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Pickup, package and drop item off for shipment in Montreal.

P

Perry

Ultra Member
I thought I would try here. Maybe one of our members might be into this strange request. :)

I would like to purchase a used Sherline CNC mill in Montreal.
The mill would need to be picked up. Packaged. Possible disassembly required if it makes it easier to package. Then delivered to the Air Canada Cargo for shipping.

Pickup would be required sometime next week . (possible Feb 23nd -26th.) Packing and shipping as your time permits.

What would you charge me?

best regards, Perry
 
I think Perry you are asking for a member in Montreal to act as your shipper? Pick up the mill on your behalf, package it for shipping, and get it to air Canada cargo?
 
That is correct. Unless someone here might have a better idea.

I used a place in Toronto a few years ago, I think it was call Pak Mail. They do not seem to have a location in Montreal. They also need you to drop the item off. Then they will package and ship.
 
If I understand correctly - for inside Canada shipping, have you considered a place like The UPS Store? I see there are locations in Montreal. Its kind of a franchise line but anyways you bring in your box of whatever. They are connected to the major transport couriers not just UPS but Fedex & DHL etc. & so you can compare best shipping options based on weight, time, destination etc. Fill out some forms & its on its way. The only time it gets a bit more spendy is shipping international (customs forms) so they charge some processing fees which costs a bit more than doing yourself. I doubt a Sherline CNC would exceed weight or dimensional limits but they would tell you that with a phone call.

The best shipping boxes are cheapo 1/4" plywood screwed together. You could even bolt the machine frame to a plywood base so its secure vs floating around in foam or whatever. I ship & receive delicate composite RC models & they always come this way right through to where Team CanadaPost uses them for goal posts.
 
Hi PeterT,

I found the UPS store option after I posted this. I would still be required to get the item to the UPS counter.

First call I will make tomorrow. Hopefully they have an option to pick the item up. My guess is disassembly might be outside their scope. Taking that back column off would surely make the packaging simpler.

The good thing in this project is I already own one of these. I know how everything goes back together. :)
 
OK, I have a plan in place.
Seller will package. This made the next step easy. UPS will pick up and deliver. Using rough measurements and weights I'll be looking at approx $186.00 Reasonable.

I will not know until Monday if I am the new owner. I will post a thread here if I am and fill you gentlemen in on the back story to this.

Thank you for your time and suggestions.
 
I should have mentioned that option. UPS & Fedex will pick up a package from your door (for a fee) even unattended if you specify once the online shipping paperwork is complete. Saves you a trip to their depot which is usually located somewhere by an airport & stand-in-line rigmarole. I have a Fedex account & its pretty easy process - dimensions, weight, contents, contact information.... Most of what I was shipping was to USA via Fedex Ground so of course a few extra customs forms. I tried UPS but I found their process a bit clunky. Inside Canada, shipping is much more streamlined either way.

The main thing to watch is insured value. If you declare $100 and your $2000 shipment gets damaged or lost, good luck. If you pack it, its largely your responsibility. If you pay for coverage its still a rigmarole but you have a fighting chance.
 
Insurance is a good point. Never thought of that.

The only reason I'm attempting this is I might get a good deal on the unit. I will insure it for my cost plus the shipping charges. At tleast that way I will break even if something happens.
 
Maybe you know but just in case - familiarize yourself with dimensional weight vs actual weight. A 1x2x6 ft cardboard box of air weighing 5 lbs physically pays about the same shipping as a small 80 lb physical object. So when I was talking about home made plywood shipping boxes, that'ts because a) the material is cheaper than cardboard b) much tougher c) available in any big box hardware store d) utilizes your dimensional weight & protects your valuable machine tool.
 
I won!

The story.

This was auctioned off by the Canadian Space Agency. Starting bid $150Cad.

It is a Precision CNC Dicing / Cutting Saw made by MTI.
You can see it here....
https://www.mtixtl.com/diamondsaw-SYJ-400.aspx

What caught my attention to it was it looked like my Sherline CNC mill. Except it has a nice catch tray and water cooling setup.

There was two poor photos in the listing. I contacted the seller and was able to get better photos. From the photos I realized the controller was not present. After searching all the other auctions, I found the controller in a group of misc. equipment. The seller was nice enough to match the controller up to this auction.

So the dirt......winning bid $380Cad. Will need to add approx $200 to ship it from Eastern Canada to Western Canada. Not so bad when you look at the price of a Sherline CNC mill.

After watching videos on the MTI site I noticed in one where they had not removed the Sherline decal from the mill. So this is a Sherline mill that MTI modifies.


IMG_4850-smalls.jpg
 
Perry said:
I won!

The story.

This was auctioned off by the Canadian Space Agency. Starting bid $150Cad.

It is a Precision CNC Dicing / Cutting Saw made by MTI.
You can see it here....
https://www.mtixtl.com/diamondsaw-SYJ-400.aspx

What caught my attention to it was it looked like my Sherline CNC mill. Except it has a nice catch tray and water cooling setup.

There was two poor photos in the listing. I contacted the seller and was able to get better photos. From the photos I realized the controller was not present. After searching all the other auctions, I found the controller in a group of misc. equipment. The seller was nice enough to match the controller up to this auction.

So the dirt......winning bid $380Cad. Will need to add approx $200 to ship it from Eastern Canada to Western Canada. Not so bad when you look at the price of a Sherline CNC mill.

After watching videos on the MTI site I noticed in one where they had not removed the Sherline decal from the mill. So this is a Sherline mill that MTI modifies.


View attachment 13439
Click to expand...

Congrats!

I worked as a courier delivering UPS and Purolator, please spend a few minutes going thru the fine print of their insurance so your not over-spending or slitting your own throat. Both(probably all) courier companies write that contract for their favour. I would hope CSA is capable of building a strong shipping box for your new machine

Cheers

Wayne
 
Crankit,
(and PeterT)

I'm learning the hard way.


So UPS will not accept the package. (also Fedex)

The reason - Package exceeds the maximum size total constraints of 165 inches (length + girth where girth is 2 x width plus 2 x height).

The people were nice enough to package and the final dimensions are 47"X26"X35". 100pounds.
Using these dimensions I come up with 169 inches. 4" over.

I sent an email off to ask them to reconfirm the package measurements. One inch shorter in height and one inch shorter in width would make it fall in at 165".
Even if the dimensions fall into line I run into problems that PeterT pointed out. I will be charged by dimensional weight. Approx. 300 pounds. :(


With the present dimensions I can still ship via Air Canada at a very reasonable cost. Do any of you know of a pick up and drop off service in Montreal?

Any quotes from Montreal members here that would like to take the task on?

Any other suggestions?
 
Last edited:
I tried this quickee calculator at the bottom of the page but I wouldnt trust it without entering the box dimensions as you've unfortunately discovered.

1614136160290.webp
 
The UPS excerpt. I think Fedex is siimilar. Yes my RC model boxes are about 84x12x6 probably weigh 10 lbs physically but I think i was in the 75 lb dimensional weight.

1614136316641.webp
 
With the present dimensions I can still ship via Air Canada at a very reasonable cost. Do any of you know of a pick up and drop off service in Montreal?

You can check with your local UPS store. I know you can use them as a drop location for a fee even if its completely unrelated to any transport service they provide shipping out. Basically the guy behind the counter signs for it, calls you it arrived, then collects $$ for temporary storage. They all seem to have different formulas like mom & pop shops, so I wont venture a guess on cost. But I would call beforehand, fully describe the contents, size & weight so he is aware & approves beforehand. If he doesn't have a pallet jack or no interest in handling bulky, heavy-ish items then that's probably a no. And then you/someone would have to be prepared to get it off the floor & elevated into truck or whatever.

I opened up an account at my UPS store for the odd item that requires signature, no door drop. It just involved a few consent forms & contact information. Here is the price schedule they gave me

1614136896542.webp
 
PeterT said:
The UPS excerpt. I think Fedex is siimilar. Yes my RC model boxes are about 84x12x6 probably weigh 10 lbs physically but I think i was in the 75 lb dimensional weight.

View attachment 13455
Click to expand...


I got this from the UPS site trying to fillout their form....

"
Ship Tip: Package weight and dimensions directly impact your cost.

Shipments are priced either by weight or dimensional weight – a calculation based on package size.
To find dimensional weight, multiply the length, width and height of your package in inches OR centimetres, rounded up to the nearest whole number. This is your cubic size.
  • For measurements in INCHES, divide cubic size by 139 to find dimensional weight in POUNDS.*
  • For cubic size in CENTIMETRES, divide by 5,000 for dimensional weight in KILOGRAMS.
Compare dimensional weight to the actual weight of your package. The larger number determines your shipping charges, so if you have a lightweight item packed in an oversize container, consider using a smaller box if possible.
*NOTE: For shipments within the U.S. and imports to the U.S. from Canada, divide cubic size in inches by 166.
"


I'm going to try DHL now. Thank you.
 
Yup, same formula as my attachment from their website.
And as you discovered also some maximum dimensional restrictions regardless of weight

1614137531931.webp
 
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