Here’s a poser:

If fragile stuff – like wine glasses and brass locomotives – is shipped wrapped in foam… how is foam shipped?

– Is it stuffed inside a glass mailing tube?
– Packed into a box with a bunch of lightbulbs?
– Vacuum-packed into a letter-sized envelope? (But stand back when you open it!)

These were all questions I pondered as I placed an order for a 4×8 foot piece of 0.25″ thick acoustic foam – the kind found behind the grilles of stereo speakers – to use in the rolling stock storage shelves I’m building.

The answer is, it comes in a box:

The delivery guy said “I’ve brought you a box of air!” He wasn’t far off:

I’m particularly amused by all the FRAGILE stickers on the box. Presumably, these were applied because with essentially nothing inside, the box itself is fragile – and it obviously took a few knocks and dings en route.

I acquired the foam online from TCH. Service was excellent and even though they were only across the city from me, shipping was cheaper than the gas it would’ve cost me to drive out to collect the foam in person. Faster too: My order arrived within 24 hours. I’d buy again from TCH.

More on the storage shelves – and how I’ve used this foam – in my next post.