Model storage space

[toto]

OK,

 

My latest " assembly " thread for my Beaver is as good as burnt out, the star of the show .... the beaver .... having been completed and having been maidened today. I will feed back on it from time to time on anything of worth, but, to all intents and purposes ..... its served its purpose.

 

Now given that I'm in " trainee " mode, there is very little chances of any imminent further " assembly " builds other than to finish off pairing my Carbon Cub and seeing that through to the Maiden and like the Beaver, training stages.

 

I'm sort of happy with that as my Mancave as it is cant cope with having many more models built until I build in some storage space / facilities.

 

If I try building any more, the chances are that I am going to increase my potential for " hanger rash " as I squeeze around the available work space during the build.

 

So ...... I am going to use my " off the field " time to repurpose certain areas of my shed to provide safe storage space and keep my available work space available for spacious assembly space. This may not be that clear at the moment but it will become clearer as I post up some photos of the shed internally and a few sketches of what I will ne looming to do.

 

So this is a place holder for my upcoming shed alterations. Anyone can feel free to make suggestions to my plans as things develop if you have any input on how I can better use the space.

 

I hope the forthcoming posts on this thread will be of interest as I suppose it's just another facet of the hobby in general. How we store temporarliy decommissioned models, especially in the limited available space in a modest everyday family home.

 

I will do my best to keep this current.

 

Feel free to tune in.

 

Cheers

 

Toto  

[Zflyer]

Two pieces of 2x2 (inches), mounted vertical top to bottom of shed, 18inches apart. Drill series of holes to take dowel, insert dowels and place wings across the dowl. Look to the left of the pic. I use a portable clothes hanger for the fuselage, the type you see in some shops. Drilled some holes in the top rail, more dowel, pipe insulation and hand the airframes from the tailplane. You can just see it. I will have to get some proper pics

[toto]

I'm back ............ well, ...... I did say I would try and keep things current😄

 

I'm in the shed and I have taken a series of dodgy photo's and some very rough measurements just to give you an idea of what I have to play with. Now how much of the existing space I lose very much depends on if I store my models horizontally on racks ..... or ..... hanging vertically. 

 

Here are some photos to set the scene so to speak.

 

your starter for 10 .......

 

 

This photo is as you come in the shed door and look to your left. I have about 1.3m from the door to the wall on the other long wall. Its almost exactly 2.0m in height ( flat roof shed ).

 

Now as we work our way around we go onto the longer wall .....

 

 

you will see a drop in height to the existing work space and the full length that I have as we work our way along is circa 2.5m in length....

 

 

currently, as you can see if I took all the crap away on the lower work top area, I have been using it as a workbench which houses a small table saw and a foam cutter. this can, if necessary be removed altogether for my new " purpose as I do have other work top areas.

 

 

I can take right up to where the worktop changes height again although potentially, if really needed, I could pinch another 500mm.

When I am removing the lower worktop, I intend to reduce the height of the remaining worktop in the cornet space which currently houses a small proxxon bench drill.

 

 

and a slightly longer shot back along the wall towards the door end where we started.

 

SOOOOOOO ...... that is the potential footprint of what I have to work with. The rest of the shed is turned over into working space.

 

I have not went into this with any great science as yet but I reckon I could get away with using less space if the models / airframes were hung vertically than I would if they are laid out horizontally. 

 

If horizontally, then it could be wall mounted dexion type height adjustable steel traps with the relevant supporting arms. If vertically ..... it will probably have to be a heath Robinson timber rack kind of an affair ..... abit like something you would hang kippers from to smoke them. 😁

 

I'll need to give it some thought ..... and ...... if youn want to chime in ..... feel free to do so but I'd make it quick as a rolling stone gathers no moss and if I can sneak away to B and Q tomorrow ...... the chances are that the decision will have been made. I need to get this out the way as it will seriously hold back my ability to at least build ...... erm ..... assemble some of the models that I already have threatened. they are shitting themselves.

 

Any questions ..... fire away ...... any suggestions ...... even better.

 

thanks for tuning in.

 

cheers for now ..... its beer oclock.

 

toto

[toto]

Apologies Zflyer ..... I just missed your post.

 

I'm liking what you have done and some great ideas on some of the household items that can be used and how to adapt them.   you have just sent my missus running to rescue her clothes horses. 😁

 

what sort of weight is in your models. just trying to get an idea of what can be done. i have not actually weighed the beaver yet which is by far the heaviest that I have built as yet but the destructions will give me that.

 

Some of the other models that I have got ( boxed as yet ) but which I will need to consider for size and weight are as follows.

 

Seagull steen super skybolt .... cant remember the wing span or fuselage length but the length I imagine must be around 1300 - 1400 mm

Seagull edge - again around maybe 1400mm in length

Easiglide aggressor - length 1080 mm

Phoenix spacewalker - length - guesstimate circa 1400mm

Seagull Cessna Turbo Skylane - guesstimate circa 1300mm 

 

I will confer with the various user manuals for exact lengths and try and work in optimum build sizes to cater for the average / optimum.

 

I don't intend buying any more for now as I have already went a bit mad but bought these for a couple of reasons.

 

1. they are the kind of models that interest me ( mostly swinging to high wings and BI - planes with the odd exception.

2. I had the budget due to the reduction in size of my involvement in my other main hobby ( model railways ) so it was not so much spending more money but spending old money aquired from the sale / reduction of the railway stock I had.

 

If building the storage racks horizontally, then length and height will probably dictate how I tackle it. If using the space vertically ( hanging ) then height, which given the 2.0m maximum I have all round shouldn't be an issue but the best way to hang the fuselage ( possibly vertically ) like a kipper would be the way to go but probably risks damage to the model a bit more .

 

the jury is still out on this but I'm sure there will be plenty suggestions / opinions which I will be delighted to consider. I'd imagine that it will be very much a work in progress with some twists and turns along the way.

 

anyway .... it is definetly beer o'clock and and working up a thirst.

 

cheers for now

 

toto        

[leccyflyer]

For such a tight space with models of those sizes you will probably have more success storing the models derigged. You can hang the fuselages with a loop of cord either round the tail, or round the prop. If concerned about possible damage you could use ribbon, rather than cord, but I've hung dozens of models with soft cord or string for many years without damage. You can store wings on end, retained by bungee straps to the wall, which takes up minimal space. For derigged wings I prefer to use wing racks constructed from twin slot shelving brackets and have three of those which accommodate a lot of wings in a minimal space.

 

 

I used to store my derigged fuselages stood on end and you can pack quite a few into a small space that way. My latest version of that uses the space under the stairs to store fuselages hung from cuphooks with a loop of cord. That's where my gliders live.

 

Where more space is available I greatly prefer models which can be stored and transported rigged, with their wings on. They sit on ready use racks and after much experimentation I'd say that the most important part is to retain flexibility. That's provided by using those twin slot shelving brackets in a variety of lengths -in my case 370mm, 470mm, 530mm and 530mm extended to 1m, using right angle aluminium extrusion. The different lengths deal with different model sizes and configurations - the longest needed for jets with long noses. The brackets are covered by foam pipe insulation from 15mm pipe insulation. When I first started to use this system I cut a 45 degree mitre on the end of the foam insulation and fabricated short uprights for retaining the models. That proved unnecessary in practice and is actually detrimental to sliding the models in and out of the racks once you add more models and make better use of the space. You can add additional vertical rails - which are attached to wooden battens screwed to the wall -and brackets, to store more models over time. In my case I've used fire retardant Correx to provide a clean surface  to the walls and a canopy over the top, to keep dust and debris off the models.

 

 

The brackets and uprights I use were from Wickes, but I found a bulk supplier that was a bit cheaper - though Wickes do have occasional clearance sales of boxes of ten brackets. The twin slot system is super flexible, allowing the model storage to be rearranged to fit more models in over time.

[Dale Bradly]

Models take up space. Lots of it. More than you think.

The first rule is work out how much space you are sure to need. Factor in the model you haven't bought yet. Measure it up and be certain.

Then when you are sure you have all the space you will need and are ready to build some storage, double that space requirement. (Unless this month has at least 28 days, then triple the space you think you will need.)

You may as well start planning now the conversation with the other half about you've outgrown this neighbourhood, and wouldn't it be better to live the next town/suburb over, closer to the family. 

(Because you won't get approval to buy a bigger house just because you need more plane storage!)

 

Three possibly useful things i'll contribute here:

My "Bulk" storage:

This was a temporary solution after moving in. 18 months later, it's still here.

Wings off, and fuses slotted generally side by side to maximise space. I have access to this from both sides, but that is neither here nor there.

Electrics up higher, IC models lower down. (Generally). I find when the electricity leaks, it makes less of a mess dripping on to the lower models than the other way around.

Note the wing storage about midway, where they are stored vertically. Wings do not stack as well as you might think, with different dihedral angles, servos, scale bumps/radiators, fixed gear etc all getting in the way from preventing them nesting nicely on top of each other, hence my solution here. Notice the poor job I've done of efficiently storing the red/white wing with the roundel on it, due to the fixed gear it takes up a silly amount of space, and I haven't done anything better with it yet. A good example of bad storage eating up valuable space.

 

 

This is simple rack, same ideal as Zflyer said in the second post. Just made from crap lying around. The beauty of this is it's above my work bench. I typically have multiple projects on the go, so this is somewhere handy to put the "other bit" out of the way while you work on the bit on the bench. (84" wing on there for scale)

 

And this is about the least space efficient way to store models - just hanging them ready to fly on a wall. Might be cheap, easy and convenient, but you'll run out of walls before you run out of models!

 

P.S. Enjoying the enthusiasm you are bringing to this place, and no doubt your club, keep it up!

[Nigel R]

You'll need far more space than you think.

 

Excellent ideas already posted, I can add nothing useful. 

 

I will only add something tangentially useful. If I find i am not flying something, I retire it. Strip the gear. Airframe into the back end of the loft. This is a dustbin in all but name.

 

I can only realistically use a handful of airframes at any one time. 

[GrumpyGnome]

I'm with Nigel R. Lots of stripped airframes piled up in garage. I should get rid of those that I will never recommission........

[toto]

Some great idea's. Especially the twin slot framing which is one of the ideas I had In mind. 

 

I have two area's in the shed that are available, the other still to be shown. It's not a huge space but will take maybe another 3 or 4 fuselages and is a space more suited to hanging.

 

I dont intend to buy many more, especially at the moment. I had an available budget and bought what I bought based on the types of models that I liked. My intention would be to build and fly each as it happens and probably after a period of time, and once I've had a chance to decide which ones I enjoy most, move one or two on and get maybe a little cash back on them. I would not imagine they hold much value second hand but if you have had the enjoyment of putting it together ( building or assembling ) flying for a few occasions and then getting enough back to contribute to a new model, I'd be happy at that.

 

Of course if your mod3l has taken a knock to many ..... it's simply run into the ground ( not physically ) and simply de-commissioned ...... and some space created.

 

I need to try and decide, given the actual area available as shown, what the optimum solution would be, hanging or shelving . It could be a bit of trial and error to get it right. 

I'll post up as things progress.

 

Thanks again for all the replies suggestions etc. Great photographs as well. These help enormously to create the finished vision.

 

Cheers

 

Toto

[toto]

good evening,

 

Shed time ...... 

 

I was on the internet today ordering up some dexion uprights and shelving brackets to try and push the shed model storage issue on a bit. So i started dismantling the redundant storage shelving that was already there.

 

 

away it comes bit by bit ......

 

 

No shame to it, its lasted about ten years serving its original purpose .....

 

 

phase one over with and looking forward to phase two which should be tomorrow night which will see the following sections being ripped out.

 

 

The whole of the section above and below where my transmitter cases are currently sitting and the removal and relocation of my parts bins above.

 

this will give me plenty of storage space for what I currently have although if I keep growing at the same rate, it will be a new shed. I currently have two sheds, the one I am currently using as my " Hobby " shed and a smaller domestic shed.

 

 

the plan is to take them both down and replace them with one decent size Hobby shed with a small area laid for use for the domestic items of which there are relatively few.  But ....... not for now. 

 

So, we'll see how I get on tomorrow night as I have a couple of little jobs to do for Saturday. 1st ...... pair the Beaver to the NX 8 and 2nd, change over the wheels to the softer compound type wheels on the beaver which arrived today. I may even get that done tonight if I stop blethering here ...... so on that note ...... Hat ..... Jacket ..... I'm outta here.

 

cheers for now 

 

toto

[toto]

OK ...... more shed time tonight.

 

Already moved the work bench that was above the following boxes ( no photo you'll have to go back a post or two )

 

 

 

All the timber carcass was taken out and then since time was moving on, some of my boxes temporarily back in for now.

 

 

the next task is to get the yellow storage boxes taken off the walls and moved to a more convenient place before starting to fit out the back wall with the dexion strapping.

 

which .........

 

 

and .........

 

 

Which are ....... 24 inches or 600mm long ..... the longest I could get. 800mm would have been better.

 

 

apologies for the blurry images .....

 

 

and some pipe insulation to cover the brackets with and hopefully offer up some protection to any model placed / stored on them .....

 

 

So anyway .... that is it for now. With a little bit of luck, I will get some more shed time tomorrow and I can maybe start the dexion installation. I have a few batteries that I need to put on charge for this weekend so I can let them bubble away whilst I work. 

 

cheers for now,

 

toto

 

 

 

 

 

[leccyflyer]

The 610mm are the longest brackets that I could source. That's not long enough for some of my models, particularly the jets. The solution, to extend the brackets to a full 1m length is to take a length of 15mm aluminium angle extrusion and bind that to the top of the bracket with glass-fibre cross weave tape, before adding the 15mm pipe insulation. You can see the longer brackets under the A-10, Me262 and Dornier Do17 in the picture.

 

To support my canopy over the top of the models I used 1m lengths of that aluminium extrusion, or 6mm or 8mm CF tube whichever I had to hand at the time, similarly taped to the top brackets., but with no insulation It's a bit floppy, but it does the job of keeping the dust, bird mess and sundry other rubbish off the models.

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by leccyflyer

[Simon Chaddock]

You definitely run out of wall space.

 

 

 

The other wall is widows and there are 3 more on the floor!

[leccyflyer]

Some classic jets there Simon, very very nice indeed Sir! 😎

[kevin b]

2 hours ago, Simon Chaddock said:

You definitely run out of wall space.

 

 

 

The other wall is widows and there are 3 more on the floor!

Who does the dusting ?

🤣

[leccyflyer]

With all those luvverly jets lying against the wall a five second full throttle motor run once a week sorts all that out. 🙂

[Simon Chaddock]

In fact suspended like that very little dust settles however each plane is given a dusting before it flies. Not that it would make any difference except to me!

[toto]

I'm basing mine on storing them disassembled ( wings ) as otherwise my space would be cut drastically. I also dont intend to grow my numbers by much more. 

 

If so, the rule will have to be ..... one in .... one out. 

 

Toto

[Ace]

1 hour ago, toto said:

If so, the rule will have to be ..... one in .... one out. 

 

Very best of luck sticking to that 😁

[toto]

Are you suggesting that I'm doomed by any chance .... . I have enough to keep me going for long enough and whilst I hone my flying skills, my mission is finalising the best use of the space I have in the shed and building ..... erm ..... assembling what I already have to be sitting in the sidelines awaiting their fate. 

 

Dont tell me you've heard that one as well. 

 

Toto

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

I won't show the mess in my garage, 40+ models all ready to fly, here is a glimpse of three second hand engines acquired waiting to find airframes.😅

[toto]

A sight to behold ....  but 40 + models ... wow. Accumulated over many years I'd imagine.

 

I have a few already and rightly or wrongly before I can even fly. Many which would be considered as totally unsuitable for my experience level but some will probably not see the light of day for some time. I dont mind that, it wont stop me eventually having them assembled ready to go. It's all part of the hobby, the excitement and a motivating factor to progress. 

 

Everybody to their own.

 

Enjoy

 

Toto

[toto]

Shed time but a bit late to start banging and drilling.

 

You could say I'm on restricted duties for tonight so rather than waste the time ........ I'm battery sitting. i wonder if this term will make it into the oxford Dictionary.

 

" Battery Sitting " ..... A term used in the RC modelling world for those who use LIPO batteries and are scared witless to leave them charging un attended.

 

Hey ..... could be onto something there.

 

Never mind, I have the good fortune to be accompanied by my very good friend " John Smith ".

 

by the time the evening is over ..... 4 x said batteries will have had new life fed into them for this weekends exploits.

 

never a dull moment.

 

toto 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

8 hours ago, toto said:

Shed time but a bit late to start banging and drilling.

 

You could say I'm on restricted duties for tonight so rather than waste the time ........ I'm battery sitting. i wonder if this term will make it into the oxford Dictionary.

 

" Battery Sitting " ..... A term used in the RC modelling world for those who use LIPO batteries and are scared witless to leave them charging un attended.

 

That can be a dangerous and explosive pass time,,,🤐

[Eric Robson]

On 17/05/2023 at 07:54, Simon Chaddock said:

You definitely run out of wall space.

 

 

 

The other wall is widows and there are 3 more on the floor!

Makes me wonder what you are doing with all those widows especially the three on  the floor 🤔 😳