Shipping Cost

[David Deratany]

Can anyone give me an idea of the best way to ship a pair of Model 19 cabinets (empty) from Winnipeg to Cape Cod and perhaps some idea of what it might cost?

[Todd W. White]

Hi David,

You'll need to get two well constructed refrigerator boxes (make sure the inside dimensions allow for at least 3" - preferably 5" - between the cabinet and the box), lots of styrofoam, packing tape, a box cutter, and some plastic film (huge trash bags work IF they are thick enough).

Here's how to do it:

1. Place a large bag over the top of the cabinet.

2. Lay the cabinet on it's top on a carpeted surface.

3A. Place a large trash bag over the bottom of the cabinet.

3B. Secure the two bags together using the packing tape.

3C. The plastic is to protect the wood from being scratched. If you feel like it, get some of that very thin packing foam that coems in sheets and wrap the cabinet with it first, then put the bags over it. You can also use cloth, like old sheets.

4. Cut the refrigerator box down until it is about 36" taller than the cabinet (it can be trimmed down later, if necessary).

5. Using leftover cardboard from the box, make a pad for the cabinet to set on that will fit inside of the refrigerator box. The refrigerator should have had a fairly well built pad on the bottom, but go ahead and DO IT ANYWAY. Install the bottom pad on the bottom of the cabinet.

6. Turn the box over, and slide it down over the cabinet until it comes in contact with the bottom pad.

7. CAREFULLY turn the entire assembly over, so that the cabinet is sitting upright, making certain that it is centered on the pad, and that the pad is all the way down to the bottom of the box.

8. Begin packing the areas around the cabinet by building up a corner protector for one of the vertical edges. Use cardboard or styrofoam (preferred), and secure together with packing tape. This piece should be at least 4" wide on each side, and long enough to go all the way down the cabinet corner to the bottom pad, and still have 4" extending above the top of the cabinet.

9. Repeat Step 8 for each of the four corners.

10. Make a similar corner protector for the remaining edges of the cabinet top - the "crown", if you please. When you are done, no corner should be exposed.

11. Using large pieces of styrofoam cut to fit, fill in the areas between two of the corner protectors. These pieces should fit tightly between the protectors, as well as the inner walls of the box.

12. Repeat Step 11 for the remaining three sides. When you are finished, there should be no gap between the cabinet and the box, and the entire assembly should be very tight.

13. Make a similar protector for the flat top of the cabinet. The total thickness should not be less than 4".

14. Place a piece of cardboard that has been cut to fit across the top of the entire assembly.

15. Cut down the corners of the refrigerator box enough to allow each side of the box to be folded down flat across the top of the packaged speaker assembly.

16. Secure each folded piece with packing tape, taking care not to attach to the styrofoam - tape to the other pieces of the new box "lid" you have just made.

17. THOROUGHLY tape and reinforce the entire packaged speaker cabinet and box. When finished, it should be tight as possible with no room for boincing around.

18. INSURE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOUR SHIPMENT AND SHIP USING A REPUTABLE CARRIER!

Hope this helps!

Insure

[David Deratany]

Thanks, Todd...

I can't imagine a more secure method.

And you are right: "There's no substitute for adequate insurance"!

[thevott]

I buy 4' x 8' sheets of polystyrene bead-board at 'The Home Depot' home center/lumber yard. It comes in various thicknesses from 1/2" up to 2". I don't know what their stores stock in other States but I cannot find the material anywhere else around here including all the other lumber yards. Its the only way to properly pack heavy stuff. Also, don't skimp on the packing tape either. It is a really important factor in the structural rigidity of the carton.

[gearjammer]

I think what the member was asking is who he should be looking for to perform the actual transport of the cabinets from winnipeg to capecod???

[Charles Chance]

Additional notes:
Local foam rubber outlet here routinely replaces sofa cushions with new, firmer foam - the old foam is discarded or given away. It makes great packing.

Also, when fabricating as Todd said, spray adhesive/contact cement from Wal-Mart is very handy to secure foam, styrofoam, cardboard, to itself, i.e. glue 2 layers of styrofoam together to make 1 thicker piece.

Don't use duct tape. Moisture and condensate changes during shipment can cause it to loosen.

I have no recommendation on carriers or cost. I've never shipped anything as large as a Model 19.

[David Deratany]

Gearjammer...........

Ahh, yes. But the other information will be helpful to the person at the other end (Winnipeg).

[Steve Burger]

I'm with thevott on the packing material. Sometimes the savings on shipping is on the dimensions. I generally use 1.5 rigid styrophoam insulation. The part on the bottom I double up usually. I'm with Todd on the other packaging method, though I usually look for large screen television boxes behind a Good Guys or Circuit City type outlet. I don't know which carrier would be best for the shipment made. From the West Coast to the Orient I have had great luck with Baxglobal.

[MikeInNH]

Originally posted by dderat:
Can anyone give me an idea of the best way to ship a pair of Model 19 cabinets (empty) from Winnipeg to Cape Cod and perhaps some idea of what it might cost?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I had to ship a very large Crown amp once. So I took it to a friend of mine who was a shipping manager for digital equipemnt co. They would ship out large fragile items all the time.

First we got a box about 20% larger then the amp. Put a few pieces of foam insulation in the bottom of the box. Then got large enough plastic bag and very securely wrapped the amp.

Now the fun part....We then got 4 bags that were as large as each side of the amp. Opened the bags up and sprayed in that expandable foam spray (available at places like Home Depot). Get the low expansion stuff. This really secured the sides of the amp. Then got more foam pads for the top of the amp.

When all done that amp wasn't going anywhere. The Crown receiving department was really impressed. They even called me to compliment me on how well I packed it. The only problem was....The amp was too far gone to be fixed. .....But it was packed great.

[thevott]

Hey, try these guys:

http://www.freightcenter.com/option/Q1.htm

I have used their service a number of times with great results and their rates are competitive.