Need Shipping Box Template or Technique

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Kirstie

Kirstie

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Posts
8,395
Loc
Berkeley, CA
We are shipping framed art on a regular basis these days, perhaps about two or three per week. We don't have the facilities to build crates.

I need a cheap and quick way to build boxes to surround our carefully packaged and bubble wrapped art. We only ship with acrylic glazing.

The Wizard won't cut cardboard. Some Fed Ex boxes will fit the smaller frames, but not most.

Ideas?
 
About what size?

I would probably buy as few sizes of boxes as possible. Then I would surround the frames with pipe insulation (a buck or two per 8') and wrap that to hold it together. That protects the edges but also the face and back of the frame inside a box. I'd seal that up in a bag and fill in the box with peanuts and it's off.

Good luck.
 
My FedEx bill for shipping frames last year was over 6K with only one damage claim (A forklift fork was run clear through the box and they still delivered it). All frames shipped with acrylic for glazing. Bubble and peanuts used for protection. FOL Full Over Lap) boxes provide the best protection. For art shipped with acrylic you don't really need any more protection with good packing.

These are the boxes I used the most of.

30x5x24 FOL http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...30-x-5-x-24-FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Boxes

28x4x24 FOL http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...28-x-4-x-24-FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Boxes

24x5x18 FOL http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...24-x-5-x-18-FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Boxes

24x5x24 FOL http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...24-x-5-x-24-FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Boxes

36x5x30 FOL http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...36-x-5-x-30-FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Boxes

36x5x24 FOL http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...36-x-5-x-24-FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Boxes

36x6x42 FOL http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...FOL-Side-Loading-Corrugated-Boxes-275-lb-test

Uline has a number of other FOL boxes available.
 
Very helpful. Thanks!
 
Kirstie -

Do you have a compound or sliding miter box?

We make crates all the time - you can buy 1 x 6 pine boards, or have a shop rip 3/4" shop plywood into 8 foot lengths. Then we make a "box" from the 1 x 6 with the sides stapled together (or you could use drywall screws). Then we add corrugated (2 pieces for each side) top and bottom. The bottom is stapled on with the same stapler we use for canvas stretching. The top is taped on with packaging tape to make it easier to open.

We actually get more elaborate using 1" foam insullation all around to fit the art, but you can bubble wrap and achieve the same effect. Best yet, it fully protects the corners of the art from getting crushed and you don't have to stock or order a bunch of boxes and you just build what you need.

If you and Jeff ever come to San Diego, I'll give you a personal demo :).
 
We use a combination of Uline boxes for smaller frames and Rob's method for larger or odd-sized ones.

For interior packaging we buy edge protectors - an L-shaped piece of heavy cardboard like you would find on the corner of a fridge when you open the box - in 5' lengths. These are trimmed to length as required, and fitted over the face and edge of a foam sheeting wrapped frame. We then use bubble wrap around the whole thing.

I like Jay's idea of pipe insulation - I will check into that. In addition to stapling we actually glue the bottom sheet of cardboard to the wooden sides - it makes the structure extremely rigid even in a quite large size.
 
I am with Rob in using rigid foam for padding. I get it in 3 thicknesses at Home Depot. The white Styrofoam is the cheapest and works great.

For a quick box, after a complete wrap in foam, I have taken strips of corrugated and wrapped the package one way(a complete circle of corrugated), then a second wrap 90° to the other.
 
We do a lot of shipping and almost everything we do is a custom box. We actually use 3/16 foamboard for the box. Each frame is wrapped in 1" bubble pack an average of 4 times around and then the foamboard. The only time we get breakage is if they crush the box and it happens but not often. In 30 years of shipping we have never had a claim denied because the packing was not adaquate.
 
Packaging art work

I have been using packaging from a company by the name of fragile packaging solutions to ship my framed art work. I use only glass and have had no breakage at all. It is also faster and easier than bubble wrap and peanuts. I typically order my cartons from u line or cut flat stock down to size.
 
First post to the group and you offer a sound solution. Kudo's! I can see how their system could work well by floating the artwork. Like you said, no peanuts or bubble wrap, and any damage could happen by shippers, which could happen in transit with other ways of packaging.

How it works.......

http://fragilepackagingsolutions.com/Howthesystemworks.html
 
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