shipping frames to America

[Mr Bevel]

I wonder if any one has any experience in packing frames (with glass) to go on a plane, in the hold, to America.
A customer who works in a local Antique shop phoned me yesterday and said he had a woman who wanted to take about 10 pictures she had just brought from him (old Japanese prints) about 16" x 12" (with glass) back to America but didn't feel confident in wrapping them herself - would I do it - for a price? I said I couldn't accept any liability if the glass was to break and my customer said 'of course not'. I quoted about £40 but am now having second thoughts.
She's bringing them in tomorrow. Question is- would corner protectors and bubble wrap be enough? (I doubt it myself) - is it something I should steer well clear of - and even if I explain that I cannot take responsibility, but accept payment am I in theory still liable for any possible damage? If I don't do it who should I recommend? Any thoughts?

[prospero]

I've made crates for glazed pictures. Mitre four bits of timber. Underpin three bits and screw MDF to each side. Wrap the picture and slip it inside, then the last rail can be slotted in lose and the whole thing taped up. It does make the package heavy though, but no way round that.

One thing: Customs officers sometimes decide to open up packages and they are rough as ####holes when it comes to repacking. I recently took a big oil off it's stretchers (it wasn't mine btw) and packed it up to go to the states. I put the bars in a tube and carefully wrapped the canvas (in tissue paper) around the this tube. Put bubblewrap round and put in a bigger, thick plastic tube. To cut a long story short, apparently the Customs officers unpacked it and just jammed it back in the tube willy-nilly. Result: completely knackered painting that was worth about 3 grand when it left my shop. So make sure the lady gets the insurance pinned down as a matter of priority.

[Graysalchemy]

I get oil paintings freighted over from Ireland. They are crated in crates made out of 4" x 1" pieces for the sides and 1/4" plyboard. The paintings are screwed to the lid and base of the frame so as they can't move or get damaged.

[Jonny2morsos]

Sound advice above and I would avoid unless you are prepared to take the steps detailed .

Sounds to me like someone is trying to get rid of a problem onto you.

[fusionframer]

I post a large number of framed and glazed paintings to the States. I use bubble wrap and blue foam corners and it then goes in a double or triple walled box. I have very few problems with them arriving in the right condition.

However, bear in mind that regardless of yo taking shipping insurance, they don't cover antiques or breaking glass, so the problem would be yours as the shipper if there is any damage.

Cheers

Nick

[Mr Bevel]

Thanks for your comments. I met this lady today and the pictures she wanted to get back to America weren't of any great value. She convinced me that she was willing to take the risk and that she had done it before and that a few of them might end up with the glass being broken but there was no way she would hold me responsible. I suppose it boils down to a gut feeling of whether I think this woman might cause trouble in the event of damage. I didn't get this feeling from her: she seemed genuine and simply wanted to get the pictures back to America but didn't have the facility of wrapping them herself because she was on holiday. So I shall put extra pieces of MDF on the front, corner protectors, bubble wrap and then she will pack them in her suitcases with soft clothes around them and it will be interesting to see how many survive the trip completely intact. I'll let you know. Thanks again- if the pics were of greater value I would have avoided it altogether.

[prospero]

She must have a lot of luggage. I'd like to be standing behind her in the check-in queue when she gets the bill for excess weight.