After the show, its the, pack up ...

[QLDKing(Brad)]

So its almost show time. All those months of listening to "Let it go" on repeat just trying to get the beats right, out in the shed burning fingers with the soldering iron (maybe that was just me), cracked skin from ripping cable ties are about to pay off. If you build it they will come.

But, what happens with everything after? Do you leave it up all year round? Do you have a camouflage button that you press and all the models instantly disappear? Do elves pack it away while you're on holidays?

If you have a cool tip or an interesting way of storing everything - post it below. I know for me I will be trying to find hiding places in the shed to store it all over the next month.

Brad

 

[lithgowlights]

It's down in a day, and I spend the next few weeks repairing and putting it all away in the shed. Lights in large 44gal drums, and a lot more stuff hung from the roof out there

 

[djgra79]

All my roof & garage strip is mounted to conduit in mostly 2m lengths. These get stored in the roof cavity of the mancave, along with my arches and coro merry xmas sign & mini tree frames which all fold flat. Matrix has a home against one of the mancave walls, and my coro presents have a shelf to live on.
All cables get wrapped up and placed in a large storage tub, easily accessible for mid year testing of new elements.
Enclosures for PSUs etc all sit on a couple of shelves in the mancave along with the KMart stars.

 

[OzAz]

take lots of photos and videos before you pull it all down - so you know how to put it back up next year

 

[the grinch]

Ours takes around a week to dismember could be done quicker but generally is hottest time of the year show finishes new years eve and if not too hung over or hot start new years day ! We have a shed specially for the xmas stuff although is starting to become cramped and she keeps hinting about taking over my shed (NOOOOO,!) everything that can gets put into storage containers and labeled for the next season .I put masking tape or mark with texta areas that need repairs and fix when they come out again ! As generally have had enough by this stage ! Mega tree pole and parts get hidden away behind my shed .and all long strips stored under carport but ive been meaning to get pvc piping approx 100mm diameter 6 metre lengths cut horizontally and hinge place my strips inside close and put caps on ends and they will be stored safely for the off season also keeping bugs and spiders away ! is a great idea i think a fellow member shared in the past , but ive said this every year and hopefully this year can !

 

[Heath-LightsOnTapley]

god knows where everything is going this year... I haven't taken down the Halloween stuff yet, those Boscoyo Mega Black Widow's are huge.

 

[David_AVD]

take lots of photos and videos before you pull it all down - so you know how to put it back up next year

This is so true. I had to go back through photos of last year's display to see where I put some items.

This year I plan (ha!) to take close-up photos of some of the fiddly detail.

 

[djgra79]

take lots of photos and videos before you pull it all down - so you know how to put it back up next year

+1
I had to actually watch my own behind the scenes videos yesterday to work out where I placed cabling for one of my elements!

 

[Dave]

6M mega tree pole turns into my flag pole. And you can get a free Australian flag from your local member of parliament.

 

[the grinch]

This is so true. I had to go back through photos of last year's display to see where I put some items.

This year I plan (ha!) to take close-up photos of some of the fiddly detail.

True I always plan too but don't , we box each element separately plus all cords and sundries and usually mark with texta what plugs into what and so far touch wood the grey matter still works but is gettin more complicated each year !

 

[scamper]

same as Dave, my mega tree pole becomes a flag pole, I have put a lean too down one side of my house that has no use, my house and the neighbours houses are about 1.2m from that fence. I have been storing tubs of it all up in my shed, but I have bought a small under eve type shed from Bunnings and now that all the stuff is out, I will be assembling that and putting it down the side of the house, It will be jammed to the top I can guess.
Also I have 2 x 150mm 6m PVC pipes mounted to the fence with screw caps, so all the strips that are attached to pvc etc go in there.
But unfortunatly there is always leftover stuff that ends up around the place somewhere, with a "I am going to put that away soon"

 

[videoman3857]

I'm leaving mine up for next Christmas...... I mean to say, this year went so darn fast and I'm pretty sure I just put it all away and now it's out again.

 

[QLDKing(Brad)]

Probably a good time to revise this discussion. Same premise - what tips can you pass on? What did you learn? How do you store everything?