Posted by Mark W. (via Matty) on November 2, 2009, 23:37:48
Message modified by board administrator November 3, 2009, 7:45:33

My friend Mark writes, saying: "...I am assisting a friend selling her late husband's model collection...(including) some of his completed...models...(which are) quite good...airplanes, tanks and ships...some of (which) are over four or five feet long: Click on Image to Enlarge FULL-RESOLUTION: Click on Image for FULL RESOLUTION ...Do you have any idea how to ship these completed models?" Click on Image to Enlarge FULL-RESOLUTION: Click on Image for FULL RESOLUTION Mark, I personally have yet to ship a completed model, nor even built anything as large (or nearly as good ) as some of these. But seriously, I have thought about it and always conclude that every packing - each crating - needs to be a small custom-construction job, in itself. At the very least these larger ones, maybe all of them, will need to be protected by a wooden crate - that seems to be a given. But within the crate, how to pack it - that's going to depend a lot on the model itself. If it's robustly mounted on a strong stand (as most of mine are), then securing the stand firmly will be (more than) half the battle, right there. For example you could lay small wood planks across the stand (or bottom of the case) and nail their ends down into the bottom of the crate - that kind of thing. The display cases, especially if made of glass, would have to ship separately, with the glass cocooned in lots of shock-absorbing material. After securing the stand, I would snug shock-absorbent material - styrofoam, foam rubber and/or paper - around the hull, wherever it won't press against any delicate parts. From the deck upwards I would leave everything completely clear - the main reason you need the stiff, outer crate. Which absolutely must be marked "THIS SIDE UP", with big arrows a blind man could see, as well as "FRAGILE" in fluorescent, "HEY-NOTICE-THIS-You-Moron!"-orange. Things like the chopper, lacking not only a secure base but also a distinct hull (fuselage), are just going to be oddball cases of improvisation. Looking at your MASH chopper, I would actually ship it in the case, but only after laying a styrofoam or foam rubber block between it and the gravel - with maybe another little, taller one supporting the tail, and taping the chopper down over top of all this, securing to the base and sandwiching all the foam and squeezing the chopper into it just a bit. I'd use strapping tape, and protect the finish on both model and base at all contact points with barriers of paper (or you could use plastic bag) strips, in between. Again, leave the rotors and anything(s) else delicate completely free. Then the cover goes on - strap that also to the base, good and tight - and the whole thing goes into a crate with at least an inch of clearance everywhere, again filled with shock-absorbent packing. See what I mean? Just remember, again, that I have no personal experience that any of the above actually works... ! Seriously though, I hope the above is helpful. What can any of you other guys out there tell us about this? Cheers, -Matty

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