Shipping is important stuff. If your frame arrives damaged--or worse, doesn't arrive at all--it can completely ruin the experience of having your frame refinished. But there is a correct way to package and ship a frame...

• Frame preparation
  Once all the components have been removed from the frame, you should take a few other precautions. We highly recommend that the rear dropouts be secured with an object between them. Some people use wood blocks, others use old hub axles or pre-made plastic spacers. Old axles or pre-made spacers can be found at almost any shop, as can an appropriately sized cardboard box.
  
  
• So you've got a box.
  The packaging is the most important part of the shipping process--the goal of which is to have your bike arrive at our shop unharmed. Mail carriers, despite their claims, can be unforgivingly brutal with any package. So to insure your frame's safe passage, it needs to be secured inside the box very tightly - no rattling around.
  
  
• First, pad the frame for shipping. Wrap each joint in protective padding, then secure it with tape. Bubble wrap (large bubbles), newspaper, and air-filled packing bags all work well. Wood, styrofoam, and old t-shirts do not. The head tube area, seat tube junction, dropouts, and bottom bracket should all be covered in well-secured padding.
  
  
• Packaging.
  Place a thick padding in the bottom of your bike box. Now insert the frame upside down, with the bottom bracket and underside of the chainstays facing upward. The padding on the joints of the frame should fit snugly in the box with no play. Wrap the fork and tape it to the down tube of the bike.
  
  
  
• Fill any gaps with loose filler. Please do not use styrofoam packing peanuts (newsprint works just fine). Once your frame has been packaged, shake the box. Toss it around a bit. If the bike moves inside or rattles at all, then it is not properly secured.
  
  
• Shipping
  Place all address labels on top of the box. This maximizes chances for the bike to be secured vertically during shipping. If the labels are on the side of the box...it will be laid down on its side, making it increasingly vulnerable to damage.
  
  
• Insure the frame for its approximate worth. Insurance is very reasonable ($.35/$100 for UPS) and well worth it.
  
  
• To find out exactly what shipping will cost, visit the UPS QuickCost Calculator. You will need the weight and dimensions of your box, as well as our location and zip code. The average box is 8x40x28 inches, with a weight of 17 lbs. Our location is Washington, GA and our zip is 30673.
  
  
• Make note of your tracking number. You can use this to find out where your package is at any given time, via the UPS Website.
  
  
• After you've spoken with us and received your estimate and retainer fee, send the bike our way. Don't forget to include a signed Service Agreement and a check for the retainer fee.
  
  Our shipping address is:
  Airglow Painting
  306 Drinkard Dr.
  Washington, GA, 30673
  
  
  
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