How would YOU pack drivers?

[DMMD]

I am having some 12" drivers sent from NC by someone who doesn't quite know how to pack them. My personal preference is to zip tie the pair together with a piece of heavy cardboard between them then isolate the whole thing in bubble wrap and surround the sides of the box with hardcell foam.

Here's my question: Is there a better "safer" tried and true method to pack large woofers for XC transit?

I did a fairly simple search and didn't see anything... so don't hate me if I missed something.

A description would be a good thing to add to this archive og posts... maybe someone out there will learn something... me included.

Thanks,

Dave

[Robh3606]

With 12's they would be packed as a singles, actually any on the drivers I have ever recieved was packed that way. I would pack each in it's own box and then box the pair. It's a pain in the ass but it's safe. Did you get the 2214's????

Rob

[DMMD]

Yes, I got the pair of 2214's. I hope those cones are in good shape. Now, to order Rick Cobb's kit... Thanks Rob for the restraint. $100 wasn't too bad.

One down, one pair to go.

So- box 'em separate... any other hints?

[GordonW]

The method you describe (spacing the drivers apart with cardboard and nylon-zip-tying them together face-to-face), using bubblewrap and hard styrofoam board-lined boxes, will usually survive anything.

However, if there's any question, then another alternative is to take a piece of plywood, preferably at least an inch bigger than the driver in every direction, cut a hole the size of the driver cutout in the center, and BOLT the two drivers to it, face-to-face. Then, bubble-wrap/styrofoam board the enclosure. This will further strengthen and protect the baskets.

An alternative, which has pretty much proven to be indestructable, is this: Take each individual driver, and bolt it to a square board (with a driver-cutout-size hole in the center), larger than the driver, at least one inch in each direction. Take two boxes, each large enough to hold the driver and "baffle" board with at least one inch space around the perimeter from the baffle to the box sides, and put the drivers into the boxes, face-down (where the boards are at the bottom. Then take both boxes, and attach them TO each other, baffle-to-baffle, so that you can BOLT THROUGH both boxes, to STRAP the two baffles flat against each other. Then, pack around the backsides of both drivers, as normal. If the driver gets damaged after this, it's DEFINITELY the fault of the SHIPPING COMPANY, NO QUESTION...

[speakerdave]

For getting out the word on this it might be more to the point to describe methods that have been known to fail--like clamshelling a pair of 15" ferrite woofers with two pieces of plywood between butted together to cover the whole surface, wrapping them in a thin layering of quarter-inch bubble wrap and then throwing them loosely into a box with a few foam peanuts, some wadded-up newspaper and a few scraps of foam. The nylon stocking didn't help either. When this arrangement hit the concrete, one of the rims split at the seam in the plywood and one of the motor struts on that woofer broke.

David

[DavidF]

I am having some 12" drivers sent from NC by someone who doesn't quite know how to pack them. My personal preference is to zip tie the pair together with a piece of heavy cardboard between them then isolate the whole thing in bubble wrap and surround the sides of the box with hardcell foam.

I like the suggestion of what goes wrong. It may be hard to deliver the perfect instructions to the shipper. What to avoid: loose in the box- the weight of the drivers will work against the packing if they can move around at all; compressed surrounds if they are foam and tied face-to-face (use a circle cut out of cardboard along the gasket but away from surrounds); not enough wrap to take the combined weight (if shipped together); not covered to resist moisture; flimsy box with minimum of taping.

David F

[Tom Loizeaux]

I like the way the speaker manufactures pack their speakers.
You can duplicate this by:
Getting the correct size box, put a piece of styrofoam insulation on the floor, make a second one and cut a hole in it just big enough for the rim of the driver frame to fit into. Place the speaker in it, face down, and cut a strip of corragated cardboard and place it on edge to form a ring (taping it to hold the ring size) around the back of the front rim of the speaker. This ring must be just tall enough to reach the top of the carton. When you close the carton the ring makes contact with the inside top of the carton and holds the speaker tightly in place. This way, any impact to the carton is not transfered to the magnet or speaker basket, avoiding damage to the voice coil.
Double boxing this with bubble wrap between the two carton walls is a pretty safe way to box speakers for UPS shipment.

(BTW, I received a speaker once that had been bolted to a square of 1/4" plywood. One bolt had been sheared off and the others bent! The G forces are quite significant when a speaker is dropped from a truck. Keeping it securly in place is very important.)

Tom

[DMMD]

Great description of the way JBL packs their drivers Tom! Superb graphic Gordon...and the factory method as described by Giskard was dead on too, just not as verbose as Tom's. I think my method works for the small stuff, but for anything over 6" these other methods are much better than a few zipties, solid foam and a prayer.

Thanks to all who have posted so far. Threads like this can REALLY help those out there who are shipping. ESPECIALLY the "guest" viewers all selling stuff on eBay using the great information on this site.

Maybe by providing threads like this, we will ALL benefit from the more "careful" attention paid to packing by the part pickers.

YOU OUT THERE! TRANSLATION: NO peanuts and wadded up trash for packing materials. Got It?

-Dave

[Steve Schell]

Good driver packing is a pain, and adds to the shipping expense, but is worth it for valuable drivers. Plus, the packing can be reused later on.

I like to bolt a driver to plywood at least 3/8" thick, larger than the basket rim by at least 1", and cut to fit tightly into a box. I attach the driver to the board with machine screws and T nuts. This assembly is placed into the box plywood down, with styrofoam sheet added to the top so that there is no vertical space in the box. The sealed box is then placed in another box at least 4" larger in all dimensions, with at least 2" of styrofoam sheet between inner and outer box all around. I have received shipments packed this way that had suffered such abuse that the outer box was more round than square and the driver was still in good shape.

When shipping pairs of drivers, it is probably best to pack large, heavy drivers individually. Heavy boxes hit the ground harder, and are more likely to be mistreated by disgruntled OOPS operatives. Individual packing is also sometimes necessary to meet to package size restrictions.

Agreed, wadded newspapers, old socks and peanuts are no good. Any loose junk that can get at the cone will wreck it for sure. So many shippers don't understand that packing material density must be suited to the weight of the item; bubblewrap instantly becomes saran wrap if a heavy woofer is dropped.

[Stonehenge Man]

For getting out the word on this it might be more to the point to describe methods that have been known to fail--like clamshelling a pair of 15" ferrite woofers with two pieces of plywood between butted together to cover the whole surface, wrapping them in a thin layering of quarter-inch bubble wrap and then throwing them loosely into a box with a few foam peanuts, some wadded-up newspaper and a few scraps of foam. The nylon stocking didn't help either. When this arrangement hit the concrete, one of the rims split at the seam in the plywood and one of the motor struts on that woofer broke.

David

There is too much mass and weight involved--15" should always be sent singly. That much gravity and centrifugal force coming down on a driver is bad news, unless you like using the alnico for a fridge magnet

Gordon has the right stuff about packing...

[Cyclotronguy]

This is how I ship larger speaker drivers off shore.... never had damage. I bolt them to a board as discussed here, then double bag with a package of silica gel taped to the magnet or basket.

First into the inner box is a sheet of 3/4 inch closed cell foam. Then the packaged driver. Now is where I depart from the normal. The remaining space gets filled with aerosol propelled catalized foam; once the foam cures it is trimed with a rasp such that the inner box can be closed and sealed.

Inner box is then placed into a second cardboard carton with the necessary documentation.

Cyclotronguy

[Steve Gonzales]

I recently shipped my prized 375's to Japan. Here is another fail safe way. #1: use 4" of sheet foam, top and bottom. All four sides get 2" with another 1" thick piece for a total of 3". plus at least a 2"thick divider as seen in the following pictures. i then fill ALL VOIDS with good absorbant material-NO PEANUTS!!!!!!. Then, they go into another outer box. I use real stranded- reinforced packing tape-no cheap clear stuff for the "burden. You can use the clear stuff to get the box put together, but for the real strength, all edges WILL BE SEALED!. I have shipped 3 pairs of 4311's, 2 pairs of L100's and many other big heavy speakers this way. The key to woofers is to bolt them, face to face and make sure that they are secure. Use the basic outline for the 375's. DOUBLE BOX or DOUBLE 2" FOAM, or both. here are some pictures

[Steve Gonzales]

yup

[Steve Gonzales]

yes

[Steve Gonzales]

ready to go