packing handsaws

[Dave Cullen]

I'm moving soon and I can't figure out how to pack my hand saws. A box that's big enough is huge. Suggestions?

[Jim Koepke]

I'm moving soon and I can't figure out how to pack my hand saws. A box that's big enough is huge. Suggestions?

How many handsaws are we considering?

jtk

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Doing the same thing. I am just about done with a simple saw till. Just a box with a rod at the bottom for the handle, and a board with slots cut at the top to hold the blades leaning in at an angle. Going to tack a piece of scrap across the top to keep them from shaking out in transport.

[Robert Hazelwood]

When I moved last year I built a crate where all the saws can sit horizontally. I used sections of 3/4" pine boards as spacers between the blades, with each adjacent saw pointing the opposite direction to prevent the handles from interfering. This prevents them from knocking around and keeps the plates from bending. Packed this way they are also about as compact as possible. The crate is sized just wide enough to accept all the saws and spacers so there isn't much wiggle room.

[Bill Houghton]

Your local appliance store is likely to have great big sheets of foam, used in packing fridges and other big boxy appliances. They may be quite happy to give it to you - reduces their trash load. That kind of foam would make great spacers between saws, similar to Robert Hazelwood's idea, but softer and lighter (and cheaper!).

[Jeff Battles]

I built a crate from 2x2's and OSB. Worked great on our 1200 mile move.
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[Richard Line]

Jeff, you clearly have a saw problem. Have you considered Saws Anonymous. Oh, and I'm jealous.

[Joe A Faulkner]

You might consider buying a sheet or two of rigid styrofoam from the home centers. You can cut the styrofoam with a utility knife and pack the saws in between a series of foam panels. Skin the whole thing in luan and tape it together with duct tape. You could also skin with cardboard or foam.

[Stanley Covington]

I have done this more times than I care to remember, and made my fair share of mistakes. The following box works perfectly.

Make a cardboard box or wooden crate a little taller than the width of the widest saw, and a little longer than the longest saw, to be housed in the box.

Tape a piece of 1/4" thick solid, well dried softwood (or plywood in a pinch) to the inside of the box's bottom, and 2 more pieces to each end. These 3 boards are critical to preventing the sawblades from cutting/ punching through the box.

Place the saws in the box on edge with their cutting edges facing down. Alternate handle directions. Make sure the cutting edges are all resting on the board in the bottom of the box.

Place a strip of cardboard the same width as they box' s depth, and a tad longer than the box's interior length, loose between each saw. You can bend these around the saw handles to make it possible to squeeze in more saws. Make sure the blades are straight and not bent. These strips will keep the saws from contacting each other.

If the saws will journey far by truck or boat they are likely to experience lots of vibration, so you might want to wrap the handles in thin foam, or at least newspapers, to protect their finish.

Throw in some mothballs to stop rust, close the box, and seal ALL seams with good tape.

Label the top of the box so it won't stacked on end or laid on its side.

You can make this box more complicated to keep the saws from shifting, but this design will protect your saws perfectly at very little cost.

Stan

[Dave Cullen]

How many handsaws are we considering?

jtk

Only 6 or 8. I think I'll wrap them with bubble wrap and stuff them in one of the wardrobe boxes on end. Only moving a couple miles away.

Thanks for the ideas, guys.