Shipping crates

[Kimberly Dow]

If anyone was interested I thought I'd post these photos of the crate my husband did make me. The lining inside is foam that is meant to wrap around pipes I believe. This is a keeper and I was very pleased with it. It was so exact that nothing else was needed to cushion the painting besides what you see here. The top was hinged for easy removal. Suprisingly enough - it weighed about 51lbs with the painting and only cost me about $30 to ship with FedEx.

[Michele Rushworth]

Sorry to throw cold water on something your husband must be proud of, but I don't think this crate has nearly enough cushioning to ship a painting in. When I shipped paintings often in the past there was about two inches of foam all around the painting. It looks like the foam here is only about a quarter inch thick and that there's only maybe a half inch sheet of plywood beyond that.

The idea is to have something so strong and so cushioning that when the baggage handlers throw it out of the cargo hold onto the sharp corner of another box on the ground, the painting will still survive.

[John Crowther]

Michele is quite right, alas (even though the craftsmanship is superb). The reality is that we have to do as much as reasonably possible to anticipate abusive baggage handling. I sold a beautiful antique sewing table and sewing machine on e-bay for a friend. In a warehouse en route from Los Angeles to Wisconsin a handler ran a fork lift through the shipping crate, and the table was destroyed. -- John C.

[Kimberly Dow]

Actually I feel pretty confident about the crate. The plywood is 1/4" with 1/2" surround and sides. The foam is 2" thick at the top and bottom - thinner at the flat sides.

I am certainly not saying this is the best way to ship it. Not everyone has the tools, etc. I like the look of those boxes Linda recommended. Personally - I only feel safe delivering a painting in the nice padded back seat of my van.

I don't think any box or crate will protect a painting is a forklift is involved....

I'm gonna have to stand by my man on this one. He is a builder who started as a carpenter - he now builds 35-millon-dollar buildings. And he is trained as an engineer. Now - if I have to eat my words (the painting hasn't arrived yet) - I'll be sure and stay out of this building....

[Mike McCarty]

Here's one I built earlier this year. It has withstood one adventure, boy do I get nervous. I shipped two framed 12x15 paintings in it. I wrap the paintings several times with sheeted bubble wrap and then filled the voids with more packing material.

The edges are made of 2x6 studs and the sides are 1/2 plywood. With the exception of the lid, which is attached with countersunk screws, it is all nailed. The handle, which I got at the hardware store for a couple of bucks, is a real benefit for hauling through an airport or in and out of the car.

[Kimberly Dow]

In case anyone was interested - I got this email today -

> Hello Kim,
> My name is Harry Lipsky and i reside in Massachusetts. I have spent
> nearly 40 yrs of my life in the moving & storage business. Being
> brought up in a family business i was trained in moving, packing and
> custom crating of antiques and museum quality paintings. At this
> stage of my life i have concentrated on packing and crating services
> of mostly high end clients. I ran across your name in an artist forum
> i was searching. I saw that you posted a question a while back about
> how to obtain shipping crates for your paintings. If you are still
> interested or know of any fellow artists that may be interested in a
> custom made shipping crate, please let me know. The wood is of premium
> quality, mostly screwed not nailed, it is a solid box style not a
> "slat "crate and i include packing supplies like lables and bubble
> wrap. Shipping charges will vary by size of crate. Large crates may
> have to be shipped in "knock down position" but would be able to be
> assembled by the customer in a short amount of time.
>
> Please contact me if you are interested. Prices will vary but will
> average $85 - &150 plus shipping.
>
> Thank you for your time
>
> Harry
[email protected]

[Jen Reinstadler]

I found a website today that is dedicated to educating people about shipping artwork. I haven't had time to totally explore it, but so far it is very informative. It lists all sorts of materials with their potential pitfalls and benefits. It is mostly geared towards museums and galleries.

http://www.pacin.org