Greetings!
With my job, I move a lot and this coming summer I’ll be on the road for about three months. I will be in and out of hotels and I want to take a couple of kits and some essential tools to help keep me occupied during the downtime. Whenever I move I transport my paints and tools in ammo cans, pelican cases, or sturdy totes, but Im looking for any ideas or recommendations out there for more practical items – I figured it would look odd hauling a couple of ammo cans into a hotel room.
I’ve been keeping an eye on a few professional make up carrying cases (pictured below) that seem like they would be effective.







Does anyone else take the hobby on the road?
What do others use to transport tools and paints?

Thanks

Shawn

I take tools & kits out to local model shows and pass the day building! My basic tools fit in a plastic toolbox (roughly 12"x6"x4" with a lift-out tray, sold variously as hobby boxes, fishing tackle boxes etc), and I put it in a tote-bag along with cutting mat, Evergreen plastic sheets, a kit, and anything else I may need for basic building. I don't paint except at home, so no need for bottles, compressor, AB etc. The tote keeps it all together and keeps me from looking too much like a nerdy teenager! Of course, deep down inside that's exactly what I am...

I assume you're driving? If you fly the TSA has all sorts of restrictions!

For me personally,I cant see myself working on a model in a hotel room,just wouldnt be comfortable,probably screw things up,but your setups look pretty cool

If you take your hobby on the road, I would, you also need to consider how to transport what you have built.
I have done this a few times but then I only built the models to the point where they were still transportable without being fragile. This means that none of the builds were finished, all of the fragile parts were still on the sprues. Since they were unfinished there was never a need for painting. Some paints and brushes could be brought along on the trip, depending on how you travel. Bringing a compressor and spray booth could be a little too much.
So, essential tools and paints/brushes needed for interior painting. I would go for the "flightcase" type of box.
Make a list of which tools you really use, check the assembly instructions to see if you need special tools,for instance drills, or not.
/ Robin

Robin's got a point - model transport is an issue. When my builds reach a point where they don't fit back in the kit box I grab a suitable empty mailing box from the shed and add crumpled paper towels around the edges to cushion and support my model. It's ok as long as you aren't using them as footballs.

I do a lot of 3D printing at Shapeways, and their "small" mailing box is just the right size for the average 1:35 tank, and is made of heavy-duty cardboard so is very sturdy. best of all, they're free! It goes in the tote with the rest...

Make sure you get a hotel room with a smooth and hard floor, makes it more difficult for the carpet monster to hide in the rug ...

Don't know how much of a sportsman you are (I'm not, but as most casual fishermen, I like to think I can fish pretty well!) which brings me to my fishing tackle box. I was in the Army for 30 years, and although I never had much time for model building, I did manage to do some 120mm figure painting. Many times I would be TDY for training or meetings. Sometimes for long periods of time. Rather than visit the bars, I'd either run, work out, or paint miniatures. I had a mid sized, hard plastic fishing tackle box about 10" deep x 10" wide x 20" long. It had a hard plastic tray in the top with multiple spaces and slots, and on either side of the bottom were two spaces for two 7x9" clear plastic fly fishing boxes which were ideal for keeping paints and small parts in. Fully packed with materials, I could still get four fully painted figures on bases in the bottom of the box-between the fly fishing boxes- ideal for bringing them home once finished. I'd take a look at your local sporting goods store to see if something there would be suitable. I also used a packing strap andlock around my box, through the handle when it was shipped, and for the fragile items, I'd pack them with cross cut shredded paper-- a bit messy, but in 20 or 25 TDY trips, I never had anything broken. My box was hard ABS plastic, red on the bottom and had a green lid, and I got it in a German Hardware store back in 1980!
VR, Russ

If you like building and painting figures a hotel room would work just fine. Some paints a few brushes maybe a decent travel light some good close-up goggles and you should be well on your way. You could spend hours practicing your technique.

Fishing tackle boxes, EMS boxes, and you can get a pretty cool camera box and make it customized to your liking .....

IMG_3100 by Brian Messier, on Flickr

IMG_5318 by Brian Messier, on Flickr

IMG_5319 by Brian Messier, on Flickr

Gotta love that trauma kit!

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I used a fishing tackle box for model building while on Army deployments. Mine was a Plano brand box with 3 fold out trays on each side, plus a large open compartment on the bottom. The trays hold lots of supplies, and the bottom can hold a 1/35 armor kit, but it will likely need to be repackaged. That compartment is not made to hold a model box. It has also held 1/24 cars and 1/48WWII aircraft. I have searched for a larger tackle of the same style, but apparently there are none in production now. There is another type which holds organizer boxes. Plano makes a couple of big ones. I have their 787 and 1374. One holds 4 organizers and one comes with 7; 4 big organizers and 3 smaller. They also make other organizers with the same exterior dimensions but different internal layouts. If you want, I can post pictures comparing the three different boxes later on. I also have additional organizers with different internal layouts. The type with built in trays that fold out is several years old and may be out of production, but they do have a similar size box of the same style in production now.


I would agree that an ammo can or anything that could be thought of as suspicious...by any misinformed citizen...is a bad idea. Nobody needs a SWAT team busting their door down at 3am.