Storage of kit

[peter houpt]

In a few weeks the wings and fuselage will arrive

How long can I store a crate before unpacking ( besides from checking its completeness)
I remember reading that the paper filling material will attract moisture

 

[swift12]

Soon as I get mine I’ll inventory and de vinyl. You can waste your time spending hours taking strips off around rivet holes but risk corrosion under the vinyl. I got some around the edges just starting after a few months under the vinyl….from now on it comes off within a short period after receiving it. Store in a dry place if you can. Mine will be in a room with a dehumidifier.

 

[kywallac]

The parts are packed in so efficiently, I can't imagine being able to repack after inventory. I just completed inventory on the fuselage and every sub-kit was 2x or 3x larger than when unpacked. It is quite impressive how well it is done.

 

[peter houpt]

Can I just leave one box untouched?

 

[D-Dubya]

It's up to you to decide if it's worth the risk. Getting everything back in a crate after you've inventoried it is kinda like putting toothpaste back into the tube.

You could leave it as they've shipped it and hope that everything is there and nothing was damaged in shipping. Van's does an excellent job packing and protecting, and I don't think I ever found anything missing when I did my inventories. But I would definitely keep it in an air conditioned space. You don't want daily temperature swings to create condensation.

Do NOT unpack everything and leave it in a dirty garage, storage space, or hangar. That's asking for trouble from moisture, dirt, insects, critters, etc.

You didn't say if your building space was ready or not, but I would opt for inventorying it into your air conditioned/heated work space sooner rather than later.

 

[wirejock]

Storage

I would unpack and inventory at least. Vans doesn't make mistakes often, but they happen and sometimes parts get damaged. They are very good about replacing parts if it's fairly soon after receipt.
I put most stuff back in the crates and used them aa benches for a bit but eventually the crates were in my way. I bought storage bins and moved all the parts small enough into the bins. Tiny parts, bolts, nuts & washers went into 40 drawer mini drawer bins. Long parts went to the top shelf of my storage shelving. Skins went between cardboard and slipped behind the storage shelving. Every item's location was noted in my inventory. I could easily locate anything.
Now as she gets close to finish, a lot of parts are in labeled pill bottles by component. There's a lot of fabricated tiny stuff that needs to be identified or it gets lost.