Safely packaging a Peripheral Expansion Box

[bjkrug]

I'm about to pack up a PEB so that a friend can sell it on e-bay. We're selling all of the cards and the box together. (Disk controller, 32K expansion, RS232 card)

Does anybody have any advice on packaging it safely? I'm planning to remove the expansion cards, and put them in a separate package from the expansion box. I'm thinking I should leave the disk drive inside of the PEB, since it's fit pretty snuggly into the PEB anyway.

 

I'll buy styrofoam to cushion the PEBs and use some left-over bubble-wrap for the cards. Does that all sound safe?

[GDMike]

I like to ship all the cards in 1 box myself. Use Foam rubber, the thick stuff, on all sides of the PeB plastic box.  Bubble wrap then Make sure that the PeB box does not move inside The shipping box..

Edited November 22, 2023 by GDMike

[RickyDean]

What @GDMike said. If you do leave the D/C in the box, be sure to heavily protect the part of it that projects out the back, as that could get snapped off if dropped the right way.

[+InsaneMultitasker]

Things I remember from my time working at Cecure (TI/Myarc authorized service center)...  The cards that protruded from the PEB periodically suffered damage when not well-protected.  Third party cards that are longer than the stock TI cards were more susceptible to connector and/or trace damage.  We typically recommended removing the protruding cards if there was any doubt or if the cards did not have a clamshell case. 

 

Check to make sure the lid latches and does not have a lot of wiggle room to open during transit - I only saw this happen once or twice when the PEB was packed in loose styrofoam peanuts.  Bubble wrap or some other materials like @GDMike suggests make for safe arrival. The lid's foam cushion should keep the cards from moving but it doesn't hurt to add bubble wrap between cards to dampen vibration.  And as @RickyDean mentions the cards that stick out from the back need to be protected, you don't want the mass of the PEB landing on an edge connector. 

[bjkrug]

@InsaneMultitasker One of side of the top cover does not latch properly, so I'll put either styrofoam or a piece of cardboard between the cover and the rest of the PEB. All the more reason for me to remove the cards during transit I guess.

[+arcadeshopper]

My method.

Wrap pbox in large bubble wrap at least 2x around all sides..

place in box that fits snugly with the bubblewrapped pbox

place that box in another box that has at least 2" of air bags,spray foam or peanuts on all sides.

 

[CLBrown]

I have kept my PEB packed up in a box for a while now.  It's been moved in the same packaging, seven times (I was an officer in the military for the first part of my adult life!)

 

I found a box about two to three inches larger than the PEB in all directions, made from double-corrugated cardboard.  (The exact size isn't crucial, as long as there's not way too much or too little space on any side.)  I went to a packing and shipping specialty store with the ability to do "foam in bag" packaging.  I haven't seen that recently at the standard shipping places (UPS store, etc), but this is still available in may other spots.  The bags used are non-porous, and they shoot expanding foam into the bags.  So, I had them start with the "base bag"  by setting the PEB on pair of 2x4 sections (roughly 6" long) on its top (upside down), partially filling that bag, putting it on top of the PEB's underside, and slipping the box down over it all as closely centered as possible.  We had to wait for about 15 minutes for that to set up.  (The foam is basically that same "plumber's foam" you might have used at home... "Great Stuff" brand, etc)  Then, flipped the box , put another partially filled bag of foam on top, closed the top of the box, and let that set up as well.

 

Once you're done, you've got a "top piece" and a "bottom piece" of rigid expanded polyurethane foam, perfectly fitting the inside of the box and the PEB's outside.   Assuming you filled the bags properly (which requires knowing how much expansion to expect from your foam... that's more art than science, frankly!)... the top and bottom pieces will fully encompass the top or bottom but with a gap between, which allows it all to be disassembled easily.  Open the top flaps of the box, remove the top block of foam, and just life the PEB right out, leaving the bottom block in the box.  I've been re-using that assembly (with roughly 2" worth of foam on all sides) to move and store my PEB for a LOOONG time now.

 

If the PEB can survive multiple "movers" experiences, not always the most cautious of sorts...  it's probably more than adequate for a single UPS, Fedex, or even (God help you) USPS experience.

[+Ksarul]

9 hours ago, CLBrown said:

I have kept my PEB packed up in a box for a while now.  It's been moved in the same packaging, seven times (I was an officer in the military for the first part of my adult life!)

 

I found a box about two to three inches larger than the PEB in all directions, made from double-corrugated cardboard.  (The exact size isn't crucial, as long as there's not way too much or too little space on any side.)  I went to a packing and shipping specialty store with the ability to do "foam in bag" packaging.  I haven't seen that recently at the standard shipping places (UPS store, etc), but this is still available in may other spots.  The bags used are non-porous, and they shoot expanding foam into the bags.  So, I had them start with the "base bag"  by setting the PEB on pair of 2x4 sections (roughly 6" long) on its top (upside down), partially filling that bag, putting it on top of the PEB's underside, and slipping the box down over it all as closely centered as possible.  We had to wait for about 15 minutes for that to set up.  (The foam is basically that same "plumber's foam" you might have used at home... "Great Stuff" brand, etc)  Then, flipped the box , put another partially filled bag of foam on top, closed the top of the box, and let that set up as well.

 

Once you're done, you've got a "top piece" and a "bottom piece" of rigid expanded polyurethane foam, perfectly fitting the inside of the box and the PEB's outside.   Assuming you filled the bags properly (which requires knowing how much expansion to expect from your foam... that's more art than science, frankly!)... the top and bottom pieces will fully encompass the top or bottom but with a gap between, which allows it all to be disassembled easily.  Open the top flaps of the box, remove the top block of foam, and just life the PEB right out, leaving the bottom block in the box.  I've been re-using that assembly (with roughly 2" worth of foam on all sides) to move and store my PEB for a LOOONG time now.

 

If the PEB can survive multiple "movers" experiences, not always the most cautious of sorts...  it's probably more than adequate for a single UPS, Fedex, or even (God help you) USPS experience.

Pretty much what TI did with their original boxes. I still use several of them for my primary system boxes during moves. They've moved a lot too--and they have made two round trips across the Atlantic. . .without damage to their contents.

[eightbit]

Use the "large bubble" bubble wrap. So many times in the past I have received items damaged due to lack of adequate packing. People love to use the cheaper small bubble wrap. Nope. Use the expensive stuff. It's like $25 a roll at Home Depot, but if you want to protect it is all well worth it.

 

I go overboard with it (is there an overboard though really?) and I generally have 3-4 inches of this wrap around any computer tower when shipping or moving. The same can be applied to the PEB.

 

I just moved and transported my entire computer collection in a POD 650 miles. I wrapped each computer in this as described. I know that travel was tough on things. But the outcome? Everything is still in pristine condition.

 

Bottom line is don't cheap out on the padding!