To-date, I have found VERY FEW (eBay) people who have the FOGGIEST
idea of how to properly pack a boatanchor. Especially the "trust me -
I'm an eBay professional" types.
So... I've been insisting on (and paying for) double boxing and heavy
cardboard boxes.
However. . . The "Joe Average" average double-box job can (usually)
lead to a crunched front panel - or worse.
A Knight transmitter I recently received was double-boxed with the
inner cushioned from the outer with a 1.5" layer of peanuts. However,
the front-panel of the transmitter had been stood off the side of the
inner box with a thick sheet of solid, hard styrofoam.
Right now I'm assuming that the "locked" shafts are simply due to the
knobs being scrunched just a little bit tighter against the front
panel than they should be.
I hope.

OTOH, a Johnson Viking Valiant (just add chain - no concrete required)
I received was so well packed that despite being dropped, the only
things amiss were a "floating" audio interstage under the chassis and
severely bent mountings on the mod transformer: absolutely NO front
panel damage or tube breakage!

My quest for knowledge:
Has anyone here tried DIY foam-in-place?
I'm talking about embalming the hunk-o-iron in double heavy duty
trashbags, shooting "some" (think of a kid with a can of whipped
cream) of the DIY spray-in foam insulation into the 4 corners of the
inner box and then setting the bagged anchor into the mess till it
sets. A follow-up would (hopefully) lock the bagged goodie
more-or-less into the middle of the box.
Or am I just gonna make a nasty mess?

TIA,
Bill - WB1GOT

Oh - getting the thing back out is someone elses problem. :-)

Bill, I have 2 (or what's left of them) Valiant I's shipped to me via
common carrier. Neither made the trip. The 2 V-1's that I do have and
that are on the air came from local buys. Of all the equipment I've
bought and sold, I have to say that Valiant's appear to be the most
vulnerable. I've had front panels folded back, VFO drives crunched, all
manner of iron torn loose, ad nausium. Of course, one of these
disasters was preciptiated by a "gentleman from the South" using old
boat cushions as packing (sic) material. EFJ crated factory wired
Valiants for shipment. Probably still a good idea....?
Regards de Jeep/K3HVG

"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...
My quest for knowledge:
Has anyone here tried DIY foam-in-place?
I'm talking about embalming the hunk-o-iron in double heavy duty
trashbags, shooting "some" (think of a kid with a can of whipped
cream) of the DIY spray-in foam insulation into the 4 corners of the
inner box and then setting the bagged anchor into the mess till it
sets. A follow-up would (hopefully) lock the bagged goodie
more-or-less into the middle of the box.
Or am I just gonna make a nasty mess?

TIA,
Bill - WB1GOT

Oh - getting the thing back out is someone elses problem. :-)


TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I remember
it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic wrapped rigs in
the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper sides of the box
with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer. Opened like a clam
shell, easy to get out.

I used the original box several times for moving the rig, and I know that
the fellow I finally sold it to used it the same way. I copied the
technique several times on a smaller scale for shipping fragile stuff.

Marty - K1FHR

TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I
remember it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic
wrapped rigs in the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper
sides of the box with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer.
Opened like a clam shell, easy to get out.

My last employer (Daytron World Communications)
used this method to ship their radios. Very low
damage rate.

73, John - K6QQ

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 12:46:56 GMT, "Martin"
wrote:

original post snippage
TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I remember
it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic wrapped rigs in
the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper sides of the box
with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer. Opened like a clam
shell, easy to get out.

I used the original box several times for moving the rig, and I know that
the fellow I finally sold it to used it the same way.
Still have my TenTec boxes up in the garage

I copied the technique several times on a smaller scale for
shipping fragile stuff.
Marty,
PLEASE - How?

Bill

"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 12:46:56 GMT, "Martin"
wrote:

original post snippage
TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I
remember
it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic wrapped rigs in
the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper sides of the box
with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer. Opened like a clam
shell, easy to get out.

I used the original box several times for moving the rig, and I know that
the fellow I finally sold it to used it the same way.
Still have my TenTec boxes up in the garage

I copied the technique several times on a smaller scale for
shipping fragile stuff.
Marty,
PLEASE - How?

Bill


Bill,

I used those spray foam cans that they sell for replacing insulation in
refrigerators after repairs and for insulating around electrical outlets
that leak cold air in the winter. It was just a duplication on a much
smaller scale of what I described. I've shipped some ancient Weston meters,
a couple of 4-400's and several fragile optical instruments that way with no
damage reported.

The only problem I had was guessing how much to squirt into the boxes. Had
to do a bit of trimming when it expanded too much. The boxes I used were
considerably smaller than the one the TenTec came in, and I recall needing
only one can for two boxes. I tried to get about 4" of foam all around.
Make sure the plastic bag that you put the items in has no holes or tears;
that stuff really sticks to things.

Marty - K1FHR

"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 12:46:56 GMT, "Martin"
wrote:

original post snippage
TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I
remember
it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic wrapped rigs in
the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper sides of the box
with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer. Opened like a clam
shell, easy to get out.

I used the original box several times for moving the rig, and I know that
the fellow I finally sold it to used it the same way.
Still have my TenTec boxes up in the garage

I copied the technique several times on a smaller scale for
shipping fragile stuff.
Marty,
PLEASE - How?

Bill


Bill,

I used those spray foam cans that they sell for replacing insulation in
refrigerators after repairs and for insulating around electrical outlets
that leak cold air in the winter. It was just a duplication on a much
smaller scale of what I described. I've shipped some ancient Weston meters,
a couple of 4-400's and several fragile optical instruments that way with no
damage reported.

The only problem I had was guessing how much to squirt into the boxes. Had
to do a bit of trimming when it expanded too much. The boxes I used were
considerably smaller than the one the TenTec came in, and I recall needing
only one can for two boxes. I tried to get about 4" of foam all around.
Make sure the plastic bag that you put the items in has no holes or tears;
that stuff really sticks to things.

Marty - K1FHR

Martin wrote:

"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 12:46:56 GMT, "Martin"
wrote:

original post snippage

TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I
remember
it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic wrapped rigs in
the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper sides of the box
with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer. Opened like a clam
shell, easy to get out.

I used the original box several times for moving the rig, and I know that
the fellow I finally sold it to used it the same way.

Still have my TenTec boxes up in the garage


I copied the technique several times on a smaller scale for
shipping fragile stuff.

Marty,
PLEASE - How?

Bill



Bill,

I used those spray foam cans that they sell for replacing insulation in
refrigerators after repairs and for insulating around electrical outlets
that leak cold air in the winter. It was just a duplication on a much
smaller scale of what I described. I've shipped some ancient Weston meters,
a couple of 4-400's and several fragile optical instruments that way with no
damage reported.

The only problem I had was guessing how much to squirt into the boxes. Had
to do a bit of trimming when it expanded too much. The boxes I used were
considerably smaller than the one the TenTec came in, and I recall needing
only one can for two boxes. I tried to get about 4" of foam all around.
Make sure the plastic bag that you put the items in has no holes or tears;
that stuff really sticks to things.

Marty - K1FHR


Lessee...how do I compare an 8 lb TenTec rig vs a 80 lb boatanchor?.
Caution, folks. Much of the 'home' spray can foam will simply collapse
if you place a heavy shoe on top of it. Whats good for an old VTVM or
vintage knob might not play for an HT32.
Would you be willing to DROP, PUNT or TOSS your package as you enter the
front door of USPS/UPS/Fedex? If not, then go home and repack.

-BM

Martin wrote:

"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 12:46:56 GMT, "Martin"
wrote:

original post snippage

TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I
remember
it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic wrapped rigs in
the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper sides of the box
with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer. Opened like a clam
shell, easy to get out.

I used the original box several times for moving the rig, and I know that
the fellow I finally sold it to used it the same way.

Still have my TenTec boxes up in the garage


I copied the technique several times on a smaller scale for
shipping fragile stuff.

Marty,
PLEASE - How?

Bill



Bill,

I used those spray foam cans that they sell for replacing insulation in
refrigerators after repairs and for insulating around electrical outlets
that leak cold air in the winter. It was just a duplication on a much
smaller scale of what I described. I've shipped some ancient Weston meters,
a couple of 4-400's and several fragile optical instruments that way with no
damage reported.

The only problem I had was guessing how much to squirt into the boxes. Had
to do a bit of trimming when it expanded too much. The boxes I used were
considerably smaller than the one the TenTec came in, and I recall needing
only one can for two boxes. I tried to get about 4" of foam all around.
Make sure the plastic bag that you put the items in has no holes or tears;
that stuff really sticks to things.

Marty - K1FHR


Lessee...how do I compare an 8 lb TenTec rig vs a 80 lb boatanchor?.
Caution, folks. Much of the 'home' spray can foam will simply collapse
if you place a heavy shoe on top of it. Whats good for an old VTVM or
vintage knob might not play for an HT32.
Would you be willing to DROP, PUNT or TOSS your package as you enter the
front door of USPS/UPS/Fedex? If not, then go home and repack.

-BM

"Bill Powell" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 12:46:56 GMT, "Martin"
wrote:

original post snippage
TenTec used to, or maybe still does, use the foam method. But as I
remember
it, they filled the box just halfway, then set the plastic wrapped rigs in
the foam, covered it and the lower foam layer and upper sides of the box
with plastic film, and poured in the top foam layer. Opened like a clam
shell, easy to get out.

I used the original box several times for moving the rig, and I know that
the fellow I finally sold it to used it the same way.
Still have my TenTec boxes up in the garage

I copied the technique several times on a smaller scale for
shipping fragile stuff.
Marty,
PLEASE - How?

Bill


Bill,

I used those spray foam cans that they sell for replacing insulation in
refrigerators after repairs and for insulating around electrical outlets
that leak cold air in the winter. It was just a duplication on a much
smaller scale of what I described. I've shipped some ancient Weston meters,
a couple of 4-400's and several fragile optical instruments that way with no
damage reported.

The only problem I had was guessing how much to squirt into the boxes. Had
to do a bit of trimming when it expanded too much. The boxes I used were
considerably smaller than the one the TenTec came in, and I recall needing
only one can for two boxes. I tried to get about 4" of foam all around.
Make sure the plastic bag that you put the items in has no holes or tears;
that stuff really sticks to things.

Marty - K1FHR