Where to buy...

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

This is a long shot, but I'm trying to find a 40"x5" mailing tube (or box.) I'm going to new York Comic Con, and I'd like to bring some fan art on the bus for Jim Butcher. The catch is that the container has to be really sturdy, to survive being put in the luggage compartment of a bus under the seats.

I've been to art supply stores, packing stores and even walked into a few retail shops and asked. Where can I get something like this in the next day or two?

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

i'm not sure this will help, but the ups store claims to be awesome at packing stuff. maybe bring your work or your specs by there?

good luck!

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I tried them, with no luck.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

alas :(

uline

[hiddenbear.livejournal.com]

Around twice a year I get a 300+ page catalog from ULine (http://www.uline.com/). They have just about anything you can imagine for packing. I'm not sure if everything is available on the web as well, but probably.

Re: uline

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

I'll (tentatively) second this. Even ground shipping usually arrives for us overnight or two days at the latest. My only hesitation is that some of their products have a minimum order, so you may not be able to order just one tube.

Home Depot?

[ringrose.livejournal.com]

How about a piece of very large diameter PVC pipe from Home Depot, with end caps? They'll probably cut it to whatever length you ask and might even thread the ends. But even without threading you can just tape the end caps on.

Re: Home Depot?

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

PVC pipe might just do the trick! Thank you, I can't believe I didn't think of that!

Re: Home Depot?

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

If the problem is sturdyness, I 2nd the PVC...

Re: Home Depot?

[bettyw.livejournal.com]

Yes - the folks from whom I used to buy violin bows would mail them to me in PVC pipes with taped ends, and they survived USPS handling just fine. If you are going to tape the ends shut, remember to pad the inside ends of the tubes with tissue paper or such so that the art doesn't stick to the tape.

[ron_newman]

I'd try calling Bob Slate and Staples before entirely giving up locally.

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I didn't check Bob Slate. Thanks!

[ron_newman]

If they do have it, please post again here and let us all know.

[frugaljoe.livejournal.com]

what about just going to a FedEx store, and taping several of their triangular poster boxes together (to be as long as you need). They give them away, so you could double box them if need-be.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Pretty much any office supply store. I have bought them at Staples.

As someone else mentioned: fedex has triangle shaped boxes designed for posters. I've mailed posters to africa in them and they held up well.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_meej_/]

In a pinch, any copying store that does large-format printing should have the tubes from the middle of paper rolls - sturdy cardboard, generally.

[blacktigr.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one who wants to see the art?

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

Amazon has extendable plastic document tubes that get to that big.

[smoagendash.livejournal.com]

We actually have extra 4"x4"x40" boxes at Pandemonium, if you are interested.

[red-liner.livejournal.com]

You might also try a rug/carpet store; the cardboard tubes that rolls of carpet ship on sound about right for the gig if you cut them to length.

Don't use PVC

[rozhinka.livejournal.com]

PVC is environmentally suspect and overkill for this situation.

I've taken the Boston-NYC buses many times. You can easily watch while they load luggage underneath and make sure that your tube is on the top layer.