After reading Danny's note about shipping Rick's glass piece to England I had chills run up and down my back just thinking about the responsibility of trying to ship something like that. The only time I tried to ship a piece of glass was 1984 and it was broken on arrivial.
So, how do you guys pack your work to be sure that it arrives safely?
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This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.
Shipping Glass?
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Raymond Chapman
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- Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 5:50 pm
- Location: Temple. Texas
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Danny Baronian
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Carefully, and it never hurts to overpack.
I never measured the tray, but it was approximately 12" x 14", 1/4" thick plate glass. I made a box of 3/4" plywood, accounting for 2" of foam for the top, bottom and all edges. Wrapped the glass in visqueen, packed it between the foam, screwed the cover on banded the box, plastered Caution Breakable Glass all over and insured it well.
Danny
I never measured the tray, but it was approximately 12" x 14", 1/4" thick plate glass. I made a box of 3/4" plywood, accounting for 2" of foam for the top, bottom and all edges. Wrapped the glass in visqueen, packed it between the foam, screwed the cover on banded the box, plastered Caution Breakable Glass all over and insured it well.
Danny
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Billy Pickett
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BruceJackson
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- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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I've sent a glass panels a good number of times now. And had some sent to me. I've only had one break, and looking back, it was under packed.
The three main things are:
1. Have all the edges padded to protect against dropping on a corner.
2. Have enough torsional stiffness in the packaging so it won't twist.
3. Strong sides panels to protect from intrustion.
For a small glass panel, I wrap in a few layers of bubble wrap, making sure the corners have lumps of padding on them, then put in a stiff carboard box.
On slightly larger pieces, I might build in a frame on polystyrene foam or wrap in an extra side panel of cardboard or thin MDF to protect the faces.
For big pieces, you start to need to have a box or crate to give the required protection. The biggest I've sent is 3m x 1.2m (10' x 4'). It went into a custom made timber box with foam panels on the inside.
Here's some photos from a job a few months ago. There were three panels.
First I wrapped each panel in bubble wrap.
Wrap the three panels together and build the edge up with more bubble wrap. Found a box the right size made from double laminated cardbaord (the strong stuff) and cut some foam to fit the box providing all round support so it was suspended in the middle. Being a domed oval shape, twisting wasn't an issue and it was much stronger than a flat rectangle.
The panels in place and ready for the box to be sealed with more cardboard.
The three main things are:
1. Have all the edges padded to protect against dropping on a corner.
2. Have enough torsional stiffness in the packaging so it won't twist.
3. Strong sides panels to protect from intrustion.
For a small glass panel, I wrap in a few layers of bubble wrap, making sure the corners have lumps of padding on them, then put in a stiff carboard box.
On slightly larger pieces, I might build in a frame on polystyrene foam or wrap in an extra side panel of cardboard or thin MDF to protect the faces.
For big pieces, you start to need to have a box or crate to give the required protection. The biggest I've sent is 3m x 1.2m (10' x 4'). It went into a custom made timber box with foam panels on the inside.
Here's some photos from a job a few months ago. There were three panels.
First I wrapped each panel in bubble wrap.
Wrap the three panels together and build the edge up with more bubble wrap. Found a box the right size made from double laminated cardbaord (the strong stuff) and cut some foam to fit the box providing all round support so it was suspended in the middle. Being a domed oval shape, twisting wasn't an issue and it was much stronger than a flat rectangle.
The panels in place and ready for the box to be sealed with more cardboard.
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Raymond Chapman
- Posts: 345
- Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 5:50 pm
- Location: Temple. Texas
Thanks Bruce.
Wow...thanks Bruce. You went the extra mile in answering my question - even adding photos.
That is exactly what I needed to know. Although I am not shipping anything right now, I will know how when the time comes.
It must really be an anxious time to see something that precious go out the door in a box.
That is exactly what I needed to know. Although I am not shipping anything right now, I will know how when the time comes.
It must really be an anxious time to see something that precious go out the door in a box.
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