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Storing and shipping a mini-lathe

 

Hypothetically, let's say you were relocating to another country and wanted to take your 7x12 lathe with you.

?

Destination country is rather humid and prior to shipping the lathe will be in a storage unit for 6-12 months in a hot/humid state like FL

Can't use wood for packaging (well, you can, but it's complicated).? I'm assuming at least a partial disassembly would be prudent so no machined surfaces slap together.

?

How would you approach this?? How far would you disassemble both for protection and because Customs agents are going to want to inspect for contraband?? How would you deal with potential humidity issues, especially considering the packaging will likely be opened at least once?

?

I'm thinking one of those large plastic cases used for things like camera equipment with some of that kaizen foam.? Probably some dessicant packs and maybe a thin layer of grease or Balistoil on all the bare steel surfaces.? Was also thinking of keeping most of the major assemblies intact - separately pack the compound, cradle, tailstock, headstock, leadscrew, motor and electronics within the same large case.? Or would it be best to almost completely disassemble?

?

I bought mine two decades ago and I don't remember how it came from the factory.
Chris Albertson
 

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You are over thinking the problem. ? Do not disassemble anything. ?Jst lock the parts so they don’t move.

Spay the machine down with some kind of protective oil. ?WD40 is actual made for this but has a short lifespan. ?Place a XL size moisure absorber on the lathe and wrape it in a plastic bag.

Next get a large cardboard box 4” larger then lathe. ?Place closed cell foam packing sheet one 5 sides of box and then drop the lath in

Fill the remaining space in the box with packing material. ?The absolute best material is spary foam. ?But a garbage bag in the box and foam in the bag, then shut the box. ?The foam will expand to fill the space. ?The garbage bag will make a nice skin for the foam block and keep it from sticking to anything.

Tape the box with some bands of strapping tape in a few different direction

Yes the Pelican box is better thn cardboard but a box that size costs half as much as a mini lath.

Key points are (1) moisture absorber inside sealed plastic bag and (2) internal packing strong enough to prevent the machine from moving inside the box. and (3) full thickness dense foam sheet on all sides of box.



I have shipp MUCH larger machines. ?The biggest was a industrial-sized radial arm saw made by Rockwell (now Delta) for that we bolted the machine to a forklift pallet with four large bolts and washers. ?Then the pallet and machine were wrapped in 20+ layers of shrink wrap. ?That was it. ? The 1,000 pound machine was previously used for cutting railroad ties into landscape products. ?It made it’s 3,000 mile trip just fine. ? ?That would work for a mini lathe but shipping pallets costs more then shipping a box. ?Because you can’t stack pallets in a truck. ?A band saw and shaper table were shipped the same way. ?

Basically spray foam is magic. ?You can roll a box with foam packed machine down a stairway and nothing will happen

The Pelican cases are good too. ? I did a video shoot for a white water rafting company years ago. ?Me and a buddy took a load of gear down river in a canoe. ahead of the rafts. ?We tipped over the canoe in a rapid and the equipment got the washing machine treatment over rocks and white water. ? We waited for the calm water below and collected it all and set up the tripod and stuff and waited. ?Everything was packed is custom foam in the cases. ? ?But those cases cost about $1,000.

I happen to live close to the Pelican factory and have been in there a few times to. make good on their lifetime warranty., wheels and handles broke a few times but that was after serious abuse.



On Dec 13, 2023, at 6:43?AM, chrisser via groups.io <chris.kucia@...> wrote:

Hypothetically, let's say you were relocating to another country and wanted to take your 7x12 lathe with you.

?

Destination country is rather humid and prior to shipping the lathe will be in a storage unit for 6-12 months in a hot/humid state like FL

Can't use wood for packaging (well, you can, but it's complicated).? I'm assuming at least a partial disassembly would be prudent so no machined surfaces slap together.

?

How would you approach this?? How far would you disassemble both for protection and because Customs agents are going to want to inspect for contraband?? How would you deal with potential humidity issues, especially considering the packaging will likely be opened at least once?

?

I'm thinking one of those large plastic cases used for things like camera equipment with some of that kaizen foam.? Probably some dessicant packs and maybe a thin layer of grease or Balistoil on all the bare steel surfaces.? Was also thinking of keeping most of the major assemblies intact - separately pack the compound, cradle, tailstock, headstock, leadscrew, motor and electronics within the same large case.? Or would it be best to almost completely disassemble?

?

I bought mine two decades ago and I don't remember how it came from the factory.
 

A good grease works best .
Some will try WD40 but comes off then rust.?

To bad you do not live close a box my mini lathe came in .?
 

For coating metal surfaces for transport and long term-storage: MIL-C-1179C grease a.k.a Cosmoline was developed for just that purpose.

Rgds,
Gary
 

I see your point.? My concern was with Customs inspection - but admittedly I've never shipped anything internationally.

?

We know there's not much space inside, but to someone looking at a fully-assembled lathe, between the gear cover, electronics box, motor cover and headstock, it probably looks like there's a lot of places to squirrel stuff away.? So I was thinking it'd be better for me to take it apart for them and ship it that way, then to take the chance of someone trying to figure out how to disassemble it and maybe do so with less care than I would use.

?

It's all speculation on my part.? I don't know anyone who's tried this before...

?

But I have been told by people in the destination country that it would be far easier and less expensive to ship my existing lathe into the country as a personal item than try to purchase one and have it imported.? Seems crazy to me, but that's the advise I was given.

?

Pelican and their competition sure are proud of their plastic cases.? You can get reasonably-priced knockoffs in the small sizes, but once you get to large enough to fit the lathe in, they end up costing more than I paid for my lathe back when I bought it.? Was also thinking I could build a decent container out of aluminum square tubing and sheet welded together for almost as much as the plastic boxes.
ChazzC
 

Others have commented on preparation & rust proofing (I would steer clear of heavy greases and go with T-15)

With regard to the package itself, the is a reason that these machines come from the factory bolted to a relatively thick plywood base, enclosed in a wooden frame and then sheathed with thinner plywood: the crate is going to be jostled and dropped, and unless you use a new heavy tri-ply corrugated carton with 6" of spray foam all around you may as well sell the lathe and purchase another (larger?) one at your destination. In addition, the removable plywood "skin (with arrows identifying the screws) allows easy inspection – the cardboard box & packaging will not be reassembled correctly.

Are you using a customs broker for shipping this and any household goods? They can advise you the best approach and arrange for all of the clearances.
 

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Pelican cases are like motorcycle helmets . Do ya protect a priceless head with a $ 30.00 helmet ? I've seen Anvil cases that have been around the world several times that have gone through the hands of teamsters everywhere . Ya can't use wood cause of non native species going to another country ?

animal

On 12/13/23 7:43 AM, chrisser via groups.io wrote:

I see your point.? My concern was with Customs inspection - but admittedly I've never shipped anything internationally.

?

We know there's not much space inside, but to someone looking at a fully-assembled lathe, between the gear cover, electronics box, motor cover and headstock, it probably looks like there's a lot of places to squirrel stuff away.? So I was thinking it'd be better for me to take it apart for them and ship it that way, then to take the chance of someone trying to figure out how to disassemble it and maybe do so with less care than I would use.

?

It's all speculation on my part.? I don't know anyone who's tried this before...

?

But I have been told by people in the destination country that it would be far easier and less expensive to ship my existing lathe into the country as a personal item than try to purchase one and have it imported.? Seems crazy to me, but that's the advise I was given.

?

Pelican and their competition sure are proud of their plastic cases.? You can get reasonably-priced knockoffs in the small sizes, but once you get to large enough to fit the lathe in, they end up costing more than I paid for my lathe back when I bought it.? Was also thinking I could build a decent container out of aluminum square tubing and sheet welded together for almost as much as the plastic boxes.
 

Yeah.? My understanding is any wood has to be specially certified/stamped.

We live in the boonies - if I can't get it at Home Depot in the nearest city, then I can't get it.

Supposedly plywood is exempt so it might be an option.? Maybe screwed into aluminum square tubing or angle at the joints where normally I'd use lumber?

"... plywood, particle board, oriented strand board or veneer that has been created using glue, heat or pressure, or a combination thereof is of sufficiently low risk and to be exempted from the provisions of the ISPM standard."

On Wednesday, December 13th, 2023 at 1:27 PM, mike allen <animal@...> wrote:

Pelican cases are like motorcycle helmets . Do ya protect a priceless head with a $ 30.00 helmet ? I've seen Anvil cases that have been around the world several times that have gone through the hands of teamsters everywhere . Ya can't use wood cause of non native species going to another country ?

animal

On 12/13/23 7:43 AM, chrisser via groups.io wrote:

I see your point. My concern was with Customs inspection - but admittedly I've never shipped anything internationally.

We know there's not much space inside, but to someone looking at a fully-assembled lathe, between the gear cover, electronics box, motor cover and headstock, it probably looks like there's a lot of places to squirrel stuff away. So I was thinking it'd be better for me to take it apart for them and ship it that way, then to take the chance of someone trying to figure out how to disassemble it and maybe do so with less care than I would use.

It's all speculation on my part. I don't know anyone who's tried this before...

But I have been told by people in the destination country that it would be far easier and less expensive to ship my existing lathe into the country as a personal item than try to purchase one and have it imported. Seems crazy to me, but that's the advise I was given.

Pelican and their competition sure are proud of their plastic cases. You can get reasonably-priced knockoffs in the small sizes, but once you get to large enough to fit the lathe in, they end up costing more than I paid for my lathe back when I bought it. Was also thinking I could build a decent container out of aluminum square tubing and sheet welded together for almost as much as the plastic boxes.
Chris Albertson
 

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? Was also thinking I could build a decent container out of aluminum square tubing and sheet welded together for almost as much as the plastic boxes.


That is the wrong approach. ?You do not need a strong-walled container. ? What is far more important is to keep the lathe from moving within the container. ? It must be 100% immobilized and not allowed to move. ?Spray foam is the best for that unless you are willing to wire-cut and laminate polyethylene foam. ? That is only justified if you have hundreds of lathes to ship so you can reuse the wire cut patterns.

Even if you built a welded steel box, the lathe would be destroyed in shipping if it were not immobilized inside the box. ? May as well use cardboard with full-thickness poly sheets on all 6 sides as it is cheap and affective.
 

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?I did spray foam for custom computer packing for 2 years in the 70's? ( yea I'm that old ) . If ya plan to go this rout make sure the lathe is secured to what ever ya use for a packing base . Use hardware that is protected from loosening & double/triple check that? the hardware is tight & cannot come loose . Use locktite , double nuts, aircraft nuts or smash the bolt so the nuts cant back off . Ya can remove them at destination with a hacksaw ( see ya already have a metal working project at yer new place ) .Make sure whoever does the spray foam double wraps teh lathe before spraying . If done properly Customs can remove the foam to inspect the unit & they wrap it back up .

animal

On 12/13/23 10:40 AM, Chris Albertson wrote:


? Was also thinking I could build a decent container out of aluminum square tubing and sheet welded together for almost as much as the plastic boxes.


That is the wrong approach. ?You do not need a strong-walled container. ? What is far more important is to keep the lathe from moving within the container. ? It must be 100% immobilized and not allowed to move. ?Spray foam is the best for that unless you are willing to wire-cut and laminate polyethylene foam. ? That is only justified if you have hundreds of lathes to ship so you can reuse the wire cut patterns.

Even if you built a welded steel box, the lathe would be destroyed in shipping if it were not immobilized inside the box. ? May as well use cardboard with full-thickness poly sheets on all 6 sides as it is cheap and affective.
 

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In 2015 I packed and shipped my tools including a mini lathe 7x16 ?and my LMS mini mill. ?They were shipped from the East coast of the US to the Philippines. ?I worked with a broker for advise and used them for shipping and customs. ?I packed all of it myself. ?The broker said my total weight exceeded 7000 lbs. ?Some household goos but most of the weight was tools. ?Then in 2020 I did it again all in reverse moving back to Maryland.
The lathe, mill, and table saw were all packed in plywood boxes. ?The bottoms and ends of the boxes I used 3/4” plywood. ?The sides and top I used 1/2” and 3/8” of which I happened to have on hand. ?When using plywood there is no need for the ISPM-15 compliant stamp. ?I used 2.5” screws to attach the ends to the bottoms and 1.5” screws for the lighter plywood. ?The machines were through bolted to the bottom of the boxes and all movable parts secured. ?I sprayed all exposed metal with Bosheild. ?The shipment going to the Philippines took almost 5 months. ?Returning took a little longer because waiting for containers due to Covid. ?
The main thing to remember like others have mentioned is to secure the lathe to the bottom of the box/crate and have to loose parts to move around. ?I did not use any filler because I felt my boxes were secure enough without. ?I am about 300lbs and my boxes had no issue supporting my weight standing on the or stacking. ?My tools arrived intact with no breakage or issues after each shipment.

D Roy

On Dec 13, 2023, at 1:58 PM, mike allen <animal@...> wrote:

?I did spray foam for custom computer packing for 2 years in the 70's? ( yea I'm that old ) . If ya plan to go this rout make sure the lathe is secured to what ever ya use for a packing base . Use hardware that is protected from loosening & double/triple check that? the hardware is tight & cannot come loose . Use locktite , double nuts, aircraft nuts or smash the bolt so the nuts cant back off . Ya can remove them at destination with a hacksaw ( see ya already have a metal working project at yer new place ) .Make sure whoever does the spray foam double wraps teh lathe before spraying . If done properly Customs can remove the foam to inspect the unit & they wrap it back up .

animal

On 12/13/23 10:40 AM, Chris Albertson wrote:

? Was also thinking I could build a decent container out of aluminum square tubing and sheet welded together for almost as much as the plastic boxes.


That is the wrong approach. ?You do not need a strong-walled container. ? What is far more important is to keep the lathe from moving within the container. ? It must be 100% immobilized and not allowed to move. ?Spray foam is the best for that unless you are willing to wire-cut and laminate polyethylene foam. ? That is only justified if you have hundreds of lathes to ship so you can reuse the wire cut patterns.

Even if you built a welded steel box, the lathe would be destroyed in shipping if it were not immobilized inside the box. ? May as well use cardboard with full-thickness poly sheets on all 6 sides as it is cheap and affective.
 
Edited

Grease everthing then wrap in plastic
Build a plywood box use a lot of screws .Do not use nails.?
Stuff box full of paper or popcorn ??
Then put wood box in a cardboard box for shipping company.?
Put a shipping label on the lathe and each box.

Dave

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