Packing it up
The bigger the tool, the harder it is to get it out of the box.
The bigger the tool, the harder it is to get it out of the box.
I’ve often lamented (well, whined, really) how difficult it is to get some tools out of their packing or shipping containers. As I noted 10 years ago, even though tools are well-packaged to withstand the rigors of being shipped, great packing becomes sacrificial once your new tool arrives – you often have to literally destroy the packing to get your prize.
Smaller tools are easy, but when the weight rises above about 40-45 lbs., you can kiss that packing good-bye.
I just got a new laser engraver/cutter, and I was surprised at how hefty it was. The first one I got was basically a metal frame with a moving laser emitter, and light as could be. But this one weighed in at around 50 lbs.
Now, 50 lbs. isn’t bad (a container of cat litter is about 40 lbs.) but it can be unwieldy without assistance, which I didn’t have. Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered that the manufacturer not only packed this thing with my toss-it-to-the-porch UPS guy in mind, but also included a means of getting to it.
Wrapped around the Styrofoam-encased machine was a pair of hefty lifting straps. And, unlike that thin plastic strapping stuff that that slices your hands when you lift something wrapped with it, and must itself be cut to get it off, these soft webbing straps were Velcroed, making this one of the easiest larger tools I’ve ever unpacked.
I, and my back, are grateful to the manufacturer’s thoughtfulness. Now, if they could just make it easier to get into the house. Built-in wheels, maybe?
A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.
