Counter Creep in storage trays

[von Marwitz]

I admit to having overlapped crews here and there.

OMG! Until now I believed that you stood on the brink of the abyss with your storage system. Today, I know you have advanced one step further...

von Marwitz

 

[Justiciar]

....

An alternative to these mats could be a piece of felt mat or simple cardboard. But we do want the 'ultimate' storage solution, now, don't we?

The "ultimate" storage solution already exists...it is called VASL.

But likely you have the next best thing.

 

[von Marwitz]

What kind of organization is this? I see the Good Order Hero 1-4-9 counters are mixed with the Wounded Hero 1-3-8 counters. Just adds time trying to sift through the counters to find the now you need.

You are mirroring my gravest concerns!

The counters of these stacks are (as a matter of course) ordered by the alphabetical order of their ID-numbers. It goes without saying, that all have their top-side up and none are misaligned by 90° or - gawd beware - even more than that.



von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

The "ultimate" storage solution already exists...it is called VASL.

Well, it is as good as virtual sex if you want to address the OCD counter-sorter type of guys here.

von Marwitz

 

[zgrose]

You are mirroring my gravest concerns!

The counters of these stacks are (as a matter of course) ordered by the alphabetical order of their ID-numbers. It goes without saying, that all have their top-side up and none are misaligned by 90° or - gawd beware - even more than that.

/shudder

Not sure I see the value in storing Acq counters by nationality but that is one tidy counter box...

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

Melting and gluing is a bit on the permanent side. The silver pin heads adds a flair to the Plano storage trays, sort of like Robert Vaughn's holsters in "The Magnificent Seven."

 

[jrv]

Melting and gluing is a bit on the permanent side.

Permanent was the goal.

JR

 

[MAS01]

I have had problems with the 34 compartment Plano storage trays with counters moving on their own volition under the removable dividers. I found that a one inch straight needle inserted on one side holds the dividers down and tight preventing any movement of the dividers when fishing for counters. Glue will not do the trick since it never dries given the plastic nature of the tray. A little force and the needle and divider come right out.

I recommend not stealing the needles from the wife's sewing kit. Any extra needles you have purchased can be saved for you favorite voodoo doll.

I apologize for the waste of bandwidth if this solution has been offered in the past.

Ray:

Had the same problem with the 3701s. Made the move to the Darice bead containers. 32 compartments instead of 34, but the dividers are molded in and the lid has molded ridges that seal up the compartments. Here is a picture of my Russians:



Finns and Allied Minors:



Germans:



Works for me, guess that's all that matters.

Cheers,


Mark

 

[Spencer Armstrong]

Works for me, guess that's all that matters.

Cheers,

Mark

^That.

 

[Yuri0352]

Ray:

Had the same problem with the 3701s. Made the move to the Darice bead containers. 32 compartments instead of 34, but the dividers are molded in and the lid has molded ridges that seal up the compartments. Here is a picture of my Russians:

View attachment 3154

Finns and Allied Minors:

View attachment 3155

Germans:

View attachment 3156 View attachment 3157

Works for me, guess that's all that matters.

Cheers,


Mark

The same system I use.
Zero counter creep and easy to remove the counters from the compartments with the rounded bottoms.
Very affordable especially with the 50-60% off discount coupons my wife receives each month from our local Jo-ann craft store.

 

[Brian W]

with a foam cover to prevent counter creep, my little boxes from radio shack can be used as a tambourine without counter creep, or tossed down a flight of stairs without harm, although I need a bit of tape to ensure the box lid doesn't come open when tossing them down staircases.

 

[xenovin]

Going back to the OP, leaving a little nib of flash when you cut the dividers apart will lock it into the Plano. It is when you cut all the flash off that the divider just falls right out requiring glue, hot glue, etc.

 

[volgaG68]

Going back to the OP, leaving a little nib of flash when you cut the dividers apart will lock it into the Plano. It is when you cut all the flash off that the divider just falls right out requiring glue, hot glue, etc.

Yep. I belatedly learned this after sloppy fits on my first few Planos.

 

[Thunderchief]

You are mirroring my gravest concerns!

The counters of these stacks are (as a matter of course) ordered by the alphabetical order of their ID-numbers. It goes without saying, that all have their top-side up and none are misaligned by 90° or - gawd beware - even more than that.

View attachment 3152

von Marwitz

It seems to me that they're not clipped - you have a bit of work to do.......

 

[greuh]

It was designed to enhance density, but random access is fairly good. You pick by color. If you have your DC, FTs & ATRs in one bin, you have to flip through the counters to find the one you want. Me, pick by color. Done. There are some places where there are issues: if a given nationality has multiple items of the same type, for example Soviet .50 cal MGs, you do actually have to look.

Every so often I will run into a player who is color-blind in a way that makes it hard for him to pull the right counters. That's a serious downside, for which I have no good answer. Hmm, I wonder if a TV camera could translate the colors into colors the color-blind person could see.

JR

For colourblind people, there is a recent solution : http://enchroma.com/

 

[von Marwitz]

It seems to me that they're not clipped - you have a bit of work to do.......

Hehe, you got me there...

So far, I have only compiled three pages of links & stuff of the best counter-clipping tool, most advanced clipping techniques etc. What keeps me hesitating so far: The counter-clipper of choice, or more precisely, some production-runs of it, seem to have issues with the handle breaking after a short while. Since the thing is expensive and complaints are only accepted within two weeks after shipment (which may already have passed before the item arrives...), I am hesitant.

Ah, and then there are the endless hours of tedious plight I neglected to mention...

von Marwitz

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

with a foam cover to prevent counter creep, my little boxes from radio shack can be used as a tambourine without counter creep, or tossed down a flight of stairs without harm, although I need a bit of tape to ensure the box lid doesn't come open when tossing them down staircases.

I do not think "a bit of tape" will help you when your significant other tosses you down the stairs after finding out how much you really spent on ASL.

 

[olli]

The ASLer with a true heart does not ask how much tight packing is required by his storage system but how much space he can give to his ASL counters. :bow:

von Marwitz

Oh so true!

 

[Brian W]

I do not think "a bit of tape" will help you when your significant other tosses you down the stairs after finding out how much you really spent on ASL.

Never marry a women that has the strength to throw you down a flight of stairs.

 

[jrv]

Never marry a women that has the strength to throw you down a flight of stairs.

Especially don't marry a woman who has the strength to throw you *up* a flight of stairs.

JR