PACKING ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT TO SURVIVE SHIPPING
               latest updates and corrections  2-1-2015

     Small heavy objects such as a 1541 disk drive require special treatment 
when it comes to packing them up for shipping. Here are a few tips to prevent 
damage to your equipment when you decide to ship something for repairs or if 
you're moving. I'll use the 1541 as an example, but the same ideas work for 
most equipment. Foam chips or plastic "popcorn" can be used for cushioning 
-only- if you put those chips in sealed bags to keep them from migrating 
around inside the package. A heavy object packed in nothing but foam chips 
will sink to the bottom of the box and will likely suffer case damage if the 
container is dropped. Crushed newspaper is almost useless for protecting 
heavy objects. If unprotected, your drive will almost certainly arrive with 
a broken case. One special precaution when you ship a 1571 drive is to insert 
a transit card or a scrap disk in the drive, close the drive door and put a 
piece of tape across the door to keep it from snapping open in transit. That
method protects the delicate upper head mount from damage due to physical 
shock. The 1541 and other similar drives are not sensitive since they have 
only one head, so a transit protection card or disk is not really necessary 
for shipping it. Several layers of bubble wrap is very good for protecting a 
C64 or 128. Keyboards are especially vulnerable and need that protection. I 
prefer to double-box a computer (box within a box) to fully protect it. 
     I always tell people to pack equipment well enough to survive a six foot 
drop onto concrete. No kidding! Foam padding (the kind that deforms and 
springs back when you release it) is a good lightweight cushion for all types 
of equipment, especially for a heavy object like an SX-64 computer. Don't be 
tempted to reuse old Styrofoam blocks that were originally used as packing 
material for a TV set, DVD player or other equipment. Those blocks are form 
fitted to the device they  protected and are worse than useless for your gear. 
The best way I have found to pack easily breakable items is in a box within a 
box, and with padding in both. The external box may be crumpled but the 
internal box will survive, as will its contents.
     Plastic "bubble wrap" is a good protective packing material, but don't 
depend on it alone for heavy objects. It works best as the first line of 
protection for such light things as keyboards and circuit boards. However, 
one precaution if you're packing any circuit or mother board: use a sheet of 
newspaper to cover the board before you use the plastic bubble wrap. The 
reason is that most plastics generate static electrical charges strong enough 
to damage ICs and other board components. The slight bit of moisture in 
newspaper is enough to dampen any static charge buildup and protect the board 
from damage. So, wrap the board in newspaper first, then in a few layers of 
bubble wrap and finally in a good strong box.
     Shipping companies charge for the weight and the size of a container. 
Lots of cardboard inside the box will add quite a bit of unnecessary weight 
and may not protect equipment the way you expect. I use cardboard sheets to 
separate one heavy device from another (a C64 from its PS, for example), if 
shipping more than one unit, for reinforcing the container itself, and for 
covering a small heavy object such as a disk drive to protect its fragile 
case. Whatever you use, make sure the contents do not "rattle" when the final 
package is shaken. Looseness means the device inside can move around in the 
packing material and could suffer damage in transit from vibration or sudden 
drops.

PACKING A GLASS TUBE COMPUTER MONITOR
     I prefer to pack computer monitors face down on a two inch thick foam 
pad over a reinforced bottom in the container. The CRT neck board can break 
the tube if the monitor is shipped upright and it is set down hard. Since 
most of the weight of a monitor is in the glass picture tube, it makes sense 
to ship it face down. Don't be tempted to use Styrofoam chunks or chips in 
the box bottom... they will not protect the monitor. Chips tend to migrate 
around in a box and a heavy device will sink to the bottom and therefore be 
subject to shock and vibration damage in transit. FYI: the control door on 
the bottom front of the monitor case is the first thing to get damaged by 
rough handling. You'll often find that door missing on a used monitor. The 
monitor packing box should allow a space of at least two inches on all sides, 
and that space packed tight with whatever protective material you use.
     Surround the monitor in the box with foam or foam chips secured in bags 
so the chips can't migrate. You want the final package to be tight and not 
allow the contents to rattle around inside the box. Lastly, the case rear 
should be protected with packing -around- the block of plastic that sticks 
out. The tube neck is just inside that block. If anything hits the cabinet 
there, it could break the tube. After tight packing, put another stiff chunk 
of cardboard over the top to strengthen the box top, then seal it up. This 
same procedure should be used to protect the SX-64 computer. 
     Visualize what would happen inside if you were to sit on a box after 
packing it or if you were to drop it. It may end up as the bottom box in a 
stack on the truck, so it must be able to withstand that kind of force. The 
sides must be stiff enough to withstand extra weight on it, so a beefy box 
is required. A box within a box is even better. Put "this side up" with 
arrows all around the sides of the container with "fragile" and "glass" in 
big letters on it in several places. Tell the shipper it's a glass tube 
computer monitor.

     USPS offers the best rate with "standard" mail (was Parcel Post). I 
always add tracking and include insurance if requested or if the goods are 
expensive or hard to replace. Priority mailing doesn't always get there 
faster than regular mail and it's much more expensive. I never use it for 
large and/or heavy packages, but it does include $50 insurance. Add more 
if you think it necessary. Note that Priority costs more if you use your 
own box! Their free boxes (make sure it says "flat rate" on the box) offer 
the best rates if you have something small enough to fit inside. I found 
out the hard way when I boxed up a PS and used my own cardboard box. 
Priority cost $18! If I had used one of their flat rate Priority boxes, the 
same thing would have been only $12.35. Like all businesses, they are not 
there to make friends, just money! 
     For things that can't be replaced, or if requested to do so, I use UPS 
or FedEx. "UPS Ground" includes tracking and $100 insurance unless you add 
more. Expect to pay still more for guaranteed fast delivery. I ALWAYS pack 
goods myself. No shipper should be expected to do as good a job as you 
would. I would never drop off something for them to pack unless it was 
genuinely unbreakable in the first place. Lastly, if shipping out of the 
country, consider the cheapest USPS rate first. I tried shipping a repaired 
C64 motherboard from the USA to Japan and UPS wanted $125! Our PO wanted 
less than $20. Since that board could be replaced easily if lost in transit 
(which, in truth, is not likely), it didn't make sense to spend more than 
it was worth to ship it. If in doubt about the best way to send your goods, 
ask the Post Office attendant. They can tell you the difference between 
standard and Priority rates but they will always try to sell you the most 
expensive rate unless you press them for something different. 

Ray