The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Raphael, thank you very much for these detailed tips. I would have never thought about creating a pallet like this for smaller stuff, but it makes a lot of sense as you describe it. I will keep these instructions around for reference.

Thanks again
Andreas

When making a pallet,keep in mind the clearances required by pallet jacks or fork lifts. They need about 4" height and 26" width. So, the runners must be spaced accordingly, and the narrowest pallet that I do this with is 30". If you're sending domestically, only weight is a factor, so you can make oversized pallets without much added weight, but if you are using FedEx Freight for international shipments, dimensions are the overriding consideration as they charge more by volume than weight, so you have to keep overall dimensions to the minimum required for safe packing. FedEx has a formula: L x W x H (in inches)divided by 139 = Dimensional Weight. Unless you're shipping lead ingots, dimensional weight will always exceed actual weight.

Thank you Raphael for sharing the shipping instructions. Definitely a valuable resource.

Unless the person sending you these cylinders is in the hobby, I say you will be a sad fellow when they arrive. I bought 127 wax cylinder once off ebay and told the seller that they should wrap them as if they were crystal stemware. 10 of them made it in one piece. Stacked like cord wood with one sheet of bubble wrap lining the box.

I'll bet more cylinders have been broken since the birth of eBay than the 100 years preceding! I have bought all kinds of antiques online from all kinds of sellers, and have seen a lot of stupidity. Many sellers that are not specialist collectors either don't understand or care very much about packing fragile items to survive. If the item is insured, what do they care? The idea of preserving an antique for posterity is irrelevant to them.