MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Im looking for guidance on how to properly package a microscope for shipment through the mail, as there is no concrete way or guide out there.
I've had a couple of unfortunate experiences when receiving Microscopes that I've purchased online, sadly three of the Microscopes have arrived with extensive damage. Luckily the seller has always honored the deal, and either takes it back and or issues a partial refund. As much as I enjoy tinkering and attempting to repair them, at times the parts needed to make the repairs are scarse or extremely expensive, some times the parts are not available due to the age of some of the units. Its truly sad to open up a package and find pieces of plastic or a rocking stage on a once perfectly working microscope.
The damage I've encountered ranges from, a completely shattered plastic base, a broken focus cam on a Microstar IV and the last one being the worse... A full PH microscope that took such of lateral hit that damaged and bent the fine focus rod inside the larger coarse focus mechanism ( picture below) The hit was so hard that the rail type bearings where the stage glides up and down were knocked out of alignment causing the stage to rock side to side. But I digress.. so far the best packaging I've encountered involved two boxes, the seller took the time to detach the head, eyepieces and objectives and package them separately. The main body was then wrapped in bubble wrap and placed inside a cardboard box that was then placed inside another cardboard box with a buffer zone lined with additional bubble wrap in between the two boxes. I swear one could had dropped this thing from a second story floor and no damaged would had been sustained. Going back to the last package I received, the seller did a wonderful job using foam and bubble wrap around the microscope, even went as far as detaching the head and packaging it separately, the problem was that he could never had accounted for the way FedEx, UPS and United states Postal service move boxes , (at times in a soccer ball like fashion ) One small narrow box was used to ship the 23 pound Microscope and just as expected the fine focus, and stage took the worse of the hit. I now contact the sellers prior to shipping and request double boxing the microscopes regardless of cost, and Im leaning more towards local auctions where I can personally pick them up.

Am I the only one experiencing this? Would love to hear some of the horror stories out there, and any tips on how to prevent damage during shipping.

Best packed microscope I got came in some expanding foam bags like an instapak quick rt.

BramHuntingNematodes wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:15 am

Best packed microscope I got came in some expanding foam bags like an instapak quick rt.

Had to google that, ...never seen em before, they look like the perfect solution, I can imagine cost would be a deterrent for some sellers, but well worth it.

Search this forum for "packaging". There were several horror events...

The problems in packaging microscopes is not what type of packing is involved but whether anything can move around in the box and the totally unrelated problem of what will vibration do to the scope.

The best way to avoid #1 is to remove anything that can fall off and package it separately. Objectives, eyepieces, condensers in cannisters or separately wrapped in bubble wrap. These can be securely nested then in their own small box. Moving parts, such as the AO focus mechanism locked, stages removed or locked. Heads remcoved and bubble wrapped. Body in it's own box. Trafo. too, illuminator too if it is remote Everything should be individually bubble wrapped or boxed and then the entire shipping carton stuffed full of bubble wrap or loosely crumpled large sheets of paper in between the components or their small cartons. Styrofoam peanuts are the most useless things ever invented. Heavy or small parts sift down through them and end up in the bottom of the box and can eventually rattle together for a considerable distance.

I once received an AO 10 from a forum member that arrived in an odd state. It had been sent in good shape but it apparently sustained a great deal of vibration during it's trip. I have seen this before too. In the case of the AO 10, the prisms fell off the bertrand lens, the phase contrast name plate fell off, some of the objective set rings loosened and one just about fell out. The head landed on the body and stayed there so long that it gouged grooves right into the aluminum. A bottom lens fell out of an eyepiece.
The only thing I can figure is that it was positioned in a cargo bay where standing waves must have occurred, or in a truck with a bad tire or wheel bearing. It is hard to say but the level of vibration must have been severe. I am a big believer in bubble wrap and loosely crumpled paper. They absorb shock and vibration. Styro peanuts and styro sheets can transfer it.

Consider the way things can be damaged - then counter that. It can be dropped, thrown, punctured, lost, soaked, crushed at the bottom of a truck with someone's exercise weights on top, endure extreme temperature changes, etc. In addition to the above:

- The outer label can be scraped off. Put another origin and destination identification inside. Label the outside of the box with something like "Fragile - please handle with care" and show orientation.

- It can get soaked. Bag everything so it can't get wet if left out in the rain -- and also to keep stray bits of packing migrating.

- I pack optics in a dehumidified room, especially if it's going to a cold location. Not sure if they started their months-long trips that way, but I've received objectives with fungus growing inside three times from Asian sellers. Any optics can have condensation inside if coming from relatively high humidity.

- Consider dropping, denting, and crushing as several have already said. For heavy microscopes, I like to double box and put a couple inches of foam or bubble wrap all around. I'll sometimes secure the scope to a plywood base floating on foam, bagged, then bubble wrap all around. This protects the corners and reduces shock from drops or vibration. Especially useful if there is something like a 100watt lamp sticking out the back - I've had two scopes arrive with the rear illumination damaged. Either pack it separately or make sure it can't move relative to the stand.

- Keep the outer box size small enough to be easily handled. If it's hard for you to lift and carry, it will be for the dozen people who handle it along the way as well.

- When taping up bubble wrap, consider doubling over the ends and leaving a tab so it is easier for the new owner to remove the tape and bubble wrap.

- Imagine a 4' drop off a lift gate or from top to bottom inside a truck -- and having the box and contents stay cushioned inside regardless of how it lands.

- Cheap plastic containers (Chinese Tupperware equivalents) with a bit of bubble wrap around lens turrets and heads then packed in the container can provide extra security.

- Typically, position things like focus blocks and stages near the bottom of travel with a bit of cushioning below to minimize.

- Put small parts in a box, padded envelope, etc. so they don't get overlooked upon unpacking.

- Provide some guidance (labels on outside, even sometimes a video of disassembly) on how things go back together.

- Get insurance.

Have you ever made a postal insurance claim, Pete?

apochronaut wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:51 pm

Have you ever made a postal insurance claim, Pete?

Yes. Among two I can recall - once on a metal cutting saw that arrived damaged - USPS paid. They were better about it than my experience with UPS. Another time on a poorly packaged antique electrical meter. On that the seller paid.

Generally speaking, I've had pretty good luck with USPS. I don't recall any surely lost. However, I've have had scores of packages arrive late - in one case four months late. Having insurance seems to help motivate someone to find the items. The local destination post office managed to knock an Apo objective off a shelf during a changeover from one post office to another. Took them four months to see it on the floor behind the shelf. A shipment last year from Germany took two and a half months - most of that on the German side. I'm still waiting three months later for a shipment from Russia -- it's apparently waiting to hitch a plane ride to the US.

With Covid, and our excellent regular Postal guy out with a bad back, most everything now seems to come a few days late. Tracking information has been near useless (often input by temps whose bosses still want to get their "on time" bonuses and basically lie about delivering items). Amazon is now doing it's own deliveries FWIW, and their drivers also simply make up stuff if they run out of time to deliver something.

The worst service here in the US seems to be from FedEx Ground. I've seen an independent contractor (which their Ground operation uses) throw a package marked "Fragile" thirty feet on to (almost) our deck.

I can't agree with taking out insurance. With shipping, it becomes a game of who dun it and prove it. It is particularly bad when a package crosses a border. Multiple photos are needed, tracking information, especially these days contracted
carriers are involved. Good luck proving damage on a used item unless it is serious damage, then you might be able to claim for a total loss.
Outright loss is easier to prove but how often does that happen. If I had paid for insurance for every package, I would be out a couple of thousand dollars easily, with nothing to show for it. Shipping insurance is designed for the shareholders of insurance companies.
In over 25 years of both sending and receiving fairly breakable packages, including about 30 violins, with about 70% involving the U.S. , 20% Germany and about 95% receiving ; I have had less than 10 episodes of damage loss or theft. The theft was a scam, perpetrated by the seller. 17 items purchased, 1 arrived in the box. The U.S.P.S. Insurance documents forwarded by mail from the seller, after many months went by , turned out to be bogus. A lot of work on their part for 100.00!
One loss was also a scam, perpetrated by the seller. Another temporary loss of a piece of 3 ft. machinery that weighed 50 lbs., was due to the use of old packing paper that already had existing bar codes on it. So, it was scanned here there and everywhere and sent here there and everywhere. Hard to believe it happened but I got on a first name basis with the U.P.S. clerk , in a Maine whistlestop, where it was originally shipped from. I would call her every morning and get an update on where it was that morning.That was in the early days of barcodes. It took 3 months to arrive.The original estimated shipping time was 10 days. It arrived back in Maine twice. I bought it for use in the spring and I received it in late July. U.P.S. refunded the shipping.

All the rest were damage, usually due to improper packaging. One guy refunded me and ebay covered several more. No insurance covers packaging errors and unless you use recognized and accepted packaging materials, which the shipper is more than willing to sell you, any insurance is most likely invalid.
Insurance is a waste of money.

apochronaut wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 27, 2021 1:19 pm

... All the rest were damage, usually due to improper packaging. One guy refunded me and ebay covered several more. No insurance covers packaging errors and unless you use recognized and accepted packaging materials....

That is similar to what I was told by a freight forwarder about DHL in Germany. It is no problem to send them a package to confirm shipping damage, but there is little point in that. Unless they grievously abused the outer box, beyond what a clean, stout example could withstand, the item was, ipso facto, inadequately packed and the damage not covered.

I see insurance as one of those things that may work if the package is lost or stolen, but like Apo said useless when it comes to damaged claims useless, the last one the seller attempted to put in a claim with FedEx, and they denied any wrong doing and in part I agree with them, yes they probably kicked, dropped and stumped the box , but the seller should had accounted for that. In my case I was somewhat satisfied with a partial refund as the PH objectives and condenser were salvageable.

Good packing practice according to Apochronaut: "...the entire shipping carton stuffed full of bubble wrap or loosely crumpled large sheets of paper in between the components or their small cartons."

Here is an alternate if you do not have crumpled paper for stuffing the gaps: Just use 12 (!!!!) laboratory coats
Photos no 5: Move the Zeiss Standard WL fine coarse to the top position, insert a paper card as distance shim, move down the fine coarse until the mechanism rests on the paper card. This ensures the the feather pin mechanism cannot get damaged/deformed during transport & shocks.

Package handlers are trained to knock down onto the floor the wall of packages in a truck so they are easier to move onto the conveyor belt. Its usually a controlled slowish knockdown at least. But the odds of the package dropping hard from 5 feet is high.

Nicely done , literally airdrop proofed

By contrast my last one was wrapped in a single sheet of foam hence the damage

TAKE HEAD OFF. ANY ACCESSORIES WRAP ALL IN BUBBLE WRAP...DON'T HAVE ANYTHING INSIDE OF AN ITEM THAT IS LOOSE AND RATTLE (LEARNED THAT LESSON WHEN I WAS LIKE 5. MOM STUCK A DIME FOR MILK IN MY THERMOS...NEEDLES TO SAY I SHOOK IT RIGHT AWAY.IF YOU ARE AS OLD AS ME YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED)
PUT ALL YOUR PARTS IN A BOX WITH PEANUTS AND A COPY OF SHIPPING INFO THEN THAT BOX IN A BIGGER BOX WITH 2" MINIMUM SPACE AROUND FILLED WITH MORE PEANUTS. USE GOOD TAPE.

apochronaut wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 27, 2021 1:19 pm

. . .
Insurance is a waste of money.

My take is that it's the buyer's decision to make. I ask. If they decline the extra for insurance -- and it gets lost, delayed, or damaged in shipment -- my duty to the buyer ended at sending them a picture of the well-packed package and the tracking number clearly showing receipt by the post office.

I would agree that insurance is like extended warranties and asking "would you like fries with that" . . . a high profit add-on that doesn't necessarily pay out for the recipient in the long run. On the other hand, I did spend four months regretting not getting insurance on the $500 Plan Apo objective that took four months to arrive.

Nice packing!

Another one arrived damaged., It looks like the Eyepiece tubes always take the most damage, mainly because of the box being too small at times. This time I was able to align the tubes since it's an old style head with 4 screws around each tube; unlike a previous one where the tubes are the screw in type and I haven't been able to fix it.

Anyone has any pointers on how to fix that issue? Just looking through the eyepice makes you instantaneously dizzy from the double image.

Glad to see this thread exists because I have a good contribution.


The scope was METICULOUSLY packaged. Everything was cushioned with bubble sheets, reinforced with extra cardboard.

Except someone physically pried the head off to make it fit in the box. Literally pried. You can see the marks on the neck. They were so so so close to figuring it out with the head detach knob but instead they just bent it 45 degrees and called it a day

Worst mishandling ever seen on the forum, probably. Unbelievable.

I can't even be angry. I think what I want most is to be able to go back in time and be there when they tried to decide how to handle the head. That show would almost be worth the price of the scope itself.

I think it's somewhat salvageable with a new head but I will probably relegate it to an "ehh, if I have some money left over". I have a CH-2 coming and I'm building a project Zeiss Standard too so only looking ahead, not back

A disconnect like that between the otherwise meticulous packing and the ruthless method of making it all fit in the end causes me to wonder if the packer was high on something and needed to get back to the party. Certainly not good for repeat business. I guess I've been lucky. I've experienced a few lost packages--nothing valuable--and a few lost bolts from disassembled equipment but that's about it. I presently have a strange lost package incident ongoing--USPS tracking shows package arriving at my city and going "Out for Delivery"--and that was two weeks ago, and still no delivery and no delivery scan. It's just a $30 item, fortunately.

There is hope.
Delivered using a pallet truck.
The sender knew very little about microscopes but it survived undamaged.
Assumed it was fragile and didn't want to risk refunding.
eBay as with most of my 'scopes,
I could add plenty to the other side of it but why spoil a good moment.

Carl Hunsinger’s excelent guide on packaging an Olympus BH2

http://alanwood.net/downloads/olympus-b ... ipping.pdf

I recently bought an Olympus BHSP from an eBay seller in China. Soon after the microscope shipped, I came across Carl's article on the Internet. I was very worried for the next five days as I hadn't realised that so many microscope sellers did not know how to pack microscopes. I had just left the seller to his own devices.

When it arrived, I had to unpack it at my front door as it weighed 24 kg (it is a heavy microscope).

This shows the double outer box and many smaller boxes within (I've already removed a lot of closed cell foam padding from the top):



The stand was in the biggest sub-box, which was very thickly padded with closed-cell foam. The stand itself was completely wateproofed in multiple layers of industrial cling wrap. The nosepiece and stage were attached but the objectives and condenser were removed. The spaces in between were filled with more closed cell foam so nothing could move.



The intermediate polarizing attachment and the substage condenser (shown below), and other components, were individually waterproofed and padded in custom-shaped foam bits.



The objectives:



The smaller components like the drop-in filter holder for the lamphouse and the 530 nm waveplate were also painstakingly individually padded so they could not move or touch anything else. Every empty space in the box was filled with foam so nothing could move.

Maybe there are even better ways than this to package a microscope, but as it turned out, there was no damage whatsoever, as far as I can tell after using the microscope for a month. I realized that I was very lucky, and so was this microscope.

I've had shipments that drove me crazy, like wrapping three objectives in a one-foot-thick cocoon of bubble wrap that can survive a nuclear detonation, only to have the objectives crash and bang against one another's front lenses inside - like one of Carl's horror stories.