I am finished with my first military kit. I have a lot of extra pieces on the spruces and a pretty empty box. What do you guys do with the boxes and extra parts once you are finished with a kit? I would like to keep some the pieces because they are some ammo cans.

Thanks for the advice,
Tony

As a rule I recycle the box and keep any useful parts. Of course, if this is your first military kit, you'll want something to keep the parts in, for which you now have a handy box! As your spares stock grows you may find you want to sort it all into different items, in which case there's a wealth of storage options out there. But I've managed for years with slinging everything in a single box, clearly marked "Spares". This proves how low my work rate is, of course ...

I'd recommend taking parts off the sprues, if you can. The reason is that, while a complete sprue is fairly rigid, odd bits aren't and they can get knocked about in a spares box. That raises the risk of the bits of sprue being torn off the model parts. You don't have to tidy up the sprue gates until you need the part, but removing the sprue reduces that risk.

Thanks. I will take the parts off the spruces. I may try to sort them into bags to keep in my box.


Tony

Tony,

Go to a Home Depot or a Lowe's and pick yourself up one or two of the "Stack-on" brand cabinets that hold nails, screws, and the like. They make great "parts bins" for storing left over kit parts (and you can sort by type, nationality, et cetera). IIRC, they're only about $15 or so for each.

Kind of like this: Example

Mike

If there are bits that will assemble such as bombs, wheels, bits of figures, I tend to make them up before the go in the spares box.
saves rooting around for the other half of the bomb/wheel when I need it.

Test a bit of the sprue to see how well it streches if it streches well bag it any long lengths you might have. otherwise bin it.

Not all styrene is created equal.

John-Paul, What can I do with the long pieces of the spruce? I am really tired so forgive my lack of creativity. It makes sense to put the piece together before I store them. Good idea.

Mike, Funny you mentioned the storage bins. Today at lunch, a lady here at work told me she found a couple in her garage and she will bring them in for me.

Thanks,
Tony


Edited to correct grammer issues.

Long sprues can be used for lots of things like building fences or poles for holding wires or camoflage nets in a diorama. They can also be sliced to make a disc to fill in deep ejection pin marks or the disc can be trimmed to use as a shim to make two pieces line up.

Thanks for the reply. Duh... I get it. It is sort of how I use the scrap wood from my projects when I build stuff.

Tony

brilliant even more use for old sprue never thought to use it to fill pin marks.

I was thinking heating the middle it over a flame till soft
you can than stretch it to make fine plastic wire.
this wire can then be used to make antennae, springs, rivets, railings all kinds or detail.

Other uses for sprue is as a spreader bend ill fitting tank hulls, or aircraft fuselage
and wings into shape.

lots of things become useful tools and building materials coke cans, clear plastic, yoghurt pots
just make sure no one catches you while bin hoking.