Shipping a B&W G3, any advice?

[torbar]

I have a B&W G3 that's going to be making it's way to @PotatoFi in the near future , and am wondering if anyone has any advice for how to safely ship it. I figure remove the handles and pack them with bubblewrap inside the computer, give the machine plenty of padding on all sides, any other advice I should watch out for? Do the side panels usually make it safely if there's a good amount of padding?

Thanks

 

[Mac84]

Yes, remove the handles, pack them safely with bubble wrap (maybe even place them inside the machine). I'd also remove all PCI/memory modules too to ensure they don't move around during shipping. Then blanket the tower with bubble wrap and box it up, you may wish to double-box it if you can.

@Dogcow Has shipped some similar sized machines if I recall correctly. He may have some advice.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

I recommend that you call the local computer stores in your area and see if they have any mid tower boxes they would be willing to give you. This works well in giving you a properly shaped box (often with inserts) that you can use,/modify/improve upon to best protect and ship your tower.

 

[torbar]

I recommend that you call the local computer stores in your area and see if they have any mid tower boxes they would be willing to give you. This works well in giving you a properly shaped box (often with inserts) that you can use,/modify/improve upon to best protect and ship your tower.

Good advice! I might have a box from a PC case lying around anyway, but if not I think there are some local shops that might have something I can get

 

[fehervaria]

As @Mac84 mentioned, remove everything what could move around or fall out from its socket. Package the small stuffs separately, carefully.
Package the housing (after removed all 4 handles) into bubble wrap, then into a box. Package this "inner" box again into bigger bubble wrap blankets.
Put into a second box. Full this second box with packaging foams or balls to fill out the unused room in the second box.
Important to "build" a shock absorber layer around the computer. The double boxing with different filling materials could do shock absorbing.

Picking up personaly absolutely not an option?

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

With how brittle the plastics have become, I agree double boxing makes great sense. Made some calls to professional package+ship franchises in my area and the request was not unheard of, so if buyer is willing to fork over a Benjamin for pack+ship+ins, you could have someone else do the job entirely. I mean we are all busy ppl, so it could very much boil down to time. Strategically, it makes sense to hire such a business and slap on insurance so if there is an issue, you are not directly liable - you have recourse through the shipper+insurance for financial reimbursement.

 

[torbar]

So another thought,
Maybe removing all the plastics(including the side panels), and shipping them separately?

Pickup isn't likely to be an option, since it's almost across the country

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

So another thought,
Maybe removing all the plastics(including the side panels), and shipping them separately?

Pickup isn't likely to be an option, since it's almost across the country

Hmm, that seems like overkill to me. As long as the tower is properly secured with a firm foam inside the interior box and wont move around, any flex incurred from clumsy LTL warehouse loaders bouncing/kicking/su-plexing your package around should be absorbed by the external box and its peanuts or bubble foam - the internal box will be snug as a bug in a rug. Per Steve and fehervala, pull the legs off and internal bits out and wrap them up and I agree that sounds like a plan for success.

There should totally be an ifixit for this process