Tragedy, pure tragedy--UPS is now on my list

Re: Tragedy, pure tragedy--UPS is now on my list

Ian Smith (Sydney Australia)

>Condolences Roy. They really did a number on your mitre saw.

Regards,

Ian.

Speak up shippers. How does this happen?

woodburnbob

>There might be shipping workers who read these posts: If we knew how this happens, we could try to prevent it with special arrangements for shipping.

Some years ago, I bought a gorgeous Union #7. It arrived broken in half but for one cheek. Some speculated the box it was in had ended up toward the bottom of a pile of heavy objects. When the truck load shifts in transit, the plane breaks with a loud snap.

Since UPS ships packages up to 125# or so, I can also image your package going up a conveyer and landing on a truck floor okay. Then a 123# milling vise goes up the conveyer next.

These days, I think adequate packing would have to be a specialized container, shell or crate that can neither be fractured nor compressed by dropping a 125# cube of concrete on it from say 10 feet.

I suspect you were pretty lucky with the seller. My heart goes out to you both.

FED-EX all the way brother . . .

Steve Mackay

>Folks allways blame that faceless "shipping worker". I ship very detailed wood models world wide. I allways pack as though every one is out to destroy them ! The dock dude does'nt know or care whats in it. Just move it. With a rig like yours your seller should have crated it or at least cribbed and double / triple boxed it. Hes saving $. I know. If one of my models is damaged when a client gets it its MY fault ! BUT, moving on - You'll probably fix up your rig (and we KNOW you are !) before you get any recompence from UPS. You gotta PROVE they miss handled it. And "miss handle" is a VERY defined term on thier planet ! Besides, now you can re-build it the way you want it. I KNOW what you're thinking . . . I dont work for a shipping company. Just think things should be done right. Your seller was wrong !

Re: Tragedy, pure tragedy--UPS is now on my list

Binen

>First, I am sorry for the destruction of your miter box.

I have completely stopped using UPS. That is my one question anymore before I buy, how do you ship. If they use UPS, I ask if they can use another shipper and if they cannot I find a new supplier. Of all the shippers they are the one I always seem to have had broken items. They are also the ones who will take ZERO responsibility for anything. FedEx and USPS both do far superior in both package handling and delivering. UPS is the king of drop and run delivery. When I open my door and see a destroyed box setting somewhere between my door and the street I know USP has been there. YES, I have had UPS set a box in my driveway just past the sidewalk. Well I am assuming they set the package there, they might have just tossed it out of the truck. Lucky I saw it before next person walked by through they wanted it. UPS never knocks; both FedEx and USPS both come to the door and knock. I find their lack of quality service sad; I remember the day when UPS was the BEST and I requested their use.

Binen

Just the opposite...

Jerry Nicholson

>In my neighborhood, FEDEX is the "throw and run" guy and the UPS guy actually sets the item gently on the porch. The FEDEX guy is always back in the truck and moving before I can get to the door. I personally only ship USPS.

Jerry

Re: Tragedy, pure tragedy--UPS is now on my list

Paul Erickson

>Hi Roy,

I can appreciate how disappointed, and angry you must feel. I too have had my nightmare experience with UPS. I had a large heavy piece of electonic test equipment shipped to me, and met the delivery person at the door of the apartment complex. He put the box down on the ground, and before I could say anything started rolling it end for end on the ground. I managed to keep my cool (one of the advantages of my profession) and ask, "what are you doing? can't you see the fragile stickers all over the box?" He said "Oh, that only means we don't kick it.". . . While I have shipped some items with UPS, I have to make sure to pack with the idiots in mind...

Again, sorry for your loss.

cheers, Paul

Made in China package

Phil Smith

>Sorry for your loss and I can understand your being upset with UPS but your shipper must bear part of the blame. When I looked at the picture the box had made in China stamped on it. My guess is that this is at least the second use of this box. These boxes are made with a large percentage of recycled pulp. This means that they have very poor crush strength and tear strength when compared to good old fashion US box made with long fiber southern yellow pine pulp.

These boxes are designed to be used with inner packaging designed for the article being shipped. For example most electronics come with fitted styrofoam liners which provide the actual strucrure for the item being shipped. When you put an odd sized object into a box with loose packing and ship it in a mixed load you are asking for trouble. For example this week I order a piece of 2in X 3ft piece of cold rolled steel that will ship by UPS. I will likely be wrapped with a piece of thin bubble wrap followed by a layer of paper and tape. A cheap chinese box with no liner or inner support doeen't stand a chance. When you ship just keep in mind that the package next to yours could be a piece of cold rolled steel or maybe a chunk of cast iron. When we ordered cast iron for lapping plates they came as 6 pieces of 2.25 X 1.5 X 12in taped together and one chunk with a little paper and lots of strapping tape holding the group together. I wondered at the time what happened to the things that came into contact with the package.

Re: Tragedy, pure tragedy--UPS is now on my list

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>It's a good idea to ship saws with wooden cages or boxes, even if you have to pay/charge a bit extra for the cage building/shipping. I've had many Japanese saws (and one 28" western) shipped without any damage at all, no kinked or bent blades, no broken handles, regardless of shipper.

Pam

Re: Made in China package

Thom D

>That's why I dovetail a box and nail/screw on a plywood lid. Good practice and it sure surprises the recipient.

Now I need advice on how to build a saw handle

Roy Anderson

>O.K. The tears are over. I need to build a saw handle. I'm wondering how to cut the slot with just the right profile. I wonder what kind of wood would be the best. Any advice?

Next will be how to build a miter box foot.

No Surprise

todd hughes

>I have only used UPS to ship something maybe 10 times over the years and had problims with 3 of them. One was a flintlock Longrifle where the guy gets it and the stock is cracked and the box has a ture track right over where the crack is when the rifle is in the box.No doubt about it the box was run over with what looks like a forklift. UPS guys look at it and they shipped it back to me. I used a mail box place to ship it and figured no trouble since I insured it...but NO! Seems since I used a second hand box, the box the rifle came from the maker in, they didn't want to honor the insurance. Of course they had no trouble taking my money when I paid for the insurance.We're not talking about poor packing we are talking about a box they ran over. After alot of trouble and time I did finaly get reimbused but they fought me all the way.

Now I have shipped many 1,000s of items using the US post office and have nothing but good things to say about them, very very few problims and when ever I had to make a claim they always were very helpful. Really no choice to me which one to go with...Todd

Re: Now I need advice on how to build a saw handle

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Roy,

It's really not hard to make a saw handle. The traditional woods are beech and apple - but I've made some nice ones out of (hard) ambrosia maple. Any good hard wood should do though. I like to make my handles about 7/8 inch thick as opposed to the more standard 3/4 inch.

To cut the slot, I use a marking gage and find the center, then mark for the entire slot, I usually highlight the mark with a pencil. I use a back saw to cut the slot and try to match the set of the back saw with the width of blade going in the slot. The rest is easy, just saw on the mark. I test fit the blade in the slot and if it's too tight I'll run a saw with a little more set through the slot once or twice. (Not resaw through the slot, just pull it through.) I like the blade to fit the slot pretty snug.

Skip

I can see this: UPS Driver, "AIRBOOOOOORNE !"

Steve Mackay

>

Why?

todd hughes

>Why would you go to the trouble to make a handle when you could just pick up another donor saw and use it's handle? Even in the Old Tool Hell I live in these big miter saws are very common and cheap with most going for $5 or so...considering the trouble and time it would take to make a none original replacement handle why wouldn't you just pick up an original replacement?.....Todd

Skip's made a lot of handles...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>So I have only one thing to add. Use a closed grained wood, i.e. NOT oak or anything there abouts.

Bummer...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>Sorry to hear/ see what happened. I've had any problems with USP before. Never a problem with Fedx. I did receive a Calvert Stevens smoother that had it's orginal box broken from USPS. Looked like it was dropped out of the truck. At least the plane wasn't hurt and the box was repairable...

Re: Bummer...

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Scott...Flagged for unsportsmanlike driveby! :-)

BTW how do you like it?JR

E-bay Link to Roy's Saw  *LINK*

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.

>


Roy's Saw

Glue the handle together!

Paul in NJ

>

Re: Now I need advice on how to build a saw handle

Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)

>Roy

I think that is a great idea (and attitude on your part). I have so much fun and derive so much satisfaction from customizing handles. The one below is a recent rebuilt of a 10" crosscut tenon saw.

My next rebuild will be of the '50s tote of Stanley I use on my #358. Although it is in near-new condition, I find it chunky and unaesthetic. There is no reason why we should not modify tools (as long as anything we do can be retrofitted). Sometimes there is more pleasure in building something than just buying it, even if the latter is the cheaper route.

I used this image in another recent post, so my apologies for boring anyone who has seen it already.

Who wants handles like these!

The method for fitting I use is exactly as outlined by Skip, below: Before any rounding is done, using the flat boards to mark accurately, I use a suitable backsaw to cut the kerf. Attention needs to be given to matching the kerf and blade thickness so you get a snug fit. I cut the mortice for the blade backing last of all - after all the other work is done. I find that I can hold the handle tight enough in a vise to pare this away.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Tragedy, pure tragedy--UPS is now on my list

Ted Wong

>Sorry to hear about your loss. But from your pictures it looks like an inadequate packing job. Bubble wrap and foam peanuts don't take the place of a ridgid shipping container that may have greatly reduced the risk of damage to your item. I think the real blame should probably be with the shipper.

I can honestly say I've only had one problem with any of the carriers, UPS, FedEx or USPS over the last ten years. I ship or receive about a dozen packages a year and so far the only incident I've ever had was a broken bottle of glue which was due to poor packaging. If you've ever seen a package handling operation time is money. Workers are tossing about packages all over the place if the packaging isn't up to snuff things will get broken.

In my opinion it's a modern miracle to order something from Amazon and have it at my door in two days and I never had to leave the house.

Made in China box masher

Phil Smith

>Attached is picture of my recent china made box masher. Just to give you and idea of what your packages face when shipped by UPS or the other shippers. Above is a piece of 2 1/16" X 33" cold rolled steel that I recieved by UPS this week. Package weighs 31.25 lbs. When you ship keep in mind that your package could be facing package made of steel.

Steel is destined to become new upper shaft for 32" Crescent bandsaw and collets for Oliver mortising machine.

LOL ! UPS drivers, watch your toes !

Steve Mackay

>