BattleFoam trays, and a case to utilize them on the cheap!

[Razorx1970]

BattleFoam trays, and a case to utilize them on the cheap!


I have to admit, I like the pre-cut foam trays that BattleFoam has to offer . They come in a wide variety of pre-cut configurations, many of which are perfect for the various specific Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k faction pieces. One of which I really like is a 4-inch tray that comes pre-cut to hold a single drop pod, 2 Land Raiders and 4 Rhinos for Space Marines. Other nice trays include, and aren't limited to.. single 5x Drop Pod 4-inch trays, another tray to hold Imperial Guard Valkyries, trays to hold 3X Leman Russ and 3X Chimeras, 72 troop capacity 1-inch trays, and a ton of other nicely designed pre-cut trays for most anything Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k. More recently they've debuted trays designed to fit Warmachine and Hordes. If you're into WWII historical battles, Flames of War is another game they make nice pre-cut trays for too.

The nice thing about their Standard BattleFoam trays is that they're larger than what the competition makes at 15.5x12 inches, where as Army Transport trays are 13x7.75. The only problem with BattleFoam for the most part is their cases are very expensive, and if you want to buy one of their cases with foam, the only way they offer them to retailers is the case, plus a pre set pluck foam configuration, not the nicer pre-cut trays.

They do offer a service to allow you to select the pre-cut trays you want with any of their cases, IF you order direct from them, and you can even use a tool they offer to design your own custom trays. However, dealing direct with BattleFoam at present, is like trying to deal with GamesWorkshop direct. You end up paying full retail cost, with no breaks, and while they claim shipping is exact cost, on average it's $19 for S&H alone for most any of their cases via their website shipped to a US address.

This is hard to swallow when most of us are used to dealing with online retailers that offer 20%-30% off retail, plus usually free shipping with a $75--$100 purchase, or flat rate $6 no matter how much you order, and/or a local shop which incurs no shipping, and a small discount/incentive as well.

Selecting the Custom Load Out option with any of their cases is very expensive too. For instance it's $65 for a P.A.C.K 432 empty direct, $95 with their standard pluck-foam tray setup with a 432, and $135 if you opt for the Custom Load option, and the 432 holds only 7.5 inches worth of their trays.

In most configurations you're only going to fit about 3 varied size trays in that case with 7.5-inches to work with, and on average their trays cost $19-$29 each. Do the math, it doesn't look like you even get much of a break on the trays when buying a case too. If you opted for 2x $24 trays (1X 4-inch and 1X 3inch) and 1x $19 tray (1-inch tray) it ends up $67 for the trays, so you saved $2 off the cost of buying the trays separate. Certainly not a big incentive.

However, I have a solution!

Now, if you know a local shop, or online retailer that caries a wider selection of the trays that they offer direct, you could buy the trays you want, and I've found that Sabol Designs Army Transport Motor Pool case will hold the standard 15.5x12 inch BattleFoam trays perfectly!

On average Motor Pool cases empty run $30-$35. Granted BattleFoam cases have a few nice features that the Sabol cases don't, like the hard plastic inner shell, and canvas versus the soft plastic of the Army Transports, however, not everyone wants, or needs a case that's approved by the FAA/TSA for airline travel, and that can withstand a 200lb human being standing on it either. You also pay quite a lot for those features, a substantial amount that could be better served in purchasing more trays, another miniature, or box full of miniatures for your army, depending what game(s) you play.

I've seen others using BattleFoam trays with plastic storage tubs too. Finding one that's the right size to make it work right is tricky, but if you look around, you might also find something to do the trick, as some others I know have. I prefer the Motor Pool route myself, it's a nice case, and buying them empty isn't expensive, and they fit the standard BattleFoam trays like a glove.

I found this out totally by accident, as I went to purchase a Motor Pool the other day at a local shop. They had the BattleFoam trays sitting there, so I emptied out the Motor Pool, and tossed in a 4 inch tray for the LandRaiders/Rhinos and Drop pod, a random 3-inch tray, and a 72 troop 1-inch tray, and it looked as if it was made for those trays once inside the Motor Pool. Technically the Motor Pool holds 1/2-inch more worth of foam over BattleFoams' own P.A.C.K. 432 as well, since it holds 8-inches of Sabol trays side by side, and 432 is made for 7.5-inches of trays. As a bonus, the Motor Pool allows the trays to lay flat, and not sideways, as the 432 is designed to carry their trays vertically sideways. The only way to get a case from BattleFoam that allows for the trays to lay flat is the smaller 216 case, or the much larger, and much more expensive P.A.C.K. 1520.

So now I have all the pluck foam from the Motor Pool to use for what ever I desire, and I also have the option to purchase BattleFoam trays as well, and don't need to buy their expensive cases to utilize them.

[beeny13]

I have another solution. if you buy the gw sized trays they aren't badly priced, you can buy the 50 troop ones and some others. then do a 4 inch custom cut one for all of your vehicles-drop pods, land raiders. you can fit the two of them perfectly into an ikea canvas zippered box for $5.

ends up 35 for a good amount. not quite as good of a deal as the army premade ones, but great for your additional stuff. for the premade army i bought a different ikea canvas zippered box and cut and re-sewed it to the proper dimensions. boy was that a pain in the ***.

[Lerra]

On Black Friday (the day after thanksgiving) BattleFoam does a 25% off sale. I managed to get a PACK 432 for about $100 after shipping. That's still a lot for an army case, but it'll last forever. At least for that one army :P

[Razorx1970]

On Black Friday (the day after thanksgiving) BattleFoam does a 25% off sale. I managed to get a PACK 432 for about $100 after shipping. That's still a lot for an army case, but it'll last forever. At least for that one army :P

Sad part is, most of the online retailers that sell BattleFoam products, sell thier stuff for A LOT less than they do. So you could have purchased a 432 for less than $100 online, most any day of the week if you know where to look.

This is my gripe about BattleFoam, they don't offer enough incentives to deal direct with them. 25% is nice tho, but it should be that all the time, when I can go to many other retailers selling thier stuff and get it any day of the week for that, plus either free shipping, or $6-$7.

[RogueGarou]

Might not be the best place to ask this but since several respondents seem to have some experience with the BattleFoam trays, here goes. I like their advertising. I like the idea of the precut foams. I am currently using Sabol trays and decided to have my minis standing after seeing how much glus residue can be left after plucking the foam. A friend actually lost some paint and had a mini or two broken removing them when laid down and the glue residue stuck to the models.

Anyway, there should not be that problem with the precut foams, I would think. My question is, are the sizes of the precuts actually accurate to the models you have out in the foam? For instance, I have several Guard heavy weapon teams and their bases have some extra bits like sand bags, bricks, and such. Also, I have some with models standing and some kneeling and some of both. The BattleFoam trays all seem to have the ability to stack the heavies so the standing ones would fit, just not stacked is my guess. OK, no problem there.

My problem is this, there is no local shop here to check out the foam and I have a lot of minis that do not conform to the constrictions of their 25mm base. Bayonets, arms outstretched, Chaos Marines with horns and wings on the helmets, both arms outstretched like a Chow Yun Fat Gun-Fu pose. My tanks have exra stowage on the hull and the Defiler I am building (for a friend) will have six of the monstrous claws for legs. I have a lot of minis that might need a little extra room in a case.

Does anyone know if the precut foam trays from BattleFoam are cut with a bit of wiggle room or are they pretty closely fit?

BTW, my solution for a case was to buy a truck box at Wal-Mart. It is basically a large, empty hard plastic trunk. Much larger than a tool box, it is designed to sit in the bed of a pickup, trunk/boot of a car, van, SUV, whatever. I actually have one for my Guard and one for my Chaos Marine armies. Each one is more than sufficient to hold substantial amounts of foam trays. I have also used them as a makeshift table and seat for myself and my daughter took a nap on one while we were at a game event once. The model with wheels is pretty handy, it can be padlocked or zip tied shut and has been a pretty handy transporter for years. I got one on sale for $12 and the one with wheels for $16 so they are not terribly expensive. They are large, though, and that might not appeal to most folks.

[Razorx1970]

Might not be the best place to ask this but since several respondents seem to have some experience with the BattleFoam trays, here goes. I like their advertising. I like the idea of the precut foams. I am currently using Sabol trays and decided to have my minis standing after seeing how much glus residue can be left after plucking the foam. A friend actually lost some paint and had a mini or two broken removing them when laid down and the glue residue stuck to the models.

Anyway, there should not be that problem with the precut foams, I would think. My question is, are the sizes of the precuts actually accurate to the models you have out in the foam? For instance, I have several Guard heavy weapon teams and their bases have some extra bits like sand bags, bricks, and such. Also, I have some with models standing and some kneeling and some of both. The BattleFoam trays all seem to have the ability to stack the heavies so the standing ones would fit, just not stacked is my guess. OK, no problem there.

My problem is this, there is no local shop here to check out the foam and I have a lot of minis that do not conform to the constrictions of their 25mm base. Bayonets, arms outstretched, Chaos Marines with horns and wings on the helmets, both arms outstretched like a Chow Yun Fat Gun-Fu pose. My tanks have exra stowage on the hull and the Defiler I am building (for a friend) will have six of the monstrous claws for legs. I have a lot of minis that might need a little extra room in a case.

Does anyone know if the precut foam trays from BattleFoam are cut with a bit of wiggle room or are they pretty closely fit?

BTW, my solution for a case was to buy a truck box at Wal-Mart. It is basically a large, empty hard plastic trunk. Much larger than a tool box, it is designed to sit in the bed of a pickup, trunk/boot of a car, van, SUV, whatever. I actually have one for my Guard and one for my Chaos Marine armies. Each one is more than sufficient to hold substantial amounts of foam trays. I have also used them as a makeshift table and seat for myself and my daughter took a nap on one while we were at a game event once. The model with wheels is pretty handy, it can be padlocked or zip tied shut and has been a pretty handy transporter for years. I got one on sale for $12 and the one with wheels for $16 so they are not terribly expensive. They are large, though, and that might not appeal to most folks.

Very nice idea, I was at Walmart yesterday eyeing those up too! lol

As for your question, best bet is trying to find some trays up close and personal to examine, but from what I've seen, they do off a little wiggle room, but not a ton. They do make trays just for the HW teams that I know tho.

As for the Sabol Glue, a little bit of GooGone should fix that right up. That's what I plan to do with my new trays in the Motor Pool I just purchased.

[RogueGarou]

Sweet. I had not heard of Goo Gone before. I'll have to track some down. First Gorilla Glue, now Goo Gone. Some cool ideas for household stuff coming up lately. I'll toss out something I tried recently and have been super impressed with, too. Simple Green for stripping models works very, very well. I have stripped my entire Sisters and Grey Knights armies, except my old Immolator since it won't fit in the bowl I have been using to strip models. The last thing I have to strip are a bunch of Rogue Trader plastic Guardsmen. If it does a good job on 20 year old paint and plastic, I may never use anything else for stripping models.

[Razorx1970]

Sweet. I had not heard of Goo Gone before. I'll have to track some down. First Gorilla Glue, now Goo Gone. Some cool ideas for household stuff coming up lately. I'll toss out something I tried recently and have been super impressed with, too. Simple Green for stripping models works very, very well. I have stripped my entire Sisters and Grey Knights armies, except my old Immolator since it won't fit in the bowl I have been using to strip models. The last thing I have to strip are a bunch of Rogue Trader plastic Guardsmen. If it does a good job on 20 year old paint and plastic, I may never use anything else for stripping models.

Kmart offers a generic version of Simple Green too, costs less and does the same thing. I've used it as well, good stuff, just don't leave minis sit for more than 48 hours usually.

Yeah Goo gone works well on price tags too, it uses some orange oils or something I believe to de-stickify sticky stuff for the lack of a better term. lol It should work just fine on the Army Transport glue residue.

[beeny13]

be careful about goo goning battlefoam trays. the glue is specially made to never dry. i have a very early one, and it does have some problems with bases sticking. romeo the owner has said that he will replace foam that has excess glue.

i would worry that goo gone would destroy the glue's bond. also if you have a ton of different models. you might want to call battle foam and ask the measurements of the trays that you are thinking about. then measure your own models. if you have very standard models then bf is perfect, certain trays come with bigger slots for customized figures. if every figure is very unique you might be best off with sabol, or even battlefoams pick and pluck. however one nice thing about battlefoam is that their dividers are much thinner than sabol foam grid pieces, so even with larger spaces for each figure the battlefoam tray will hold more.

battlefoam has usability and compactness down pretty well. price is definitely up to you to compare.