Ripper's Army Case

Here I shall show the path that I am taking for making my own miniature transport case. One needs a few basic materials, such as a container ($5), foam ($22), and a lot of replacement knife blades. Its ridiculous how many blades you go through when cutting foam. Initially, I assumed this was the cheapest method, since it cost me a total of $25, but I didn't factor in the labor. Also, my box also has a little compartment at the bottom, which is nice because I can store templates, dice, and other stuff with my minis.
With the little stow away box at the bottom:Two yards of foam that I bought from a JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store:This is the template that I cut out of foamboard for a tray of just 25mm bases, and it has made my life much easier. I recommend this to everyone instead of having to mark and remark each slot on each chunk of foam. If I were to do this a second time, I would make my template out of some other sturdy material such as plasticard (sheet styrene) or even MDF, since even with the first use of the template, it has started to break apart.These are my calculations of how many 1"x2" slots I could cut out in the allotted box size. I suggest taking a piece of paper and cutting it down to the size of your container. Then draw out the layout, and see using different positions how you can optimize the maximum number of slots per foam sheet. In my case, I could fit the most slots by doing an "odd" row at the bottom.A problem I face now is what to use to create a back for the foam. Right now, I am considering using a different kind of foam sheet; it's denser, but still has some cushioning. I bought a pack of this foam from Walmart, for about $3, and will see how it turns out. Also, I wanted to test out 2 different types of adhesives for gluing the foam I really like the Liquid Nails, since it dries in 20 minutes. After it dries, the joint remains flexible, instead of becoming extremely brittle like the wood glue bond. The only downside to Liquid Nails is that it is a one time use tube, since there is no way of sealing it once it is punctured. Not wanting to waste it, I will have to glue all the trays to their backs at once, instead of churning out one foam tray at a time. Also in the pic is a sneak peek at my next project, hehe...

Ripper