Packing, Transporting, Shipping & Storing Carvings

[Lynn O. Doughty]

While getting ready to make a couple of boxes for new pieces to take to the Wichita show I thought you might be interested in seeing how I do it. I've been doing it for years this way and haven't had a piece break during transport or shipping through the mail yet, knock on carving! It's simple to do and most importantly ... CHEAP!! Got to keep those costs under control to buy more wood! Will probably have to use two threads to get the pictures in as five seems to be the limit per posting.

Picture 1: This shows a carving in it's new box and another getting ready to be measured. I've used 3/4" partical board for the top and bottom as it was what was on hand. You could get by with 1/2". I set the piece on the board and cut out 2 squares to allow a little space all around the carving.

Picture 2: Here are the two pieces. The bottom one has had the outline of the base drawn indicating just how the carving will set in the box. Two holes have been drilled for screws to hold it.

Picture 3: Set the piece on the two blocks and measure the overall height, allowing for a little extra so the top don't bump the inside top of the box. For this piece, 18" will do the trick.

Picture 4: Before you started all of this, it is assumed that you went down to your local furniture company and begged for some large refrigerator or furniture boxes. Cut you a piece 18" wide and long enough to go completely around the box with a little left over.

Picture 5: Take one of the blocks and map out the edges on the cardboard. Take you steel ruler and lightly score this line so the box will break exactly where you want it. Lay your steel ruler along this line and break the box. Now use a block to see where the next break will be. It will have moved a little due tothe thickness of the box. Make a new mark, scribe and break the box and then do the same on the remaining edges.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Page Two

Picture 6: Run a bead of glue along the first 3 repeat 3 edges of the box. Don't apply glue on the 4th edge...that's the door!

Picture 7: Now, working your way around, staple all the edges to the blocks. Fold the door over the front and then allow about a 2 or 3 inch overlap to make a sealing lip. You can see the lip in picture 8.

Picture 8. Again, before you started all of this, it is assumed that you went to a local tire dealer and begged for a couple of old inner tubes. Cut a couple of 1" strips from the tube. See.....all that experience of making beany-flips as a kid is finally paying off!!

Picture 9. Almost finished! Now set the carving in the box and stick a pencil or nail up through the screw hole to mark the bottom of carvings base. Drill a hole in the base and screw the carving down to the box. There you have it! One in it's box ready to go and the other almost there. Don't know who that other guy is. Probably already counting the money he thinks he's he going to get.

These boxes stack in the Pickup great and they give the buyer something secure to get the piece home. When shipping them in the mail I fill the box with styrofoam peanuts and then buy a larger shipping box which is also filled with peanuts so the inner box floats inside. Believe me......It works!!

[mwilleson]

Nice idea. Thanks Lynn!

[Kenny_S]

Thank you Lynn. Neat Idea.

I have had great luck with bubble wrap for transporting carvings. I get it from my sister in law so it is cheap. Some say that is might cause moister on the carving but I have not seen any problems with it as far as moister and transporting. However, I do like your way also. That may be the only good thing about particle board using it for transporting carvings.

[Nancy-G]

Lynn - you've given us so very much wonderful, valuable information.
Thank you.

I think we need your advice/information condensed in a book so I sure hope you're talking to Fox.

[Thomp]

Who'da Thunk of that....

Great lesson lynn...
you keep it up and well all get smarter, I sure have...

thanks for sharing, when i grow up and am half as good as you are ill use this method for shipping... thanks again

[Hugh]

I hope I don't hurt anyones feelings with this post, but thought I should make you aware. I shipped a $2500. Carving, just that way. Constructed a box with 3/4" plywood base, used heavy cardboard sides, took my time, and did it right. Wrapped entirely in bubble wrap, and filled with peanuts and lots of protection. UPS dropped the carton on its bottom, standing upright, busted the legs, cracked the base. They refused the insurance. UPS, FED EX, USPS, ALL have regulations about packaging, and you must use NEW cartons to be covered by insurance. They will sell you insurance, but when you try to collect, they direct you to their page of regulations. They not only want new cartons, they want double boxing. UPS agreed with me, saying my packaging was excellent, but regulations state, new cartons. Don't take my word for this check the shippers sites your self.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Sorry you had bad luck Hugh. I use new cartons. Buy a new box every time I ship something. and I keep the receipt just in case. Had a piece "professionally packed" by MailBox Etc. years ago and it arrived in a thousand pieces! Have done my own ever since and not lost a one.

[Nancy-ID]

I sell hatching eggs from my chickens. I wrap each egg in bubble wrap and place in a box lined with crumpled newspaper with peanuts. I then wrap the outside of the box in buble wrap and it goes into a larger box surrounded with more newspaper and bubble wrap. The box is marked everywhere "very fragile-hatching eggs". I aways insure them. These eggs sell for a $100 a dozen or more in some cases. Before you say " that's an expensive dozen of eggs", I have paid as much as $350 for a pair of these chickens so if someone gets a few chicks to hatch they are happy. Anyway, just last week I sent some to Utah. The outer box was severly damaged. The recipient opened the box in front of the mail carrier to see how the inner box fared. It too was damaged and some eggs broken. Chances are the remaining eggs "died" with the rough handling. After that long story . . . the insurance claim was denied because she opened the box. The funniest (ha) part of it all is that we are advised to open the box in front of a postal worker on delivery so that we can make the claim. Government. Go figure!

[Lynn O. Doughty]

So she couldn't claim for the broken eggs because she opened the box? Come on now.....how could she tell if they were broken?

Like life there are no guarantees, and I don't, by any measure, guarantee this method of packing. Sure...someday one of my carvings will probably arrive broken. But they haven't yet so maybe I'm doing something right. I think I'll stick with it.