How To Ship Big Painting To The U.s. ?

[rexall]

Tue 28 Aug 07, 3:55 p.m.

Hi all,

I am in Khon Kaen, maybe I should post this on the Isaan Forum?

Anyway, I have a huge oil on canvas to ship to the U.S., 9 feet X 12 feet. I assume we will roll it into a tube, and I guess the diameter will be around 8-12 inches or more. The painting is costly and we cannot allow it to sustain any damage, so it must be packed securely. Beyond rolling it into a tube, I am a little bit at a loss as to the best approach and materials to use. I was thinking of a piece of blue PVC pipe--which may indeed end up being the best alternative--but that will add a lot of weight . . . which I would like to avoid if I can get away with it safely. All the Thai shippers and art dealers I have spoken to in Bangers are very off-handed and cavalier about it: "Oh, just wrap it in plastic." But that is not really very informative or helpful. What plastic? From where? How?

If I were in the States, I would just have a professional come in an pack it for me, but there doesn't seem to be anyone like that in LOS, at least not upcountry. Anyway, any advice or suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Also, I think we plan to ship FedEx, which is quoting rates make strong men weep; 20,000 bahtski!!! But I am not sure we can do any better or any safer. Particularly need someone such as FedEx that is happy to bill the recipient. By any chance, anyone have a better idea than FedEx?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Aloha,

Rex

[Sanpatong]

Can't you fax it?

[samtam]

I shipped, (flew it, in my check-in, hold luggage), three large canvasses from Hanoi to Bangkok. They weren't as big as the ones your are describing, (only 150x200 cm), and they were wrapped inside pvc drainpipe tubing, and there was no problem with them. If you're sending by seamail there is a danger of moisture, but then if they're oils that should not be a problem. If they're valuable then sending by courier is obviously worth it.

[samtam]

You could also try "H" at H gallery in Sathorn, as he knows about these things.

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

I am surprised at you lack of ingenuity!

Why not put a bit of thought into it? is it a present for someone? a gift maybe?

What I would do, just to make things that little bit more exciting and as you say pay 20K with Fukcex to send it is a bit OTT.

Why not take some sharp scissors or a stanley knife and cut it into appoximately 1" x 1" shapes?

These could be easily packaged in an air mail envelope, or two or even three and posted at a fraction of the cost to your recipient.

Then as an added bonus, your recipient could have hours of fun re assembling them as a jigsaw puzzle!

Should they get bored of an evening, they could re arrange the pieces and try again.

Makes good entertainment for a rainy evening!

You could even forward it to a cardboaed manufacturer to get it "hard backed" before re assembly!

Every cloud ha a silver lining!

[rainman]

I shipped a few large items with FedEx last year, one of them a painting. What FedEx (Sukhumvit office) suggested is I cut it into 3 pieces that way I won't pay as much. But I'm guessing that's not an option for you? Wasn't for me either, but it was still funny to see what ideas they came up with Ended up shipping it full sized, not rolled. About 2 meters by 1 meter cost me only around Baht 2800.

[alaina]

If it's really valuable, consult a professional art mover (most likely in the US), but you won't be saving any money that way. Part of dealing with a painting is how old it is and all sorts of really specific details that aren't mentioned here and some that you may not know. My guess is that is the painting is between 1-5 years old, rolling it with some bubble wrap and perhaps some acid-free paper in a cardboard tube would be okay. The range of the age is an estimate, but paint newer/older than than that may need to be handled differently.

[Upcountry]

We shipped several priceless (sentimental reasons) works of art here when we moved a few years ago, including oil and acrylic paintings. The oils were old but small.

With the help of a friend, I first wrapped the framed and unframed paintings in bubble wrap, then attached thin wood sheets to the front and back, wrapping it around with packing tape. I did this for each of about 10 to 15 works, and they arrived by boat (as part of a container shipment) with no noticeable damage at all.

We sent them by truck to NY about this time of year, and they sat around in a warehouse for a while before being put on a ship. Then they probably did the same in Bangkok before being brought up country by truck sometime in February or March.

If I were you, I'd consult experts about this and if they think it's okay to do something like I did, get help to find the materials and wrap it yourself before shipping it. Too bad, it seems like you have to send it as a single item, which would be expensive. Maybe you could get it included in someone's container if you can live with a three-month or so shipping time. Depending on the destination, you should check on the temperature ranges on land and sea to make sure the valuable painting will be okay.

I've heard that larger oil paintings in museums are sometimes hung upside down to make up for gravity's effects over time, so for larger paintings it could be a special issue. You could try contacting some large museums around the world to get advice about the best way to ship your painting.

Edited August 28, 2007 by Upcountry