A new idea/product for Ingot Shipment

[Old Ironsights]

RE: the POST OFFICE (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=28075) thread:

I have a buttload of some high density foam packing material (in 4'x8'x3" sheets).

I just sent (as of the morning of 3/28) 2 "flat rate" USPS boxes of 50ea 1lb Lyman ingots to Larry.

The boxes are wrapped with nothing more than a "once around" of regular clear packing tape... but the ingots inside are fully surrounded by this rigid foam.

As packed, the boxes weigh, by my bathroom scale, 52.5 lbs.

I've asked Larry to take pics of the result(s).

If this works, I think it will be "da shizzle" for shipping ingots by USPS flat rate box...

So I will, in that case, be selling it off. Gotta make money somehow. :twisted:

[runfiverun]

how the heck ya gonna get 52 lbs of foam in a little box like that?

rotfl

[mike in co]

i used to ship lead but it did not support me.
hours smelting lead scrap .
cost of supplies, usps boxes for free, but paid for packaging tape, straping tape, and for scrap cardboard to package with.
i would take 5 8 lb mini loaf's and tape in a 3/2 stack, wrap the stack in a layer of cardboard, with straping tape. put the bundle on top of 3 layers of cardboard in the flat rate box, packed all four side with layers of cardboard, a layer or three on the top. a double wrap of straping tape length wise, two double wraps of straping tape on the side, the box itself had all seams sealed with 2" clear packaging tape.
deliver to the post office.
a half hour to package
a half hour to ship
close to a half hour to smelt 40 lbs....( based on multiple 120 lbs pots in a row)
cost of propane...2-3 bucks( two 20 lb bottles at 8 bucks each)
so 42 less 9 less for shipping,2bucks for fuel, less 50%( i split with the lead owner) is $15.50 for and hour and a half's work...is 10 bucks an hour......while that may not seem bad...it will not pay the bills.

i'm sure if you have a source of cheap lead and its not the only source of personal income, its fine, but with my brass company, it was actually costing me money to sell lead.
now i do still sell lead....
i sell indoor range scrap, just now you pick it up......raw, unsmelted....how many 1000's of pounds do you want ?
mike

[Old Ironsights]

I agree that selling lead is a break-even at best situation... but sometimes trading ingts for other stuff is a good thing.

And a good way to ship the ingots without having them busted out all over the place is even better.

[mooman76]

The P.O. has these real strong priority mail envelopes. I'm getting ready to ship some lead and I'm going to put the lead in the envelope before placing in the Flat rate box. These envelopes are more like cloth than paper and if anyone has tried to rip one open it is near impossible and you have to cut it open. I figure that asn a few rounds of packing tape should hold it in!

[winchester243]

The best way I've had ingots shipped to me, the seller heavily saran wrapped all the ingots together in one big block and then packed some dense foam around them. The box arived undamaged.

[hyoder]

I've packed some heavy steel items for shipping by wrapping them in plastic, setting them in the shipping box with standoffs in the bottom, sections of paper tubes works for this, then filling around the item with insulating form that comes in the pressurized cans. You do have to go slow with the foam - if you get too much it will expand and take a pretty good box with it.
I would think that this method would work for lead ingots.
The foam usually show in the discount bins at Lowe's and Home Depot.

[Lloyd Smale]

great idea!
I've packed some heavy steel items for shipping by wrapping them in plastic, setting them in the shipping box with standoffs in the bottom, sections of paper tubes works for this, then filling around the item with insulating form that comes in the pressurized cans. You do have to go slow with the foam - if you get too much it will expand and take a pretty good box with it.
I would think that this method would work for lead ingots.
The foam usually show in the discount bins at Lowe's and Home Depot.

[Gunload Master]

I wish someone would invent Helium Packed - packing peanuts.. see if that 50lb block could get cut back to 30lbs.......[smilie=1:[smilie=1:

[KCSO]

I think every member should supply angle and trajectory figures and we won't have to ship lead, we can just launch it at the closest members front yard!