How do you pack and ship cymbals?

thebarak

Senior Member
I'll be selling some soon and I want to make sure that they survive their journey.
 
Surround them in bubble wrap and a + (or X) of cardboard. Make sure the box is big enough and fill in extra space so there is no space for them to move around.

The key is you don't want them to flex or knock the edges against the box.
 
UPS reccomends, item, 2 inches of padding, in first box then , 2 inches of padding on the outer box. If the first box gets penetrated there is still 2 inches of protection
 
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I usually stop by my local music store and ask for a box that similar-size cymbals shipped to them in. Never fails.
 
I save all packaging and boxes from cymbals I purchase by mail order in the event I resell any of them.

In the past I've used the blue styrofoam home insulation top and bottom cut to fit a slightly oversized box
and used long cardboard sleeves bent in half--a "V" shape--to protect all the cymbal's edges. Make sure
nothing can shift in transport.

Insure everything!
 
I just make sure the shipping label doesn't cover the stamp on the cymbal. When I ship, I also write "Fragile" in sharpie on the bottom so than no one will see it whenever they mount it on the stand. I wrote it once on the top and boy was that guy mad!
 
Here is how I do it....

I wrap them the way I would like to recieve them if I puchased them. I believe as drummers we all intrinsically KNOW what that means.

The worst cymbal shipping offender, by far, is Amazon. I have received a cymbal from them more than once thrown in an oversize box with just the plastic sleave.
 
Scraps of foam pipe insulation on the sides that rub the side of the box work well.

I'd avoid the stuff with adhesive on the split seam, but you could cut that away if that's all you can find
 
Here is how I do it....

I wrap them the way I would like to recieve them if I puchased them. I believe as drummers we all intrinsically KNOW what that means.

The worst cymbal shipping offender, by far, is Amazon. I have received a cymbal from them more than once thrown in an oversize box with just the plastic sleave.

I just experienced this. I got a 12" Wuhan China and was a bit shocked when I opened the package. I'm surprised that with how thin it is there was no damage.
 
Last year, I sold off 27 cymbals. I used boxes either 1 inch or 2 inches larger than the cymbal. So, for example ..... an 18 inch cymbal would go in a 19x19 or 20x20 box. Typically, boxes are gonna be taller/deeper than they need to be. So I'd make the box (tape up the flaps), and then cut down the height. (Cut out the middle of the sides. Don't mess with the integrity of the ends) That leaves you with 2 cardboard trays that will be your top and bottom lids. About 3 inches of box wall height is what I'd leave.​
Then I'd wrap the cymbal completely in bubble wrap, and place it into the bottom tray I just made. Take up any extra empty space with more packing material. Put the top lid on (you'll have to pinch the bottom corners a bit) and tape it up good and tight. Cymbals shipped from California to as far away as Florida and New York, and all arrived safe. No problems, no complaints. All shipped thru UPS.​
 
Enough packing paper or bubble wrap to keep the cymbal from flopping around in the box, with a little more padding on the inside of the bell, and as others mentioned already, a cardboard cross wrapping around it to protect the four parts of the cymbal's edge that come closest to the sides of the box. This seems to be the most efficient way...
 
Last year, I sold off 27 cymbals. I used boxes either 1 inch or 2 inches larger than the cymbal. So, for example ..... an 18 inch cymbal would go in a 19x19 or 20x20 box. Typically, boxes are gonna be taller/deeper than they need to be. So I'd make the box (tape up the flaps), and then cut down the height. (Cut out the middle of the sides. Don't mess with the integrity of the ends) That leaves you with 2 cardboard trays that will be your top and bottom lids. About 3 inches of box wall height is what I'd leave.​
Then I'd wrap the cymbal completely in bubble wrap, and place it into the bottom tray I just made. Take up any extra empty space with more packing material. Put the top lid on (you'll have to pinch the bottom corners a bit) and tape it up good and tight. Cymbals shipped from California to as far away as Florida and New York, and all arrived safe. No problems, no complaints. All shipped thru UPS.​


Ditto to that procedure. I recently had to ship Sabian a 21" ride for thinning and used a Home Depot large sized box, cutting it and creating the 2 lids. Wrapped in small bubble foam from Walmart and reinforced with some cardboard, taped up the ends and it was really packed safely.
 
I just make sure the shipping label doesn't cover the stamp on the cymbal. When I ship, I also write "Fragile" in sharpie on the bottom so than no one will see it whenever they mount it on the stand. I wrote it once on the top and boy was that guy mad!

I think I bought one of yours.
 
Scraps of foam pipe insulation on the sides that rub the side of the box work well.

What a clever idea. I think I can find that pipe insulation, but oddly cardboard boxes are not easy to get on the island!
 
I cannot thank all of you individually without making the thread messy, but to all of you, great info, thank you very much.
 
I think I bought one of yours.

Sweet! Glad you are enjoying it. :)

Seriously though, I wonder if you could buy something like a pool noodle, cut the length to the circumference of the cymbal, and then slit it for the edge (one of the more "hollow" noodles might work best), and then wrap it around the edge of the cymbal before boxing it up. Or heck, even cut it into sections to help suspend it in the box.

Just a thought.
 
I received a set of hats from a dork on evilBay. He taped up cardboard around the cymbals and taped it up. NO padding whatsoever. No extra cardboard to protect the edges. I was pretty angry at the time, I think I ripped him on his shipping habits on his feedback.

I over-pack, usually with a lot of cardboard and bubble wrap or other padding. I don't worry about the top and bottom so much as the edges. It's easier to pick up cymbal boxes by the edges so I figure they're most likely to be dropped hard ONTO those edges.
 
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