Moving Tools to Hawaii? Suggestions/Tips?

[M. A. Espinoza]

We've decided to take an opportunity to move to Hawaii for a few years. LOML has a job offer in Hilo; unfortunately we move ourselves. Its a post doctorate position so good opportunity professionally but they aren't funding the move.

I'm trying to figure out the options for moving my equipment to HI and so far have come up with:

Matson Container shipping= too much $, better off replacing tools
UPS Freight= possible option, 2 pallets/crates about $2200
Small tools through USPS= 70lb box for $50

Anyone have experience or suggestions? Never moved overseas before and I build for a living so the tools are more than a diversion.

Other option is to replace when I get there but I would be taking a pretty big loss selling and replacing all major tools. And moving without a job or customer base doesn't equal quick recovery.

Thanks for any pointers.

[Jim Becker]

If you think that you can safely palletize your iron, that's what I would do. Your small tools could be shipped with your regular house-hold items...pack the boxes yourselves and don't mark them as tools!

If you can avoid re-buying in HI, you'll be better off. Prices, due to the...transportation...will increase your "loss" considerably.

[Rick de Roque]

I would store the tools and just take as many hand tools as possible and work with the hand tools for the next couple years. Would not be worth it to move the power tools there, in my opinion. Could be a great opportunity to get good with hand tools.

Rick

Never mind this post. Just saw where you said you use your tools to make a living.

[Rich Schneider]

I dunno....if you have to buy tools all over again when you get there it would seem that you still had to pay for all the shipping of the new tools anyway in order for them to get them to Hawaii....plus you probably end up paying for them with today's dollar which isn't as strong as it used to be, so I suspect that in most cases the equipment you have would cost more today than at the time you originally bought it.....how about this....she moves and you buy plane tickets to go and visit on the weekends! It would be like a mini vacation every week! I'm not sure what airfare is, but for three years it couldn't be more than $15000-20000....then she can work on post-doc stuff until a position opens up closer to home...

[Paul Girouard]

Bring the small stuff like Jim said with household goods . Either find a guild / co op or maybe school shop ?post doc. position , at a college? maybe ?? use thier equip.??? Not sure on that . Or buy use bigger power tools , table saw , planer , jointer should get a guy by . You can do with less some times .

Oh don't forget the swim suit ;)

[Dan Bowman]

Leave the good stuff on the mainland and try to find a shop to share. In Hilo, what the rust doesn't get, the mosquitos will.

[Paul Girouard]

In Hilo, what the rust doesn't get, the mosquitos will.



My my those must be some nasty mosquitoes :D

[Al Garay]

Could be a good opportunity to sell some items not frequently used and try (as others have suggested) hand tools and Festool (have Festool USA ship directly).

Chances are strong, you will return to the mainland.

[M. A. Espinoza]

Thanks for the info so far.

I've found a company in Honolulu that sells Jet and will send it over to their branch in Hilo for no extra charge. I'm waiting for a quote for the tools I would replace.

One option for replacement is using what Home Depot, Lowe's and Sears can supply. They have OK tools. At least good enough to get some work done and their Hawaii prices are similar to mainland.

Moving the stuff is the downside and not a small issue. The upside is living in Hawaii and working with Koa. Still not a bargain even where it grows native but apparently that is what people out there want. Not too interested in mainland hardwoods from what I've heard.

My current plan is to palletize/crate the heavy stuff and put it in storage. We'll move and get settled, then I'll have it brought over. There is a chance I'll find work in a shop out there but won't know about that until I get there.

There is work to be had but it is on the Kona side. Skilled tradespeople that show up to work are in high demand, they are still building out there. Unfortunately there are no freeways and the drive takes about two hours from Hilo with gas around 3.75/gal currently.

There U of Hawaii and Hilo Community College are there and I plan on taking advantage of what they may offer. Would love to learn computer drafting and anything that may be useful for CNC work. If I continue in the trade I don't want to be humping sheets of mdf when I get into my fifties so would like to add to my job skills for office work.

Anyhow, it'll be different than Kansas thats for sure.

[Paul Girouard]

Oh so you make a living with your tools ? I bet that could be a tax break , the moving them. Better check with your CPA or tax person first.

Koa is nice . I wonder if your crates shouldn't be R.Oak or similar , barter materials, maybe ???

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Insurance insurance insurance.

Insure everything. There is theft and damage from all manner of things and of course loss.

Meanwhile get your self connected for some commercial Koa wood supplies and Kona coffee and sell it to us here.

It is hard to get either if one is not actually on the islands.

The potential is good for a nice side income

[Tim Marks]

One important thing to consider is where you will be living.

I lived in Oahu for 3 years, and the average house does not have much shop space. Often, a "two car" garage won't really fit two cars (couldn't park my Dodge Dakota inside), and many houses don't even have a garage.

Consider available shop space before you pay to move tools that might just end up in an expensive, non-climat controlled ministorage unit (high humidity=rust).

Another downside is that buying ANYTHING off-island will rack up big $$$ in paying for UPS and USPS. Places that give you free shipping on tools in the states will not do so to HI, so think about buying what you think you will need soon so you can ship it with your HHG.

I almost got shipped back there a few months ago, and I think I would have packed most of my stationary tools into a storage unit on the mainland.

[Bob Reda]

Try some trucking companies. Some might piggyback your tools to HI if they don't have a full load.

Bob

[Roy Hatch]

Have they completed the bridge already?

[Paul Girouard]

Have they completed the bridge already



http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/dirtbox/pics/muttley.gif

[M. A. Espinoza]

Yeah, we went out and scouted the island for five days to get a feel for it. I've never been to Hawaii and there are some things you have to set foot to find out.

I found out "garage" means carport a lot of the time out there and the houses are definitely more modest. I also found out that driving over sixty miles an hour is a luxury and street grids do not exist.

And yes, I'm planning to keep the tools here on the mainland in storage ready to ship. I figure its going to take a bit to get settled and I can have them brought out if the situation allows.

There is the possibility of gaining employment somewhere and getting shop access. That would be a good option but I have heard from local Hawaii woodworkers that there is a market for small custom builders so I would really like to try the independent route if I can. And I don't know if I'll ever be able to learn Hawaiian or Pidgin, I'm guessing that is spoken a lot more in the trades.

Penetrating that market is not going to be easy but at least there is a market to be had on the Kona side.

Its going to be a challenge and the culture is very different than the mainland USA. However it is freakishly beautiful so its better than moving to Detroit; living in a climate where heating and cooling isn't necessary will be nice.




One important thing to consider is where you will be living.

I lived in Oahu for 3 years, and the average house does not have much shop space. Often, a "two car" garage won't really fit two cars (couldn't park my Dodge Dakota inside), and many houses don't even have a garage.

Consider available shop space before you pay to move tools that might just end up in an expensive, non-climat controlled ministorage unit (high humidity=rust).

Another downside is that buying ANYTHING off-island will rack up big $$$ in paying for UPS and USPS. Places that give you free shipping on tools in the states will not do so to HI, so think about buying what you think you will need soon so you can ship it with your HHG.

I almost got shipped back there a few months ago, and I think I would have packed most of my stationary tools into a storage unit on the mainland.

[John Hain]

If you do decide to have them shipped, do yourself a favor and learn from my mistake. Those machines will probably sit in varying levels of humidity during their trek are will be susceptible to the conditions. Wax the bejesus out of your table tops on all the machines beforehand!

[Glenn Clabo]

Its going to be a challenge and the culture is very different than the mainland USA. However it is freakishly beautiful so its better than moving to Detroit; living in a climate where heating and cooling isn't necessary will be nice.

I will be interested to see how you deal with this. You may just be surprised to find that the culture and weather isn't what most would think. I can't tell you how much time I've spent there...and looked forward to get off the "rock". Awesome place no doubt...but it's not as easy as some think. I can't tell you how many people I've know who are coming back because of boredom.

Now...let me tell...after the "doc" work...the post doc will be heaven.;)

[M. A. Espinoza]

Glenn,

Thanks, I'm definitely approaching this pragmatically I think. Common trait for woodworkers, its been perceived as being negative.

I am very aware that its going to be very different especially after the newness has worn off. And although there is much to be desired about US culture I'm not the type that wants to escape.

But for the LOML its the equivalent of working in Sam Maloof's shop, eleven of the world's fourteen microclimates exist on the big island; for an ecologist thats pretty good.

There are better places to move for a woodworker or someone that enjoys urban life, it seems pretty sleepy and I get the feeling that the native Hawaiians don't much care for mainlanders.

I'm hoping that my experience growing up in the middle of Kansas in a town of 4000 will allow me to adjust to the pace of life out there. I prefer city life but this is only four years max and possibly only two.

However there will be much to explore geographically and living in such an Asian influenced culture so I'm looking forward to the experience.

And there will be the woodworking challenge of building in their environment. Wood movement, anyone?




I will be interested to see how you deal with this. You may just be surprised to find that the culture and weather isn't what most would think. I can't tell you how much time I've spent there...and looked forward to get off the "rock". Awesome place no doubt...but it's not as easy as some think. I can't tell you how many people I've know who are coming back because of boredom.

Now...let me tell...after the "doc" work...the post doc will be heaven.;)

[Frank Hagan]

You mentioned the University, which is on the Hilo (wet) side of the island, and then Kona, which is on the dry side. If you are going to be living on the wet side, I would wait until you find out where your tools are going to be! The wet side is very wet!

We had friends who moved there and didn't realize the restrictions on taking your dogs. We ended up dog sitting for three months, and then they found out it was cheaper to have us carry the dogs as luggage (and pay for our trip) than it was to ship them as cargo. So we got a free trip, along with lodging in their "Ohana" for 10 days. They lived high on the hill that overlooks the Kona side, and they had quite a problem with the appliances. Most only last a few years in the humidity, and they were replacing them with stainless appliances.

If you do ship over there, I would find some cosmoline or something to coat the cast iron with. I wouldn't trust wax after seeing how badly things corrode there!

[Bob Reda]

Have they completed the bridge already?
Not yet. But they finished some roads to the ports:) Its better than the ship comming to the house:eek:

[Lee Schierer]

You may not want to take your tools. I was just in Hawaii last week and talked to two different woodworkers and the price of Koa wood is $20-25 a board foot and can be more for really select pieces.

Most houses we saw had car ports instead of garages so tools would not fair well. Hilo gets more rain than most of th other places. They had 10" the day before we visited and it rained off and on all day we were there and heavy rain again the day after we left.

Be prepared for sticker shock as everything costs more. A typical lunch out for two was $25+ and we didn't eat in fancy places. A house that sells on the main land for $250K will easily cost $700K or more depending on location in Hawaii. We saw shacks on postage stamp lots that were selling for nearly $150K

[Mike McCann]

I work for an international container company. while a full cntr is very expensive you need to look at a freight forwarde who will and can co laod your tools with other shipments this cuts down on the price. with cntr companies you do not have many options on which ship line to use.

[Rob Russell]

I've also heard of "airport to airport" freight. You drop off a palletized load at an airport and they get it to another airport. I'd assume that means a jet airport, so probably means they'd get the pallets to Honolulu. From there to Hilo, you'd have to figure out.

[M. A. Espinoza]

I've also heard of "airport to airport" freight. You drop off a palletized load at an airport and they get it to another airport. I'd assume that means a jet airport, so probably means they'd get the pallets to Honolulu. From there to Hilo, you'd have to figure out.

I'll look into that, Hilo is a jet airport and was international at some point, don't know if it still is.

Thanks for the tip.

[M. A. Espinoza]

You may not want to take your tools. I was just in Hawaii last week and talked to two different woodworkers and the price of Koa wood is $20-25 a board foot and can be more for really select pieces.

Most houses we saw had car ports instead of garages so tools would not fair well. Hilo gets more rain than most of th other places. They had 10" the day before we visited and it rained off and on all day we were there and heavy rain again the day after we left.

Be prepared for sticker shock as everything costs more. A typical lunch out for two was $25+ and we didn't eat in fancy places. A house that sells on the main land for $250K will easily cost $700K or more depending on location in Hawaii. We saw shacks on postage stamp lots that were selling for nearly $150K

Yeah, I spoke to some guild members about Koa. Its not free by a long shot even out there. But that is what people want out there so I'll be building with Koa. I'm going to look into other native hardwoods but word is that if you want to sell in a gallery, it better be Koa.

There is going to be a learning curve for island life. Luckily we have colleagues that can give us some inside skinny. But $7 for a gallon of milk (not organic) is different.

The project is only four years so its unlikely we would consider buying but there are areas that are more affordable (for Hawaii) but finding one that is a clean neighborhood will take some work.

And they had record rainfall just before we visited; sounds like while you were there. Apparently they got about 39" in ten days, that is a years worth of rain in Kansas. Average is 120" per year. However in the land of microclimates you can find sun I'm told. I lived in Portland, OR for a few years so I'm prepared for some wet.

It rained while we were there but it blew through quickly and there was a lot of sun as well. But it is Hilo, its going to rain.

It is pretty different than Kansas, thats for sure.

[Lawrence Nitz]

Mr Esppinoza. You should get your container quote from a freight forwarder in your area. We have three ocean carriers--Horizon and Matson the largest. The freight forwarders make their income from splitting containers or bundling loads.

Second, if you need only a limited set of stationary tools, look at the prices in the Grizzly catalog. I have been happy with Grizzly tools. The freight charges ran from $125 for a 250 lb sander to $240 each for a 1017 lb lathe and a 1000 lb. sander. I think the freight on the 10" cabinet saw was a bit less than $200 a couple of years ago. Shipping times are about three weeks. Delivery is by a local agent for Fedex Ground or UPS ground.

Third, the guys telling you about moisture and rust are not far off the mark. See what kind of housing you have, what kind of garage, and what kind of local rainfall before committing to ship or buy stationary tools. A lot can be done with a cutting jig and a circular saw.

Cheers,
Larry Nitz, Kailua, Oahu

[Wayne Cannon]

When we moved things to Honolulu (in 1983), Matson was very competitive. I boxed and crated everything, labeled them per their instructions, and delivered the load to their offices. They were not containerized, just a collection of boxes and crates. We lived a couple of hours from Matson's Oakland, CA port, so ground transportation wasn't an added cost for us.

I don't understand the tool price issue. Isn't it shorter from Taiwan to Hawaii than from Taiwan to the U.S. mainland? :)

FWIW, the Costco in Kona carries a far larger assortment of tools and supplies, and larger tools, than any Costco I've seen here on the mainland.

[daniel lane]

I'll look into that, Hilo is a jet airport and was international at some point, don't know if it still is.

Hilo and Kailua-Kona are both jet airports - the runways at Hilo Intl. are 9800ft. and 5600ft.; the runway at Kailua-Kona Intl. is 11,000ft. For reference, Atlanta has 5 runways; 3 at 9000, 1 at 10,000, and 1 at 12,000. That said, I cannot imagine air freight to be reasonable, but that's just me.

I wish you luck on your endeavour. My wife and I eloped to the Big Island and loved every moment we were there. I will throw in my "me too" about the Hilo side being wet and humid, be careful with the heavy iron!

You may want to consider looking for somewhere to live that is south of Hilo. In our experience, that area was drier than Hilo and northward, and it also could make for an easier trip to the Kailua-Kona side. The saddle road is not terribly well maintained, and while I didn't think it was all that bad, the rental car agency made us sign a waiver that said they wouldn't cover any damages to the car if we drove on that road. (Remarkably, we didn't have to sign one about taking the 4WD Jeep *off*-road.) Of course, we did drive the road, and I wouldn't have any issues doing so regularly aside from the weather. Fog was an issue on the east side. The southern route through Pahala was much easier to drive, if a little longer distance. As for fuel costs, don't forget that the saddle road also involves hills!

I'm jealous, and wish you the best of luck!


daniel

[alex grams]

DO NOT LET MY WIFE SEE THIS THREAD!

We just got back from our honeymoon (about 24 hours ago) and stayed on the west side of the big island near Kailua-Kona. It was a great trip and beautiful. We definitely did like the west side more than the Hilo side, but both were beautiful.

At the corner of highway 19 and Hani-Lani street just north of Kona is a woodshop called Alohawoods that has a good choice of rough cut lumber. I got a big chunk (8/4 x 10.5" x 4') of Koa wood shipped home from there (very beautiful wood, and am going to make some end tables out of it and use it as the drawer front and table top when i have the time). The prices are expensive (but in Hawaii, everything is expensive).

I told my wife i fell in love with her again when she let me go buy lumber on our honeymoon in Hawaii

I envy your move. Hilo is more old downtown mainstreet USA style, but the Kona side was MUCH more relaxing for us.

[Grant Morris]

Take a look at the Hawaii Craigslist. You might be surprised at what you find.

[Tim Marks]

living in a climate where heating and cooling isn't necessary will be nice.
don't believe it.

I bought a brand new house on Oahu... no insulation in the walls or ceiling. No heating or A/C. Everyone said "that is the way we do it". In the summer, the south wall of my house was about 108 degrees. Upstairs was roasting. Open the windows, and the entire house gets coated with a fine layer of red dust in about 30 minutes.

I insulated the attic and put in central A/C about 4 months after moving in. It was the only way to go. And most of the houses up and down the street had window shakers or mini-splits. Yes, you don't need a heater, ever. But it is the tropics, and it does get hot in your house form the sun beating down on the walls and windows.

I also lived in a house for about 3 months with "single wall construction"... that is right, when you touch the wall inside, you are actually touching siding nailed on the outside. The house was hot and dusty and miserable with no A/C.

BTW, red dust = rust. High iron content, it will promote rust where it lands in a heartbeat.

[Colin Wollerman]

Hi M. A.

I live on Oahu and am building a house near Hilo (Volcano).

Check Craig's List Hawaii for used tools.

There are a lot of wood workers in the area and for the most part are pretty good guys. You might be able to rent space in a local shop for projects.
There are a lot of out of work carpenters around Hilo right now as a rather large building boom just came to a close so if you plan on building homes make sure you have a plan "B"
You are right about travel to Kona plus they are getting a lot of vog from the volcano right now.
I will be back in Hilo in a couple weeks. Also, I work for UH.
Drop me a line if you like. I will be Happy to share the little I know about the area etc.
wollerma@hawaii.edu

Aloha,
Colin

[Juan Lauchu]

I used to live on Maui. Been back and forth at least a dozen times from the Midwest so here's just a little food for thought. Matson is cheap in terms of just getting a container and fitting it all in. It takes a LONG time depending on where you are shipping from and you know how you get those tools from Grizzly or Minimax or some company over seas and they are just coated in grease???? Well, with Matson, you better just coat those tools in grease just as much. The ocean water will rust those babies out in a flash. Not to mention... once you get to Hilo... it rains a lot there! Not heavy rain like the Midwest, more of a constant mist. And right next to the ocean makes the air salty too. So even if you ship UPS or the other... coat in grease. Coat in grease. Coat in grease. Coat in grease! (I'm sure someone on this site is reading this and knows the exact name of that compound... it has slipped my mind).

Last,... on a positive note. The Koa lumber suppliers tend to come from "Big Island" so you are in LUCK!!! I envy you man! You will have access to some of the best lumber on the islands. I just love that Koa. I always bring some back with me to work with. Soooooo Expensive. And then shipping too. Make a ton of furniture and make two of what you make then sell them when you get back to the states.... YOU WILL MAKE SOME SERIOUS CASH!!! ha ha ha
Seriously though... enjoy it! I'm heading back for a week this summer and can't wait.

[Thomas Canfield]

Check out the "Big Island Woodturners" located in Hilo. They have a roster with telephone numbers. I went to the Exhibit back in February and visited with several of the members there. They would be good source to discuss the opportunities and how to move or buy tools. They are also a good source to learn how to work with all the local woods, and finishing tricks for the area which can be a little tricky with the humidity up in Hilo.

[M. A. Espinoza]

Thanks All,

I've been waist-deep in getting our house ready to sell. Great time to sell a house but no choice with the move, luckily we live in a good neighborhood blocks from the #1 employer in our town; the University of Kansas.

I noticed while we were out there about homes being built with no insulation and thought that pretty strange. The solar gain out there is huge so we'll have to be careful where we live. One thing I've learned is that microclimates are very real on the Big Island. In a couple miles the climate will change in average temperature and rainfall.

Spring is just trying to start here so I've been noticing the things about the Midwest I'll miss. There is a lot more fauna here than on the island. Of course there is snorkeling out there, its not so good here.

The local economy around Hilo isn't great, but that is where we are headed so I'll just have to find a way to make it work. Luckily LOML has stable income while we are out there.

Thanks again for all information and pointers, its greatly appreciated.

GO JAYHAWKS!

-Mario

[Katherine Bercaw]

One important thing to consider is where you will be living.

I lived in Oahu for 3 years, and the average house does not have much shop space. Often, a "two car" garage won't really fit two cars (couldn't park my Dodge Dakota inside), and many houses don't even have a garage.


Land on the big island is a LOT cheaper than in Oahu. Still pricey, but better :) My in-laws are in Honolulu - Ill second Tim's statements on the high cost of shipping anything to the islands.

One piece of bad news is you'll be on the rainy side of the big island.
http://www.hiloagent.com/rainmap.htm

[Peter Luch]

I live in Kona now for the last 5 years. Been visting for 12 years before that.
Also belong to the West Hawaii Wood turners club.

Check out www.konaweb.com (http://www.konaweb.com) and ask about sharing space on a container.

Send me a PM and we can talk on the phone if you want.

Coming from a small town is a plus because you will understand more of the people. Don't worry about the locals not liking mainlanders, it's not just that on which they judge you.

Don't ever say "Back on the mainland" or "Back in the states".

Housing is cheap over on the east side (Hilo) compared to the west but the west is where all the new work is being done on expensive homes.
Be careful about going too far south from Hilo as some areas are a little "shady" and the vog could cause problems.
The town of volcano is on a day to day watch and could be evacuated at any time.

I know quite a few wood connections, sawmills ect where you can get cheaper wood than one of the retail outlets.

My opinion is that if you can make a living doing woodworking then at least have your tools packed and ready to ship in case you decide you want them once you settle in.
Graigslist sucks as far as finding good iron on this island and no one is willing to ship to other islands.

Too much more to write here.

Aloha, Pete