Another Piano Case
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| Peter Hvidt lounge chair |
Framed houses with my brother back in the eighties. He liked to say, we aren't building the piano boys, just the case to put it in when some guy on the job wanted to measure down tiny fractions of inches. His quick measures more accuracy than my best tries, so I got the dumb end of the tape most of the time. Every time I slice up rigid foam insulation and cardboard for a shipping crate Justin's words echo in my head. Just get the job done.
Two things happened at exactly the same moment this past Tuesday. I bent over to put something in the trash and felt three separate muscle spasms move down my back. No sharp pains or anything like that, but uncomfortable nevertheless. Lower back pain, ugh, going to have to take it easy for a couple days. Meanwhile, in at MJ's desk, she is selling this chair to a guy in San Diego. No problem for old Bubba to get it crated and onto the Greyhound Bus by Thursday.
First step, unload the van from Sunday market, drive out to Lowes Hardware and the UPS store to get the rigid foam insulation and sheets and double wall cardboard needed to make the box. Cost way too much. Get started on the project.
Holding a lid in place on either end of the crate with the wrap around extra layer of double wall cardboard not only seals the ends, but adds considerably to the overall strength of the package. Fun to complete the job and head off to Mt. Vernon Greyhound Bus station.
Grin wiped off my face at the bus station. The lady got out her tape measure, as usual; PackageExpres always records the longest dimension of the boxes. Thought something may be wrong when she measured all sides of the box, measured the narrowest side a second time and looked up.
"Its the new buses," she explained. "Cant fit anything into the cargo area that is longer than 28", your box is 29", can you cut a little bit off one side?" Box will not fit in the bus. Put it back on the van and came home.
Chocolate ice cream comfort food did not make the disaster go away. Instead of making the mortgage payment today we will be issuing a refund to the buyer and scratching our heads what to do next..
Back still hurts like hell.
******
Came down from the ice cream high to face the music. Always wanted to see one of my boxes at the end of the trip, but in the back of my own van to Mount Vernon and back hardly qualifies. Not even sure how to open the damned thing. I just build the box, leave it to the customer to get the thing opened.
This isn't the first chair of this type we have had, and I knew in the back of my head that it probably is fastened together with brackets that tap together and apart for shipping. Half forgot, but also the chair is so solid - tight that I din't want to start banging on it with a mallet.
No other choice now, and here it is:
Brings to mind another thing my brother used to say, "too soon old, too late smart." Cut the box down and head back to the bus station tomorrow.
Two things happened at exactly the same moment this past Tuesday. I bent over to put something in the trash and felt three separate muscle spasms move down my back. No sharp pains or anything like that, but uncomfortable nevertheless. Lower back pain, ugh, going to have to take it easy for a couple days. Meanwhile, in at MJ's desk, she is selling this chair to a guy in San Diego. No problem for old Bubba to get it crated and onto the Greyhound Bus by Thursday.
First step, unload the van from Sunday market, drive out to Lowes Hardware and the UPS store to get the rigid foam insulation and sheets and double wall cardboard needed to make the box. Cost way too much. Get started on the project.
About noon MJ came home with a back brace that helped a little bit with the back pain.
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Two design issues with a crate like this. Has to be strong enough to withstand loading and unloading, from the belly of the bus, and also has to hold the chair from moving around inside the box during the trip. Thanks to a mega role of shrink wrap plastic I lashed the chair to the reinforced bottom of the foam inner box before installing the top. Hope it holds.
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| Seal the top, write customer name and address on top and sides |
Grin wiped off my face at the bus station. The lady got out her tape measure, as usual; PackageExpres always records the longest dimension of the boxes. Thought something may be wrong when she measured all sides of the box, measured the narrowest side a second time and looked up.
"Its the new buses," she explained. "Cant fit anything into the cargo area that is longer than 28", your box is 29", can you cut a little bit off one side?" Box will not fit in the bus. Put it back on the van and came home.
Chocolate ice cream comfort food did not make the disaster go away. Instead of making the mortgage payment today we will be issuing a refund to the buyer and scratching our heads what to do next..
Back still hurts like hell.
******
Came down from the ice cream high to face the music. Always wanted to see one of my boxes at the end of the trip, but in the back of my own van to Mount Vernon and back hardly qualifies. Not even sure how to open the damned thing. I just build the box, leave it to the customer to get the thing opened.
This isn't the first chair of this type we have had, and I knew in the back of my head that it probably is fastened together with brackets that tap together and apart for shipping. Half forgot, but also the chair is so solid - tight that I din't want to start banging on it with a mallet.
No other choice now, and here it is:
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