Slab shipping question

[underwaterlogger]

Hey guys, how is the best way to ship a large slab. If I ship one I don't want it to get beat up, and the the Natural edge to be messed up. Cypress is pretty soft so I feel I need to be extra careful. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Ianab]

Assuming the slab is pretty valuable (judging by your pictures) I'd think a plywood / pine "crate", maybe with a couple of runners underneath to allow for easy forklift handling.

So you start with a couple of runners on the ground, nail a piece of ply slightly bigger than the slab to those. Then lay the slab down, and build a frame around with cheap boards, snug fit and same height as the slab. (2", 3", 4" etc.) A second ply sheet on top, and nail that down.

Depending on the slab size you are out a sheet of cheap ply and a couple of utility grade 2x4s. The wood is completely enclosed and will take a dedicated effort to damage it. If the transport company stacks other stuff on top, which they are sure to do, the top sheet of ply is sitting on your slab, or some extra packing boards/ ply if needed, so it shouldn't break through to damage the slab. The slab can't move inside the box because it's a snug fit, and a klutz fork operator has to bust through a 2" board to stick his forks into the live edge.

Trucking company can fit it in with the rest of the load easy enough, and move it around easily with forks, with less risk of damage, so they are happier too.

Add the cost of the crate to the shipping charges, and add that to the selling price. Also offer to take the insurance option, you know it's packed securely and it can only be damaged by some serious accident.

[underwaterlogger]

Thanks Ianab, very informative and explained everything very thural.

[thecfarm]

Concerned about the side,I would wrap bubble wrap around it too.Cardboard could be used too,but bubble wrap is soft.

[jueston]

sometimes when i want to know how to do something, i just call up the competition, act like a customer, and ask how they solve the problem.

so you could call hearne hardwoods, they ship slabs everyday and ask how they protect the live edges of the flitches, most of the time people are perfectly happy to discus there method with you.

[scsmith42]

Bubble wrap the edges, build a custom pallet for it, then band it to the pallet.  Be sure that the pallet allows the trucking company to fork from either end or the side.