# How NOT to pack a vise for shipment.



## PatMiles (Sep 26, 2014)

I recently posted a 5" Kurt vise for sale in the classifieds. Fortunately, it sold in a short time, funds were sent and then thoughts of how to package the 48 pound vise were bouncing around in my head. Initial ideas of bolting it to a piece of plywood and then building a plywood box around were passed on. Double boxing was given some thought but the final size of the outer box killed that idea. After talking with a friend, it was suggested that the vise be wrapped in two layers of plastic and then foamed into a box with canned foam used to seal cracks in houses. The bottom of the box was taped securely and a 2" layer of foam was sprayed in the box and then covered with a sheet of plastic. Not wanting the vise to just sink to the bottom of the box I waited for the foam to set up and then placed the vise in the box. A layer pf plastic was placed over the vise and then the box was filled with foam leaving about five inches for expansion. The following morning the foam had expanded and dried leaving about three inches of space which I packed with a closed cell foam sheet after which the box was taped shut and off to the local UPS office I went. Happily the online shipping estimate was accurate and away went the box. I sent the tracking number to the buyer, a member of this site obviously, along with a warning that he would have to carve the vise out of the foam. Well, the vise was delivered and later that evening I received a grumpy, tongue in cheek email from the new owner telling me of his exhaustive, uphill battle to free the vise from the foam packaging. The foam in the core of the box had not solidified and remained a gooey, ultra sticky quagmire. I envisioned the new owner struggling to free himself similar to a bug on a sticky bug trap. The vision was humorous but might have been a completely different scenario if I had been within striking distance of the gentleman trying to extricate the vise and probably himself from foam. I figured I would not in the future read of the discovery of a skeleton anchored by a Kurt vise and starving to death as the owner was able to send me an after the fact email telling me that the reason the email was short and semi sweet was due to the fact that his fingers were cramping badly due to his world class WWF wrestling match with the box from hell.
If I am ever in Longmont, Colorado and decide to check up on the vise, I will say hello to Bill from across the street so I have a running start for my escape.
SORRY BILL!
Pat


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## wrmiller (Sep 26, 2014)

That stuff was so bad that when I had my fingers in the center of this stuff just trying to pry enough off to get the vise out, I was lifting the box (and my wife who was trying to hold the box down) almost completely off the floor.

Took me close to 30 min. to unpack that vise. But hey, the vise showed up in perfect condition! You probably could have repeatedly thrown this thing against a wall and not hurt the vise inside.

Oh, and Pat, should you ever feel the need to send me a birthday or Christmas present? I'd much prefer a Hallmark card instead. )

Thanks again for the vise,
Bill
P.S. I had to wait for that resin to harden (soap wouldn't get it off) so I could basically peel it off like you would a snake skin.


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## PatMiles (Sep 26, 2014)

Bill,
So you didn't try a fire hose and a garden rake on your hands?


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## wrmiller (Sep 26, 2014)

The foam was completely set, even immediately around the vise. But the bags you wrapped/taped/zip tied around the vise had this really sticky resin on them, and soap/water didn't remove it.

But I do honestly appreciate your effort, even if I was using a few 'colorful metaphors' during its extraction from that stuff.  :allgood:

Bill


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## jtrain (Sep 26, 2014)

The unset gooey foam can be removed with acetone,  but once it sets you have to wear it off.  That is a good way to pack an item, unpacking can be and was challenging.


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## ranch23 (Sep 26, 2014)

Sounds like a good guy shipped a vise to another good guy. All didn't go as planned, but worked out ok in the end.


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## 12bolts (Sep 26, 2014)

wrmiller19 said:


> .... I was lifting the box (and my wife who was trying to hold the box down) almost completely off the floor....



Thats always a problem with the petite/compact versions, theyre never much use in the heavy lifting/holding area. Pity we arent allowed to have wives like our vehicles, a pick-up truck type for hauling carrying things, an elegant town car type for those dinner dates,.......... and a sporty topless model for when you just want to go for a spin!

Cheers phil


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## PatMiles (Sep 26, 2014)

ranch23 said:


> Sounds like a good guy shipped a vise to another good guy. All didn't go as planned, but worked out ok in the end.



Yeah, Bill was quite the gentleman in this case but if I ever sell him another item I might get paid in nickles... foamed into a box.:roflmao:


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## wrmiller (Sep 26, 2014)

PatMiles said:


> Yeah, Bill was quite the gentleman in this case but if I ever sell him another item I might get paid in nickles... foamed into a box.:roflmao:



Now THERE'S a good idea. Hmmm...

It will be probably next year before I get back into USPSA shooting, so we're good there too.  :lmao:


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## wrmiller (Sep 26, 2014)

12bolts said:


> Thats always a problem with the petite/compact versions, theyre never much use in the heavy lifting/holding area. Pity we arent allowed to have wives like our vehicles, a pick-up truck type for hauling carrying things, an elegant town car type for those dinner dates,.......... and a sporty topless model for when you just want to go for a spin!
> 
> Cheers phil



Yea we are quite the pair walking down the street: I'm 6'3" and she's barely 5'2. She's a good sport about it though...and after over 20 years we have kinda gotten used to each other.


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## stupoty (Sep 27, 2014)

acetone is probably a good idea, I think it also brakes down in UV so it could be left in the sun 

It is properly adhesive stuff I had some on my figure nails and basically had to wait for my nails to grow out. ow

Stuart


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## ricsmall (Sep 27, 2014)

yes, let it wear off! i rebuilt a '78 CJ about 8 years back and was using this stuff for some purpose, dont really remember. Long story short the last thing I tried to remove the foam from my hand with was aircraft paint stripper. Do not apply this stuff to your hand! To this day I have to apply thick creme on my right hand daily, if not several times daily, due to the damage. Use lots of neosporin and band aids in winter for the cracks in that hand. It sucks!!

Richard


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## SWARFEATER (Sep 27, 2014)

expand foam works very well for shipping, but as the directions say, it needs moisture to cure. I shoot a layer then a quick spritz of water, wait 10 mins and repeat. or you can buy the type used for building boat fridges, mix the 2 parts and pour, but you better be quick cause it happens fast  and I do mean fast.


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## middle.road (Sep 27, 2014)

Another method to try is to use 13Gal white plastic trash bags, double them up, layer the bottom as was done then do the upper with the opening
facing upwards.
Two stories on this. When I was selling some lathe chucks on Ebay I did two up this way. One made it fine the other other ended up in 'damaged packages'
in N.O. LA. I believe that the postal workers who were having to handle the flat rate boxes had had enough. That chuck shipped out at 68Lbs.
The one grumpy person at the counter at the local PO actually tried to tell me that a Large flat rate can't go over 35Lbs...
I also tried to give fair warning and printed up red stickers that said "-=- HEAVY -=-"

Another was two refurb computers I received one time. The vendor had packed both in the same box and used that commercial expanding foam.
Unfortunately the folks in shipping weren't very careful, both towers were stuck to each other and on one the foam had gotten inside the case.
I shipped 'em back...


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