Any smaller ways to ship? Like a 10ft container?

[dirk1609]

Looking to ship to seattle area wood working equiptment that I have. A matson container is way to big. I want a 10ft container or smaller any companies out there?

I found relocube but they want more than a matson 20ft for their 6x7 cube.

Any ideas?
Sharing a container really wont work.

Thank you

[Rob Tucker]

Just crate it and ship it out in a consolidated load with someone like Hawaiian Express. Why do you think you need your own private steel box? Make a crate. Make it forklift able. No big deal. Hawaiian Express has a large office in Federal Way, WA.

[Royall]

When I moved over almost 5 years ago, I shipped all my woodworking tools and a quite a bit of household stuff in large wooden crates. The were 7' tall, 7' wide, and 4' deep. They are the size required to be loaded into containers. I took all my tools apart and coated the cast iron with cosmoline and wrapped and taped in cardboard. Braking the tools down into smaller components allows for better and easier pack of those crates. I shipped them out of Oakland through Pack Man Movers. I don't remember the correct spelling of the name or if they are even still in business or not. Back then the 3 crates cost 3700 bucks.

Royall

[dirk1609]

Ill look into the crate idea. I see them for sale cheaply on craigslist here and there.

I dont want to share a container due to the logistics of moveing HEAVY tools from one place to other to put them in the shared container and unloading them, the slight risk of never seeing my stuff again, and the slight risk of having my stuff in a container with someone moveing something illegal. I just really dont want to take the chance.

$3700 is way more then I want to spend. I was hoping to be in the $1000 to $2000 area .

Thank you

[Rob Tucker]

You can build a crate with a little expense. Not excessive. If the stuff is heavy then build the crate, place it on a truck, load the crate and close it. The crate can be unloaded by forklift at the dock or freight company. Use 3/4" plywood with screws and pack it tight so things don't shift and slide.

Whatever you can do yourself will save you money. I've shipped machinery this way without difficulty. Should run in the hundreds of dollars, not thousands.

[dmbwest]

What Rob said ... And make sure the company you use HAS a forklift available to use ... For pick up or on site.

Even if they say they do ... 2X check that they are coming to pick up your stuff WITH it if need be.

Horror stories of (contracted outside of company) two poor unsuspecting guys showing up with a hand truck..


aloha,
pog

[Guest]

dirk, I've shipped containers I built right on the dock at San Pedro, and Oakland. Here's how I did. CHEAP
Two vehicles of your stuff one your materials and tools to build the box. Air compressor, nail gun wood.
I used 4 free pallettes, and nailed two sheets of plywood on them as deck. Then stacked my trunks and items on it. When it got to 4' tall you wrap three sides with 3 sheets of plywood, and quarter inch will work, (tell you why later) when you have three sides ready to go you stick 2x2's vertically in the corners 7' tall so it will fit into a container. Not to worry about stuff disappearing, if you enclose it all and seal it.

When your pile gets high enough to add the second 3 sheets of plywood, 2x2's vertically in all 4 corners as well in the middle of each side. I had a pancake air compressor and a finishing nail gun, pop pop pop pop, the thing was together in 45 minutes, was done 5 minutes to 5pm when those longshoreman STOP working. They were making bets as to if I was going to make it in time, I did, made some one some $$.

They will stap it with the zinc metal bands and that will tie it all togeather, It won't be able to fall over in the container if it only has a few inches clearance on either side. And those guys can slide it in no problem, they're good. Balance your load and remember it only goes verticle.

I recently got a baby grand piano off craigslist for free. They weight about 1000lbs. I didn't physically pick it up myself, but I did go get it and logistically figured out how to get it from Diamond Head just off Kapiolani park on a Sunday afternoon, into the back of a rental truck, and dropped off at Young Brothers the next morning. NO BOX, 2 pallettes, one 1' wide 8' long scrap of plywood connecting them, took off the legs, laid it on it's side and tied it with my 100' 3000lb test rope, and then wrapped it with a end roll of the plastic wrap they use everywhere these days like on feed bags. Not a scratch, chip in the paint or damage of any kind. whole thing with air,truck/ship? $325.

Any fool can make a rule, and Every fool will follow it. -- Henry David Thoreau

[David M]

Similar to Rob's suggestion, my last shipment from Atlanta after getting house ready to list.
In the back of rental pu truck I set a good pallet. Used 6 pieces of 4x4 plywood and some 2x2's. Built and filled my box, screwed on the top. I drove it to the DHX agent, they unloaded it with forklift.
As I recall it was 900+ lbs and cost about $350. A couple weeks later I picked it up at Hitco in Hilo. Unscrewed, unloaded, and reused plywood and pallet for other projects.

DHX - http://www.dhx.com/ is usually my first choice for shipping bulky/heavy items from mainland.

David

Ninole Resident

[dmbwest]

Yep, one of my work bench has my ship to address on it .. LOL.

aloha,
pog

[dirk1609]

Thank you
I think ill check with the motercycle folks on town for a crate. I see them for sale now under 100.00 and thats barly two sheets of plywood.