Need help with shipping large slabs...table tops.

[dirk martin]

Hi gang....I need help with shipping via freight.

I've got some folks, out of state, asking if I'd make some large table tops....glue-ups.
I've got a guy wanting a 6/4 hickory table top that'll be 3.5 feet wide, and 8 feet long.
I have no issues making a slab, this large.
What I'm struggling with, is how to ship it. Plus they may be wanting 2 or 3 more, in the coming months.

After the slab is made, what's the best way to pack it?
Do I just put some edge protectors on it, and then wrap the heck out of it, in bubble wrap? Then find a huge box at Uline?

Next, do I call UPS/Fedex, and tell them the size and weight of my box, and they'll help set up some kind of freight shipping?
Or, do I do a Google search for Freight Shippers, and call some of those results?

Anyone have some first hand experience shipping large slabs like this, that could educate me?

[Chris Kiely]

Make a crate for it that a forklift can pick up, and call a shipping company to put it on a truck. I doubt Fed-Ex would take something like that.

[Brian McInturff]

Fed-Ex Freight will. But I'm sure there are probably cheaper options.

[Mike Heidrick]

Look local minimum who has a terminal close to you and call them. Less than load ltl freight is what you have. Explain what you want to ship so they can code the contents correctly. Also freightquote.com can help you but local is cheaper. I use Estes locally here.

I would at minimum wrap it in mdf and hardboard and maybe 100% mdf - 3/4 on edges at least. Bubble wrap does nothing for that kind of weight and fork truck equipment. Wood will only be slightly better but may help in the scrapes and scratches. Id get strapping too and strap to a pallet. Wood will help with that too.

Do you have a loader to load a pallet and top on a semi?

[Harry Holzke]

I ship very large (and heavy) paintings that are done on cradled panels, furniture and large ceramic art pieces through different art handlers. I use to build these balistic crates but there is no need as the art handlers are use to wraping and securing expensive art for transport. Best thing is that the shipping fees are about half of what I was paying and have not had any damage in over a year. Contact local (higher end) art galleries and ask who they use.

[Kent Adams]

This may seem an expensive way to learn, but you could order a slab from someone, there is a large slab seller in Mass. and see how it is crated and copy it. Getting shipping right on something like you're selling is probably worth the investment learning from someone that has been doing it for years. You'd hate to have something damaged in shipping because of inadequate crating and it may cost you more to fix than it would to make the upfront investment to learn how to do it right. If I were doing what you plan to do, this is how I'd do it. Others may think my idea is crazy. You might be able to get someone in that company's shipping department to take some pictures of how they crate their slabs and forgo the purchase.

[dirk martin]

Good food for thought, gang.
In just the last couple of days, I've gotten requests from out of state, to glue up some large table tops for folks. 96" x 42" x 2", or so. I'll have the same issues with these.
My nephew suggested I get some of that pink foam insulation board...you know, this stuff. I see they make it really thick, if needed.

He said it comes in all thicknesses, and you can cut it down to the exact measurements of the slab, or table top, with a carpet knife, or circular saw. Cut strips of it, for edge protection. Tape it all together.

He might be on to something. That should certainly protect the table top well. If the shipper won't ship it that way, then I could cover it with 1/2" mdf I suppose.

I know what you're thinking, Kent....but I really don't want to buy a $400 slab from someone else, just to find out.

I also just realized, that my girlfriend lives right next door to an Estes trucking center. I never knew what they did. I might have to pay them a visit!

[J.R. Rutter]

I would build a box for them with 1/2" chip board or plywood and line it with 1/8" foam that you can buy in rolls. Size the crate/box so that the top is held in place by the foam. Ask the shipping company if they want it loose so that they can slide it between pallets or if they want skid feet to be able to use a pallet jack.

[James Zhu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckCk9LpGmi8

Fast forward to 2:35 and you can see the guy talked about the crate he made using chip board for the large computer desk for shipping.

[dirk martin]

Are you talking this stuff, J.R. ?

Vid helped alot, James, to see first hand what kinda crate folks are making....thanks.

[John K Jordan]

I bought a WoodMizer sawmill that came by FedEx! (freight) I was surprised, and the driver was glad I had a fork lift.

I have received some pretty heavy stuff sent by freight and the cost was surprisingly reasonable.

I think it is best to build a crate for protection. I have two large antique mirrors in my garage that were shipped by freight, one is about 5'x5'. The shipper used cardboard on edges and corners of the mirrors, foam on the faces and built a crate around it from 1x4 pine, flat around the outside edges with parallel boards every foot or so down the sides.

I recently had slabs of wood delivered across the country by UPS (about 6"x12"x48") that came only wrapped in cardboard and plastic wrap and without as much as a dent, but I would not trust that for something larger with finished surfaces.

JKJ

[J.R. Rutter]

Are you talking this stuff, J.R. ?

Yes, that's what I would use. Just needs to be tight fit in the crate.