I love these machines so much. When I pack them, I pack to be sure that they arrive safely.
Notice that the spool pin on top is missing. It is tucked safely in the bag in a little baggie with the bobbins. I just realized that I did leave the light bulb in the machine. But I think it should be ok.
I start with making sure that the take up lever is down and that the presser foot is down. Then I wrap them up with bubble wrap and secure with painters tape. Painters tape is easier to take off and it doesn't mar the finish. (
OK so now [May 28, 2012] I have learned from a very nice reader that in her experience IT DOES mar the finish....see comments below. DARN) I wrapped the little bag of goodies up and secured it to the bed of the machine as well.
I slit a cork and then wrapped tape around it. That way it would be tight enough to sit on the bobbin winder spool pin. I stuffed packing material between the cork and the machine so that should something hit the cork it would not give way into the machine.
Next I wrapped the stitch length lever with bubble wrap and secured it in place. The white stuff is polyester fill that came with a machine I bought on eBay.
I was going to wrap the machine with the batting but I don't have the cool saran wrap stuff to snug it all down next to the machine. So I stuffed some in the bed and wrapped the whole machine with bubble wrap. LOTS OF IT. I used a fair amount of tape to secure the bubble wrap.
And then I put this in a box with padding all around it. I actually triple boxed this machine. The inner box was a double box that came with the machine packed in the batting. It was a snug fit and I wanted to be sure that there was extra cushioning. I put that box into another and stuffed plastic grocery bags all around the inner box to make it a tight fit.
Sorry no pictures of boxes. What's the point?
It shipped today. I know it will travel today and tomorrow. Max is traveling east today and tomorrow. This machine is traveling west. I wonder if their paths will cross?
That baby looks secure! I know how important it is to pack sewing machines correctly. Our first one crashed and burned, and we learned a lot from that. Good job! That baby should survive any 'fun' the shippers should have. ;p
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for her to arrive!
Michelle,
DeleteYOU MAKE ME LAUGH!!!!
(You make me laugh!!!!)
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
Then my job is done!
;P
I received an email this morning about painter's tape and am posting it here:
ReplyDeleteI did just want to make one comment though on your recent entry about packing the sewing machines. I am not sure where you are from but I am thinking it is up north somewhere I think because I think I remembered reading about your work room being so cold maybe? (I read a couple of sewing machine blogs so not really sure if it was yours), but when I saw the blue painter's tape on the sewing machine I thought I would let you know about several experiences I had with shippers who used that on my machines I had shipped.
It has happened twice to me that a shipper used the painters tape directly on the machine. Both times when I went to remove the tape it peeled the paint and decals right off! On one machine it didn't really matter as I was just going to use it for a backup machine and so I would have one to look at while I worked on the other one, but one of the machines was an extremely nice first run 1933 Featherweight. I about cried when I saw that painter's tape on my machine. I tried so hard to remove it slowly and carefully... I tried using goo gone or whatever that stuff is called on one tiny corner, but it still took off paint and decals.
Do you have a favorite straight stitch machine? I think mine would be my Singer 185k. It's heavy but I really like it.
ReplyDelete