TromboneChat

I know that some of you guys buy and sell lots of horns so you must know something about how to ship a trombone. What's the best way to pack a horn. I'm planning on using an SKB case with a King 3B.
Thanks,
Jay

The instrument should not shift around in the case; allowing it to shift could cause damage when the box is dropped. I don't mean if either - rough having of the package is a certainty. Use bubble wrap to make it snug inside the case.

You can use brown wrapping paper to fill the box/surround the case. I'm thinking of the kind used to wrap cheese, meats, etc. Or look at the local uhaul store for their newspaper wrap. Bundle the stuff up and fill the gaps. Don't overdo it - you want the case snug but you didn't want the box bulging.

Hope this helps!

Best suggestion I have is to orient the packing and label so that the bell points up away from the floor!


Eric

I bubble wrapped a 3B-F inside the case and bubble wrapped the case inside the box. It got damaged. UPS's insurance wouldn't pay, saying "A minimum of two inches of cushioning is required and up to four inches for fragile objects."

Unless you have a huge box, it's actually safer to ship without a case, wrapping the bell and slide in lots of bubble wrap so there actually is 2-4 inches cushion around all parts inside the box.

I'm thinking about that for a horn I have to ship now.

I've shipped with and without cases many times now. No movement is key.

No movement is key, yes!

If no box: Wrap it in a lot of bubble wrap (bell and slide section separated). Some kind of foam around the bell wire also helps. Fill the box halfways with packing chips, put the horn in, push the chips a little around so there is still cushion below, but also besides. Fill the rest of the box with packing chips.

Sent several horns around the world. Never had a problem.

Any ideas for cheap packing materials?

I just shipped a horn, today actually, and it cost $20 just to buy a proper sized box and peanuts from UPS. The women even gave me a bunch of recycled peanuts to fill the box completely. Between $20 in materials and $55 for shipping it ended up costing a lot more than I expected.

I have a box store near me and pay pretty high prices for shipping materials, but lower than you would at UPS.

I also only ship through USPS, which is almost always cheaper and has good insurance.

JLivi wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 11:56 pm Any ideas for cheap packing materials?

I just shipped a horn, today actually, and it cost $20 just to buy a proper sized box and peanuts from UPS. The women even gave me a bunch of recycled peanuts to fill the box completely. Between $20 in materials and $55 for shipping it ended up costing a lot more than I expected.

Yeah, finding the right sized box can be hard!
I never did it, but I think it would also be possible to use empty plastic bottles as packing material.

I saw once a trumpet in case shipped that way: Secure trumpet in case (no moving possible). Tape empty plastic bottles all around the case. Make sure this construction can't move in the box. Finish. Cheap.

Put one of these in the bell, and cut it to size to restrict movement. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oasis-Ideal-Fl ... B006W8P3EC

And put the shipping address in several places on the outside of the box. Also put it on the case, and if you wrap the case in bubble wrap on the outside of the bubble wrap. Sometimes the shipping label is damaged, but if the box is in the carrier’s system it will still deliver if it has a shipping address.

I found a box at the U-Haul store I used to successfully ship a trombone in the cast a few years back. They have them in 12x12x48 and 15x15x48, Based on my last experience, I would get the bigger box, use lots of peanuts or foam between the box and the t-bone case.

Kingfan wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:39 am I found a box at the U-Haul store I used to successfully ship a trombone in the cast a few years back. They have them in 12x12x48 and 15x15x48, Based on my last experience, I would get the bigger box, use lots of peanuts or foam between the box and the t-bone case.

That's exactly what I did. $15 for the 15"x15"x48" box and $5 for a tiny bag of packing peanuts. Then a free garbage bag of peanuts that the UPS lady said was "recycled."

The box was great because I could really easily cut the corners to fold the top down to turn the 48" box to a 36" box. I just wish it wasn't $15 for a freaking box!

Thanks, everyone!

Those foam pool noodles (available in some dollar stores) work great for immobilizing the trombone inside the case, and they are easy to cut to size. Be sure to put a piece inside the bell. If you see those styrofoam boxes for shipping meat by the curb, pick up the lids because they can be used to wedge between the sides of the box and the case. I've also used empty cereal boxes filled with peanuts and taped shut.