TUBES 4 SHIPPING A BOW?

[DEAN]

Where can I find tubes for shipping a bow?

[jamesh76]

If a longbow, I use pvc from hardware store.  recurve don't fit so well so I box them.  also can use carpet tubes not sure where u can get them. there's a box making post in the how to's I think.

[Archie]

I have used the thick cardboard concrete forms that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowe's, taking two and splicing them together for length.  I'm talking about the ones for making concrete posts like you see in parking lots.  These will accommodate recurves, in my experience.

I've also built boxes out of wood.  Takes a little bit of time, but it's very classy and provides great protection.

[chris K.]

Dan Toelke just sent me a longbow in a pvc pipe. I have sent them in cardboard tubes that were from a hardware store that was going to throw them out anyway.

[J. Holden]

The last longbow I shipped went into a carpet tube.  I went to my local carpet store and asked if they were throwing any out.  Got it for free.  They welcomed me back any time to grab more if needed.  Can't beat the price and it made it from Chicago to Texas with no problem.

-Jeremy  

[Jon Stewart]

I use carpet tubes as well. They are at carpet stores and big box stores like Lowes, Menards and Home Depot. They are free but they have two wall thicknesses so use the thicker ones. Never had an issue.

[damascusdave]

Just check with the post office if you are sending that method...I know Canadapost has a 5 dollar surcharge for items shipped in round containers...they roll off conveyor belts to easily

DDave

[AZ_Longbow]

If you use pvc use the drainage type, it's 1/3 the weight and still plenty strong. It's normally sold in garden centers.

[David Mitchell]

Carpet tubes are all I have used for quite some time with no problem.  The guys at the carpet store are glad to get rid of them and even cut them to length for me. There are usually two different thicknesses of them and I use the heavier.

[Lefty]

Round is a terrible shape for a package.  With all the packages going through automated sorting equipment and conveyor systems, round tubes roll off and are bent or crushed, damaging the bow inside.  You can package them in PVC to protect them, but then put the pvc tube in a box to ship for best results.

[MnFn]

Hmm. Mennards charged me 5.00 for one. There must be some other need for them.  There are not very many trad guys around here.

Go to the local big box hardware store that sells carpet and ask if you can have some of the cardboard tubes the carpet is rolled up on. The HD here will give them to me for free.

Bisch

[Doc Nock]

Originally posted by Lefty:
Round is a terrible shape for a package.  With all the packages going through automated sorting equipment and conveyor systems, round tubes roll off and are bent or crushed, damaging the bow inside.  You can package them in PVC to protect them, but then put the pvc tube in a box to ship for best results.

I've read similar threads many times here... and the round tubes seem to be suspect in each set of "tales".

I've read where Schedule 40 PVC arrived crushed and bent in two, along with bow inside.

Rectangular boxes have brought all the few bows I've ordered to me in fine fettle.

it's the luck of the draw depending on shape and handling centers encountered en route!

[J. Holden]

I've always shipped USPS also, not sure if that matters.  I know I've read horror stories buy every shipping agency though too.  Best of luck.

-Jeremy  

[longbow fanatic 1]

I also use carpet tubes. I get them free as well and just cut them to length. Works great.

[yaderehey]

I like to use a cardboard carpet tube and I duct tape (empty) tuna cans or the like that will fit over the outside of the tube on each end to seal it. I did some experiments with some thin walled PVC with caps and cardboard with the cans on the ends. I slammed the ends of the tubes down on concrete like I was swinging a baseball bat. Blows that shattered the ends of the PVC didn't seem to faze the cardboard tubes/cans too badly. I've got a carpet layer that seems to be happy for me to take the tubes off his hands and they are easy to cut to any length you want with a skill saw.

[Tim Finley]

Lots of warnings about using tubes , maybe you will find out the hard way like others have done including myself, Ive shipped thousands of bows, I wont use a tube . Carpet tubes are the worst they get broke right in the middle , pvc you never know where it will break, and they WILL break along with your bow inside, get rectangular boxes . If you cant find any try making some from 1/4" plywood , or florescent light bulb boxes. Use lots of good tape and bubble wrap taped around the bow.