I need to ship a 1936 Ford rear fender from upstate NY to California, but I have no idea how to package the sucker to make sure it's not damaged in transit. It'll probably go via Greyhound. I've been looking for a suitable carton, but haven't found anything close. I'd sure appreciate any information / ideas from anyone that's shipped something like this and what they did to protect it. Thanks, -Bob
I have shipped several items that are large or fagile, here is what i do. You will need probably 1 1/2 sheets of fiber board, that's what i call it. Get this board at Lowes or some pace similar, it is fuzzy on one side and very smooth on the other and is about an 1/8 or so thick. Come up with the mesaurements you need, score the board and it will snap on the line. Screw it together along all edges with some wood that is 1x1 inch, then cover the whole outer surface with shipping tape. All the materials should be around $15 bucks, it's not as much work as you would think. The tape cvering the smooth outer surface sticks real well and makes the fiber board puncture resitant.
for strange/crazy --size/shapes i usually end up making my own, find a company that has stuff shipped to em & get top & bottom 'cover' sheets,they usually end up throwing them away any how.make some spreaders from scrap 3/4-1' wood for bracing & spreading load,fill the box FULL of packing peanuts {i get free also from same company}helps with crushing..
I haven't shipped any parts that big, but I have had fenders, doors, and the like shipped out to me from California or Arizona via Greyhound. Most of them were just wrapped in bubble wrap, with a few layers of cardboard on top. I had a '39 Olds decklid that got dropped at some point and got a little damage on the lip(something that probably would've happened no matter how well it was packaged- that thing was heavy) that I never had any real issues. Hell, I had one guy just slap a sticker on a fender and send it, and it arrived safely. I'd ask the seller what they would prefer for something like that- most of the stuff I bought, I already figured on doing body work and paint so I really couldn't have cared less if it got a few dings or scratches on it, It would still be much nicer that what I was starting with and I just wanted it shipped as cheaply as possible.
I shipped 2 Deuce fenders to Texas a few years ago,,and I wrapped them separate with cardboard and tape. Shipped them thru UPS and didn't have any problem. HRP
I shipped some 34 fenders Greyhound a few years back, wrapped them in bubble wrap, then cardboard. They were fine...
I shipped tow Ford F1 front fenders to the east coast from California. Those things are freaking HUGE. I just wrapped them in Shrink Wrap individually and sent them Greyhound. Arrived perfect and it was cheap. I also just had a Falcon front fender sent to me by Greyhound from Oregon - no problems.
try this company "uline" and also budget truck rental has large wardrobe boxes and bubble wrap that might work?
As Damagedduck said in post 3 in an appropriate size box full of packing peanuts. The peanuts don't add any appreciable weight and they won't let the item move or let the box crush in on it. I usually hit the local furniture store for heavy duty cardboard boxes to ship big items in. Greyhound is usually the least expensive but lately they have cut out a lot of the traditonal Greyhound terminals that handle freight and won't drop packages at the mini marts or cafes they stop at. Plus I have had trouble with buyers who didn't want to go to "that part of town" to the bus terminal or didn't want to drive across town 30 miles to the terminal.
I know this sounds crazy, but, I needed a fender for a 75 Cordoba. The seller duct taped a sheet of cardboard into a fender sized package and sent it off on Grey Hound. I got it, it was perfect. Least expensive shipper too.
Depending upon how much $$$ you're making on the sale and how much of that profit you're willing to spend in order to get it to where it's going safely, first establish a carrier. Greyhound is great (and cheap) for long distance hauls. Next, find a suitable carton for the item, in your case a fender. These can be gotten usually free from Wal-Mart, Home Depot, or Lowe's as long as you catch them before they stick their cardboard boxes into the bailer. If you leave your contact info and tell them what you're looking for (i.e. refrigerator box), they'll usually give you a call and hold it for you. I usually make a simple frame the size of the end of the box using 3/4" x 3" strips of wood, plywood, or whatever, but you could do the same with rolled cardboard. The goal is to bolster the basic shape of the box against any banging or slamming it might experience in transit. Shoot a can of "Great Stuff" expanding foam insulation into the bottom end of the box you'll be shipping the fender in. Pick up a few pieces of copper pipe foam insulation (y'know, like the foam tubing stuff around your water heater pipes to keep them from freezing/sweating) out at the hardware store. It's cheap if you buy it in the individual sections, like a buck for a 6' run. Use that to protect any hard edges, since those seem to be the edges that see the most damage from my experience. Slide it over and tape it in place every few inches. Next, slide the fender into a trash bag from both ends and tape the overlap where they meet in the middle. Make sure there are no openings. Place the fender into the box. Fill in any space between the side of the box and the fender with rolled cardboard, and try to keep the fender centered in the box. Fill in any large spaces with more "Great Stuff" expanding insulation foam. In order to not have to use a billion cans at $6.00 a piece, you can use crumbled styrofoam chunks as filler and just shoot pockets of "Great Stuff" over it. It usually takes me about 4 or 5 cans to ship a fender or door. Place the wooden framework for the other (top) end of the box on top and close up the box. Let the package sit for at least two days before shipping, in order to give the expanding foam a chance to cure. It sounds like overkill, and maybe it is, but I've learned the hard way that it's easier to package stuff right and ship it than it is to spend HOURS on the phone jumping through hoops with a shipping service trying to collect on a damaged item claim.
there is a foam product "instapack quick" but it is a bag that you crush the inner bag and it turns to foam and expands to the shape of the object. Its the best, but has a bigger price tag. your product will show up as packed
I have shipped a few fenders with greyhound. I take old rags and wrap them around all the sharp edges then I use some boat shrink wrap around the whole thing. The buyer said both arrived in good condition. Mike
Start with your local body shop . They have fenders shipped in boxes, that w/b a good start. Good luck
However you decide to ship them, insure them, that way it wont be a total loss in the event of damage.... I always screwed mine to a board, and shipped them upright with plenty of packaging, whether it be crated, bubble wrap, or styrafoam...
The Jalopy Journal
