(Topic ID: 29405)

Vid's Guide to Properly Shipping Playfields

By vid1900

11 years ago


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  • 45 posts
  • 17 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 year ago by vid1900
  • Topic is favorited by 74 Pinsiders

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    14
    #1 11 years ago

    Every time I get a playfield to restore, I tell the customer:

    No bubble wrap and no Styrofoam Peanuts; those products will not protect the corners of the playfield if UPS drops it off of a conveyer belt.

    Of course, every time I open a playfield box, it is wrapped with bubble wrap and one or more of the corners is damaged.

    In addation, bubble wrap often etches its bubble pattern on clear coat that is less that a year old. Probably some chemical reaction with the plasticizers that keep the wrap pliable.

    So here is the guide to properly shipping a playfield:

    #2 11 years ago

    Step one is to remove everything off the playfield.

    Next vacuum off all the dust and grit FROM BOTH SIDES. Even if the playfield is being sent off to be restored, you don't want any grit scratching up the silkscreen and causing more damage.

    We need to protect the entire outer edge, and for that we use Pipe Insulation Foam, or the Water Noodle Foam that kids club each other over the head with in a swimming pool.

    The Water Noodle Foam is $1 each at any dollar store, the Pipe Insulation Foam is $2 at Home Depot in the plumbing department.

    PF1.jpgPF1.jpg 02-10-09pipeinsulation.jpg02-10-09pipeinsulation.jpg

    #3 11 years ago

    Next, zip tie the foam to the playfield. There are plenty of available holes to use.

    Don't even think about using tape!

    pf2.jpgpf2.jpg

    #4 11 years ago

    Next we want to keep any dust, which could be abrasive, off of the playfield.

    We wrap the playfield with a layer of Stretch Wrap.

    Stretch Wrap is available at any Office Max or Harbor Freight store, or really any store that sells mailing supplies.

    Note that because it stretches, the Stretch Wrap is not touching the playfield at any point!

    pf3.jpgpf3.jpg

    #5 11 years ago

    Most shipping companies state that you need 1.5" of padding if you want to collect on a damaged shipment. So to protect the face and back of the playfield, we are using 1.5" foam insulation.

    Note, do not use the white expanded polystyrene foam that breaks into a million little white balls. Only use the much stronger "Foam Board".

    Here you see the playfield sandwich wrapped in a final layer of Stretch Wrap:

    pf4.jpgpf4.jpg

    #6 11 years ago

    Finally, slide the playfield into a 48x22x6" box. This is a standard box size, available at most packing stores (like the UPS Store).

    pf5.jpgpf5.jpg

    #7 11 years ago

    So there you have it.

    When you get your playfield back from being clear coated or restored, don't leave it wrapped up.

    Immediately unwrap it and leave it where air can circulate around it. The clear coat can sometimes take 6 months to get to full hardness.

    To keep any playfield from warping, always put the rails back on. If you don't have the rails, cut some 2" wide strips of 3/4" plywood and make some.

    Plywood will warp on it's face, so remember to screw into the END GRAIN (the edge of the plywood where you can see the plys). Plywood never warps in the direction of the edge plys.

    One final note; if your playfield was clear coated, put the rails ON THE BACK SIDE, NEVER THE FRONT. You don't want the rails gluing themselves to the face of the playfield.

    #9 11 years ago
    Quoted from cichlid:

    I see a honeycomb pattern in the clear coat of my repro playfield. Is that really from the bubble wrap?

    Yep, it is.

    Once the clear coat is 6 months old, polish the pattern out with Novus2 and give it a good coat of Blitz wax.

    If the clear is too new, it might not polish out.

    #11 11 years ago
    Quoted from johnwartjr:

    I've used that on backbox lips for years, so they don't dent siderails, and on straps when palleting games.

    Yes, a great way to use up the scraps from the playfields

    Quoted from johnwartjr:

    I crate my playfields personally, but that's an additional expense in materials and shipping weight.

    Crating is the best solution no doubt, but probably too difficult for the average person.

    Probably the only choice for a populated playfield.

    2 years later
    #14 8 years ago

    It's kind of a Catch 22.

    If STI wants to see the game before they take and wrap it, then you won't have time to pack it securely. STI looks it over for 1 second, puts moving blankets over the game, then wraps it in stretch wrap. That's their "professional packing".

    You can do a MUCH better job packing yourself, but then STI might argue that they never saw the condition of the game - so take lots of pictures!

    I leave it up to the client if they want STI looking at the game and STI wrapping it, or better packing with me wrapping it.

    -

    If there is anyplace likely to get damaged, it the corners of the game.

    I steal these heavy duty fiberboard corner protectors from work, and run them along all the edges of the game:

    http://www.uline.com/BL_8402/Heavy-Duty-Edge-Protectors

    L_shaped_cardboard_corner_cardboard_corners_protective.jpgL_shaped_cardboard_corner_cardboard_corners_protective.jpg

    I like these to go on top of the L protectors for the 8 corners of the backbox:

    carton-corner-protectors_PDT00196.jpgcarton-corner-protectors_PDT00196.jpg

    Plastic banding is good to keep all the L protectors in place before you stretch wrap. It comes in a kit with a tensioning tool and locking clips:

    http://www.uline.com/BL_2752/Uline-Poly-Strapping-Kits

    HD_2752_T05.jpgHD_2752_T05.jpg

    Put the clips on the bottom, so if the game gets banged around, the clips won't imprint themselves into the visible parts of the cab.

    1 month later
    #18 8 years ago
    Quoted from newmantjn:

    What shipping service is the best to use?
    I see a lot of PFs on Ebay with about $25 shipping, but if I check USPS or Fedex, it is about double that. UPS doesn't seem to have a very cooperative site for estimates.
    Thanks.

    $28 at USPS last time I shipped.

    Maybe $25 is some corporate discount?

    6 months later
    #20 8 years ago

    Did you get your quote from "UPS" or a "UPS Store" ?

    BIG difference in pricing between the real UPS and the fake UPS Store aka "Mail Boxes Incorporated"......

    #22 8 years ago
    Quoted from Cheddar:

    Is the local "UPS Store" that being the whole name and with the UPS logo actually owned by UPS?

    No.

    The "UPS Store" is actually Mail Boxes Incorporated.

    It is NOT owned by UPS and has higher prices, ESPECIALLY on insurance.

    #28 8 years ago
    Quoted from Leeb18509:

    I guess you pay extra to have the brown truck take it from there to the terminal? Ridiculous.

    You are paying more to keep a retail location open.

    Rent is more because of the nice location, dopey employees, extended hours, packing services.....paying for all that convenience.

    #32 8 years ago

    I tried to make the worse-case coast to coast scenario , Brooklyn NY to Los Angeles CA, residential, and got $38 for 4 day, UPS Ground.

    I'm guessing it could be your location. I once tried to UPS some parts to rural AZ and UPS told me they did not service that area at all and that I probably had to go with USPS.

    ups_(resized).jpgups_(resized).jpg

    #35 8 years ago
    Quoted from Leeb18509:

    Well my box was 49" x 27" x 5". 14lbs. Try that one. There's a big difference as my "billable weight" was 40lbs. because of the newer Dimensional Weight scaling. https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/ship/packaging/dim_weight.html I could send it to Denver for about $38, but not Connecticut. Trust me big Kahuna, I'm not a moron.

    I just left the dimensions and weight from the last playfield I shipped in a standard CPR box.

    You are right, making the box 5" deep makes it $60 !!!

    ups2_(resized).jpgups2_(resized).jpg

    #37 7 years ago
    Quoted from swampfire:

    They charged me a $25 pick-up fee

    I've never heard of a pick-up fee, that's insane!

    Glad you got yourself some protection, it will be worth it.

    #39 7 years ago

    We are all going to have to strive to make all the boxes under 5" thick!

    5 years later
    #42 2 years ago

    Right now, I believe the cheapest shipper is ShipBikes.

    They re-sell UPS shipping at a big discount.

    Boxed playfields are very close to the dimensions of many bike frame boxes, so they don't even bat an eye.

    About a 40% discount over normal UPS prices.

    https://www.shipbikes.com/

    11 months later
    #45 1 year ago
    Quoted from HydrogenHuman:

    When putting the siderails underneath the playfield to prevent it from warping, do I put the screws in from on top of the playfield, or below?
    Also, what size screws should I use? I purchased a set of playfield siderails from Pinball Life.

    You can put the rails in from the top or bottom. I'll use bottom if the clear is fresh

    Screws are probably #6 size for most playfield

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