The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I built a four latch banner Home suitcase for my sister and will be taking it back to Illinois next week. I was thinking of packing it in a plastic carry on case using a lot of bubble rap. I will have to pack the horn well too. I do not think I will have trouble with the TSA but it will be a heavy suitcase to throw up in the overhead bin. I am going from LAX to St Luis direct. Any suggestions or that should make it Tom

Depending on the airline, some have started measuring and weighing carry-on luggage, so I would check with them before leaving.

Andreas

My suggestion would be to leave it unwrapped until you clear security because the TSA folks are going to want to inspect it.

My suggestion would be to leave it unwrapped until you clear security because the TSA folks are going to want to inspect it.

That was my thinking as well. I might be tempted to have a custom carton built just big enough for the machine. Place the machine in a plastic bag and in the carton. It would be easy to remove for inspection and the plastic would protect from abrasion from the cardboard. Be sure to have the carton built with inside dimensions big enough for the Edison. I have cartons built frequently and the cost is quite modest. You have flexibility for size as well as cardboard thickness. I would have something like this built for carryon but not for checking your package. If it was checked you would want the same or perhaps better packing than UPS, etc. You don't want to get in a situation where the airlines ask you to check it and you are not prepared for that request. Talk to them first.

Jerry Blais

leaving it unwrapped may be a good idea. I could do that and tie a cord around it to keep it together . I may bring an empty carry on bag stuffed wit bubble wrap and put it in after the TSA. If I want accustom box where would I look to get one made. ?? That may be a good alternate too. Tom

I’ve done it frequently and it’s super easy. Lay it in a bed of packing materials (taped small rolls of bubble wrap are best) in a robust cardboard box with at least 3” crush space in all directions. The box must conform with carry-on size restrictions. You must avoid any reason for them to force you to check it.

Tape the top closed but just to keep it closed and no more. As you pass through screening and before it gets X-rayed, tell the TSA what it is and offer to show them. If you have to do so, simply open the top of the box and remove the lid. You’ve also got an easy way to pull it all out of the box and show them the insides if they press for that.

Bring a small roll of tape to reseal the box, or just interleave the four flaps of the box to close it. You’re not shipping the thing so it really doesn’t need anything other than protection from crushing in the overhead by adjacent bags.

It’s also good to take a bunch of clear well lit photos of it and have them easily viewable on your phone.

The idea is to make their job easy and stress free, and in planning ahead this way, you can do that.

Conversely, having a Gem decide to loudly start running inside a carryon bag on the conveyor belt is not a good way to do that. I have firsthand knowledge of this.

ODD THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE LET THE GEM MOTOR RUN DOWN BEFORE YOU PACKED IT.

No need to SHOUT.

Early Gems have the weird stop/start control that is not always definitive, and this one decided to be tricky that day. I had thought it was wound down.

Alrighty then !

I wasn't shouting.

I called American airlines and asked them. They told me as long as it fits into the carry on bag it can go with no weight limit. The reason I want to use the carry on bag is carrying that heavy phonograph around two airports would be hard on me. I will make sure I can put a lot of bubble wrap around it. She also told that there should be no problem with TSA. It should X ray. I think they have encountered this situation before. Tom