Filling Storage Box Issue 1 1

[Mr. Wolvie]

Hello everyone,

I am just starting to get back into comics after a long, long hiatus now that I just recently graduated college. I have basically reverted back to a noob.

I can build a short box no problem, but when I got to fill the box with comics I cannot help but get the comics to lean to one side. This is no good and I have already found some old boxes with a lean that damaged some books.

I feel silly having to ask for help on this issue because it seems so simple to fill the box. When I sat and thought about what the issue was -it has to do with the BCW handle. It simply won't stay in the "handle" configuration and is putting horizontal pressure on the books. If I try to fold the handles and insert the books, it pushes the books over and moreover, I cannot fit more than 110 books in this configuration. If I don't use the handle, I can fit the books in there no problem. Do you use the handle?

Also, my comics seem to want to "turn" in the box and not sit flat against each other (only at the ends in long runs)

Thanks for any help!

[shadroch]

Sounds like your comics need more discipline. 

[Bomber-Bob]

OCD is a terrible thing. Seriously, I see no biggie problems here. Regarding the handle, put a couple boards between the handle and the comics. I will also put a TPB book, something more solid, to hold the books more firmly in place.

[mysterio]

Get some small flat rate priority mail boxes at the post office. They are a good size to use for spacers with a backer board in front of them, and they are free and lightweight.

[flashlites]

I did the same thing. I put a TPB at each end, then used a package of backing boards to fill in the empty space.

[DrawerBox]

Not sure that I clearly understand your description.  A photo would help.  But if my understanding is correct, you need to check your floor to make sure it is level.  Many floors are not and will create leaning problems and cause boxes to be out of square when they are stacked.  Since BCW boxes use lightweight materials they are particularly vulnerable.  Even a slight slope will cause more problems than most people realize.  You can check this with a level.

Rich

[Schmakt]

You can also maybe try putting half the comics facing front and half the comics facing back...

It's super annoying if it's an active box, but if it's a box that's basically full and doesn't see many changes that will help keep everything aligned...

[Mr. Wolvie]

Sorry for my long absence, college and grad school stuff took a bunch of my attention. I still am having some issues, so I will take some photos and see where we're at. Sorry if this seems stupid, but every time I go to store comics I swear spine stress creases develop.

[Bomber-Bob]

6 minutes ago, Hulkstr8 said:

Sorry if this seems stupid, but every time I go to store comics I swear spine stress creases develop.

That's not good.

[Mr. Wolvie]

1 minute ago, Bomber-Bob said:

That's not good.

I know and I feel like about it. I hate the idea that I am worsening the condition of comics in my collection, just because I am doing something wrong. It is art after all.

[Mr. Wolvie]

So, I have two pictures I am going to add. 

The first, is a pic of the comics leaning in the box. Is this a big lean? No matter what I do, the comics don't seem to sit upright and will always lean to one side. The Michael Vey book set is in there as a brace to keep the comics from falling over

The second pic is of the BCW current boards (on the right) against another pack of x100 silver boards. The current boards are from my parents, who bought my a case of boards about a year ago for my birthday. They have sat in the original shrink wrap, in the BCW box, and I just pulled a set of 100 whenever I needed them. However, the last two packs of 100 I have been using seemed bowed to me and so I checked the remaining 8 packs of boards and they all have this bow. Is this a big concern? This seems like a big deal to me, but idk what I can do about it. Call BCW? Get new boards? Use them as is? Could this be causing the stress spine creases I have been seeing? 

Am I an OCD freak? Let me know your thoughts and thank you very much!

[marvelmaniac]

For boxes that are not full I use old towels folded up to take up the slack.

 

[Mr. Wolvie]

Update:

I feel like it's the handle of the boxes that are throwing me off. I can't get that to sit flat and the outward pressure wants to make the books lean. I am unsure how much lean is a bad thing, I know you aren't supposed to pack them in too tightly.  I have added more photos to illustrate.

Photo #1: I use the xbox game case as a spacer for empty room. but you can see the handle putting outward pressure. 
Photo #2: The bottoms of the comics are tight and pressed together, seemingly the length of the box, but the tops still have movement and lean.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Hulkstr8
re-size photos

[Bomber-Bob]

To be honest, I don't see anything unusual here. It's a normal challenge to keep books upright in a partially filled box. The handle problem is also normal, just keep a buffer between the handle and the comics. The one thing you mentioned I do not like is the new Boards having a bow. I would not use them.

[marvelmaniac]

I keep the handles outward and if the boxes are full I lift from the bottom of the box and not by the handles.

[The Lions Den]

I find that some books just aren't as flat or uniform as others, throwing off the straightness of the books that are stored with them. For instance, with some books the spine edge doesn't lay perfectly flat. For books like that, I use individual cardboard magazine boxes that are specifically designed to hold roughly 20 magazines or comics. In this way, the books can be stored securely but are also very easy to access. The individual boxes provide plenty of support, and can easily be carried from one room to another without damaging the books. These boxes should be available at your local Wal-Mart or office supply store; they cost around $5 apiece but are well worth it, IMO...

Edited September 3, 2018 by The Lions Den

[Mr. Wolvie]

3 hours ago, Bomber-Bob said:

To be honest, I don't see anything unusual here. It's a normal challenge to keep books upright in a partially filled box. The handle problem is also normal, just keep a buffer between the handle and the comics. The one thing you mentioned I do not like is the new Boards having a bow. I would not use them.

I emailed BCW about the bow in the boards. I also have some current MyLites2 and FB, but I am noticing it is super tight even with modern books, to the point I am nervous about using them. I will get standard sizes in the future. 

I will try to fill a complete box today and see if I get any issues with lean. In the past, I have noticed the bottom of the box will fill up and the tops will lean even in a "full" box where I can't put another comic.

Thanks for everyone's help! I will master this hobby one day.

[Mr. Wolvie]

3 hours ago, marvelmaniac said:

I keep the handles outward and if the boxes are full I lift from the bottom of the box and not by the handles.

Outward? I will try this. I also try to lift from the bottom. I use BCW box houses mostly. I will upgrade to drawerboxes one day.

[shadroch]

In the long run, buying the proper storage materials once is much cheaper than eventually replacing other materials bought in the intern.

[Mr. Wolvie]

18 minutes ago, shadroch said:

In the long run, buying the proper storage materials once is much cheaper than eventually replacing other materials bought in the intern.

that's true. I thought I had. Bags, boards, and boxes.