Could use some tips on packaging lead

[cruisor]

Hello,

I'm hoping that some folks could share their experience in shipping lead. Because of the weight what methods are you using to keep the package intact during shipping? My plan is to just ship the small flat rate boxes and get 20 plus pounds in it.

I know that is a very mundane question but I'd like to be sure that what I sell get's there in one piece. Makes for a happy buyer and seller!!

Regards,

Lee

[Love Life]

Fiber tape and don't go cheap on the tape. Also pack the boxes so there is no room for movement.

What you need to do is pack a box to the best of your abilities. Then drop it from chest level. Pick it up and drop it again. Check for damage. Go from there.

Most blown out boxes are from people skimping on packing tape and interior packing.

[runfiverun]

drop it and throw it a few times then step on the box and kick it.
I was a loader at ups for a while.
you might think a 20 or 70 pound box is heavy.
I didn't think nothing about it because I moved them around all night.
I could underhand toss a 70 lb package over 15' easily, and make 20'-22' with the roll.
fragile' is an Italian word that means. if you happen to read it as the package goes by throw it on top of the wall.

[Hondo 60]

Just use the tape with the nylon threads in it.
And don't scrimp.

I "think" this is it.

http://www.officemax.com/office-supplies/shipping-mailing-supplies/packaging-tape-dispensers/product-ARS22135

[Alchemist]

I back up runfiverun's comments 100%. As a mailman I see packages that are nearly destroyed because they have small light items in a big box with one strip of tape across the top. If the box isn't crammed full, pack bracing material all around until the contents can not move. Then moderate taping will suffice. Fishhawk (one of our moderators) sent me the best packed lead I ever received. He made up pine boxes to exactly fit inside a FRB and packed the lead inside that. When I got it I dropped it to test the packing job...perfect! "If it fits, it ships" but if it can move inside the box it just might come out!

[williamwaco]

I don't ship it but I buy it occasionally. Usually 60 lbs in a medium flat rate box.

Two points:

ALL space in the box MUST be filled with something incompressible. If there is any free space, the ingots will rattle around and break the box.

Not sure, but If I remember correctly five small flat rate boxes fit exactly into one medium rate box.
Pack your lead very tightly in the small boxes. No air space. Tape them securely.
Place those small boxes in the large box until it is full of small boxes then tape it excessively.
This means you must not be able to touch the cardboard of the box anywhere with even a finger tip.

A small box only holds around 11 pounds. I have never ordered that small amount because the postage raises the price too much.

[imashooter2]

I'm a big fan of Tyvek bags inside a taped box, inside a well taped box. Make sure the bag can't move inside the box and the box can't move inside the next box.

[cruisor]

Thanks for all this great advise. I did manage to get just a bit over twenty pounds in a smrb and it was quite full. Will add some type of filler as well. I hate to send stuff out and have it not arrive in at least decent shape.

Thanks again,

Lee

[220swiftfn]

I don't ship it but I buy it occasionally. Usually 60 lbs in a medium flat rate box.

Two points:

ALL space in the box MUST be filled with something incompressible. If there is any free space, the ingots will rattle around and break the box.

Not sure, but If I remember correctly five small flat rate boxes fit exactly into one medium rate box.
Pack your lead very tightly in the small boxes. No air space. Tape them securely.
Place those small boxes in the large box until it is full of small boxes then tape it excessively.
This means you must not be able to touch the cardboard of the box anywhere with even a finger tip.

A small box only holds around 11 pounds. I have never ordered that small amount because the postage raises the price too much.

Six small rate boxes fit in the medium flat rate box.


Dan

[Tatume]

Hello William,


A small box only holds around 11 pounds. I have never ordered that small amount because the postage raises the price too much.

Recently I have received SFR boxes in trades. Each had 20 pounds of lead inside.

Take care, Tom

[ku4hx]

Double boxed (heavyweight cardboard) and lots of reinforced tape. LOTS of tape on both boxes and as much filler material (old newspapers, paper shredder fodder and etc.) as you can pack around to prevent shifting and to provide a measure of cushioning.

[Suo Gan]

This is what I do. In the past I have sold some 60 pound boxes here. I just get two medium flat rate boxes and cram one inside the other, making a double layered box. After you get the hang of it, it is pretty fast. You just have to make sure that they are exactly the same folds going over each other. Then I tape the TOP of the box up real good. When you tape the top make sure and squish the sides so that you get a nice tight seam on the top with no big gaps. By real good I go over it several times with 3M Heavy Duty Packing tape. There are different grades, the thicker stuff is what I use, and the thinner regular packing tape is going to require at least one roll to do a box. Probably about a third to half of a roll of the heavy duty tape on an entire box. Then I flip it upside down and load the ingots in there. This means that you are loading the ingots in upside down. (I will discuss the point of that in a minute.) I usually just sell one pound ingots. I stack them so that there is as little free play between them as possible. I just load them on a scale to 60 pounds. Then I put a cardboard cutout the size of the box on top of the ingots. Then I cut the box at the corners to make it fold tight against the ingots. Tape it real good, then flip it over. That way the top of the box has not been altered, just the bottom. I have never had a complaint at the PO about doing this. I first started shipping without cutting down the box and I had a complaint of blowouts even after very rigorous taping and extra cardboard cushions. Never had one after I cut them down to fit the package. I go five times around the middle with the tape around the total equator of the package. Tape the corners real good. You will probably spend at least $2 in tape on each shipment so factor that in. That tape is sold at Wal Mart in a value pack, and also Costco, I think 8 rolls are $24 there.

Also some ingots have sharp corners. Pay particular attention to them and give them extra care so that they do not drill or poke their way out of the box. This will require that you add more cardboard on the interior or move them so that they do not protrude toward the sides of the box.

I see that some folks make plywood boxes that fit inside the flat rate box, and I am sure they are good, but there is very little money in the selling of lead, even if you are getting it for cheap. It is labor intensive, it is not the most fun, and the PO pretty much hates you if you do large amounts. I just don't see the point to doing another step in this and more time and money spent on your end.

[Sweetpea]

I always build a wooden box to just fit inside the cardboard box... It takes a little time, but I get the wood for free.

Then rigorously tape with strapping tape all directions, and you should be good to go.

Brandon