Shipping Your Carvings

[BrandantR]

Hello gang,

I'm finally going to participate in my first woodcarving show next weekend. I'm very excited about it, but I'm faced with a challenge to get my pieces entered. The show is several hours away from my home, and I can't get up there in time to enter my own carvings into the show. So, I've made arrangements with a wonderful member of our forum here to ship my carvings up to him and he will enter them into the show.

Here's my big question. What is the best way to package up my pieces in order to ship them without having them damaged in the process? I've considered bubble wrap, packing peanuts, newspaper, . . . Has anyone had experience (good experience that is) with sending your carvings through the mail? I would like to know how you have gone about it. I would hate for my pieces to be damaged in shipment. Any advise on the matter would be appreciated.

[Josef]

It depends on what size and how delicate the pieces are. I pick and pack for a living, including artworks, so I know a bit about it. The best way I have seen so far is to hollow out two halves of a block of polystyrene foam, place the article snugly inside with some paper shred to keep it snug. Then tape the two halves together and place in crate or carton to suit. I have sent items vast distances using the public mail system and couriers using this method and have had no breakages to date. Hope this helps. Joe.

[Big Barn]

I've used bubble wrap & make pockets for whatever to slide into & tape over the top then those into a box with newspaper crumble.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I've been shipping carvings for years and have never had one break except once when I had it packed by Net! After that experience I decided I could do a better job. Here's what I do:

I construct an inner box using 1/2 to 3/4 inch plywood for the bottom and 1/2 inch plywood for the top. To make this box do this:
1. Set your carving on a level surface and using a square go all around the piece giving it at least 1 inch space between it and the box, i.e., say your carving is 6" wide one way and 8" wide the other. You would cut the two pieces of plywood 8 X 10".
2. Once your have your two pieces stack them and place your carving on top. Now measure to see the height and add 2-3 inches, i.e., your carving measures 14" with the plywood so you'd need at least 16" for the height of your box.
3. Check out the back of a furniture story or appliance dealer for some fridge or washer boxes. These work great for making the sides of your box. And they're FREE!
4. Now set your carving on the bottom piece of wood and draw around the base. I drill at least two holes, more if needed, up through the plywood for a couple screws. With the carving in place mark the screw holes on the bottom of the base and drill a 1/8" hole. I use drywall screws and that size hole works great. I use a countersink drill for the plywood.
5. Measure and cut a length of cardboard to the correct height and long enough to go all around the plywood with about 2" left over. Use a bead of glue and a stapler to secure the cardboard to the wood and scribe a line where the cardboard bends around the corners. Once you get around to the front of the box leave that part loose as it can act as a door into the box. Bend the excess around the open edge to create a seal.
6. Go down to a tire dealer and ask if they have any old innertubes. Again, thats usually FREE! Cut a couple of strips and you'll have two large rubber bands to hold the box closed.

When shipping I screw the carving securely inside the box and then fill it with peanuts. I use a larger box which will give me enough room inside to suspend my inner box in more peanuts. Now tape the box up and take it to the post office with the thought that your carving will arrive the same way it left your shop.

This might sound like a lot of work just to ship a carving but if you want it to arrive in good shape those steps are necessary. I ship Priority Mail and it gets to where it's supposed to in about 3 days. I just shipped two busts each in their own inner box in one outer box, Priority insured from Oklahoma to Washington state and the cost was approx $45.00. As the buyer paid for the shipping my only costs were for the plywood and the peanuts. That might seem like a lot of money for shipping but since I've been shipping carvings, and believe me I've shipped hundreds, no one has ever complained. Like me they want the piece to show up in perfect shape.

Hope that helps. Maybe some day I'll do a video showing how I pack them up.

[BrandantR]

Thanks everyone. Now I have a good idea of how to go about it.

[twymanok]

I shipped a carving to my parents for their anniversary I used FED EX Kinkos. it cost more but it made it safely and in one piece