Hello,

I need to ship a rod to Italy for someone in the Navy stationed out there. I got a 3 inch ABS pipe, but it is just barely too small, and rubs on the finish as I try to slide it in. What other methods do you guys use to ship rods? This is a spinning rod with a size 30 stripper that is just a smidge too tall. I don't think I saw any larger piping at home depot, but I'll look when I'm in the area today.

-Randy

Randy,
You can always use 4 inch DW pipe that Home Depot carries

head to the carpet store and they should have several heavy cardboard rolls from bolts of carpeting and more than likely they would give it to you free just make ends and you would be good to go

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

Thanks. Didn't realize there was a 4 inch version, I'll trade in!

the larger pipe is BLACK, sewer pipe but is heavy, but it is great

William Sidney
AK

the larger pipe is BLACK, sewer pipe but is heavy, but it is great

William Sidney
AK

Bill,
Actually, the pipe that you want to get is to get 4 inch - thinwall DW pipe. The walls are plenty thick and plenty tough to stand up to shipping.
But, the weight is only 1/3rd the weight of Schedule 40 or Schedule 80 pvc pipe.

However, if you go to Lowes, you can get 3 inch x 10 feet pvc drain pipe which is thinwall pipe. This is the only pipe that I use for shipping. Due to its thinner walls, I believe that your size 30 guide on the rod will just fit on the inside of the pipe.

[www.lowes.com]

Around here in Minneapolis, I have found that Lowes is the only easy access store that carries this thinwall 3 inch drain pipe.

Normally, when I ship a rod, I slip it into a plastic tubular envelope and seal each end with an impulse sealer. This keeps the rod clean and protected. But, you can do the same thing by simply wrapping it into a length of paper and using tape to seal up the paper.

For the ends of the pipe, I just trace a circle the size of the ends of the pipe on heavy cardboard and cut out the two circles. Then, I use tape to tape the end on each end of the pipe. It is good to have a flush end on the pipe so that nothing is sticking out to get hung up in the package handling equipment.

Good luck on your shipping. Since you are shipping to the Navy, I might suggest that you talk to the Navy and see if you can use their shipping service. If you can, you can save yourself a lot of money.

[www.ups.com]

Be safe

There are several methods of shipping rods or blanks. After several bad results with the thin walled PVC pipe, I now use only schedule 40. It costs more but has not failed me yet. Regardless of what method you choose, make sure you insure it for the full value and have lots of photos should you have to file a claim. My lesson was learned the hard way, hope yours is not.

Randy Weakley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello,
>
> I need to ship a rod to Italy for someone in the
> Navy stationed out there. I got a 3 inch ABS
> pipe, but it is just barely too small, and rubs on
> the finish as I try to slide it in. What other
> methods do you guys use to ship rods? This is a
> spinning rod with a size 30 stripper that is just
> a smidge too tall. I don't think I saw any larger
> piping at home depot, but I'll look when I'm in
> the area today.
>
> -Randy

Cabelas, BP and basically any store that sells rods has an over abundance of rod tubes, just go and ask for them. My local Cabelas gives them to me all the time.

Randy,

I would recommend you use at least a schedule 40 PVC pipe as the conveyor belt systems the airline use can be very brutal to a rod tube. You might even consider adding a piece of 1" x 2" and add foam padding around it to secure the rod you are shipping. The 1" x 2" would add some weight to the tube; but it would also add security that the rod will arrive in one piece!

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

Randy,
I really think that there is no reason to go overboard with either packing sizing or material.
The thinwall PVC pipe will hold up to all of the normal rigors of shipping.

if any piece of shipping material, rod, board, thick or thin piece of material gets caught in a conveyor - the conveyor will win the battle every time and the package will be snapped in half.

So, insure it well, do a good job of packing but don't go overboard. A reasonable job will hold up just fine, unless it gets caught in the machinery. If it gets caught in the machinery, you are going to end up with a broken rod. If it breaks, collect the insurance and build another rod.

I have shipped and received a lot of rods from and to many different locations. The rods have all been packed within reason and - unless they were caught in the machinery, they all came and went just fine.

For the 4 rods that were either received or sent that ended up being broken were all victims of the conveyors. Collected the insurance and moved on.

Good luck

Any sign shop with a wide format printer will have lots of 3" heavy cardboard cores used for vinyl, similar to the carpet store idea.

By the way, a very good inexpensive rod shipping container can be made from three long pieces of fairly heavy corrugated cardboard.

Basically with a box that is as long or longer than the blank, use a board to get a nice clean bend in the cardboard, so that you can made three parallel bends, each of which is about 3 inches from the next one.

Then, cut the cardboard so that you have the three continuously bent pieces with a 4th piece that is cut about 2 inches wide.

Then, bend the three pieces to form a triangle and bend over the 4th piece to form the connecting edge. Use good heavy tape to run down the overlapping joint of the 4th piece and you have a very rigid - inexpensive solid container for shipping a rod.

If you make the triangle 8 inches longer than the rod to be shipped, you will have room so that you can make cuts in each end of the three sides to form an end to the box. Bend over the ends of the pieces to from an end and use heavy tape to secure them in place.

[www.boxexpress.co.uk]

Good luck

if you really want it to get there in good condition go with the heavy duty plastic pipe, it is better to be safe then sorry ,an it will cost more, but I spend the money , don't
want to have to redo it

William Sidney
AK

Thanks for all the aweso, ideas!