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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Modeling Organization


Developing some organizational skills has been a big boon to my enjoyment of the hobby.   Modeling is a hobby / stress reliever for me rather than a business, so production efficiency isn't the paramount issue but I do like the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a project.  It's also a plus with my wife to show some reduction in the lead pile just prior to a new addition.

Anyway, I have found two methods that really help keep me organized and reduce the time I spend looking for stuff.  The first is a rolling tool cabinet that holds all my modeling tools/paints and scenic supplies.  The real trick to making this work is to organize your projects and take out what you need at the start and then put stuff back once your done.  The whole "putting stuff back" is the hard part as I tend to assume a perfect memory when I put an item down and then the next day spend 20 minutes looking for the damn thing.  I'm sure something like that has never happened to you.

The other plus is that the rolling tool cart makes it easier to pick up or hide your modeling efforts if executive management of the household has dictated another use of the space your occupying.

The second organizational trick I use are wooden project trays (I got them from the craft store Michael's on sale for $1.25 each) to organize my projects in.  This step accomplishes two goals - first it keeps all of the items associated with an effort in one spot and makes it easier to start/stop projects as I like to do.  The second goal is that since I limit the size of a project to what will fit in a tray it forces me to think a bit and break a large project down into smaller subsets.

The trays are also very useful on game nights to help players organize and move their respective forces from the storage cabinets to the table.

4 comments:

  1. Snap with the tool box, great minds think alike and occasionally mine might join in! As far as Im concerned they are absolutely magic for storing paints, brushes and gear, good selection of drawers at different depths for the different size paint pots. She who must be restrained didn't even bat an eyelid when I told her why I was buying it, I think that meant tacit agreement (if I knew what tacit meant). All in all I think she was just happy that my soldier stuff was stored away, of course the tool box must be disguised with girly stuff when visitors approach chez swine to dine.

    The trays are a very good idea all round, the way you describe it. Hmmm, where can I lay my sticky little fingers on 50 trays, I cant possibly reduce the number of projects ;-)

    regards
    dave

    I'll get onto Mal and find out who the publisher of the naval rules was.

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  2. Heres the link to the rules, Mal isn't feeling too well of late so Im not sure when follow ups will be forthcoming

    http://www.clashofarms.com/Convoy.html

    regards
    pp

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  3. Am I jealous?...I'm not sure..yes, I wish I could be that organised.. I read this from the chaos of my painting table...but it's my chaos!

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  4. Wow great ideas! I can only wish I was that organized!
    VR
    James Mattes

    ReplyDelete