Peanuts are
the worst though and I am constantly tempted to levy a
'recycling' charge to anyone who ships to me us ing peanuts.
This isn't the first time someone has made a slam on packing peanuts,
yet I've had plenty of things sent and recieved with peanuts and had
no problems. I think the key is to not just dump the peanuts into the
container, but to physically compress them into the box. The flaps of
the box should require some pressure to fully close around the item.
If done properly, peanuts will not leave a loose void for things to
wiggle around inside.
I'd bet most of your stuff weighs less than 40 pounds, then.
I collect PDP-8 gear, which generally weighs close to the weight limit
for a UPS (or even a Fed-Ex) package. You won't get good results with
a PDP-8/e or an RK05 drive with peanuts. I've seen it attempted. Hard
foam, custom shaped, is the thing to use for heavy packages. The only
void should be the one just surrounding the delicate switch register
switches.
Heavy objects will work their way through the peanuts (generating
copious evil "peanut dust") until they find the bottom edge of the
package. Whereupon whichever edge of the object is on the "bottom"
will be dented in. This will then be repeated with the package in
a different orientation. In the new orientation it will go faster,
and result in more damage, as now many of the peanuts have been
disintegrated. (If you must use the evil peanuts, at least bag the
object you are shipping!)
Oh, and if you're going to remove the power supply, *do not* put it in
the same box with the gear it came out of! It defeats the purpose of
getting under the weight limit, and just results in two items bashing
each other up. (Generally, the power supply for something like an 8/e
is better left in. The power supply can provide structural support
(there's thicker steel in the 8/e supply than in the chassis!). Also, if
the chassis becomes deformed during shipping, at least the power supply
will still fit in the resulting shape! (Wimpy plastic cases being a whole
'nother matter.)
When your objects are pushing 100 pounds, you can also be quite certain
they'll be pushed/rolled/dropped off the truck, not set down gently.
(All of which is properly documented in the UPS contracts, if anyone ever
read them.)
Vince
