Where are the hotspots for getting rectangular boxes for shipping recurves.

I am talking free and in dumpsters etc.

Thanks!

I have had success at World Market, Lowe's, Home Depot, and Bed Bath and Beyond. But all of them are hit or miss.

So, I just get boxes and make my own most of the time.

There are other options but they aren't free.

I have got some at Dollar General that brooms and mops were shipped in.

I go to HD or Lowes and get flourescent light bulb boxes.

Make your own. Go to any bicycle shop and they will be happy to give you boxes that bicycles come in. The cardboard is nice and thick.

I’ll try bike shops next time I need a box. Thanks for the tip.

Blind and drapery stores

Sounds like some great tips.

I will see what I can find.

I have no problem with making a rectangular custom box by using large boxes and cutting them up,shaping them and using duct tape etc to cobble it all together.

The bike box sounds promising with the heavy cardboard and overall size.Time to take a drive around and find something.

Thanks Fellows!

Shoot straight >>>---------->

Packing tape is better than duct tape for making and sealing boxes.

I have a lot of boxes I’ll send you for free. Every bow you buy from me comes with a free box. Sorry I couldn’t help it. Most are lefty’s

car dealerships , body shops ,sometimes need alterations but they are good and sturdy boxes

If you are shipping a longbow or slightly curved recurves you can use the cardboard roll inside carpet or linoleum. I have stood and flattened the roll to send some recurves. The rolls are usually free.

I have had boxes made for bows at UPS stores.

Hospitals. I just retired from one. Find where there cardboard compactor is. Usually around back by maint shop. They usually have all diff sizes and lots of them. You can make the size you want if they don't have it exact.

If you know of a place that tints car windows they have lots of 60" thin wall plastic tubes that don't weigh much. I use them to make crappie cover.

There is a USPS postage price calculator so you can determine the shipping charge for your box before you go to the post office: postcalc.usps.com

Note that boxes that exceed 3X8 inches in section increase in cost almost by a factor of 2.

The length and weight are not so critical, but the 7" triangular boxes that the USPS hands out for free are very expensive to ship in.

Ditto on the packing tape over duct tape. I used a swimming noodle on the limbs of the last two bows I shipped.

I made a build-a-long some time back on how to make a bow shipping box using a Home Depot cardboard box. Search and build it yourself. RKK

Nemah, I was just thinking of your thread. JF

Yes body shops also have some great cardboard. That hoods or quarter panels come in. They won't mind if you take it away. Ask them. JF PS that's where I got mine.

Nemah’s Build thread:

http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm? threadid=294305&category=88#4330846

Remove the space between cfm? and threadid=

If you know anyone in the heating/ac business, the boxes that electric baseboard radiators come in are perfect for recurves.

Here is a arrow mailing box I made in 5 minutes. Mark 3 equal distances on each end of the cardboard. I lay a 1 by 1 straight edge on each mark and fold the cardboard over. Tape, label and mail.

Just make the boxes bigger for mailing a bow. Need to be careful with the box size when mailing bows because there can be over size charges.

On the box ends I stand them up on cardboard scraps , trace the triangle out, cut and tape on to the ends of the boxes.

Two arrow boxes are the best recurve shipping boxes in the world. Not that expensive. Try Larry at Lost Nation Archery in Michigan. He'll be glad to send you a bundle or few. Great guy and great archery shop.

Avoid round tubes for shipping. They roll of of the shipping belts and get damaged. The auto-sorters are designed for boxes, not tubes.

If you use triangular box be prepared to explain to the clerk they can not use the measure 2 sides to get the price. It’s measure one side, and half the other.. it’s basic geometry, but most clerks don’t seem to understand it.

The correct way to measure packages is length plus circumference. Even on triangle or circular containers. Every PO has standard operation beaded chains that are used to measure with. They do not use rulers-at least they are not supposed to.

"The correct way to measure packages is length plus circumference. Even on triangle or circular containers. Every PO has standard operation beaded chains that are used to measure with. They do not use rulers-at least they are not supposed to."

That's interesting , have yet to have a box measured where the clerk didn't pull out a little red tape measure and go from there.

They measure the length, width and circumference with a seamstress type of tape. Again you have to watch your overall size to avoid oversize charges. I have had t take more than one box back home to cut it down.

Well I guess I need to stand corrected now that all PO uses computers and need to enter actual inches into it so the computer figures the total. Worked for the PO for 18 years-quit in 2005 before computers came on board. We always had the chain.

I fill out my shipping labels online at usps.com where I have to enter length, height, and width but I still know the length plus circumference can not exceed 108” or you’ll be charged an extra fee. The computer will only accept an even inch amount-no fractions so watch that at the PO with the clerk. If the width is 7 1/4” watch them entering 8”.

If they have that flexible seamstress tape it’s real easy to measure the length, hold the tape there and then do the circumference and if less than 108” you are good to go.

Venture to say maybe many of the clerks don’t even know these measurements, just put numbers in computer and let it tell you the price.

You need to be aware of this when making your boxes or using existing ones.

Putting two boxes together like those triangle ones is a disaster waiting to happen to your expensive bow. That joint is the weak link and it will bend/break at that joint.

JRT51 x 2

I have got very good boxes from the Framing store in town. The art framing store.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

For a longbow I use PVC downspout from Home Depot. I make end caps from multiple layers of cardboard. It’s lighter than PVC pipe and won’t roll off a conveyor belt.

This is one reason I prefer take down recurves. Finding boxes that fit one piece recurves has become quite a hassle. I'm on constant alert for anything that might work. Don't wait to sell a bow before locating a box that will work. Have one ready to go when you sell.

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