Why does resin chip worse than plastic in transport?

Cured resin is harder and more brittle than injection-molded plastic. Where a plastic model will flex slightly at a thin weapon point under pressure, resin will snap. The paint film on resin is also less forgiving of friction: the smooth surface that makes detail look sharp also means paint has less mechanical grip than on textured plastic. Varnish helps significantly, but you still need to avoid contact between models in transit.

Do I need dedicated miniature cases or will a regular tackle box work?

A tackle box can work for sturdy metal or plastic minis. For resin, the rigid plastic dividers in tackle boxes create hard contact points that chip paint and break thin details on anything but the most compact models. Foam is better. If cost is the constraint, a cheap foam-lined carrying case from a craft store is still better than a tackle box for resin.

What size foam case do I need?

That depends almost entirely on the scale of your models and the length of your largest weapon or wing. For 28-32mm heroic scale (standard DnD and Warhammer range) a 2-inch foam depth handles most infantry models. Large monsters, cavalry, and anything with vertical extends (wings, banners, polearms) need 3-inch or deeper foam. Most KR Multicase and Battlefoam configurations offer layer depth options: plan for the models you have now plus growth.

Are magnetic bases worth it for resin minis?

Yes, with one caveat: you need to add the magnet during the basing process, not after. Resin bases are usually thick enough to accommodate a small neodymium disc magnet embedded under basing material. If the model is already finished, a thin self-adhesive magnetic sheet on the base works but adds height. Magnetic storage is genuinely convenient once it's set up: models snap to the tray and stay put.

Can I transport minis without foam if I pack them carefully?

For short distances in rigid containers, occasionally. For regular travel to game sessions: no. The vibration alone from carrying a bag, getting in a car, or walking causes micro-movement between models that chips paint on contact points. If you're hand-carrying a single model in a rigid container for 5 minutes, you'll probably be fine. If you're putting a warband in a backpack and taking public transit, you need foam.

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Miniature Storage and Transport: Protecting Your Resin Collection

Foam cases, magnetic bases, and varnish-first rules for getting resin miniatures to game sessions without losing an arm or a weapon tip. What to buy, what to skip, and why varnish is not optional before transport.

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You painted 12 minis over three weeks. Primed them, based them, highlighted them, varnished them. Then you threw them in a shoebox for game night and arrived with four broken weapon tips and scuffed paint on half the warband.

Resin is brittle. That’s the reality of printing high-detail models at miniature scale: the same material properties that give you sharp detail at 0.05mm layer height make the thin parts more vulnerable to impact and friction than cast plastic. The good news is that protecting a collection is not complicated. It requires foam or magnets, a varnish coat before transport, and not much else.

Before Storage: Varnish Is Not Optional

The single most important thing you can do before storing or transporting resin miniatures is varnish them. Unvarnished resin minis, even with a fully dried paint job, have paint film that will scuff against foam, against other models, and against itself in transit. The smooth resin surface offers less mechanical grip than plastic, so paint adhesion depends more on having a sealed coat.

Matte varnish is standard for finished miniatures. Vallejo Matte Varnish is a reliable brush-on option. Army Painter Anti-Shine Matt Varnish is the spray equivalent and is one of the most commonly used in the hobby. Either works.

If you want a semi-gloss finish or gloss effects on gems and eyes, apply those before the final matte coat. The matte goes on last. The varnishing guide for resin miniatures covers the full process: the humidity rule for spray varnish is the main thing to know before you pick up a rattle can.

Do not transport an unvarnished miniature. Even foam will damage the paint.

The Core Decision: Foam vs. Magnetic Storage

There are two main approaches to miniature storage, and most painters end up using both for different purposes.

Foam cases are the standard for transport. A foam-lined case with pluck foam or pre-cut cavities holds models securely without contact between them, absorbs vibration, and protects against the occasional drop. The downside is access: finding a specific model requires opening layers of foam, which slows setup at the table.

Magnetic storage (metal tray or sheet with magnetized bases) is faster for everyday use. Models snap to the tray and stay put on the shelf or in a shallow tray carrier. You can see everything at a glance, pick models up individually without disturbing others, and carry an army of infantry in a flat tray case. The downside is that magnetic storage is less protective for fragile models and not ideal for pieces with bases that are too textured for good magnet contact.

The practical answer: foam for transport to game sessions, magnetic trays for shelf storage at home and for collections you’re actively working on.

Foam Cases: What to Buy

KR Multicase

KR Multicase is the most modular option in the mid-price range ($30-120 depending on configuration). The system uses cardboard cases that hold foam trays in different depths, and you can mix and match tray types for different model sizes within the same case.

For 28-32mm infantry, the standard 2-inch foam with half-inch pluck rows handles most models comfortably. For cavalry and large monsters, the 3-inch tray depth gives clearance for extended parts. The KR Aluminium case is a step up from the cardboard carrier for anyone taking minis to competitive events regularly.

What KR does well: price flexibility, good availability, and the pluck foam quality is consistent. A warband (10-20 infantry) fits in the standard Bag L with room for growth. An army (50-80 minis) fits in the Kaiser carrier.

Battlefoam

Battlefoam is the premium option ($80-200+). The foam quality is noticeably better than KR at the comparison points: denser, less likely to compress permanently over years of use, and available in pre-cut configurations specific to popular wargame units. If you play Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, or Warmachine, there are Battlefoam trays cut specifically for the common unit configurations, which means less time plucking and a tighter fit for your models.

The cost is real. A fully configured Battlefoam bag for an army list runs 2-3x the equivalent KR setup. Whether that’s worth it depends on how often you transport and how much you care about the long-term foam quality. For an army you’re taking to tournaments, the Battlefoam investment is sensible. For casual game nights, KR is fine.

Budget foam alternatives

Before committing to a dedicated miniature case, many painters start with pick-and-pull foam inserts in a generic hard-shell case from a hardware or sporting goods store. The foam quality is inconsistent and the cases aren’t designed for the weight distribution of miniatures, but for a small collection at low cost it’s a workable starting point. Don’t put resin minis in a repurposed tackle box without foam.

Magnetic Storage: What to Buy

Magnetic storage requires two components: a magnetized storage surface and magnetic bases on your models.

The storage surface

A sheet of galvanized steel or a dedicated magnetic tray serves as the storage surface. Craft/hobby magnetic sheets are inexpensive and can be cut to fit shallow boxes or dedicated tray carriers. Dedicated magnetic tray cases designed for miniatures have lipped edges to prevent sliding and stack cleanly.

Magnetizing bases

The standard approach is a small neodymium disc magnet embedded in the model’s base during the basing process. For resin models, glue a 6-10mm diameter neodymium disc in a recess under the basing material, or use a self-adhesive magnetic sheet cut to the base size for already-finished models.

A common approach: 6x2mm neodymium discs work for most 25mm and 32mm round bases. 10x2mm for cavalry and 40mm bases. The magnet should be strong enough to hold the model firmly against the steel sheet when it’s tilted at 45 degrees: that’s the test. If it slides, the magnet is too small or the sheet isn’t steel.

For Warhammer and DnD players with large collections, magnetizing every base is a time investment that pays off over years of convenient storage and transport. For smaller warbands, foam is perfectly adequate.

Storing at Home

At home, the main risks are dust, accidental contact, and shelf instability. Resin miniatures don’t require climate control: they’re stable in normal household temperature and humidity ranges. What they need is separation from each other.

Shelving rules:

Don’t stack miniatures directly. Use tray separators or foam between layers.
Models with protruding parts (wings, banners, long weapons) need horizontal clearance: they should not touch adjacent models or shelf walls.
Magnetized trays on a steel shelf are the cleanest solution for active armies.
Larger centerpiece models with fragile appendages are safest in foam, even at home.

Dusting: Dust accumulates on shelf-displayed minis. A soft artist brush to dust them every few weeks is gentler than a cloth: the bristles reach into recesses without friction on the painted surfaces.

Transport Rules

The mechanical stress of transport (vibration, occasional impact, model-to-model contact in the bag) is what causes most paint damage on finished miniatures. A few rules cover most of the risk:

Always varnish first. No exceptions. See the varnishing guide.

Models should not touch each other in the case. Each model in its own foam cavity. This is not optional for resin: even gentle contact between models under vibration wears paint over time.

Test the case before the first game session. After packing, gently shake the case and listen for movement. Movement means a model is loose in its cavity. Pluck more foam to tighten the fit or add a layer of foam between lid and model.

Large fragile elements deserve special treatment. A model with very long thin spear, large thin wings, or a sprawling banner needs extra consideration. Either pack it separately in its own case, remove the fragile element for transport and reattach at the table, or accept that the fragile part will eventually break in transit and plan accordingly. If it does break, it’s fixable: repairing a broken resin miniature walks through gluing, pinning, and hiding the seam so the repair survives the next game night instead of failing again in the same spot.

Don’t leave the case in a hot car. High temperatures soften plastic foam significantly and can warp or distort model poses over time. This is more of a concern for models with extensive conversion work or on plastic sprues, but cured resin is not immune to extended heat exposure.

When the collection is packed and protected, the next logical project is building it out. The best STL sites for miniatures guide covers subscription services, free sources, and one-off marketplaces: the pipeline for keeping a printer fed.