Packing Iron

[zephyr4]

I have some ideas about this, but would happily entertain suggestions.

The issue: how to pack an anchor that I wish to ship UPS to the hot dip galvanizer.

Ideally, the packing would be easily reusable so they could ship the thing back saving me from having to drive across the state and pick it up.

One more bit of information, this anchor is a one-off design that my brother and I are making. It will resemble the Manson Supreme and weigh between 20 and 25 lbs.

[hellosailor]

Depends on the shipper. USPS will require a cardboard box securely taped with no strings. UPS will accept a 5-gallon plastic pail with a wire handle, if the lid is secured and the handle tied down. Or, a cardboard or wood box.

It also depends on how big the anchor is. You may need to crate it, or you may be able to use stretch wrap to secure it on a large piece of corrugated cardboard, then insert that in a box and simply add packing around it to make sure it doesn't shift and break through.

Or...build a small wood crate for it, which may be the best way to make sure the galvanizing shop can just drop it back in the crate to return it to you.

If you can work with a motor freight company both ways, you may be able to just put secure tags on the anchor and ship it "raw".

[Pura Vida]

You may want to ask the galvanizer. They must certainly be familiar with shipping methods for the products they treat.

[zephyr4]

Has anyone had a new anchor shipped through the mail? How was it packed?

[S/V Elusive]

zeph? Most people I know do NOT get an anchor shipped. Same with Chain and other size weight issue type things - it just costs too much (onesy twosy type). Obviously when you ship a 100 of them to someplace, the shipping costs are greatly reduced.

[Pblais]

Anything less than 75 lbs is no problem at all. I've shipped computer monitors that weigh 75 lbs.

Above that you can get into over sized / overweight and much more yet and motor freight is all there is. There is no reason a cardboard box couldn't work. You just need filler to pack it solid. If can rattle around no cardboard box will hold it as it will beat it's way out. Wrap the whole anchor in a few layers of bubble wrap and fill the rest of the box with foam peanuts stuff it as full as possible. I would use UPS so you get a tracking number. A UPS store will box it for you if you don't have the time or stuff to do it. The double thick cardboard boxes are the best.

[hellosailor]

Paul-
" You just need filler to pack it solid." Speaking of which, there's another easy way to do this. You wrap the anchor in a double plastic bag, two bags. Put it in the box, squirt a $5 can of expanding insulating foam into the box before hastily sealing it, and voila, it ain't going no place, as they say.

And that's exactly how I've received a number of things that needed to be secured against busting out of their boxes, even whole computers.

[zephyr4]

I really like the spray foam idea, thanks!

[Pblais]

Spray foam would be good. They make packing systems that use this method. The kind you get at the harware store may not be enough from one can alone then you are starting to spend a lot of money. Someone did say these were sailors - right ? I had a lot of insulation to do around window frames at the house it it didn't go all that far. It's great for putting in a small opening and have it expand.

Anything you can pack around it to make it so it won't move is OK. It's only 35 lbs.

[zephyr4]

Not only that, but this is an anchor, it would probably take more than the average UPS man dishes out to damage it. I'm more worried about the things around it!