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moving in summer, plastic models melt risk?


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Come on now, it’s not that hot down here!  Actually, humidity might be the enemy.  If it’s not a sealed box, put the decals in a zip lock bag.  

 

Whereabouts you looking to relocate to?

Edited by Scott Smith
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1 hour ago, DarkKnight said:

might be moving to the deep south this summer, have a large hoard of models, dont really want to move them myself but am worried about heat if movers move them, anyone ever have problems?

I always mailed mine via priority mail.  That way I knew they were packed properly.

Decals in a ziplock bag or hand carried works too.

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DarkKnight, are you a Yankee?  I've been in  Texas most of my life and had both kits and builtup models  under all  kinds of heat conditions.  The only heat problem I've EVER had or heard of  was when a model I'd built for a client warped.  The model was in a large plexiglas case and the client loaned it to a friend for transport.  Model was in a hatchback car under sloping glass and the friend went inside a restaurant for lunch.  45 minutes, the model was severely warped because of the combination of the plex, glass and 160 - 180 degree internal air heat in a closed car caused from a high noon Texas sun and a cloudless clear blue sky.  Keep in mind that the highest standing outdoor temp I've ever seen here was 122 degrees and that was during the Great Texas Heat Wave of 1980 and all of my models did just fine.  And they weren't in air conditioned storage. 

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I've lived and stored models in Georgia, the Marshall Islands (near the equator), and kept a large portion of my stash in an un-climatized long term storage both here in Kansas with humid summers and in dry heat (some days over 110) in California. I'm quite sure I had a few dozen kits exposed to extreme weather in the Marshall Islands for a couple months waiting to get shipped. Almost all of these kits were kept in large cardboard boxes or plastic totes. 

 

Kit and decals all survived. I did keep those dehumidifier packs in the totes and ammo cans with the decals. But the kit decals all seem fine that I have checked. I think age seems to be the only issue I've seen. 

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I live in Florida and keep my models in the garage, no problem.    When I was in Okinawa some of the toy stores didn't even have air conditioning.  Never had one that was damaged, and the climate there was a little hotter and damper  that the Orlando area because we were only about a mile or less from the water.  You shouldn't have any problems.

 

Come to think of it, in S.E.A. during the war I had a few models in the barracks.  The only cooling we had was a open slat window and it got real hot during the day and only slightly cooler at night.  Except for the fire the kits did ok.

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2 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

If I move myself, they'll be in a u-haul 2 days and safe, Im worried if movers take days in hot weather 

You’ll be fine. The boxes being scrunched will be your biggest worry depending on how they’re packed. I’ve exposed kits to the worst weather and they’re fine.

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2 hours ago, sierrascale said:

The melting point of polystyrene is over 400F (204C). So unless you're moving to Mercury, you shouldn't have a problem.

 

thanks, that makes me feel better, how about resin?

 

boxes are in the plastic storage bins, divided by subjects, 10 27 gal done  think there will be 30-40 total

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8 minutes ago, DarkKnight said:

 

thanks, that makes me feel better, how about resin?

 

boxes are in the plastic storage bins, divided by subjects, 10 27 gal done  think there will be 30-40 total

 

Mine made it fine. Both in freezing cold weather and blazing hot humid weather. However! Decals, resin, paint, and a lot of supplies since they are so small I like to take them separately when I can. However, I've exposed to them to some of the worst conditions and they all held up fine. I do this every two years or less!

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16 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

 

thanks, that makes me feel better, how about resin?

 

boxes are in the plastic storage bins, divided by subjects, 10 27 gal done  think there will be 30-40 total

Resin kits will start to deform and warp under even moderate temps. Put a resin model, like a WWI biplane with thin wings,  in the sun and eventually it will look like a pretzel.

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I don't know, reading some of these comments and experiences is kinda scary... just

kidding. Sounds like you're mostly concerned about possible rough treatment, by the

movers if you choose that route. Take necessary precautions with the decals, since

they're somewhat fragile and anything flammable. The kits should be fine, but don't

expose them to extreme temperatures and best of luck with your move!

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I am from New England and moved to Florry Duh 6 years ago. The heat isn't that bad and you should have no

problem moving them in a day or two. Worst thing here is humidity, I don't spray paint or gloss coat inside which

is AC because of the fumes so I do it in a shed attached to my carport. I have a fan exhausting the fumes and

watch the humidity. I just finished spraying and gloss coting as a front went through and dropped the humidity to

50-60%. The "deep south" aint all that great but then again I haven't shoveled any 3 foot snow storms in 7 years.

You'll do fine, worry more about fire ants and termites, heat isn't all that bad.-jon

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Remember your kits are in a box, surrounded by other boxed kits, and probably all those are inside another box.. All these layers provide decent insulation so, unless your shipment is in a Very Hot environment for a Very Long time, the actual temperature seen by the styrene is most likely much lower.

 

Like others said I would be more concerned with humidity.  Every time I open a new kit I place the decal sheet inside a ziplock bag.  I also do the same for any loose canopy pieces to help protect them from scratches.

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