Jump to content

Packing Method For Shipping Excelsior Wood Wool


Mug

Recommended Posts

Seems that a lot of people double box when they ship ceramics.

For the interior box, I have a few small Items ( Cups, Shaving Mugs, Shaving stands, widest stoneware dimention 5", no more that 2 Lbs ) packaged individually in their own custom wood box. I would like to use Excelsior in the wood box for marketing reasons and keep everything looking nice.

The outer box will be cardboard.

 

 Excelsior was used succesfuly for Ceramics in the past, but I don't know anyone that has had any modern shipping experience with this material.

 

Anyone used this as a packing material?

Did you have any breakage durring shipping?

Packing methods or suggestions?

What grade of Excelsior might someone use?

Any other packing material suggestions that would look nicer than bubble wrap?

 

Thank You

...Fred

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have used this material years ago. Since its heavy and there are better lighter materials I gave it up. Back in the day many things where packed in it. I have had kiln shelves come in boxes with this material in the 70's.I packed a dinnerware set in wood boxes in that material (70's)

I will hold a piece well from movement. If money is no object(as its heavy and so are wood boxes) it will work fine.

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mark / Pres

 

Peanuts, Popcorn, cardboard and bubblewrap seem to be the way to go for large orders.

Excelcior is an expensive heavy packing material, I was looking for something that serves the purpose and looks visually appealing. Crumpled paper or wood chips from the planer might work, but I'm not sure if it would be better than wood wool.

 

Money is always an object, it's wether or not it's perceived value and it's purpose as a packing material is financially justafiable.

Now Days shipping in a wood box is frowned upon, all of the shipping companys charge extra for shipping in a wooden box or crate.

My reasoning for using wood boxes, would not apply to most people, but may appeal to some.

 

I love things that come from the earth, even better when they come from the local enviroment. I love old things and old ways of doing certain things. I'm an avid woodworker and at times need a pottery break.

 

Double boxing seems to be a sound way to pack pottery. Most of the items are personalized gift items making the interior packaging important. I could have cardboard gift boxes made and stamped with my advertisment. Having small quanitys of custom gift boxes made labeled and shipped is not always cheap. I feel a wood box that is made here in the US has a perseived value. Marketing a hand made product that does not come from China is the selling point. The only thing I use that is not sorced locally is glue and nails. A wood box often finds a second life as a keepsake box or has a many other uses. If they keep it, for me, it's advertisment. Most people will probably toss a cardboard gift box.

 

We are making small production wood boxes for sale locally. I have a saw mill down the road that makes pallets that ship all over, I've dealt with them for years, love the owner, they keep my material costs extremely low. Some people make things from pallets, I get the material before it would be a pallet.

I can change the interior box to suit My needs. If I make a run of 50 boxes the cost of my time labor and materials is equal too cardboard printed boxes. In the future we may hire a laborer to build boxes.

Wood boxes certainly add weight and I could make them lighter, but the items are small ship in a USPS flat rate box or ship Priority mail if it's cheaper. I don't make larger wood boxes, because they are, material wise, not cost effective. Shipping companys like to charge based on the volume of the box not necessarily the weight.

Shipping a larger well designed wood box may be feasible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

My excelsior is in, I picked up fine colored and the natural wide cut.

The colored fine is a mess and does not seem to support as well.

The corse natural wide cut looks nice and is less messy. For 6 oz of excelsior It pans out to  $1.29 per box for my largest box. Thats about half  the craft store price. Price gets a little better when you purchase a larger quanity.

Looks like the wide cut will do the trick.

 

Now to see if the ceramic survives shipping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing about packing materials for me is they must be recycled meaning I,m reusing them again. That also means they need to be FREE yes free and not virgin materials

I collect boxes foam peanuts bubble wrap whatever and save this for packing

I never buy packing materials

They are discarded to landfill across this planet so it's my job to reuse them and keep them out of said dumps.

I do more shipping than I like so at least I can feel better about the materials getting a second chance.

The only product I buy new is packing tape and brown mask spray paint to cover labels on recycled boxes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing about packing materials for me is they must be recycled meaning I,m reusing them again. That also means they need to be FREE yes free and not virgin materials

I collect boxes foam peanuts bubble wrap whatever and save this for packing

I never buy packing materials

They are discarded to landfill across this planet so it's my job to reuse them and keep them out of said dumps.

I do more shipping than I like so at least I can feel better about the materials getting a second chance.

The only product I buy new is packing tape and brown mask spray paint to cover labels on recycled boxes.

I agree with Mark I use recycled packing stuff as much as I can. When we moved going on 5 years ago we had probably 2 dozen huge clear leaf recycling bags full of peanuts after we unpacked. I kept everyone of them. I have a few friends that keep and give me their packing peanuts as well. I also keep all the peanuts and packing paper from all my orders received. Hate the fact that Amazon has gone to using those dreadful pillows in their boxes those things are useless for protecting stuff.

 

I also have a paper shredder that I shred junk mail and such with and use this inside the smaller interior boxes. I recycle as many white or clear gift type boxes as I can but have had to buy some of these since I like to gift box and wrap my sales. It makes it a bit more special for the people receiving them.

 

T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mark/ Pugaboo

 I love free packing materials when I can find them. I'm still digging to find more people who have packing peanuts. Crumpled paper could be a nice decorative packing alternative. Originally I was thinking the excelsior would be a superior packing material. I desperately want a cardboard shredder for making packing material. That would probably be a lot nicer, easier to acquire and more cost effective than the messy more expensive excelsior. 

 

 When it come to acquiring boxes many of our local stores crush and send their boxes straight to the recycle bin when they could be used again. We have many stores that will not let you have boxes...I cannot really understand why, but it's their business. I have a few people who bring boxes home from where they work, but they cannot seem to understand what a good box is and what pops apart when you breathe on it. Chinese cardboard is also pretty high on the one use useless list. The size of the box? When it's free, it's hard to complain and I find a use for them.

 

Years ago a business owner who made wood toys pointed out that he could use scrap wood to make his toys and some people who make toys do just that. What he did was buy new wood and utilized ever square inch in a efficient pattern when he cut from a board which made little waist and he could finish hundreds of toys while the other person would still be digging in the free wood scrap pile. In the end you have to ask who is better. I feel the person who gets his scraps for free is getting them from someone’s waist and it's not a real efficient use of time. The guy who uses new boards by design is productive and is not leaving any usable waist for someone else to build toys with.

 

The two small items that I'm selling with excelsior in gift box are marketed mainly as gifts for men. It's probably not something men would buy for themselves, but would be a good gift on a holiday day. Kids, wives, and colleagues are always looking for something for men that they don't have. They are willing to pay for it, they want it to look nice and they don't want to hand dad a expensive gift in a recycled box. I am not someone who keeps up with the Joneses, but that's the target group. Marc everyone loves your mugs, you’re on my wish list, I'm nowhere near your level of experience and need all the help I can get. The boxes are made from wood purchase at the local saw mill. I know every person who had their hands on the wood that I make my boxes from. The wood boxes are made well enough to be reused for the next 100 years. From my standpoint my virgin wood boxes are a bazillion times better than cardboard.

 

 As a potter taking things from the earth I truly think that as potters we all care about the environmental impact of what we choose, but even then there's a list of chemicals that no one would want to brag about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The thing about packing materials for me is they must be recycled meaning I,m reusing them again. That also means they need to be FREE yes free and not virgin materials

I collect boxes foam peanuts bubble wrap whatever and save this for packing

I never buy packing materials

They are discarded to landfill across this planet so it's my job to reuse them and keep them out of said dumps.

I do more shipping than I like so at least I can feel better about the materials getting a second chance.

The only product I buy new is packing tape and brown mask spray paint to cover labels on recycled boxes.

Mark, where do you find free packing materials? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.