How to Pack Your Naks
Damages during shipping is not very uncommon. The sight of the transport door pushed at an angle halfway into the chassis of the deck is so heartbreaking. Even though most of us are familiar with this experience, such incidents keep happening to one or the other everyday.
While long distance shipping has its risks, proper packing can protect the deck almost 90%. Packing is mostly overlooked. Sometimes people think that choosing an expensive courier service will take care of the delivery and the safety of the deck. This is hardly true. While they do handle the package carefully in their own perspective, they do not know the content inside, even if they know they need not be knowledgeable enough to handle properly. Vibrations and shocks that happen in air cargo due to turbulence and due to gutters on bad roads in case of road transport is hardly in anybody's control.
Some others think that stuffing the deck in a box along with a whatever garbage they can find like news paper, thermocol etc will protect the deck. While these materials are helpful indeed, the way they are used is very crucial. I have seen the deck broken even with a packing that weighed 7Kg.
I am no expert in packing and logistics. But I think it is better to share what I do so that it may save some decks at least.
The key to good packing is to use the right size of the container box and precise space planing within the box. Most of the tape decks fit in 22"x16"x10.5" standard box. This is available easily with all cardboard box sellers. One or two inches extra will not harm, it is only that the packing arrangement should match the size. Double walled type is preferred.
Given below is the arrangement. The white blocks you see are packing foam blocks.
https://goo.gl/photos/KhxgURsmA1R6Yw3bA
These blocks have to be fixed in the shown manner. Either double sided adhesive tape or any rubberized glue can be used to stick them in place. The bottom blocks in all 4 corners should have the same height. Minimum height is 2 inches. The ideal way to determine the height is [(Box internal height - deck height)/2]. This keeps the deck floating exactly in the middle of the box leaving equal space above and below the deck.
The next step is to cut the 8 blocks for all the 4 sides of the box. The same logic for calculating the height of the block apply along the length and width directions.
Finally stick the 4 blocks on the top flaps. When the top flaps are closed, it forms a rectangle space that holds the deck perfectly from all sides.
https://goo.gl/photos/ZsCJjxy9ED3aPE5F6
https://goo.gl/photos/t4tq968R3Sjk7jdV7
View from the inside
https://goo.gl/photos/cKZbZiDaXtj8Y8uA8
Pack the deck in a plastic bag. Wrap the power chord leaving just enough length so that it bends smoothly and reside in the space under the deck. Make sure it is under the deck. Not behind it.
https://goo.gl/photos/5H1hVh1s2uXB9DXG7
It is a good idea to remove the cassette door and wrap it separately with bubble wrap. This can be kept on the space above or under the deck. Where the knobs protrude, make depressions on the foam with a knife or scissors to accommodate them.
https://goo.gl/photos/th4rqYawZFsxeuLu7
The additional gaps on the sides, bottom and top can be filled with a rolls of bubble wrap sheets cut in proper sizes or loosely fill with thermocol balls. But frankly, it only gives an additional satisfaction. Functionally the foam blocks alone are good enough. For people who will not settle with this amount of security, the next effective thing to do is to get a box of the next bigger size and suspend the first box the same way the deck was packed. Anything less than this is not effective.
Finally close the box and tape it tight. The target is to have a little pressure (not too much) to be applied on the deck from all sides equally after closing. The box and the deck act like one solid piece. The deck should not move independently within the box under any circumstances.
Finally tie a rope firmly wrapping it along the length and width. Also make a loop on the top for people to hold. Most people with common sense will hold the box by the loop only when they see it and the deck will be in the correct orientation.
All the usual rituals like Marking "This side up", "Fragile", "Handle with care ....Please ...Please ....Please..." should never be forgotten.
Once this is done, you have done pretty much what you could for safe packing. This method adds the least amount of packing wight and at the same time it is very effective. None of the decks I have received or sent in this manner had bad luck so far.
Damages during shipping is not very uncommon. The sight of the transport door pushed at an angle halfway into the chassis of the deck is so heartbreaking. Even though most of us are familiar with this experience, such incidents keep happening to one or the other everyday.
While long distance shipping has its risks, proper packing can protect the deck almost 90%. Packing is mostly overlooked. Sometimes people think that choosing an expensive courier service will take care of the delivery and the safety of the deck. This is hardly true. While they do handle the package carefully in their own perspective, they do not know the content inside, even if they know they need not be knowledgeable enough to handle properly. Vibrations and shocks that happen in air cargo due to turbulence and due to gutters on bad roads in case of road transport is hardly in anybody's control.
Some others think that stuffing the deck in a box along with a whatever garbage they can find like news paper, thermocol etc will protect the deck. While these materials are helpful indeed, the way they are used is very crucial. I have seen the deck broken even with a packing that weighed 7Kg.
I am no expert in packing and logistics. But I think it is better to share what I do so that it may save some decks at least.
The key to good packing is to use the right size of the container box and precise space planing within the box. Most of the tape decks fit in 22"x16"x10.5" standard box. This is available easily with all cardboard box sellers. One or two inches extra will not harm, it is only that the packing arrangement should match the size. Double walled type is preferred.
Given below is the arrangement. The white blocks you see are packing foam blocks.
https://goo.gl/photos/KhxgURsmA1R6Yw3bA
These blocks have to be fixed in the shown manner. Either double sided adhesive tape or any rubberized glue can be used to stick them in place. The bottom blocks in all 4 corners should have the same height. Minimum height is 2 inches. The ideal way to determine the height is [(Box internal height - deck height)/2]. This keeps the deck floating exactly in the middle of the box leaving equal space above and below the deck.
The next step is to cut the 8 blocks for all the 4 sides of the box. The same logic for calculating the height of the block apply along the length and width directions.
Finally stick the 4 blocks on the top flaps. When the top flaps are closed, it forms a rectangle space that holds the deck perfectly from all sides.
https://goo.gl/photos/ZsCJjxy9ED3aPE5F6
https://goo.gl/photos/t4tq968R3Sjk7jdV7
View from the inside
https://goo.gl/photos/cKZbZiDaXtj8Y8uA8
Pack the deck in a plastic bag. Wrap the power chord leaving just enough length so that it bends smoothly and reside in the space under the deck. Make sure it is under the deck. Not behind it.
https://goo.gl/photos/5H1hVh1s2uXB9DXG7
It is a good idea to remove the cassette door and wrap it separately with bubble wrap. This can be kept on the space above or under the deck. Where the knobs protrude, make depressions on the foam with a knife or scissors to accommodate them.
https://goo.gl/photos/th4rqYawZFsxeuLu7
The additional gaps on the sides, bottom and top can be filled with a rolls of bubble wrap sheets cut in proper sizes or loosely fill with thermocol balls. But frankly, it only gives an additional satisfaction. Functionally the foam blocks alone are good enough. For people who will not settle with this amount of security, the next effective thing to do is to get a box of the next bigger size and suspend the first box the same way the deck was packed. Anything less than this is not effective.
Finally close the box and tape it tight. The target is to have a little pressure (not too much) to be applied on the deck from all sides equally after closing. The box and the deck act like one solid piece. The deck should not move independently within the box under any circumstances.
Finally tie a rope firmly wrapping it along the length and width. Also make a loop on the top for people to hold. Most people with common sense will hold the box by the loop only when they see it and the deck will be in the correct orientation.
All the usual rituals like Marking "This side up", "Fragile", "Handle with care ....Please ...Please ....Please..." should never be forgotten.
Once this is done, you have done pretty much what you could for safe packing. This method adds the least amount of packing wight and at the same time it is very effective. None of the decks I have received or sent in this manner had bad luck so far.
