Packing a mosaic for shipment.

Last December I shipped Green Eyes to Dubai. 

As I wanted to make sure it would arrive intact I decided to handle the crating myself...

The material I used was : 

• 2" x 4" x 8' yellow pine.
• 1/2" pine plywood.
• Light blue foam insulation (4 x 8' sheet).
• Grey Foam Pipe Insulation.
• Painter's tap.
• 3" nails (to assemble the 2 x 4 frame).
• 1 1/2" screws.

Tools : 

• Electric Circular saw
• Hammer.
• Electric screwdriver
• Carpet knife (to cut the foam)

I built a wooden crate 5" wider and longer and 2" higher (inside) than the mosaic. For the sides I used 2" x 4" pine lumber, for the top and bottom I used 1/2" plywood. 

At the bottom of the crate I placed a piece of 1/2" insulation foam - purchased from Lowes or Home depot.

I placed 3/4" pipe insulation foam around the mosaic frame.

Then added more blue insulation on top of the piece and on its bottom. I held everything together with painter's tape.

Placed the piece inside the crate, and inserted additional blue foam shims between the crate walls and the piece itself.

I added one layer of blue foam on top of the piece.

Then I screwed the plywood on top of the crate.

Screws are safer than nails. They hold things together much more securely. They are also much easier to remove with a screwdriver than nails would be with a pry bar, and this allows for the crate to be recycled for further transportation.

Green Eyes arrived  in perfect shape.

The cost of materials for this crate was $ 67.00, and I had some material leftover.