Moving hand tools long distance

[Jim Paulson]

Any recommendations for moving hand tools a long distance?

I've used tool boxes, plastic bins, and cardboard boxes before, but I'd like to avoid wrapping tools.

Thoughts, experiences, recommendations?

Jim

[Bob Jones]

diaper boxes are very heavy duty. I waxed everything and wiped some oil before storing my tools and they came out fine.

[James Taglienti]

I have a friend who is a tool dealer. He does a lot of local shows and flea markets. He has dozens of the waxed chicken boxes and rubbermaid totes, and puts an old dishrag between the layers tools. Then he stacks the boxes neatly in the back of a van. It's a rough riding van. Bill transports a lot of high dollar items this way and i haven't seen him damage a tool yet.

[Andrew Gibson]

Cabinet makers tool chest with french fit felt lined drawers? :D
That would be my first choice, but would be quite heavy depending on how many tools your moving. It might take a little time to design and build, and if your moving you probably dont have that either.

[Jim Paulson]

Andrew,

Thanks for your comment. Minus the felt, I have a cabinet makers tool chest, but in the past I've moved it empty of tools because of the weight factor. It might sound silly, but fully loaded with tools, you need a forklift to move it. I transport other things in the chest.

James and Bob,

Your comments are close to my thinking. I especially like your idea James of layering the tools and using rags or towels for separation. I have a wooden crate that I use for planes which helps a bunch.

[Rob Luter]

I used Rubbermaid style totes with foam sheeting or bubble wrap between bench planes and other items I didn't want dinged or cracked. I was doing the moving so I could control the handling. Those that were wrapped were some I didn't mind taking the extra time with. Total packing time was about 1/2 hour longer that it would have been if I just stacked everything in the totes. It was a good investment in time to assure nothing was damaged.

[Richard Niemiec]

Jim: If you're doing the moving, what was suggested will work. If movers are, do yourself a favor, pack them yourself, wrap them with paper and crumple paper so they don't shift, mark the box fragile, and don't mark it as "tools" or those boxes can disappear, DAMHIKT. Mark them "Kitchen" and don't make them too heavy, cause even if you pack them tight, they throw them around quite a bit and losses happen. I've moved three times with my tools and only lost one, really nice T11 5C, cracked right in half.....

[Jim Paulson]

Thanks Rob and Richard,

I appreciated your comments. Hopefully the bubble wrap, rangs and paper will suffice to layer the tools. I'll be doing the packing so that helps too.

Take care,
Jim

[Jim Koepke]

From my experience moving my tools, newspaper can hold moisture, so unpack right away.

jim

[harry strasil]

My Demo Shop tools stay in a trailer all the time and they have thousands of miles on them from dragging the trailer to different places to set up for the last 10 years or so, I can't see any damage to them or the tool chests other than from handling at times. Of course the trailer has one of those low riding torsion bar suspensions, so they ride easy and the trailer is not light, so it doesn't bounce around much.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/newtrlr1.jpg

[David DeCristoforo]

"...mark the box fragile..."

This is of questionable value. Many movers interpret this as a challenge....

[Chris Kennedy]

When I moved, my truly valuable hand tools were mostly planes and spokeshaves. I put the planes in their socks, wrapped the socks with newsprint, and put them in toolbox. Chisels and spokeshaves went into tools rolls and then into a toolbox. I then moved those myself in the car -- didn't let the movers near them. Nothing against the movers -- they did a great job, but when the toolbox had over $700 worth of tools, I wasn't going to leave it to chance.

Cheers,

Chris

[James Taglienti]

Interesting how you guys demonize movers, have you had bad experiences? My last experience was a delight. LOTS of tools moved, none lost or damaged.

[Bill Houghton]

diaper boxes are very heavy duty.

I absolutely LOVE the fit between your comment and your picture. I don't have to ask where you get your diaper boxes.

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting how you guys demonize movers, have you had bad experiences? My last experience was a delight. LOTS of tools moved, none lost or damaged.

Yes. There are good ones and bad ones. Some are more professional than others.

jim

[Richard Niemiec]

Interesting how you guys demonize movers, have you had bad experiences? My last experience was a delight. LOTS of tools moved, none lost or damaged.

Problem is with long distance moves (I've had several), you get two different crews, one for the packing and loading, another at the destination end; not all the crews are professional, but sometimes are day labor given new T-shirts and hats and sent out to work, usually only the driver and crew leader travel with the truck in my experience. I had the unfortunate incident with one particular group of day labor having light fingers; the moving insurance paid quickly and without any questions, but you can't really replace tools that have become your friends, so in that sense I am slightly bitter, but I've gotten over it and learned from the experience.

[Jim Paulson]

Listening to Richard and others makes me remember my own experiences of long distance moves. Fortunately, I haven't had theft to deal with, but I have had to file claims because the unloading crew was careless and extensively damaged brand new woodwork or broke things. In my most recent move, I had the driver cut the unloading crew to two persons so it was him plus his son. I was fortunate that more wasn't broken when they got tired.

The one thing I am taking note of is that it makes sense to label the boxes a little ambiguously so that you know what is in them, but they won't be a temptation to open for others. I think I've locked full toolboxes in the past for the same reason.

Jim