[Boatanchors] Packing materials

[Rob Atkinson]

Oh boy you are going to get a million responses : )  We all have our
tricks and bad experiences.

The hard part is getting the really nice double ply big boxes.   There
are some good tips on that which I am going to remember myself.
Forget peanuts and bubble wrap.   Go to Lowes and get the thick slabs
of blue styrofoam used for wall insulation.  You will have to measure
and cut pieces to wall the boxes, yes there are two of them one inside
an outer one.   You saw the styro with a saw and do it outside because
you'll have a million little fragments.  Great advice putting the
knobs inside cardboard tubes.   Put the rig inside a big contractor
garbage bag to keep it dry.  Also (this is the good thing for bubble
wrap) stuff the interior of the cabinet with bubble wrap so nothing
inside and work free and rattle around.   If you have big tubes or
fairly big iron, you might consider shipping them separately.   Get
non-expanding spray foam from Home Depot and use it to fill in spaces
in the  boxes between the styrofoam.    UPS is fine IF you pack
correctly.  I have never had a problem with UPS except when the
shipper was a gas-head and clueless on how to pack a piece of vintage
gear.   OTOH, if you want to make the recipient cry, ship FedEx for
their signature requirement will make taking delivery a nightmare for
anyone who works in the daytime.

BTW all the above recommended methods are expensive and a lot of work
BUT they are a lot cheaper and easier than driving 1000 miles.    The
way you pack really tells the story about how much you care about
vintage gear.

73


Rob
K5UJ