Modelling in tight quarters

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

I’m going to assume I’m not the only modeller that lives in an apartment and I’m wondering how others handle it. If you don’t have the luxury of a room devoted to your craft where do you build? How do you store your supplies?

I’m a woodworker with a complete shop and would like to build a box I can set up on my dinning room table but can close up to keep the cat out of my panzers…oh, and tuck away when guests are visiting. Anyone have such an animal (box, not cat) and can share a good design? Pictures would be welcome.

Thanks.

2

You assume correctly! I live in a one-bedroom condo in Vancouver, with about no square feet to spare. This is how I’ve managed.

• At Michaels, I found two ArtBin plastic storage boxes for tools, paint, thinner, and a large “no name” flat plastic box for two-dimensional items such as sandpaper, thin strips of styrene, small plastic bags, and a small Olfa cutting mat.

• Another item I found at Michaels was a roll-up case for storing brushes; I also use it to store a small aluminum ruler, a small screwdriver (for opening paint tins), and even a couple of dental tools that I have found to be useful.

• At Magic Box Hobbies in Kerrisdale (a neighbourhood in southwest Vancouver), I found a plastic organizer that holds about 20 bottle/tins of paint, files, an X-Acto knife, a pin vise, and scissors in a lazy Susan, and has space for extra blades, drill bits, Q-tips, and scissors.

• Our apartment is not well lighted (no ceiling lights), but I found an inexpensive LED desk lamp with built-in magnifier that really helps my aging eyes.

• When I want to work on a model, I cover our dining table with a plastic drop sheet, get out my tools and supplies, and the lamp, and get to work. It takes perhaps a minute and a half to set up, and not a lot longer to put things if I’ve been reasonably tidy as I work.

At this time, I’m using spray cans, but not inside, of course. Using a banker’s box, I built a “spray booth” heated with a lightbulb and put it on our small-but-big-enough balcony. It’s mainly useful for preventing dust settling on a freshly painted model, but I’m also a bit concerned that my neighbours might notice the odor, so I’m now thinking about buying a portable spray booth that would fit on our stove, and an airbrush so I can use acrylics and have a bit more control over my painting.

I hope this helps. (I am not able at this time to upload a photo to my web site.)

Bob

3

There was a post on here quite some time ago, I looked for and couldn’t find, where members showed their work areas. One of them lived in an apartment and made one of the closets into a work area. On the 3 side walls, he built shelves to keep all the paint, stash and equipment. The work surface was a piece of plywood (I think) that was hinged to the back wall of the closet. When not in use, he just dropped the work surface and closed the door. Voila! Out of sight. Oh, the back of the door had a sheet of peg board for all the tools often used. All he had to do was pull up a chair, open the door and pull up the work surface.

Hope that this helps. Good luck.

Jim [cptn]

4

When I got back into modelling (2002-ish) I was living in an apartment and working where I had significant downtime (fire department, from 5pm to 7am we were free to pursue our own interests excepting emergency calls of course).

I set up all of my modelling supplies in a pair of tool boxes I got from Home Depot. Not only unobtrusive in the home, but very mobile so I could take them to work with me.

I got a piece of laminated wood for a work surface so I wouldn’t damage whatever table or desk I set up on. In the apartment I generally worked on a sturdy wooden TV tray.

I got a second piece of laminated wood and attached a steel square, which when used with a second movable steel square made a great cutting table for styrene or wood.

I now have a whole room for modelling, but still use the cutting table. The tool boxes are now mostly used to store some of my lesser used supplies.

5

JBark:

Hi there , you have a cat? Me too! What kind? Oops, got off track there. Of course, models aside You do know the truth don’t you? The cat chose you and you are the cat’s human. You, in other words live with a cat . He or She has you.

I use a Large12 year old fishing box that opens all kinds of ways.Top and front Sides. It also has a deep hidey hole for tall stuff and drawers. This goes on the grill end of a Camping World portable kitchen table that has the grill rack on the end.That way it all folds up when company shows up.The box sits on the grill end( Chrome Wire Support folding structure.

It all fits small enough when folded that it went on the floor of the back seat of our crew cab when we traveled.

6

I visit a dear modeling frind of mine on occasion and his apartment workspace is very tight. He models next to the window to provide ventilation and uses a folding table that can be taken down as needed. Every square inch of his space is either packed with kits or completed builds, including the celing. He really humbles me whenever I complain about not having any room.

7

Your situation reminds me of that of the modelers I know who are in the military. They all have limits on working space, and have to be ready to move frequently. Many of them keep a small toolbox or tackle box, for their supplies, and work on whatever horizontal space they can find.

In my own case, I lived in a mobile home for 10 years, as I saved up to buy a house. I had a spare “bedroom”, about 10’x8’, more of a glorified closet. But I built a workbench in it, not quite 4’x8’. Of course, it filled that little room, but I look back on working in that little room fondly.

When I bought a house, I had room in the basement to set up that same bench, as well, as to add shelving and store supplies and part of my stash. But as I’ve gotten older, I have started to feel the cold in the winter. And I also travel to get together with friends in the hobby for meetups. So I got a large toolbox and carry most of my paints and tools in it. And in the winter, I set up at the kitchen table, where it’s warmer than in the basement.

8

Also, if you haven’t already seen this thread, you might enjoy reading it, as kdryan builds himself a workbench in an old media cabinet:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/tools_techniques_and_reference_materials/f/23/p/183705/2092938.aspx#2092938

9

Yes, I did such things during my service time. When I was in the barracks at Ft Polk we had three man rooms and each soldier had a small “wing” of the room with a desk, bunk, and locker. I used the top drawer of the desk to store my paints and building supplies, and build and displayed my models on the desk top. Kits were stored in my locker, about the size of a small closet if need be.

When I was on deployment in the Balkans, I was assigned a converted shipping container for my room for much of my time there. It had a dresser/ chest with a fold out shelf table that I used for my hobby purposes at that time.

10

Thanks for all the feedback. I’m looking more for a standup cabinet/toolbox that opens to showtools, paints, etc. As a woodworker I can build anything but I’m trying to find ideas to help with the storage. I’m anticipating that I will want to put the model box I’m working from in the toolbox though I’m not sure. I need ideas for sizing and such.

11

It really depends on what you model. Small benches work well for armor, figures, cars.

It’s much harder with things like sailing ships, which take forever to put together.

Morrison’s Third Law of Modeling-

“No matter how large the bench, the available work space will always be exactly two square feet”.

I used to do a lot of business travel in the car. Sometimes I’d take a model to work on in the Hotel room, just to keep mysely away from the lobby bar.

One night I was painting a Tamiya destroyer (by hand) and there was loud knocking on the door. I opened it to find two policemen in the hall. Well, they asked and I provided ID.

“What seems to be the problem, officer?”.

There had been ongoing burglaries in the parking lot and they’d caught the thief hiding behind my car. He’d stashed his loot in a backpack under the car, so in a sense I guess it was in my possession.

All readily cleared up.

12

GM speaks the truth. Here’s what my bench looks like today:

I used to store my paints and other supplies in that Rubbermaid chest of drawers under the bench. It’s somewhat portable, and I would take that along to meetups. But that’s what eventually led me to get a big toolbox and stow everything in it, for transport. So those drawers are static storage today.

13

14

GM, is that an old Revell Midway-class carrier undergoing construction?

15

Yessir! I have a separate thread on it as well.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/183505.aspx

16

Everytime GMorrison posts this, I post the same reply:

You have that much clear space?!?!?!

[;)]

17

It’s so funny to me how my work always ends up on the edge of the workspace.

18

Thanks, GM, I have missed that! Now I can follow your build.

19

I have a chuckbox in which the entire front folds down to form a tabletop. On the inside there are several shelves for storing equipment. I can post pics if that sounds interesting.

20

Finally someone that understands what I’m looking for. Please post the pics. Did you make it?