Transporting your display for shows

[Xyver]

We held yet another show over the weekend (I do 4-5 a year) and had a slight problem with one of my buildings.

This is what it should look like:

IMG_0353 by Ade-27, on Flickr

And this is how it came out of the box:

IMG_1438 by BrickEvents, on Flickr

Granted, it is not a very sturdy build, and had recently traveled 500km in the back of a truck.

I am considering making custom wooden boxes that fit a section of my display, these would be half a table each (so a footprint of 3x3.5 32x32 baseplates) At the moment, all buildings are packed in boxes, and some have to be dismantled somewhat to fit everything in. This normally stops any breakage, but it takes many hours to set up each time as my display is a city which covers over 8 tables.

How do you pack your display for transport? Have you found a way that minimises breakages or decreases set up time?

[Bricksnaps]

Man that sucks! This will be fun to see answers.

I built a hoth scene for a show in jan and made it modular but it took a while to put together aswell as all the figures etx. At the end of the show I just smashed it up- that I can tell you was a great freeing feeling! Ha. Some people did look at me like I had committed some huge lego sin.

Anyway I am rebuilding hoth and making t much bigger but I am designing jt as an even better modular unit so that pieces fit inside pieces.

I think I will probably make some custom boxes to take it in as we will be driving 12 hours for the next one in August.

[dr_spock]

I transport my delicate builds in boxes. I use 2x4 and 2x6 pieces to brace the build them inside the box. For my stronger builds like GBCs, I just toss them in a large plastic bin.

Some of my LUG members use bubble pack and it seems to work too.

[Saint]

Yep, building modulair is the best way to go ! Bracing on the in and outside will help, and boxes with some kind of padding on the sides ( crumbled up newspaper for instance ) is also a good way to go.

But seeing the before and after photo... I blame the T-rex !!

grtz Saint

[Peppermint_M]

I have only ever taken small builds, then again I did travel across the pond the first time! Bubblewrap inside and outside, you can get the big blisters or the little but they work wonders.

When I took a build to the Event I brought it carefully packed and only had a slight section seperation. Going home I was less delicate with my packing and it had become fully parted out by the time I got home!

[Redhead1982]

I only displayed my MOCs at national exhibition, and my experience is somewhat mixed. Until recently, I lived just a few km away from the exhibition area, and I packed my buildings in cardboard boxes. I always separated individual floors, so the boxes were full with different floors. I was limited by the space in my car. So far, I only did one larger MOC (3x5 32x32 baseplates), and I learned a lot by it. It was planed as modules of 3 to 6 baseplates together, and when finished I hardly managed to go through the door with it. So, building it in modules is easier for the transport. However, stability should be kept in mind. Of all my MOCs, only the train station fell apart after about 40 km of driving to the exhibition area.

In the end, it depends a lot on the way of transport, and the time you have to set it up at the exhibition.

[Jared]

Two words: 1. bubble 2. wrap.

Seriously, greatest invention since sliced bread.

Basically whatever Dr. S said.

[Kivi]

All my larger projects were designed from the start to be able to move them around with ease. They all consisted of modules, the largest being of 3x2 32x32 baseplates, which were then carried around on a wooden plank. In this way it is also easier to store them as they take up less space and can be placed one above the other on shelves. Had no problem with transporting them so far, though only in the back of the car.

[dr_spock]

Two words: 1. bubble 2. wrap.

Seriously, greatest invention since sliced bread.

Basically whatever Dr. S said.

You could theoretically use your sliced bread sandwiches to pad your build to take to the event and then eat the padding. You can't eat bubble pack though.

Good way to make friends at an event when you have food to share.

[Artanis I]

What everyone said.

It's the same as when you move house! Put them in boxes and use bubbles! Pack models in snugly so they don't move around, if there are any cavities fill them up. Don't make it too tight or any movement will cause the bubbles to do the damage.

It's like constant airbags for your Lego. Also make sure that your boxes are sitting securely and don't bounce around. Use straps, rope, whatever to stop your "furniture" from getting airborne or banging into each other.

If you have a huge model, it is often helpful to break it down into solid segments to make transport more manageable.

You could theoretically use your sliced bread sandwiches to pad your build to take to the event and then eat the padding. You can't eat bubble pack though.

Good way to make friends at an event when you have food to share.

But then you'd have to buy more bread at the end for the trip home! Plus if moisture gets into bubbles they don't go mouldy.

[Sid Sidious]

Usually when something I build breaks in transit I try to rebuild it sturdier when I get home.

[Steph 104th]

If you have a fragile building, I reinforce the interior with brick towers inside and take them out when you are done. Then bubble strap it's exterior

[cgarison]

Usually only my prototypes are my only delicate builds and then I re-engineer the MOC prior to taking it to a show. In the case of modular builds, my "Ladies" Modular houses moc are solid built and do not break down to show interiors so they need very little bubble wrap. My modulars buildings that come apart get wrapped in bubble wrap or padded in plastic bins with those air pillows from all of my Amazon purchases. All decorative interior and exterior accessory components for those modulars are backed into small zip lock freezer bags and stored inside the modular building with a little bubble wrap.

The space ships in my collection are usually broken down into their modules and then packed into smaller (thin) boxes with a little bubble wrap. Because my star fighters are solid ships, they need very little bubble wrap. My "Cootie Crawler" on the other hand usually goes to the shows tightly wrapped in bubble packing. By the time the show is complete and if I have played with it demonstrating its walking capabilities, it typically needs a thorough rebuild so it comes home tossed into the bottom of which ever carton is available and it might get a little bubble wrap around it.

My Ghost Train is a different story all together as many of the train cars and locomotive are broken down into modules and then those are packed in gallon freezer bags. The modules are very solidly built, but all trim and "greebles" that may fall off while being transported are captured in the bag so that I can easily get it back onto the right part of the train quickly. I have a little bubble wrap in the box with the train, but for the most part, it is the gallon bags that provide the protection by capturing any part that may fall off in transport.

[alois]

When I transported my collection of modular houses (mocs) to Legoworld I bought a lot of cardboard boxes with an interior of 26x26 cm. One baseplate with a modular house fits tightly into these boxes, and I didn't need any other packaging like bubble wrap. Almost all survived the trip without damage.

[BrickChic_au]

Hey I'm impressed that it made it o Bundaberg without doing this, yet you take a shorter trip and this happened. Did you not check the boxes inbetween shows ;)

I'd be interested in seeing how people have constructed wooden crates for the purpose of show transport. I'm also doing this many shows a year and the amount of hours for setup is ridiculous now so I need to make boxes so the most of the table display goes in one and I can build up my terrain better.

Has anyone got examples of how they designed their crates?

[Duq]

Bubble-wrap is nice but it wouldn't have saved the building from the original post. You can't beat proper engineering. If you know you're going to transport a building then make sure there's some structural support inside.

You either spend a bit of time setting up a building from transportable modules or you spend time rebuilding your MOC from the pile of rubble you find in the box...

My trains are wrapped in cling film (I think 'mericans call it Saran wrap) for transport. That way any small bits that do come off don't go missing.

[Vincent Kessels]

As already said by others: build modular and stronger.

I travel with my modular city layout in one or two suitcases.

Every module is packed in a separate ziplock bag, which make a pieces that break off easy to fix.

Cobble stones are not a problem (for the moc's at least, the wheels of a 25 kg suitcase is an entirely other matter), and I've traveled by plane as checked-in luggage (although with less lego and more cloths).

The downside is that it takes more than an hour to pack a suitcase.

Brickhuize @ Goes by Mr. Tomato Bread, on Flickr

Broken down... by Mr. Tomato Bread, on Flickr

... and packed. by Mr. Tomato Bread, on Flickr

[Xyver]

That's a nice display you have Vincent (though I'm not sure about those red sidewalks) And I agree packing modulars like that is the best way to go. I have used numerous crates in the bast and done similar things, but my display is now over 8 tables and some builds cannot be modular when trying for different shapes. Plus, the set up time is pushing 5-6 hours, which is no longer feasible considering I am one of those organising the shows.

We built this on the weekend:

11119092_10152902052478063_1558527022536145189_n by Ade-27, on Flickr

This is one of 7 boxes that I will need to transport my layout. All going to plan, I will fill available space inside with bubble wrap and/or boxes of vehicles and people etc. We put the hinged lid on (rather than fixed) so as to make it easier to pack around the buildings and keep everything in place.

We will have to do a test run of this by putting it in the back of a van and driving around with it for a week. Our next show is a 16 hour truck ride away, I don't really want to get there and have to rebuild everything, these boxes were meant to save time.

[alois]

That's a nice display you have Vincent (though I'm not sure about those red sidewalks)

Those are cycle paths, not sidewalks. They are supposed to be red in the Netherlands. To a Dutchman, this is a very realistic street setup.