Moving Cross Country packing up the shop

[Mario Soldevilla]

hello all, this is my first post; though I have been lurking for quite some time now, and would like to first and foremost thank you all for sharing all your knowledge with those of us who frequent this forum.

I am currently in the process of packing up my shop for my family's move from San Diego, CA out to Beaufort NC where my wife has taken a job at the Duke Marine Lab. I am looking for any advice on packing up the many Handtools I have aquired since taking up woodworking. Any do's and don't, that I should be aware of, I plan so far to make sure all of my tools get a good coat of camila oil, then wrap and cushion with some brown paper and cardboard, then put them in some of those plastic milk crates. I will be doing the move myself, and do have a number of tailed tools coming along as well, any other precausions I should be aware of in regards to loading/placement of these heavier items?

I am also curious if there are any creekers out in the Beaufort area that can fill me in on good places to get wood, and if there are any woodworking associations or the like that i could checkout.

Thanks for the help.

[Rob Luter]

Hi Mario,

I made a similar (although shorter in miles) move about 18 months ago and had good success using an approach similar to the one you plan on using. I wrapped all my planes in paper first, then bubble wrap. Where I still had original boxes I used those instead. I caught a sale at my local home center on flip top plastic storage containers. They are a convenient size, stackable, and are very sturdy. It doesn't take many tools to add up to a bunch of weight. They also have handles at each end. I packed all the wrapped tools (hand and tailed) in the plastic containers. Saws were wrapped separately then packed together in a box with a couple of boards added on the sides to keep things good and stiff. Pack everything good and tight so it doesn't shift much and you'll be OK.

I also disassembled and packed my table saw and drill press as a "just in case" precaution.

Good luck on your move. Hopefully it won't take you the better part of a year (like it did for me :() to get your shop space in order.

[Mario Soldevilla]

thanks rob,

glad to hear i am going in the right direction, now as far as the table saw just how far did you dismantle it? I was thinking of removing the fence and wings, and loading it top down to lower the center of gravity, it is a jet 3 horse cabinet saw. This is how i got it to my house in the back of a pick up truck, seemed to work good not sure how that will hold up on the long haul though.

thanks again

[Rob Luter]

Great minds think alike. That's what I did for my saw (Ridgid 3650). I also took off the motor and anything else that was heavy or vulnerable and packed it like my tools. A sheet of cardboard was taped over all the machined cast iron surfaces too. I figured I'd rather spend my time reassembling good parts than tearing down a damaged saw and repairing it.

[Jim Becker]

My biggest suggestion...pack the tools yourself and don't write what is in the boxes on the outside of the box. Instead, use a code so you know what's in them, but it's not obvious to anyone else. If you are driving yourself, consider moving any valuables in your personal vehicle, too. Some hand tools may qualify, either for value or for sentimental reasons.

[Rob Luter]

Good call Jim. Tools are often the target of those looking to turn a quick buck through thievery. When I moved my shop I did it myself and drove the van too so I didn't need to worry too much.

[Mario Soldevilla]

thank you jim,

I agree I will be packing, loading, and hauling in a rental with my car in tow. Luckly we will be leaving pretty much all the furniture behind, the exceptions being the things I have made. The shop stuff is really most of what we are moving but it is really amazing how much stuff can build up when you live in one place for seven years. The other thing I am considering is where I would place the bulk of weight in the 16' truck I am renting, but maybe I am overthinking it.

thanks

[David Keller NC]

Mario - I live in NC and have been to Beaufort many times. Incidentally, it's pronounced "Bow-Fort" in NC, the South Carolina town is pronounced "Byou-Fert" - spelled the same, go figure.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is that the North Carolina coast is continually near 100% humidity, and has plenty of salty air coming in from ocean breezes to boot. At least from my 3 visits there, the climate is radically different than San Diego, though both locations are very near the water. Camilla oil will not prevent the inevitable rust if you'll be storing these tools for any length of time in a non-conditioned space like an off-site rental storage bin. So if that's the case, coat whatever you don't want to rust with cosmoline.

It's messy, stinky stuff, but it's dirt cheap, and has near 100% assurance that tools coated in it will not rust. It's what the military packed rifles and other steel equipment in to ship them during WWII, and it was very effective. Some of these rifles are being sold by the civilian marksmanship program, and they're perfect as the day they were packed despite 70 years of storage.

From the standpoint of where to get wood, the numero uno place in NC is Steve Wall lumber in Mayodan, NC. You'll either have to get it shipped or go for a 4 hour ride to get it, as it's near mid-state around Greensboro, but his prices cannot be beat, and the quality is high. For exotics, there's a place in Wilmington called World Timber Imports that sells wholesale to individual craftsmen and businesses. You'll need a tax id number, but that's no big deal - you just send sales tax to the state if it's for personal use, or keep track of it if it's something you're going to use to make things for sale.

And for clubs, you might try http://www.ncwoodworker.net/index.php. Lots of good info, though you have to be an NC resident to join.

FYI - Get used to barbeque with mustard/vinegar/red pepper sauce - they'll look at you funny if you ask for tomato-based stuff like they sell in the supermarket. :D

[Joe McMahon]

Lee Valley sells blue vapor bags that are zip lock. They come in 3 sizes and work really well in helping to avoid rust. I would get some and seal my best tools in them. The camilla oil will offer little protection after a few days.

Xerox boxes work pretty well for tools as they aren't too big and generally are pretty sturdy. Use a lot of bubble wrap and you should be good to go.

Also, take a Southern route. It is now snowing here in Chicago. If you aren't used to driving on ice and snow, it can be a real "adventure"

Have a safe trip and keep the shinny side up and the rubber side down.

[Alan DuBoff]

If it was me, I'd pack all the stuff good and ship it, but take a small selection of hand tools along with me, that way if the tools had not arrived when I got there I could still use the sparse hand tools I took along.

A half dozen chisels, a couple shaves, a block plane or two, possibly a smoother, and a couple small hand saws.

Or even to ship those priority 2-day, so it gets there before the other stuff. Depends on how you ship your stuff I 'spose, and how long it takes for it to get there.

Oh, and pack some of the nice weather and tolerable climate of San Diego, what a beautiful area to live, IMO, close to the ocean, low humidity, great temps...decent sailing...I'd pack up plenty of that...cause it might be harder to find that where your going! Although I know folks that have lived in NC and they did like it, so locale is relative...

[Jim Koepke]

When we moved, a lot of the boxes of tools were wrapped in "pallet wrap."
That is the plastic used on pallets to hold all the boxes in place.
If you can get a case from a shipping supply house, it is cheaper than buying individual rolls at an office supply.

Be careful of the paper you use for wraping. I found out that some papers, especially newsprint, will absorb moisture and you will end up with rust where you do not want or expect it. Plastic wrap and bubble wrap might be better.

Make sure the truck cargo area locks and if possible, put an alarm on it.

We moved using a pick up truck. It was never out of site for anytime longer than it took to use the restroom. While eating, it was parked outside the window of the restaurant so we could see.

We were only moving 700 miles, so the trip could be done in one day.

Good luck,

jim

[willie sobat]

I moved a couple of years ago and packed my hand tools the same way Rob did. I can't off better advice.

I also live in NC. In this regard I have to agree with everything that David says.

It would appear that I have nothing to add to this conversation.:o

[David Keller NC]

Mario - One other comment I forgot about. Beaufort is a well-to-do area with a lot of rich people that have sailboats and big powerboats, so places to rent or buy in town are very pricey (though probably not in comparison to San Diego). You will also have to put up with scads of tourists in the summer. Morehead city is directly adjacent and is more industrialized and so is cheaper. Go 15 miles inland, though, and the rent/mortgage drops to very little. Inland eastern North Carolina is one of the cheapest places in the country to live.

From the standpoint of shop space, you may well be able to find an industrial-type space in Morehead city to rent.

[Bill Houghton]

they're incredibly cheap these days - $30 or so for one with pneumatic tires - and it will pay for itself in the first hour of use.

LOML and I moved from Michigan back to California in 1973, and I fit every tool I owned except the field-repair kit for the car in a small rollaway, which went on the moving truck, locked. I shudder to think how big a truck I'd need now just for the shop.