Have you shipped heavy stuff with UPS, FedEx, USPS?
Even gotten an amp with bent fins, broken off handles, and worse... once I got a pair or small speakers that had broken woofer baskets!
Often the box looks reasonable on the outside, and the stuff inside looks reasonable well packed... but somehow... they broke something off.
And putting a FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE sign is just putting a bullseye on your box. It says, hey... drop this one from only 12 feet, not 20...
In the DIY world, I wonder why we can't get a double box package when we buy the case from Modushop. Some manufactures sell you that and shipping is not too bad as the empty boxes are light enough. This works with lighter stuff like preamps... but with 50 lb amps....
Anyhow, the last heavy amp I received was really well packed. Kudos to Randy. That was a 4U, 400mm box. Maybe he should post the "schematics"... Some plywood, some straps, surround it with foam and put it in suitable large box with lots of duct tape. It worked very well.
Even gotten an amp with bent fins, broken off handles, and worse... once I got a pair or small speakers that had broken woofer baskets!
Often the box looks reasonable on the outside, and the stuff inside looks reasonable well packed... but somehow... they broke something off.
And putting a FRAGILE HANDLE WITH CARE sign is just putting a bullseye on your box. It says, hey... drop this one from only 12 feet, not 20...
In the DIY world, I wonder why we can't get a double box package when we buy the case from Modushop. Some manufactures sell you that and shipping is not too bad as the empty boxes are light enough. This works with lighter stuff like preamps... but with 50 lb amps....
Anyhow, the last heavy amp I received was really well packed. Kudos to Randy. That was a 4U, 400mm box. Maybe he should post the "schematics"... Some plywood, some straps, surround it with foam and put it in suitable large box with lots of duct tape. It worked very well.
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I do a lot of ebay shipping, and heavy stuff is a real challenge. Fragile warnings do nothing as it's all automated machine handling. Easier to pay occasional insurance claims than to pay someone to carefully handle millions of articles.
The best example comes from looking at the form fitting styrofoam inserts that surround heavy amplifiers/transmitters when you purchase them new. The styrofoam is very rigid, form fitting, bear the weight in carefully chosen places, across broad surfaces if possible, and do not allow any 'slack' between the item and the box.
To emulate this, you can't just pack the box full of peanuts, as they will shift around leaving some areas unprotected. Bubble wrap is a joke as the bubbles will pop. You could stuff the open spaces firmly with newspaper that won't compress, but that adds a lot of weight and it will eventually compress further and you have slack. You can use squirt in foam in bags that swell to occupy irregular shapes but most people can't do that
Another significant problem comes from irregular impacts into the sides/corners of the box from equipment and other packages. I once shipped a beautiful restored tube radio as a gift to my sister, carefully double boxed. It arrived, box intact, except for a small hole in one side of the box. The radio inside was destroyed. Something stabbed the package, puncturing the outer box, puncturing the inner box, breaking and passing through the dial glass, and breaking two tubes on the chassis. (Struck by the infamous USPS Zoro?) Just as we don't trust other drivers, I don't trust other shippers to keep their sh*t together.
I sent my daughter in law a Christmas package sealed and well packaged inside a fairly stout box. We got one digit wrong on the address, and it was returned to us. We corrected it, and sent it out again. The "no such number" scrawl near the address was not covered by our postal clerk, so the package was immediately returned to us a second time. Now, having passed point to point through the postal system 4 times, the previously stout, cubic box was now a 'cardboard bag' with no structural integrity. Think cardboard plushie. Fortunately, the package was delivered the third time, and everything (clothes) was in good shape.
If it's really challenging, double boxing cures a lot of evil. Tightly pad the amp inside the inner box, then tightly pad the inner to outer box, and that is just about as good as you can do. The inner box functions like a load distributor inside the outer box.
The best example comes from looking at the form fitting styrofoam inserts that surround heavy amplifiers/transmitters when you purchase them new. The styrofoam is very rigid, form fitting, bear the weight in carefully chosen places, across broad surfaces if possible, and do not allow any 'slack' between the item and the box.
To emulate this, you can't just pack the box full of peanuts, as they will shift around leaving some areas unprotected. Bubble wrap is a joke as the bubbles will pop. You could stuff the open spaces firmly with newspaper that won't compress, but that adds a lot of weight and it will eventually compress further and you have slack. You can use squirt in foam in bags that swell to occupy irregular shapes but most people can't do that
Another significant problem comes from irregular impacts into the sides/corners of the box from equipment and other packages. I once shipped a beautiful restored tube radio as a gift to my sister, carefully double boxed. It arrived, box intact, except for a small hole in one side of the box. The radio inside was destroyed. Something stabbed the package, puncturing the outer box, puncturing the inner box, breaking and passing through the dial glass, and breaking two tubes on the chassis. (Struck by the infamous USPS Zoro?) Just as we don't trust other drivers, I don't trust other shippers to keep their sh*t together.
I sent my daughter in law a Christmas package sealed and well packaged inside a fairly stout box. We got one digit wrong on the address, and it was returned to us. We corrected it, and sent it out again. The "no such number" scrawl near the address was not covered by our postal clerk, so the package was immediately returned to us a second time. Now, having passed point to point through the postal system 4 times, the previously stout, cubic box was now a 'cardboard bag' with no structural integrity. Think cardboard plushie. Fortunately, the package was delivered the third time, and everything (clothes) was in good shape.
If it's really challenging, double boxing cures a lot of evil. Tightly pad the amp inside the inner box, then tightly pad the inner to outer box, and that is just about as good as you can do. The inner box functions like a load distributor inside the outer box.
FIP, baby, FIP. Not fun to use, but does a good job unless things are really heavy. For those, try rigid foam board from the big box hardware stores. Also, double-boxing is best. Over 75 lbs., consider a wood box/crate. That's how I've shipped complete motors and engine blocks. I'll have to do that if/when I sell/ship my 113-lb. Conrad Johnson amp.
Foam In Place. Messy if not careful, but excellent.
Evolution 2000.
Evolution 2000.
That foam squirt seems to work well.... but for big amps.... some companies make custom foam forms. Maybe for "standard" boxes....
We received a big flat screen TV once via UPS. It had a small hole in one of the lower corners. Anyhow, we mounted the TV UP in the wall. When we were done I asked my daughter to pull out the protective plastic off the screen.... "Dad, it's not plastic... the screen is cracked". How in the World can UPS do that and still deliver it?
I think what Randy did, which was to create a plywood/amp "sandwich" with foam around it was almost as good as it comes. Next would have been to have some flat plywood sides, everything strapped together. The trick is to make sure the amp doesn't move about and the sides are isolated from The UPS Zorro.
Maybe put a frickin' smoke/stink bomb inside, with a few openings to the outside.... "Fragile, no impacts over 2G"...... BOOM! Pffffffffffffffffffffttttt!
@UserAbuser Why did customs drill holes into the caps?
Gosh- the drug hound must have thought that one smelled pretty dank . . .
Zoro strikes again We gotta get that SOB! (UPS does not care. It got there.)
I have packed and shipped many thousands of heavy packages but most were sound deadening materials so not easily damaged. For other items, especially expensive audio gear, etc, I would just pack it the very best I could including building crates at times. I like to use softer material on the gear itself, after putting in a big bag and taping it up well then the softer material wrapped and taped well. Next if I can do so is put into an inner box before going into a bigger box with higher density foam between the boxes and tape the heck out of it.
And buy usually worthless insurance and hope for the best, lucky I guess as only had a few issues ever and none very costly.
Rick
And buy usually worthless insurance and hope for the best, lucky I guess as only had a few issues ever and none very costly.
Rick
A few years ago my son bought a film camera (a Nikon FM2) from a well known seller of this stuff based in the US. When it arrived, it was fairly obvious that someone had kicked the box like a football - it had a clear foot sized indent right in the middle of one edge bearing in mind the box was less than 30cm/a foot each side. The top of the camera was destroyed, with the prism collapsed. That was with USPS.
Fortunately, the seller had more than one mint example of the model and replaced it without too much trouble (and didn't ask for the return of the broken one). It was definitely worth paying a little extra to buy from the seller with the reputation!
Fortunately, the seller had more than one mint example of the model and replaced it without too much trouble (and didn't ask for the return of the broken one). It was definitely worth paying a little extra to buy from the seller with the reputation!
I have shipped light and heavy stuff for decades now.
Some damages can not be avoided (we had parcel returns with shoeprints on them, or with holes poked by a forklift).
However, we were told by UPS and DHL (decades ago) - everything needs to be packaged to survive a 2m to 2.5m drop on concrete - that's the height the conveyor belts are installed in, and sometimes packages are pushed over the rails and drop to the floor.
So - if anythings breaks during transport, it's actually the shippers fault.
The best solution for delicate/large/heavy stuff is just using a wooden palette or crate. (That's probably the reason professional gear is delivered this way...)
Some damages can not be avoided (we had parcel returns with shoeprints on them, or with holes poked by a forklift).
However, we were told by UPS and DHL (decades ago) - everything needs to be packaged to survive a 2m to 2.5m drop on concrete - that's the height the conveyor belts are installed in, and sometimes packages are pushed over the rails and drop to the floor.
So - if anythings breaks during transport, it's actually the shippers fault.
The best solution for delicate/large/heavy stuff is just using a wooden palette or crate. (That's probably the reason professional gear is delivered this way...)
I bought records (albums) in the 80's that have weird bits cut out of the edges, as if they were clipped by some device to open a small slice to the atmosphere. As they were tightly sealed in plastic, I assumed at the time that this was Customs randomly checking them for drugs. The hole is neat, like its done with a sort of punch, and happened to more than one record cover at different times, suggesting it was deliberately done. It'd be annoying if you were a serious collector.
Essentially, yes, at least for damaged items without damages to the outer box. However, this really is a matter of using the appropriate packaging and shipping method. If an item does not survive dropping inside the box - put it on a pallete and strap it down. If you are shipping overseas, crate it.
Now that is a different story.
These cuts have been made intentionally by the record company - to mark price reduced items (so to prevent any store for selling them at full price).
AFAIK, these were records marked to be „non premium“ or to be taken out of the active library or anything like that. (If it is what think it is)
They drilled in to the top of several of the caps.
my guess they were looking for some drugs to replenish their stash.
Must've been disappointed when they found nothing.
Big problem is, there's no come back or insurance against them or the courier for the damage.
my guess they were looking for some drugs to replenish their stash.
Must've been disappointed when they found nothing.
Big problem is, there's no come back or insurance against them or the courier for the damage.
Tight-fitting box within a box is the way to go. I bought a 500VA transformer that the idiot seller sent across the Atlantic loosely wrapped in a few bits of bubble wrap and put in a large box. Peanuts might have been added. Box arrived with large hole at one corner. Transformer was damaged and took two days to repair. Conversely, another seller sent 1.5kVA transformer across the Atlantic in a tight-fitting box surrounded by 2" house insulation foam, tight inside a sturdy box. Transformer arrived in exactly the same condition it was packed. Typically, the damaged transformer was the one I'd bought with my own money for home and the undamaged one was bought with employer's money for work. Sigh.
I don't know about other people, but I hate that foam in place stuff. I must be allergic to it because even disturbing it makes me seriously itchy.
I don't know about other people, but I hate that foam in place stuff. I must be allergic to it because even disturbing it makes me seriously itchy.