TromboneChat

I will be offering a Bach 12 LW slide for sale but before I do I’d like to sort out shipping. In a perfect world I’d tuck it into a Slide Dr slide box. Failing that, any suggestions/advice?

I buy a 6x6x36 box. I sandwich the slide in 1 inch white solid foam sheets and put that in the box (slides are usually a bit under 6 inches wide, obviously you'll make the foam fit the box). I pack the empty space with packing peanuts. It's small, light, and rigid.

Pretty much what Aidan said:

Box quite a bit larger than the slide, bubble wrap WELL. line the box with bubble wrap or packing peanuts, maybe newspaper or other paper as air tight as you can make it, then make sure the box is taped as well as possible. Fragile stickers help...

In addition to what has already been stated……

I try to keep large pieces of thick/rigid cardboard handy at all times. When shipping a slide out, I start with a thin layer of bubble wrap and then follow it with at least two layers of rigid cardboard on both sides. Pulled together firmly with some packing tape, the “cardboard fortress” makes for a rather strong protective layer. I finish with a thick layer of bubble wrap and fill in the box gaps with packing peanuts or newspaper.

I cannot take credit for the “cardboard fortress” idea. Someone sent me a slide using this technique about 20 years ago and I thought……genius! I believe that Doug Bert at The Brass Exchange uses the “cardboard fortress” technique and he probably sends out multiple slides every week.

I like to use 2 layers of larger bubble wrap. 3 pieces off a roll per strip, then a 3 piece strip of small bubbles. Use packing tape tightly around the slide. The tighter the bubble wrap, the better cushioning. When boxing, use any kind of paper or more bubbles to create a space inside the box in a such a way that the slide will not move.

The Slide Doctor makes some, but you could make one yourself.