I need to ship a rod I completed for a customer, must say I'm a rookie here having never done this. What works best and how do you pack it?

We did a nice article on this in RodMaker a few years back. The packing/shipping design was almost 100% foolproof but it's not something I can easily explain in a message board post.

You need a stout tube and a means to suspend/support the rod inside the tube. One of the main dangers in shipping rods is that tubes get chucked across the floor and then they stop suddenly and the rod keeps on going (picture a yolk inside of an egg) and often the tip hits the end of the tube and snaps off.

PVC is almost always your best bet for a shipping tube. Pool noodles or wraps of bubble wrap are your friend. But you still have to make sure the rod cannot slide lengthwise inside the tube.

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Chuck,
Several years ago, I picked up an impulse sealer for plastic tubing. I keep a 3 inch roll of tubing on hand for all of my rod shipments. After completing the rod, and giving it a good once over and a final cleaning, I print a label to go with the rod inside the plastic mylar tubing. I seal one end of the tube and then slip the rod into the tube, along with the label, for the customers name and rod data. Then, I seal the other end of the tube.

This basically puts a bag of air around the tube.

I typically use 3 inch thinwall pvc tubes for shipping spinning rods and if the guides fit will use 2 inch thinwall pvc tube for casting rods.

I have found no reason to ship a tube using a thick heavy schedule 40 pvc tube. The thin wall will protect the rod just fine, unless it gets caught in a conveyor. If the rod gets caught in a conveyor, the conveyor will win every time resulting in a broken rod.

I cut the thin wall tube about 2 inches longer than the finished rod. This will leave an inch at each end of the rod for packing I use a binder to secure bubble wrap around each end of the rod, as well as a section in the middle of the rod that is just a nice slip fit into the 3 or 2 inch tube.

In order to avoid getting caught, I made a lid for each end of the tube using cardboard. I cut out a circle from medium weight cardboard of the same diameter as the ends of the pvc tube. Then , I just use packing tape to secure the cap on each end of the tube. As is always the case, I always put a shipping address with a return address on both the inside of the tube, as well as on the outside of the tube.

To cut the PVC tube, I use a 12 inch abrasive cut off tool in my chop saw to chop the pvc tube to length and to get a nice clean edge on the end of the tube.

I used to use other wrapping for the rods before I had the impulse sealer and found it to be quite a hassle to get a nice pack on the rod. But, with the impulse sealer, it is easy.

U line is a very good supplier for packing products and equipment. You can go to an on line @#$%& site and get good deals on impulse sealers When I mention impulse sealers, it is a plastic bag sealer that heats the element for a x seconds. The value of X is set by the dial on the front of the sealer. So, when you first get your bag product, spend some time and experiment with different sealing time until you get a perfect seal, without melting through the bag.

[www.uline.com]

Typical sealer:

[www.uline.com]

I use the 4 mil tubing, typically in the 3 inch width size.

[www.uline.com]

We use PVC Piping with caps for each end. Most of the time the rod is in a plastic bag sleeve then wrap bubble wrap around the butt, tip and at least one spot in the middle – this will keep it from bouncing around inside the tube. Then tape up the end caps.

What's the downside to using the thick-walled Sched 40 PVC grey conduit?

Jerry,
The downside is simply money. One pays for shipping by the oz. More Ozs, and more money to pay.

Also, as I said, there is really not much advantage to use a heavier schedule 40 pvc pipe.

The thin wall DW pipe will protect the rod just fine for the typical shipping items.

As I said, if either the thin wall or the thick wall schedule decides to pick a fight with a conveyor, the conveyor will nicely snap both containers.

So, leave the money in your pocket and use the thin wall piping.

p.s.
I have also shipped rods in cardboard carpet tubes. I have shipped rods in triangle shaped cardboard boxes. I have shipped rods in plastic rain gutter down spouts. This works very well and if you are having trouble finding a pvc pipe, grab a section of plastic rain gutter down spout, make caps for each end of the pipe, pack and ship your rod.


Good luck

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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 04:06PM by John E Powell.

Very often there is an oversize charge that precludes the amount of weight involved. When that is the case, there is no penalty for using a heavier grade tubing.

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