Shipping a Heathkit Tube Amp

bain0005

New Member
Hello Audiokarama,

I've lurked around the boards for years when I've needed electronics info, but this is the first time I've posted some questions of my own. So here's question 1.

I need to ship the unit shown here in the pics. I would love a step-by-step list of best practices for shipping this type of unit. In case you're wondering, there's no cover/ enclosure to protect the tubes. It's just the chassis and tubes. Additionally, I'd prefer not to remove the tubes unless completely necessary. I've posted the unit for sale as shown and I'm assuming the buyer expects to receive the unit exactly as shown in the listing's photos.

Thank you in advance for the assistance and all the expertise I've gained reading posts over the years.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9246 2.jpg
    IMG_9246 2.jpg
    34 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_9247 2.jpg
    IMG_9247 2.jpg
    32.7 KB · Views: 23
  • IMG_9248 2.jpg
    IMG_9248 2.jpg
    28.5 KB · Views: 22
  • IMG_9252 2.jpg
    IMG_9252 2.jpg
    79.4 KB · Views: 25
I've received a few amps with broken tubes because they were not removed and wrapped separately. It's hard to wrap something like this without a cage so that the tubes can't have stresses put on them. If it were me I'd wrap the tubes separately in bubble wrap and set them on the amp chassis then wrap it in bubble wrap. A few inches on every side. The bubblewrapped lump should be tight in the box it ships in or it will beat itself up with every bump. This be achieved with packing peanuts or chunks of styrofoam. Wadded up newpaper wont do it.
 
Last edited:
I've received a few amps with broken tubes because they were not removed and wrapped separately. It's hard to wrap something like this without a cage so that the tubes can't have stresses put on them. If it were me I'd wrap the tubes separately in bubble wrap and set them on the amp chassis then wrap it in bubble wrap. A few inches on every side. The bubblewrapped lump should be tight in the box it ships in or it will beat itself up with every bump. This be achieved with packing peanuts or chunks of styrofoam. Wadded up newpaper wont do it.
Thank you so much for the suggestion. I'll heed your advice. Here's a follow-up question. Do the tubes just unplug from the chassis or is there a trick to getting them out?
 
They just pull straight out like a plug pulls out from a wall - and the tubes and chassis are usually marked, so it's easy to know where they go for the buyer. Do a youtube search - there are a lot of "how to wrap a stereo" type videos. Most important is that the item is tight in a box with at least 2 inches of cushioning on every side. If it's not tight it will end up damaged.
 
Last edited:
Late to the party but honestly I'd put the tubes inside a small box after wrapping in bubble or foam. That way the heavy amp can't smash them.
 
Back
Top Bottom