Tuba-Shipping Tips?

[pompatus]

Greetings, fellow tubists! I may be shipping a tuba soon, and am wondering if anyone has a recommendation for an easily available box and packing material. When I used to play and ship trombones often, I would use the tried and true U-Haul lamp box; but having never shipped a tuba, I don’t know if some similar exists for an instrument of this size.

Any information or recommendations will be welcome, especially if it can be found/purchased from a common source like U-Haul, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc…

Thanks!

[Mary Ann]

Based on size, Grand Wardrobe box. Box-in-a-box if you can manage it.

[TxTx]

Based on size, Grand Wardrobe box. Box-in-a-box if you can manage it.

I just got a horn shipped to my by the Mighty Quinn folks, and that is exactly how it came. Tuba was in a heavy plastic bag, wrapped in bubble wrap, and placed in a box slightly bigger than it was. Then all that was placed in a bigger box with foam peanuts on all sided. Small box was 16x20x48, big box was 24x24x60.

Eric

[bloke]

There is no safe way to ship a tuba.

- In a case, you're placing very hard surfaces (plastic, plywood, or fiberglass) within one or two inches of a very delicate (.5mm - .6mm brass sheet metal) machine, and the most delicate part (bell flare) is only protected by a couple of inches of foam rubber, which does nothing to protect a bell from (even) a fall of a few feet.

- In a corrugated carton (if a stout "Miraphone" one or even a stout double-carton), forklift forks can penetrate as if butter and instantly trash a tuba beyond repair...and yes, they go right through hard cases (within cartons) as well.

- Air-filled packing material (several inches all the way around) in a corrugated carton is helpful, but - if packed too tightly, and the carton moves very fast (ie. falls) and stops suddenly, most of that energy will transfer to the tuba (and - again - it's in a corrugated cardboard carton, which - as far as a forklift is concerned - might as well be a paper sack).

I ship new instruments regularly - usually strapped or stretch-wrapped to a pallet - but those are covered by the wholesaler's insurance, the common carrier's insurance, and - well - another "unit" can be sent as a replacement.

If I'm buying or selling a tuba of really significant value (vs. a "unit") I'm going to have the buyer come and fetch it, or (if buying) I'm going on a road trip to fetch it.

If buying from overseas (and I deem the seller to be non-dubious) where shipping is unavoidable (and "flying home with it" is just the same as shipping) it needs to be for enough of a bargain price so-as to be able to afford to replace the bell (as there's a high-percentage chance of tuba bells being trashed in shipment), and - also - a new (or excellent condition) exact replacement bell needs to be available. ex: I wouldn't be motivated to buy from overseas unless the selling price is thousands below market, and - well... - at thousands below market, I'd become suspicious anyway, so...

[MN_TimTuba]

When I shipped my 345 to Daniel in Germany I took the horn + gig bag dimensions to a UPS store. The young lady behind the counter was very interested in shipping a tuba that far, and was extremely helpful in selecting and modifying 2 heavy corrugated boxes to fit, plus determining adequate bubble wrap, peanuts, and tape. When I packed it all at home I taped Daniel's name, address, and phone number as well as my own to the tuba itself, in case of an accident ruining the packaging. I also TIGHTLY stuffed the bell and throat with bubble wrap, to prevent damage and to keep peanuts from working their way inside. I did not strap it to a pallet but felt like I should. Daniel let me know that she arrived in great shape without incident.
It's a bit of a chore, but it's kinda fun, too.
Good luck!
Tim

[bloke]

If peanuts (rather than air-filled), they need to be put into small trash bags (such as kitchen-size). Otherwise, they will migrate (leaving portions of the tuba unprotected and/or allowing the tuba to shift from the center to next to the edge of the carton)...OR (if an opening in the carton occurs) they will all flow out the opening. Additionally (as I view "shipping peanuts to someone" to be a bit rude), at least they will be bagged up.

[MN_TimTuba]

If peanuts (rather than air-filled), they need to be put into small trash bags (such as kitchen-size). Otherwise, they will migrate (leaving portions of the tuba unprotected and/or allowing the tuba to shift from the center to next to the edge of the carton)...OR (if an opening in the carton occurs) they will all flow out the opening. Additionally (as I view "shipping peanuts to someone" to be a bit rude), at least they will be bagged up.

Agreed, that's exactly what I did. Glad you mentioned it for me!
Tim

[Mary Ann]

With a recent purchase, after a week's use some very old, very hard, very small peanuts came out from somewhere within -- and they weren't recent ones from the very well packed tuba when I got it.
Tuba is now at the one good guy in town to vent the valves ($20 each) and find out if there are more wedged hard peanuts in the 3rd valve tubing causing it to "blow funny." Two ways to keep them out of the tuba -- one is put them in bags as described, the other is put the "prepared for shipping" tuba bell-first into a big plastic bag and seal it up at the bow end. I have yet to receive a tuba with peanuts in bags.
The only times I've had damage to shipped tubas has been when the seller had no idea how to pack one, and it arrived just sort of bouncing around in a box. Yeah, fork lifts can do horrid damage, but honestly that is rare, even now.

[bloke]

If I have run out of air-filled packing material YET find that I'm shipping a tuba and MUST used bagged packing pebbles (as there is always an infinite supply - here - of packing pebbles, sadly), I stuff something down into the bell throat (crappy old badly-stained-yet-washed work shirt...??) and masking-tape over the mouthpiece receiver (to insure that pebbles won't find their way into the instrument).

again:

Tubas are NOT designed to be shipped...not at all - at least NOT in the modern-day heavily-mechanized-and-depot/sorting/loading-employees-don't-give-a-$h!t shipping world.