mel jacobson on thu 3 mar 05
i am in the classic dilemma of how to
get 400 pots from minnetonka to L/A.
this is no small task. joe and i have been
shipping things ups back and forth since june.
now, they all have to go back.
so,
i have checked uhaul, me driving with my suv/trailer,
containers, moving companies.
it will be all boxed and bubbled.
so,
this is a good general topic for most of us, just
in case it happens to you. and it fits nicely into
my 10,000 dollar painting story. after shipping?
easy thousand dollars. commissions, splits...how
much money is made? not much.
mel
and, if any of you have private thoughts that you
do not want to air, just post me at this address.
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
Stephani Stephenson on sat 5 mar 05
Mel
do you have an idea of the volume or weight of the packed pots?
here's some info I have learned, which might be if use to you or others
on the list.
since you are shipping from one major city to another you may find a
company specializing in
art shipping. They would offer greater care perhaps and
insure......(i've never done this myself)
I would probably check out trucking companies , and palletize the
shipment,
(Though I know the quality of service and pricing can vary so much
with trucking companies)
local recommendations may serve you well with regard to which company
to use.
Another obstacle might be that a trucker may not want to pick up at a
residence.
also you will need to ask for a bobtail,(smaller truck, can get in and
out of tighter spaces), with a liftgate and a pallet jack.
though it occurs to me mel, that you might have your own dang forklift
hidden away somewhere, you Minnesotans!
Recently I packed a couple of pallets of 12 inch pavers, headed for New
Zealand. Each pallet weighed
just shy of a ton
I bought some packing materials from Uline, just because it was
convenient and I had the stuff
at my door inside of 24 hours
They have an online catalog, which can at least help you determine
what supplies and sizes you need
even if you can find better prices locally.
I purchased plastic pallets, because my shipments were going overseas
(wooden palettes would have had to have been fumigated, so my L.A.
shipper would have had to
repack onto plastic, if I had put them on wood pallets.)
I also purchased some outer boxes, which I call 'shells' which are made
of cardboard 1/4 inch thick and which are the same
dimensions as the pallet ( 40" X 48"). The outer box shell is 40 X 48
X 36 high)
I later also added corner protectors (Long strips of 90 degree angled
carboard)
This shell sits right on the palette
Then I cut two pieces of 2 inch sturdy EPS foam 40" X 48" and set into
the bottom of the shell
with your pots, one sheet of foam might suffice
I put bubble wrap in between the layers of foam
I wanted the sturdy rigid base the sheet foam provides, but with a
little give..
I did have to use a step ladder to move in and out of the shell because
of the 36" depth
All of the pots would be packed in inner boxes, with lots of nice
bubble wrap
I also put 2" sheet foam in between the inner boxes
kind of a tic tac toe network of foam
separating the inside boxes
and a bit of extra cushioning between the upper and lower layers of
inner boxes
and inside the top of the 'shell'
and I also had 2-3 inches of sheet foam on all inner sides of the box
'shell'
thinking about giving cush inside the inner boxes, then completely
stabilizing those inner boxes then finally
protecting the whole load from intrusion, sharp and dull force blows
from the outside , etc...
goodness it all sounds pretty violent
I figured out all the dimensions first so I could get the right size
boxes, right thickness of foam,etc,
The shell boxes come with a lid that fits down over
taped it all down
stretch wrapped the whole thing
then used strapping to secure it further to the pallette
I used the plastic strapping, but my L.A. shipper replaced it with
metal strapping
due to the weight.
if you are using a long haul trucker it is important to
also designate on the palette in big bright labels
Do Not Stack
and
Do not Disassemble Palette
and of course Fragile
Again , ULINE and other shipping supply places sell preprinted labels
even if you want to print your own labels, you can refer to their
catalog for ideas on standard wording to use
also they sell these cone shaped carboard things
which say 'do not stack" which sit on top of the pallet
an extra , physical reminder to the shipper not to stack.
The two things you want to avoid, at all costs are having another
pallet stacked on your pallet ,
and having it disassembled...
also you will have a bill of lading to fill out
I would look for a direct shipper
also if you have a local wholesale shipping supply company,
open an account there, you'll save bucks on packing supplies.
I am usually a big recycler, have been known to frequent the
back door of the local Pier One and bookstores.....
but for big jobs, and for consistency in some materials,
had to make it look good, use uniform materials, pay out some greenbacks
anyway with the above packing I felt good, though we'll see, hasn't
arrived yet
crossing the Pacific in the hold of a boat with stuff for King Kong
can't wait to see the pots at the opening!!!
Stephani Stephenson
steph@revivaltileworks.com
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