I know there are Squirrels up there, and I believe Wasps too!!!!!

So, I want to wait to go back up there when I know the Wasps have left, are dead,

 or are Hibernating (Whichever they do)

 

Squirrels are More active as it gets colder!!!

[ZTony8]

Because of space constraints in my basement I had several large boxes full of kits,some on the floor.Having had my former washing machine bust it's guts and discharge a large amount of water that seeped into the large boxes and ruin several kit boxes I now have the replacement large boxes up on free pallets that I got from work.

[crazyjim]

I like the plastic tote box deal.  They seal pretty good and should keep critters out.

[robertw]

Live on the Canadian prairies where we have two weathers bitter icy cold or very hot. All other weather fits into the few days between these two cycles. I've had a large number of kits stored in an insulated but unheated attic for many years and also have a larger number of kits stored in an unheated wooden shed and have had no problems to speak of from either location. Keep them dry is the most important priority. I've had a couple of decal sheets fail but that may have just been age rather then the storage conditions. Over the years I've usually packed kits away into any large cardboard boes that I could find but now that large plastic totes have become so cheap I've begun to use them instead just as an additional safety precaution.

When I win my first million dollar lottery I'll build a heated wharehouse that will allow me to go and dig through individual kits in comfort, if only.

[charlie8575]

If you can afford to buy nice plastic storage bins, do that. Should keep moisture and vermin in check. I think peppermint oil, mothballs or dryer sheets will keep them away if you want to take extra precautions. 

I store built models in freezer size ziplock type bags, seal them with a bit of air cushion in them. Place an old shirt or bubble wrap on the bottom of a box and arrange carefully. Use a shallow box ( I use copier paper boxes cut in half an reinforced, theyre super strong, for cardboard) and don't stack built models on top of each other. 

The next best advice is move your own models, I don't care who's "helping" you move, nobody treats stuff carefully like you would. 

Never thought of the Ziplock bags, but not a bad idea.

I store built-to-restore in Zip-Loc/Glad/store brand tight-seal food storage containers that are about shoe-box size. 

Evertything else, for now, is in banker's boxes.

I like the idea of the big plastic totes, I've been planning to move them into those once I have the time to do it.

Charlie Larkin

Edited October 21, 2015 by charlie8575

[Tom Geiger]

Most of mine are in the attic. Built, Started, awaiting resto, unbuilt

And YES, it gets VERY Cold in winter, and Past VERY HOT in summer!!!

I know there are Squirrels up there, and I believe Wasps too!!!!!

Squirrels are More active as it gets colder!!!

Attics should be very cold in winter and very hot in summer.  If you go up into your attic during the winter and it's warm, then you are wasting heat and need better insulation.  During summer I usually ran my whole house fan that dragged all the warm air from the house up through the attic and out it's vents.  

Per squirrels, you'd better get those removed ASAP.  They do a lot of damage, and can cause electrical fires since they'll chew through wires.  One year when it got extremely cold during winter, I had the squirrels that nested in a big tree in my yard, seek warmer shelter.  They chewed through my aluminum side vent to get into the attic!  They are very active at night and ran around up there as we tried to sleep.  I immediately got a company in who captured them and took them away.

And Tony made a good point. Never place anything directly on a basement floor.  It's easy to get old pallets for free.  I sliced some to the size I needed for different areas in my basement.   Not only can your basement flood,  but the cold concrete against your boxes can cause damage as well.  Same with garages! I once had the dampness from a garage floor literally set a bag of cement in place.