Shipping crates
 

Does anyone know of a good website that sells shipping crates or strong boxes for artwork? I am a bit on the desperate side...
Thanks!

Your local Mail Boxes Etc or local equivalent ,can make you a very secure box, if you like.

Craters & Freighters
 

I've used Craters & Freighters (cratersandfreighters.com) to ship a painting; they built a custom wooden crate for it. They specialize in artwork, antiques, and other small volume/high value items. I don't know if they do just the crate. I see from their website they have a location in San Antonio and will do a pickup in Uvalde.

Thank you both - although I am still stuck so far. I moved just a couple of weeks ago. Now I am 6 1/2 hours from San Antonio. There is no Mail Boxes Etc or anything like it here. I will check out that website though Chuck - maybe they have one in Midland. Otherwise I will try and build one myself.

Kim,
I visited local artist Stephen Gjerston a few days ago; one of the things we talked about was shipping paintings. He said he builds his own crates with 1/4" plywood and boards. He not to make it a tight fit in the crate because if it's dropped there will be more damage than if there is some movement allowed. He said to use lots of bubble wrap. He said some of the shipping companies prefer the use of cardboard, but it's not strong enough to protect the painting. He also said that even though he writes fragile all over the boxes that it's obvious at times they've been dropped, so it's important that the crates be strong and the painting well protected with bubble wrap. Although I remember reading somewhere (here?) that bubble wrap can cause a problem by leaving bubble marks on your painting.
Debra

Airfloat Strongboxes
 

Kim, I have used Strongboxes for many years. (I'm having trouble linking this, try this site: https://secure.redmagnet.com/airfloatsys/strongbox.asp )They are sturdy and reusable heavy cardboard boxes with (optional) tough plastic liners. They're lined with two layers of "eggcarton" dark foam in which you can cut a shape to exactly fit your painting. Your painting rides nestled cozily to its destination. The whole thing is reusable and if you're mailing to an art show the repackers just pop it back in and the system comes right back to you if the painting is unsold. You can reuse the boxes many times. They are worth the investment if you plan to enter many shows. I would also use them to ship paintings to a client.

It seems to me that this company gives, or used to give, a discount to artists who are entering the Arts for the Parks national competition. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

I didn't fully appreciate these boxes until I helped uncrate paintings for a show last year. Show participants who shipped paintings haphazardly (one painting had seven layers of intricate tape and paper, a nightmare to unwrap) were thoroughly cursed by the unpackers.

Debra,

Thank you for that information. I am a huge fan of Stephen Gjertson. I am jealous you got to visit him!

Thank you Linda - I am going to visit that site right now. I found a few online, not sure if that is the one. I guess spending the money put me off, but I am sure you are right that it is worth it. The husband keeps telling me he can build one easy enough (he builds multi-millon-dollar buildings so it must be true), but he is just so busy and hasn't gotten to it. Luckily the Fed Ex guy told me today that they come way up on our mountain and pick up. All I have to do it stand on a bathroom scale and get an approximate weight and I can write him a check at my front door. They are so trusting here in the country :D

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.

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.

Crates
 

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.

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.... :exclamati

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....

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.

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]

Packing, Arthandling and Crating Information Network
 

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

I guess that it will make a difference if the painting is framed or not. The frame is often fragile and heavy. When the crate is dropped the weight of the frame will make it move inside the crate if there is room for it. The light weight canvas will just follow the bumping and nothing will happen as long as the plywood is intact.

Allan