Tip if you're moving with a container.

[Curly]

A year and a half ago when we decided to move from the west coast to Saskatoon I decided to rent two 20' shipping containers and load them with our belongings including the workshop tools, machines, and wood. Mainly because I could be sure the tools were packed right and would be safely stored until we were ready to move in.

Now when you rent a container you can't modify them with more tie down anchors or screw things to the floor. That leaves you trying to lash everything down using the provided anchors, 5 along the top and bottom on each side. We'll that just ain't enough. So my tip to those of you that may choose to move this way is to build a wall / fence at intervals that suits what you are loading as you go. Once you place a table saw, bandsaw, and compressor for instance you pack in and around them and on top. Then place a board just long enough to slip into the metal folds and screw it to a couple vertical ones at the ends. Add more and pack and stuff as you go. If you cut a slight angle at each end it is easier to insert and drop them in place. When done everything in that section is going to stay put when they drag the container onto the truck. Put a fence up every 4' to 6' until you reach the end. Another advantage of the walls is that you can tie things to them to hold the in place. Everything I packed stayed put in both containers after being picked up, trucked here and dropped off at the house. It wouldn't have without the walls.

Let's see if the pictures come out without laying down.

 

[magpens]

Pictures are fine, Pete !

Hire yourself out as a packing/shipping specialist !!!!

 

[leehljp]

That is a great idea!

I didn't have to pack my container when moving back from Japan to the US, but I did have to know very close how much cubic feet I had. It was 7 years ago and it seems like we had one 40ft container. We could and did pack our boxes and I did most of my tools. Large items - they packed and wrapped well. Dishes, I did. Glass and fragile, I did. Nothing was broken or scratched. I have watched the packers both on this side packing crates and containers for overseas, and over there packing for here. They were meticulous and good on both sides.

One thing I did for our fine china, I got full size paper and styrofoam plates and placed a paper and styrofoam plate between each china plate; same for salad plates. No broken China. I did something similar to all delicate items. I tend to over pack but it was worth it.

My only gripe and although it didn't personally cost me anything, the shipping from Memphis to Port of New Orleans, through the Panama Canal to the port in Kobe cost less than half of the "Inside Japan" shipment from Kobe to Ikoma - East Osaka, a distance of about 40 miles!

 

[mark james]

Great suggestion! I'd love to see pictures of the shop when it's all done.

 

[lorbay]

Been there done that.
Lin

 

[Charlie_W]

Yup, great idea Pete! Thanks for sharing this tip.

 

[Curly]

Thanks guys.

Mal to be honest I took 2 pictures with the phone held vertically and then 2 more the same with it held horizontally. When I previewed the post the it was the vertical pictures that laid over, so I deleted them.

Hank we bought a couple hundred boxes from Uline in a couple sizes and with single and double wall thicknesses along with a couple rolls of buble wrap. I also in my last few weeks of work grabbed all the foam and bible wrap I could lay my hands on. Everything was well wrapped and having most of the boxes the same size meant they stacked well and were manageable to lift. We also bought a bundle of 10 or 12 moving blankets on Amazon or Ebay, who remembers, that were great for bigger things like chairs. To be honest I'd rather skip doing it again and just flog everything and buy new. Way easier on the back.c:wink: I'll remember the foam plate trick if it ever comes up again.

I know most will never do the same kind of move but it is something that needs a lot of preparation if you do.

 

[PenPal]

Curly hi mate I bought a 20 footer to keep my small electrical things in. It had been owned by a plumber who left the doors open on his property for a while. I had a side fence with heavy steel lift guides for posts where I wanted it at my p0lce. Cut these off, a guy with a slide truck they use to tilt and slide the container on arrived with the container, dropped it off twelve feet from where I wanted it (weighed 2.4 Ton). Away he went and I used a length of steam pipe about ten feet long and a block of wood about a foot square and I levered it into place then levered up a corner at a time, Wilma very gingerly slid a concrete block under each corner for me. Me and Archimedes are friends.

I was given twelve feet by eight feet laminated both sides Chipboard top sheets 30 mm thick from a big furniture maker brought them home on my 6 X 4 foot trailer (3 of). Welded brackets inside, sliced the sheets length wise for shelves.

A few years ago now I go pale at the thought now at age 82 yrs..

I was so impressed the way you fitted out the containers for your move, say hi to your dearly beloved Marla and all the best for the production of fantastic blanks.

Peter.

 

[1080Wayne]

I get the impression you were more concerned with making larger flat stuff , not pens , once you reached the promised land , when you chose the boards to partition the container . But have fun anyway !

You may want to look into the Sundog Arts and Entertainment Faire , not sure of dates , probably early Dec . Supposed to be the best in the province , but I`ve never attended . Also , LLoydminster has 2 competing 3 day shows in late Nov on successive weekends .

 

[Curly]

Thanks Peter. I just turned 63 and wouldn't want to have to push and lift a container, or as they call them around here a sea can, into place. I would in a heartbeat get a couple for storage here but the bylaws won't allow them except as a temporary measure.

Wayne I was into the "larger flat stuff" long before I was into turning, along with metal work, blacksmithing, ornamental turning, boats, airplanes, et cetera. Though at some point one discovers ones means dictate the number of ones pastimes and we have to let some go. I hate the ones.

 

[skiprat]

Here's another reason to make sure you secure your precious possessions...:wink:

Just before Christmas I had to go do a job at a new container port on the Thames estuary near London. My job was in the machine control room at the top of 12 of the cranes. These have a lift up the 11 flights but the client was a bit of a dick and switched off the power for the stuff I was going to work on, before I could use it, so had to walk up the outside stairs with all my tools and stuff. Even though I nearly had a heart attack, I wasn't going to give him the pleasure of seeing me struggle.....I insisted that he come up and prove the power was off, so he only was a dick on the first one....

But sorry, I digress....:redface:

At the same time, UK had just endured Storm Barbara . You can see the container that the storm lifted, turned on it's side and emptied and then dumped back down on the top of the other containers.

Fun, fun fun :biggrin:

 

[dangre]

grabbed all the foam and bible wrap I could lay my hands on

Hank, why didn't you think of that? :biggrin: