DizRotus Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 (edited) The vault has arrived safe and sound. Itll stay in our warehouse until a forum member requires it to protect a pair of Cornwalls. I was unaware that it's attached to a 48" wide pallet. The height of the vault, including pallet, is 33". I was able to turn it onto its side to fit it between the racks in my work van. That's ok when empty but I wouldn't try it with Cornwalls in the vault. This thing would all but guarantee that your Cornwalls would arrive in the same condition they were in at departure. I've attached a few photos to this and subsequent posts so that you can get a better idea of what the vault is and what it could accomplish. Edited April 9, 2016 by DizRotus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 (edited) With the top removed. Edited April 9, 2016 by DizRotus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 (edited) Looking inside. Edited April 9, 2016 by DizRotus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 (edited) Some disassembly required. It comes with a nut driver and extra sheet metal screws to secure the top. Edited April 9, 2016 by DizRotus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 (edited) Out of harm's way. Edited April 9, 2016 by DizRotus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 All this time I thought we were talking about a WOOD crate. I had no idea someone had made it out of STEEL! That truly is a vault! How much foam is there between the metal and where the Cornies go? I guess you'd pack them back to back and then put something between them. I've snapped a few of those Phenolic blocks off jamming speakers in vans, etc. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 so about how much does shipping cost with this approach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 This vault will hold a pair of risered Cornwalls perfectly. I always wrapped the Corns in visqueen plastic, then slid them in facing each other with the spare carpet (shown) placed between the speakers. This has shipped numerous pairs....and to my knowledge, never allowed a mark on any of those speakers. It even took a forklift "poke" while it contained my '68 verticals - not a scratch on the speakers. The picture is a bit deceiving with the insulation liners. Those are 2" thick insulation panels IIRC, and they are cut to the crate - really just held in by fit (instead of firm glue). It's probably a $250 shipping project using Forward Air (two legs - crate to seller, then full crate to buyer), then either store it or add another leg to get it back to storage. This crate really would be ideal for PRISTINE pairs, where it might not be so cost effective for an average condition (let's say $800) pair, since adding $250-300 shipping would make those an $1100 pair of speakers. For pristine and rare pairs, it is definitely a good option to keep them that way, and would be worth the added shipping cost and hassle. It is NOT recommended that anyone attempt to use this "delivered to your door". Forward Air gives very attractive rates because it is "station to station" - meaning you drop off and pick up at Forward Air terminals. If you use a "door to door" trucking company, expect it to cost $400 to $600 to ship it direct to a residence via a common carrier (like Yellow). In other words, that's not really an option for most deals.....it's almost as much as the speakers....so it is recommended that people planning to use this consider that it should be done via FA using station to station shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 On another note, I want to take this opportunity to thank Neil for being the "curator" of the vault. It has delivered many pairs to forum members, and with a new and happy home is in good position to be able to continue that. While it might be a while before the optimal pair comes along where the crate would be ideal/useful, it's nice to know that this resource is available for those here on the forum who might need it in the future. I had this in my garage, and made numerous trips to the forward Air terminal in Chicago, but I no longer have that truck - and it is 3 hours one way to the FA terminal. I am glad this is in a place where it is more readily available - and therefore more useful. So thanks, Neil, for the storage and your time on this[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Might be nice to slip $20-40 in the crate for it's return to Neil... AN--3 hour 1-way to FA? I thought my 1.5 hour haul was bad. What a dedicated forum member! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 The Detroit Forward Air terminal hours are <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, so I left the house at 5:30 AM to guarantee that I'd be there when they opened. After arriving at 6:10 AM, I went to a nearby McDonald's for some much needed coffee and returned at 6:30 AM.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> EIGHT DIGIT TRACKING NUMBER! If you utilize FA, you'll want to record the tracking number. After ignoring me for as long as he possibly could, the Bozophile at the dispatch window told me he could do nothing without the tracking number. I'd been in Wash., DC, when FA left a message with the answering service that the vault had arrived. I didn't know the tracking number. After being summarily dismissed by Bozo, I called FA's number and watched while Bozo ignored the phone and let a woman answer it. She pleasantly asked for the tracking number, and then asked for the name of the recipient. I gave her my company's name (which I'd already provided to Bozo) and she quickly found the paperwork. She asked me when I wanted to pick it up and I told her I was there now. She turned around and I waved to her. Bozo was really pissed when he now had to help me take delivery of the shipment that was sitting within twenty feet of the dispatch office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Hmmmm.....this is the first I have heard of an issue with not having a number on the receiving end....I'll put that in the memory file. As a general statement though, I'll simply recommend getting me involved when the crate does get used again. Forward Air isn't exactly "service" oriented at the counter - they assume that you know what you are doing, and don't hire folks on the basis of teaching their customers how to fill out paperwork and the processes. Forward Air isn't really set up for "the public". It's more for interbusiness and specialty freight. I've noticed that the whole FA setup is a bit that way, but it's all worthwhile considering what others charge. It's mostly a bunch of PO'ed-and-in-a-hurry freight guys running around the place, so that should give you an idea of the "atmosphere". So when this gets used next time, feel free to contact me and I will "walk" the users through the Forward Air process. It does help to know what is coming when you deal with them. It's not that difficult - but the advance info helps smooth out the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 AN- You described the atmosphere of the Detroit FA terminal exactly. Customer service is not their forte. They're not used to, nor set up to, deal directly with the puiblic. It's best to be armed with the tracking number and the names and addresses of the sender and the recipient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Well, the problem I had with Forward Air is that they only would take a money order. No personal checks, no plastic. I think they don't accept cash, either. So, after checking the crate with them to find out the cost, I had to run out and get a money order. The whole deal took about 6 hours out of my day. If I use them again, I will seriously consider setting up an account, even if it's just for one transaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 OMG! I thought you guys were talking about a wooden crate. Nothing fancy pants. I'm stunned! Who built these? Very impressive. What is the weight of this thing when empty? I need to learn more about Forward Air. So we're talking approx. $250 to ship Corns in this vault one way across the country? That's not bad. I wonder how much Khorns would cost. So the trick with FA is to deliver it to their site and you are fully responsible for 'packing'? How on earth would one pack a pair of Khorns? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 If I'm not mistaken, Forward Air has containers one can use. Seems I saw them when I was there. If so, you'd need to know the dimensions, and be able to adapt Khorns to that dimension (w/pallets, packing, bracing, etc.). I'd give them a call if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 Fini_ The Detroit FA terminal takes ONLY money orders. The problem is that you can't bring a money order with you. They must weigh it before they calculate the amount due. Then they send you to a nearby convenience store to purchase the money order with cash. They will not rely on the fact that they weighed it before when empty and that it hasn't changed. They must weigh it each time. Meagain- I believe Audible Nectar built it. If that's incorrect, we'll soon find out. The packing list indicates 162lbs. empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triceratops Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Meagain- I believe Audible Nectar built it. If that's incorrect, we'll soon find out. Diz and Meagain, The crate was made for a beautiful pair of vintage Cornwalls that DeanG bought years ago. Dean can tell the whole story, but the seller did not want to ship them because he was concerned about damage. Dean made arrangements to have someone pack the speakers for him but the seller became anxious that the Corns would be damaged and built "the Crate" (he was a professional metal fabricator if I recall). Dean was the custodian of the crate for a while but eventually passed it on the Audible Nectar. I used the crate to ship my 1968 Cornwall Verts to AN some years ago, and it did a great job. Paul Parrot had a wooden crate custom built for a pair of Belles I sold him a few years back which we also shipped by Forward Air. You can see details on this in the thread "Guess What's in the Crate?" The total cost including the crate was around $400 for the shipping. These also arrived in great shape. Yes, I think the same could be done for Klipschorns as you suggest. Getting a crate custom built is definitely a case of YMMV. I checked with a number of packaging companies and what they provide and how much they charge is all over the map. I am very curious about the pre-fab containers that Fini mentions. Are they reusable? Can they be rented instead of purchased, like the cargo containers they use for transcontinental shipping? Best in horns, triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 triceratops-- A quick scan of their website showed no mention of the containers. The ones I saw were cargo containers, rented. You might want to give customer service a call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Here you go! On the main page, click on the motorcycle. The gal in customer service said you could ship anything in 'em, they're just made for motorcycles. Here's the small one. Here's the medium one. Here's the large one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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