Hello. I am curious about any storage room such as attic. Closest. Etc. does it have to be in room temperature? Because one small storage at apt has no heating or venting or ac. Will it harm the plastic and decals? Any suggest?
Extreme heat WILL result in plastic warpage. And depending on the degree of temp changes, condensation could potentially ruin decals. If you’re going to store models for a long time, remove the decals, label them somehow, and store them in a big plastic bag with a few of those little white silicone packages that come in shipped packages. I’d try to store the models somewhere within a 50-80 degree range, and NOT in the sun, anywhere. If your storage area is within the apartment, it should be easily within those ranges. If it’s like one of those out on the porch, that might be problematic depending on where you are.
Thx. And where can I find the white silicone package? Is it similar to mothball?
You can find them in a new pair of shoes. The manufacturers stick one or two in the shoes to keep the moisture out during shipping.
Heat is a problem, cold is not as long as it is reasonable. Dryness is okay, may be a bit hard on decals over a very long time. Dampness is NOT good- it can cause mold. So cold, dry place is what you want.
The doog and mississippivol are referring to desiccant. It controls humidity. You could reuse those that are found in like shoe boxes, electronics, medications and even some snack food. Or look online and find a source (the stuff is everywhere).
Silent, check out your local hardware store (Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc). They sometimes carry dessicant containers meant for people to place in their basement, storage closets and other such places. My mother-in-law has them in her storage area which is in her garage. It comes in a plastic container about half as tall as a peanut butter jar. You just unscrew the lid and place it in the room.
Go to the hardware store’s web site and do a search for “dessicant”. Look for something like “DampRid” or “Keep It Dry”. I’m guessing that, in the store, you’ll find them by where they sell things like dehumidifiers and other such items.
Hope that helps,
Eric
PS. On a side thought, I’ve never tried this before but I wonder if a local pharmacy will give you a small handful of dessicant packets or capsules if you just ask for them. I remember going to Sam’s Club and asking for those little black film containers in the photo development area. I explained to the lady that I use them for mixing paints since I’m a model builder. She gave me a shopping bag full of them!
Thanks everyone! I’ll research on them.
Hi :
I have a suggestion here . If you can find the container of dessicant the size of a peanut putter jar do this .Get a New pair of regular PantyHose .Cut it into small circles This must be the " support style with closely wove " Panties " on the top . The " Panty " part is what you use . Oh , maybe three inches across .Then take a spoonful of the dessicant and put it in the center of Two layers of circles .Tie the end up like a candy bag and drop in the model box .Pack carefully and make sure any weak boxes are on the top . Check for box damage and fix it .You should do alright this way . I store my models in boxes I get from U-Haul and line them with foam from Office Max .then stack the dessicant fixed boxes inside and doing the same to the top , Foam Before ,closing . I have long term stored and have undamaged models from over forty five years ago . I lived on two steel boats for over five years and not one kit in the holds got damaged , neither did the decals or instructions which I put in Zip-Loc bags inside the model box. This is for extremely long term storage though .If it’s short term just Zip-Loc the instructions and decals and dessicant the box . This should help out . Tanker - Builder
Inside a closet that does not touch the outside of the house. Under a bed is a good place.