A Safe Way to Mail Parts

[Tom Wesenberg]

After receiving several broken items due to careless handling by the post office I thought I'd offer some suggestions. And, these broken items were packed in such a way that looked very good for any normal handling. Seems shippers no longer believe in normal handling though.

Do NOT wrap the box in paper. The paper and label will be stripped off and your package will wind up in Atlanta, Georgia, where all lost mail goes. Atlanta still has an old sewing machine I bought on ebay. Once in Atlanta the PO has no incentive to locate and return the item because they already got paid for the postage, and they can sell the lost item at auction for more money.

Use bubble wrap, NOT loose peanuts, which can shift around and allow the item to move to the side of the box, where it will get damaged when the box is dropped.

Double box, and also put the name and address on the item being shipped, so if the box is stripped away the item will still have an address showing where it should go.

You have to use extrordinary means to make sure the item arrives in one piece. I just shipped a powerhouse generator that I restored and installed an electronic voltage regulator. I wrapped the generator in a plastic bag and tapped the name and address to it. I then wrapped the powerhouse in a couple layers of bubble wrap, and stuffed it into a box with more bubble wrap, so it was tight enough to not be able to move. I wrapped the box in clear tape in both dirrections. I then wrapped that box in more bubble wrap and stuffed it into another box and thoroughly tapped that box with clear tape. I then put the name and address on a piece of white paper and covered it completely with clear tape, so no water could damage the label, and no edge of loose paper could get caught or torn. I did this twice, in case one label was damaged.

I then took 3 pictures of the box, in case the PO claims it got lost and sent to Atlanta. This box happened to be from dog biscuits, so pictures will help identify it, if it gets lost. Also know the dimensions and weight, so you can tell the PO what to look for in Atlanta.

I gave the PO the ebay picture and serial number of the sewing machine, as well as the description of the box (an empty french fry box), the size of the box, and the weight of the box, but I still have heard nothing from Atlanta since the sewing machine was lost last September.

If the item is insured and damaged in transit, it's a lot of red tape and waiting to collect, so you're better off not insuring, but instead spend the insurance money on more bubble wrap. All this seems like a lot of extra nonsense, but it's neccessay if you want to have any chance of the item arriving in one piece, or at all.

[MrTube]

Excellent advice Tom.

When I used to work with someone restoring vintage 1940s-1970s audio equipment we used to double or even sometimes triple box items using mainly bubble rap. We shipped thousands of expensive amplifiers this way with no damage.

Our theory was you should feel safe dropping the 40 pound amplifier 5 feet in the packing. If you felt it might get damaged it wasn't packed well enough.

[Bruce Lancaster]

Another thing...anything thin or sharp that protrudes, even things only moderately in those categories like generator brackets, will cut through quite a bit of packaging under repeated rough handling. Boot such projections with heavy cardboard and duct tape until you would feel OK dropping it on your head!
And read Tom on peanuts again...they are not just annoying, they are worthless!

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

After receiving several broken items due to careless handling by the post office I thought I'd offer some suggestions. And, these broken items were packed in such a way that looked very good for any normal handling. Seems shippers no longer believe in normal handling though.

Do NOT wrap the box in paper. The paper and label will be stripped off and your package will wind up in Atlanta, Georgia, where all lost mail goes. Atlanta still has an old sewing machine I bought on ebay. Once in Atlanta the PO has no incentive to locate and return the item because they already got paid for the postage, and they can sell the lost item at auction for more money.

Use bubble wrap, NOT loose peanuts, which can shift around and allow the item to move to the side of the box, where it will get damaged when the box is dropped.

Double box, and also put the name and address on the item being shipped, so if the box is stripped away the item will still have an address showing where it should go.

You have to use extrordinary means to make sure the item arrives in one piece. I just shipped a powerhouse generator that I restored and installed an electronic voltage regulator. I wrapped the generator in a plastic bag and tapped the name and address to it. I then wrapped the powerhouse in a couple layers of bubble wrap, and stuffed it into a box with more bubble wrap, so it was tight enough to not be able to move. I wrapped the box in clear tape in both dirrections. I then wrapped that box in more bubble wrap and stuffed it into another box and thoroughly tapped that box with clear tape. I then put the name and address on a piece of white paper and covered it completely with clear tape, so no water could damage the label, and no edge of loose paper could get caught or torn. I did this twice, in case one label was damaged.

I then took 3 pictures of the box, in case the PO claims it got lost and sent to Atlanta. This box happened to be from dog biscuits, so pictures will help identify it, if it gets lost. Also know the dimensions and weight, so you can tell the PO what to look for in Atlanta.

I gave the PO the ebay picture and serial number of the sewing machine, as well as the description of the box (an empty french fry box), the size of the box, and the weight of the box, but I still have heard nothing from Atlanta since the sewing machine was lost last September.

If the item is insured and damaged in transit, it's a lot of red tape and waiting to collect, so you're better off not insuring, but instead spend the insurance money on more bubble wrap. All this seems like a lot of extra nonsense, but it's neccessay if you want to have any chance of the item arriving in one piece, or at all.

An even better suggestion, ship Fedex or UPS. You automatically get $100 insurance for no extra charge. Much better customer service and you aren't dealing with an inept government agency either but a private company whose success depends on treating customers fairly!

Forget Postal money orders as well. Ever try to collect on one lost by none other than USPS? They make you pay $5 just to see if it is lost and wait 90 days! What a nightmare! I won't buy USPS MO either. I tell the seller I'll send a personal check and wait until it clears.

[mot]

UPS is no better than the post office on insurance
they damaged a box i packed so bad the parts fell out
we used to mail all the time ,so i know how to pack ,it was double boxed ,but this box was destroyed,something heavy must have smashed it
(maybe Toms power house?? )
i sent them pictures ,and they refused to pay up
and since i was in Oklahoma when i mailed it home to California,they wanted me to go and negotiate with Oklahoma to file my claim,they wouldn't help me at all in California
I have no love for UPS

[MrTube]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I've had a few issues through the years buying a lot of things off of ebay and all I can add is ALL 3 are about the same. I prefer UPS over FedEX and USPS. But none of them are great and its a pain when something gets damaged.

[62pan]

I was employed as a packer for three years. One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to pack the item so it can not move inside the container. If you are going to double pack boxes make sure the first box can float inside the other. Many items are damaged when other packages are dropped on them and the item inside can't take the force applied. Cardbord boxes also come in different grades so try to use a heaver box for heavy items.

[Tinker]

Anybody every use the expanding foam from home depot?

I would think if you had a high dollar part this may work?
Wrap part in plastic.
Suspend in large box.
Low expansion foam.

You wouldn't want to get any of the foam on the part as that stuff is sticky.

What do you think?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Anybody every use the expanding foam from home depot?

I would think if you had a high dollar part this may work?
Wrap part in plastic.
Suspend in large box.
Low expansion foam.

You wouldn't want to get any of the foam on the part as that stuff is sticky.

What do you think?

Yes, I had a powerhouse sent to me about 3 years ago that way, and I also mailed a powerhouse back to someone that way. I put the powerhouse inside a plastic ban, then put that inside another plasitc bag, then sprayed some of the expanding foam into another plastic bag inside hte box, so it formed a layer about 1 1/2" thick on one side. I layed the powerhouse on that then sprayed more foam into bags around the powerhouse. This is the absolute best most bullet proof way to ship, but the foam can cost $5 a can and doesn't go too far, so if you have old pieces of solid styrofoam to help fill voids, it helps. And when you're done, you still want to double box.

[hotrodA]

Walker Radiator does this on their products.

But I had FedEx Ground destroy a new 40 radiator several years ago. What started out as a simple repairable bent tube turned into utter destruction as they shipped it back and forth. It actually ended up at FedEx Express, with no surface left intact. It only took me 4 months to get my money from them!!

They could break an anvil!!

[denis4x4]

I post "grab boxes" of Model A parts on the classifieds from time to time and have yet to get a complaint about shipping. First off, I got a FedEx account for ground/air billed to my credit card. I use plastic containers that have enough of a lip that I can drill 1/4" holes to use wire ties to secure the lid. If I were to send something to Tom for repair, it would be in a box that he could reuse to ship it back with a prepaid FedEx ground label so there were no extra charges or hassles. I even throw in extra wire ties to secure the lid for the return shipment. I find that wrapping individual parts in newspaper and using wadded up newspaper for space fill is bullet proof.

Anytime there's a sale of plastic boxes, I grab a few different sizes just to have on hand. When I set the prepaid shipping price, I weigh the box, figure insurance and the cost of shipping to the northwest and then the southeast and average the two.

The box of parts in the photo was posted here for $100 with prepaid freight. Got a nice email back from the buyer thanking me for the box!

[wrndln]

I agree that FedEx, from my experience, is a much better shipping service for larger/heavier items than UPS, with all their surcharges, and the USPS, with it rough handling and questionable tracking. If the item is small, light and not high value, USPS is maybe OK.

I may have mentioned in an earlier post, I order a 1.3 mm tip for my Awata spray gun from a place in California (I live in MN) over two years ago. I did not receive it in a month. The seller swore she shipped it. I canceled the credit card charge, bravo for credit cards, and bought a tip from another seller. Almost 2 years to the day from when I bought the first tip, I received it in the mail. It had a stamp on it saying "Placed in Wrong Bag" or something similar to that. I called the lady I bought it from and told her the strange turn of events. She was very surprised, of course. I wrote, "Return to Sender" on the package and put it in the mailbox. I was surprised when she emailed me that she had received it in 4 days and not 2 years.
Rusty Nelson

[Tom Wesenberg]

I took a Model A generator to the post office today to be sent back to the customer. The worker asked if I had anything fragile or hazardous. I said if you drop it I guess I'd consider it fragile. She said everything drops 3 feet off the convery belt. I thought "how stupid is that". Why should anything have to drop to be conveyed from one belt to another? At least not more than a few inches.

For one year of college I worked at UPS on the night shift. I worked unloading semi trailers putting the boxes onto converyor belts. Nothing was dropped or damaged while I worked there, but shipping damage seems to be the norm these days, at least for the USPO.

I'm wondering if anyone here has worked for the PO and can explain the 3 foot drop? Thanks

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

I took a Model A generator to the post office today to be sent back to the customer. The worker asked if I had anything fragile or hazardous. I said if you drop it I guess I'd consider it fragile. She said everything drops 3 feet off the convery belt. I thought "how stupid is that". Why should anything have to drop to be conveyed from one belt to another? At least not more than a few inches.

For one year of college I worked at UPS on the night shift. I worked unloading semi trailers putting the boxes onto converyor belts. Nothing was dropped or damaged while I worked there, but shipping damage seems to be the norm these days, at least for the USPO.

I'm wondering if anyone here has worked for the PO and can explain the 3 foot drop? Thanks

I called my buddies up, the the 3' drop is due to the automated sorting. When a package goes to another sorting plant it is "dropped" into a bin. Most, not all packages are handled this way by ALL the large package centers, USPS, UPS, FEDEX.

[MrTube]

If the item is packed properly the 3 foot drop shouldn't matter. I'll quote my self from 2011 in this thread.

"
Excellent advice Tom.

When I used to work with someone restoring vintage 1940s-1970s audio equipment we used to double or even sometimes triple box items using mainly bubble rap. We shipped thousands of expensive amplifiers this way with no damage.

Our theory was you should feel safe dropping the 40 pound amplifier 5 feet in the packing. If you felt it might get damaged it wasn't packed well enough. "

[Ted Duke]

I guess I've been lucky. USPS Priority Mail has delivered numerous potentially breakable or crushable items to me (camera, computer access, etc) and I have had no breakage, including 2 carbs, a DVD, a chainsaw bar this week.

NOW magazines are another thing. The free ones you really don't read, like from your insurance company or AAA arrive in get shape, your car magazines usually don't fair as well.

FYI, I have no connection with the PO other than as a customer.

[QGolden]

I have been to Worldport in Louisville and walked through UPS. Worldport is the largest package handling facility in the world. 90% of all packages that ship via UPS hit this sorting facility. It is fully automated and requires little to no hands on, except for physically taking the packages out of the container at one end, and putting them into another container on another. There are 30,000 conveyors in that 4,000,000 sq. Foot building covering nearly 150 miles. That is 150 miles of Conveyor under one roof! They handle up tp 350,000 packages an hour.

There are no three foot drops.

For that matter there are no drops period. All level changes are done via conveyor or a slide. Items that slide are stopped at the bottom by a cloth curtain, then conveyed out to the truck. UPS my largest customer and I call on local sorting facilities in the three northern New England States. No drops of any kind in those either.

That being said, packages marked "Fragile" go through the same handling process as everything else with no special treatment, until it gets to the Package Delivery Truck. There they are hand loaded for final delivery.

[Chuck Kuntz]

I restored a local fellow's 29 sedan about twenty years ago and in the process purchased a full set of fenders from Gaslight. They were shipped by UPS. When they arrived, the rears were ok but both front fenders were dented and the boxes had shoe prints on them. I called UPS to return them and also called Gaslight to alert them of the problem. UPS said it wasn't their fault and Gaslight said it was not their fault. I had to buy another set of front fenders from Gaslight and wait about six months to receive payment . Customer was upset and so was I.

[mhsprecher]

Great thread. I ship stuff fairly regularly, mostly by USPS. No problems so far, but the advice posted here is all good.

I did get a bill the other day from UPS for $8.99 for shipping. Huh? The delivery was on July 1 and I get the bill dated Sept 7? The delivery address was Michigan, but no company name. I called UPS and asked what was up? Apparently they do audits when there is no account set up and my name came up somehow. She looked up the address of the receiver and it was not a company I had ever heard of. As far as I knew, I did not have an account with UPS. They told me that one had been set up in late 2012 and then canceled. ?? She told me that she would void the charges. A very puzzling story to me.

[Kurt in NJ]

I pack so it can pass the "drop kick" test, hold it at chest high, drop it ,kick it hard enough to hit the wall 6 feet off the ground ---then it falls to the floor ---for fragil items the baseball bat test can be added ----but it takes 2 people, as it is sailing toward the wall it gets wacked with the bat to change it's direction 90 degrees to hit the other wall ----if you can pack to pass these tests most likely it won't get broken in shipment

[Tom Wesenberg]

The heavier the item, the more likely it is to arrive damaged. I know every space in the box must be filled so the heavy object can move around. For generators you have to make sure the output stud can't reach the box edge, or it will get bent or broken. The same for the cast pulley.

I bought a large glass globe for my mom's old lamp about 8 years ago on ebay. It cam in a large box, with about 6" extra room on each side, and a handfull of peanuts thrown in. I was shocked to see how lousey it was packed, but even more shocked that it actually arrived in one piece. Another time I bought a Studebaker pocket watch on ebay and it arrived in a one cent envelope. I was plenty upset over someone being that stupid, but somehow it arrived in one piece also. I will never send or recieve a sewing machine by mail again. The post office broke 3 antique sewing machines and lost the forth one I tried buying.

[dr.j]

Tom,
It took me half an hour to unwrap the slant case, a thing of beauty indeed and no damage.

[Glenn C.]

I like to label the item first with the receivers address, along with my own address. Wrap the item well in plastic and center it in the box with bubble wrap. Wrap the box totally with clear packaging tape. Cut a small hole in each (8) corner of the box, just large enough to inject spray foam insulation. You will get a huge laugh when the package is received, and the person phones or emails you back expressing his alarm to the difficulty unpackaging his parcel, but also complimenting you on the care taken to ensure undamaged delivery. The additional holes act as vent holes for the extra spray foam.

[V4F]

I use priority mail with good luck ..........

[Brentwood Bob]

Luck has a large part in all of this. Hope my radiator shell was packed with care. This suspense is not unlike the gender of both my children for the last 6 months preemergence.
Waiting
Bob

[d.]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I would agree that peanuts are useless, they just move around and really don't protect a thing...BUT you can put them in zip lock bags, or wrap them in taped bubble wrap for some good protection.
Also, the biggest problem I've had on the receiving end is failure to TAPE ALL SEAMS of the box...that's how small parts (and fender braces) escape.
Also use a fresh box for packing or at least a sturdy, heavy walled box. The box your wife brought home from the design store ain't gonna cut it.

[colin1928]

I have parts shipped from all of the world to Australia
from the US FedEx the best never lost or damaged anything they are the not the cheapest
UPS are the worst never know when it may arrive can take up to 3 months they lose 1/2 the items and damage 1/2 what left
USPS and DHL only lose or damage 10%
Parts from England Europe Canada the shipping is so much cheaper around 1/4 the cost of US shipping which seams to double every 6 months
I now look outside US 1st for any parts as do most of the guys in my club

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here is a good example of how to pack a generator for safe shipping. I picked this up Saturday morning from the post office. That afternoon I drove to Blaine to see Jim Mason's early Tudor that he just bought. (remember that craigslist posting I did a few weeks ago about the underpriced 28 Tudor) Anyway it was zero outside and I had this in the trunk of my car. I wanted to show Jim what I just bought. I froze my hands because it took me a half hour using a knife and screwdriver to get the box ripped apart. I emailed the seller suggesting how to use expanding foam to pack it for safe shipping, and the seller certainly did an excellent job. He put the generator inside two plastic bags then sprayed the foam around wadded up newspaper, so the box and generator became one solid block.

One can of foam for a few dollars is much better than wasting the same money on postal insurance, which is very hard to collect, if at all. The post office never would pay for the last sewing machine they broke, so I will never again buy insurance.

[whirnot]

I used to ship a lot of very expensive Custom Fly Rods. Fedex was by far the most dependable. UPS would break them regularly, they would get caught in the sorting belts. USPS worked OK except Alaska, They seemed to destroy anything and everything I ever shipped there.

[Mike V. Florida]

which shipping company is kindest to your packages

[hardtimes]

Hey Tom,
Try FedEx, if in your area. I switched from UPS , after they busted every old part that I sent with them...and then said...go ahead sue. They are franchised out here in lalalaland ! Well, judge said...'pay the man' .
What a great sound,eh ! Anyway, I pretty much pack like you describe and pretty much like a lot of guy who send car parts that went thru the wringer. FedEx has never damaged/destroyed any of my shipments....and seems to give a darn.

[CarlG]

Both UPS and FedEx have their second largest hubs only a couple of miles from where I live. They also rip you off big time when it comes time to pay the piper for the ride. USPS is by far the best and most cost effective way to ship things to and from Alaska. Getting shippers to ship USPS is the biggest challenge. Most have the attitude that since I'm paying the freight, they could care less as to how it ships. Most often the price of shipping (via UPS or FedEx) exceeds the cost of the goods being shipped.

Just one of the challenges of living in Alaska! (Nevermind the 18" of snow we got this past weekend!)

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Tom,
Try FedEx, if in your area. I switched from UPS , after they busted every old part that I sent with them...and then said...go ahead sue. They are franchised out here in lalalaland ! Well, judge said...'pay the man' .
What a great sound,eh ! Anyway, I pretty much pack like you describe and pretty much like a lot of guy who send car parts that went thru the wringer. FedEx has never damaged/destroyed any of my shipments....and seems to give a darn.

LOL When I asked the guy at the post office why my packages come so beat up, he blamed it in FedEx. He said many of the USPS packages are shipped through them. I figure it was just his way of passing the buck.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

LOL When I asked the guy at the post office why my packages come so beat up, he blamed it in FedEx. He said many of the USPS packages are shipped through them. I figure it was just his way of passing the buck.

Not at all the USPS has last mile service for a lot of Fedex and UPS packages.

FedEx and UPS made almost $2 billion last year from... the Postal Service

[tmiller6]

I do not specify USPS to have any parts shipped to me. They admitted they leave my packages sitting around until Saturday because it is a light delivery day. A visit to the post office and discussion with the postmaster was useless.

Any bulk mail marked Postmaster please deliver between (dates) arrives late on the following weekend.

[Keith True]

I had a head show up here with the end sticking out of the box.If you've ever bought a Brumfield head you will wonder what had to happen to destroy the box he uses to send them in.There were slices and hook marks all over it,somebody,somewhere,got carried away moving it.One of the old UPS drivers told me years ago how heavy packages sometimes got damaged.If there is a person grabbing packages off a conveyer,and sliding them on a sorting table,they might grab 30 boxes that hold a pair of pants or something.Then along comes a 50 pound head in another box the same size.Their hands were used to catching three pound boxes,and suddenly they have caught 50 pounds.They jump to get their toes out of the way,and the head hits the floor.They grab it,throw it up on the table,and keep going.That was a few years ago,automation has eliminated a lot of that.The only thing I've ever seen actually drop on purpose was mail.When I hauled mail years ago I would back the trailer up to the dock in the middle of the night,go in and wheel the canvas bins onto the trailer.The bins were under chutes that filled them up from inside the sorting facility.I have gone into the loading room to load and find a bin had rolled away from it's spot.There would be a three foot pile of mail on the floor with an empty bin in front of it.

[MrWzrd]

I have never received a USPS package that wasn't beat to hell and priority mail takes F O R E V E R to get anywhere. (currently waiting for package from MT to IL, 2nd day priority, sent on 16th, scheduled delivery 19th.....weird interpretation of 2 days)

I have never received a Fedex package on time. (yes, never...as in ever. They either can't find me, deliver it to the wrong place or won't get out of truck because of big dog....which I don't have. Package is usually intact but not reusable.

UPS has consistently delivered pristine packages, on time or a day early. I haven't had any damage claims and many of my packages are 70-100 lbs and contain fragile electronics. If I need to ship or return items I can reuse the boxes, print labels online and hand them to the UPS driver.

I use a LOT of packing peanuts and have never had issue with shifting. The key to using them is to make sure you have enough so that shifting is not possible. This means putting a layer on the bottom, placing the item in, adding more around the sides and packing it tight, then a layer over the top....and I go 1-2 inches above the top of the box, depending on the size of the box, and compressing them while closing the top. This will hold the object solid and not allow it to shift while the "spongyness" of the peanut cushions any shocks. Have shipped everything from antique porcelain clocks to 14" computer hard drives without any issue.

[dean from bozeman]

As 62Pan said, there are many grades of cardboard boxes. Choose wisely.

I have sent many large parts (fenders, deck lids, running boards, etc.) via Greyhound coated with two layers of bubble wrap and coated with plastic wrap. Evreything has arrived in good shape. All except the running boards arrived on time.

USPS and UPS have served me well. I double box small and valuable items. Packing with newspaper has served me well.

I print out FRAGILE labels in bold, red ink. They are about an inch wide and can be held in place and protected by one piece of clear packing tape 1 1/2 inches wide). I also print out address labels that are about 4" by 6" and I completely cover them with clear packing tape so they can't get (easily) destroyed.

When building my dad would tell me to use extra nails at times because they were cheap and would really solidify some framing. With this in mind I use extra tape (though it's not too cheap) to wrap a package. It will help a package keep its shape, stay closed under trying conditions and minimize any damage.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

LOL When I asked the guy at the post office why my packages come so beat up, he blamed it in FedEx. He said many of the USPS packages are shipped through them. I figure it was just his way of passing the buck.

FedEx carries the US Mail for the Post Office in and out of Alaska. The FedEx hub is just across the street from the main Post Office. You can see tugs zipping across the street with containers of mail all the time.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Not at all the USPS has last mile service for a lot of Fedex and UPS packages.

FedEx and UPS made almost $2 billion last year from... the Postal Service

Right, I wasn't doubting that Fed Ex hauls for USPS, but was questioning the shifting of the blame for damage to Fed Ex.

[CarlG]

Finger pointing has become a national sport

[Willie Krash]

I collect antiques and prefer USPS. They are very quick and the least amount of time in transit the better. They also tend to be cheaper. If I need Model A parts as I'm on the west coast USPS is three days, the others 4-5 days.
UPS is brutal. I have never personally shipped anything that was damaged. Packing is everything.
On a side note the Snap-on man gets packages at my shop (on UPS) and as they are heavy a few do not fare well, like forklifts punching thru the box.

[figment]

I buy shipping boxes fron Uline. The ones that I use are rated so a 150 lb person can stand on it. The cost isn't to bad but for someone that does a lot of shipping of small items they work very good. The cost seems to run 27 cents to 45 cents per box in quanties of 100. I ship small items such as watches and small Model A parts. You can get free boxes at the post office but they are not as sturdy. I also use the free flat rate boxes from the post office. I have found that the UPS stores are much higher priced than the regular UPS shipping centers.

[Hster]

I like to use sonotubes I will cut to length and use scrap plywood for the ends or fold the ends over and use fiberglass packing tape. Use foam or spray foam for packing, and if the package is heavy or awkward I will use fiberglass tape to make a handle.

[dean from bozeman]

For those of you who use foam, how do you know how much to use?

Seems that I have had window sides bow when using it, obviously too much of it. The double hung window then didn't slide well.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by dean from bozeman

For those of you who use foam, how do you know how much to use?

Seems that I have had window sides bow when using it, obviously too much of it. The double hung window then didn't slide well.

Trial and error I guess. My spray can of foam says how much to expect for expansion, and spraying it on wadded up newspaper does very well.

I once tried to spray it into plastic bags, but that doesn't work at all because the foam doesn't expand or dry.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by dean from bozeman

For those of you who use foam, how do you know how much to use?

Seems that I have had window sides bow when using it, obviously too much of it. The double hung window then didn't slide well.

Hey Dean,
Good question.
I looked into this situation and found that spray foam can be had in at least THREE different grades (expansion rates), which helps in preventing damage such as you describe. Always...read the directions tho

[5window]

We've all had things damaged in shipping-usually packed by the inexperienced. When you consider the millions upon millions of packages shipped in our country,especially this time of year, damaged package numbers might be startling-but still a quite small percentage of the total. I don't think in reality that one shipper is better than another-you might have just had better luck with one-so far.

But two years and 47 posts later-why hasn't Tom divulged what kind of dog biscuit box he used in post #1 to ensure safe travels?

[Cool Hand Lurker]

If you are in a small town like I am, the package can go through 5 or 6 transfer points so it gets handled a lot and can be dropped at loading and unloading up to 12 times during the trip. It doesn't matter how careful USPS, UPS, or FedEx tries to be, it will get dropped.
Heavy items need special packing. On these, crumpled up newspaper is worthless because on every drop the heavy item will compress it much more than you can when you pack the box. Pretty soon it is slamming the ends of the box and they don't last very long. Heavy stuff has to be double boxed.
For stuff I send to Iraq or Afganistan I use real peanuts packed in small sandwich bags so it won't shift around. It really supports the load and the guys can eat the packing!

[Synchro909]

The only safe way to mail parts is NOT USPS if you want them to arrive. I'm still waiting for a parcel posted o 16th Dec last year. It spent 41 days in the LA sorting facitliy and still hasn't reached Australia. Terrible!

[johnbuckley]

From US to UK I usually get parts from Snyders and always use Fedex. Fantastic service from both- ordered parts 7.30pm Monday ( 1.30pm Snyders time) delivered to a remote farmhouse here in UK by 11.30 am Friday ( 06.30am Snyders time). Sometimes can't get a parcel froml from London that quick!!!

[harleytoprock]

A few months back my UPS driver handed me a package. The box was torn open with nothing inside. I said to the driver "there's nothing in the box!". He gave me a blank stare for a few moments and then said call the shipper. Why even attempt to deliver an empty torn open box? Go figure! It was so stupid, I thought it was actually funny. Luckly it was nothing precious.

[portside]

One of the best packing materials for heavy items is carpet pad . If you know a carpet installer you can get the unused pieces for most likely free?

[al's28/33]

I've found that cutting up cardboard and filling the entire inside of the box around the generator prevents it from shifting. Keeps it secure and provides a nice buffer when the box IS dropped!!

[RonC]

I have great luck with UPS. FedEx not so good.

[montanafordman]

As a pilot I always heard this phrase being knocked around about UPS vs. FedEx:

UPS is a freight company trying to run an airline and FedEx is an airline trying to run a freight company.

[dumb person]

The real reason the post office is dying. Nothing reaches it's destination. And i have posted things to the USA only to find they don't get there. No idea why the post office exists anymore if the horror stories in this thread are anything to go by.

[Bill Underwood]

I just had a cabriolet body shipped fedex from Idaho
The landau irons were already plated so I asked them to mail them to me.
The 500# body via FedEx arrived Wednesday (shipped Tuesday a week ago)
The tube with landau irons shipped same time via uspo says still in Denver!
Been in Denver since 2/19 locals don't have a clue.
FedEx is the better of the three. For sure.

[denis4x4]

Quite frankly, the USPS vs UPS vs FedEx has more to do with geographical location than the individual companies. When the USPS closed the Durango sorting operation, everything now goes through Albuquerque and priority mail isn't a priority! However, we have excellent FedEx and UPS service. Trying to ship or receive any bulk freight (or a car) is a real chore as we are hundreds of miles from major east-west or north-south routes. If I send a letter from Durango to Pagosa Springs 60 miles away, it goes to Albuquerque, then to Denver and back to Pagosa.