[Heathkit] shipping.. an old sore spot

[Walt dabell]

<Insert $0.02> :-)

Being involved with computers and field operations in the past,
I've seen a lot of different shipments from several shippers.
While 99% arrive fine, most of them are not as heavy as old boat
anchors. I have had some candid talks with the UPS and FedEx guys
and all of them say the words "fragile" and "This End Up" mean
it's time to play soccer. They were serious!! He said you should
never mark it fragile, just insure the heck out of it.

Packing _is_ the key, but buying something from ebay or whatever,
you got to know it is not going to be packed with care.

My favorite lack of packing example is when I ordered lawnmower
blades from sears. They threw the three blades in a box 5-times
too big and taped it up. Didn't tape the blades together, didn't
wrap the blades. Three bouncing blades in a box... I actually
did receive all three in what was left of the original box, full
of holes and all.

I LIKE Bob's idea about the expanding foam, but argue that it, or
something very much like it is available to the general public.
It's called "stuff" (probably has other names) and it is available
at the local hardware store. It is used to seal cracks in houses
around windows and walls, etc.

Here's an idea...

I have never tried this before, but have received heavy equipment
packed this way... Sort of... Putting a large plastic bag in a
heavy cardboard box, put down a few Styrofoam or foam feet to sit
the wrapped-in-a-bag radio on, then unloading a couple/few cans of
"stuff" into the space between the two bags should make a solid but
gentle shipping container. Keep in mind the "stuff" expands a lot,
quickly, so make sure you have a sturdy enough box(s) to hold the
pressure and seal it(them) up before it is done expanding.

Anybody try this with a home shipment before?

</end insert $0.02>

    Walt Dabell - W3WMD

On 11/2/2010 1:13 PM, rbethman wrote:
 > I've had issues with every single shipper.
 >
 > However, PROPER packing is the CLEAR key to safe transit and arrival.
[...]
 > I've also gone the route of obtaining the two chemicals to foam in place
 > radios.  They are available to the public if one cares to take the
 > effort to look for them and obtain them.  However, that method isn't the
 > be all/end all of solutions.  It doess help - IF all the other efforts
 > are applied.
[...]