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It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

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Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#71

Post by js2 »

ortusdux wrote: post #29

I have a 115lb shipment of small metal parts that needs to be across the country before Wed. Both FedEx and UPS quoted me ~$750 to ship it in a 12"x8"x8" OSB box via 2-day shipping. Fedex one rate boxes have a weight limit of 50lbs. The small boxes are $31/ea to ship. I just finished breaking the shipment up into 3 parts. Heck, next day would be ~$300.

Let me recommend pirateship.com for discounted USPS/UPS rates. Not affiliated, just a happy customer.

It gives me a UPS 2nd day air quote of $338.90 from 27518 to 95050 for a 12" x 8" x 8" box weighing 115 lbs. That's supposedly 66% off retail ($1000.12).

But as sibling comment mentions, think of the person delivering a 115 lb package. I semi-recently shipped some treadmill parts to a recycler and they went via three boxes (the recycler paid for them).

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#72

Post by perihelions »

ilyagr wrote: post #66
perihelions wrote: post #57

An implosion-type nuclear weapon can compress matter to some multiple of the density of osmium. This isn't useful for USPS box packaging; I just think it's neat. edit: Also, inertial confinement fusion plasmas go up to about 1,000 g/cm³, https://aip.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1063/5.0008231 ( "Unified first-principles equations of state of deuterium-tritium mixtures in the global inertial confinement fusion region" )

Can this overcompressed material continue to exist at room temperature and pressure? It would be remarkable, but I guess it's hard to imagine how that could work.

That's a great question. There's solid phases you can create at extreme pressure that remain stable or metastable at STP, like the diamond allotrope of carbon. I don't know of any examples that retain a high density at low pressure. Is it possible for something like that to exist?

There was a suggestion that hydrogen metal could be metastable at low pressure -- it would be much denser than molecular hydrogen -- but it looks like that's controversial:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallic_hydrogen

edit: Turns out diamond is ~70% denser than other forms of carbon, so that's sort of an example. Though its density is pretty low in absolute terms (~3.5 g/cm³).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#73

Post by astrange »

akvadrako wrote: post #21
chiph wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I heard that the crypto millionaires were buying Tungsten cubes for fun, I checked into the prices. Amazon lists a 1.5" cube (weighs 1 kg) at $199 and a 4" cube (that weighs 18.9 kg [0]) at $3499. There's no way I'm spending that, but I will admit to wanting to experience their density for myself. [0] free Prime shipping for the win

Tungsten doesn't seem especially heavy; it's a little less than gold.

How often do you have 2" cubes of gold lying around?

Also, if your house burns down your tungsten cube will still be intact, so you don't have to insure it.

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#74

Post by giantg2 »

apricot wrote: post #61
deepspace wrote: post #51

Since I discovered the availability of anvils on Amazon, I have always wondered about the economics of shipping them. Right now, I can order a 66lb "Happybuy" anvil for $153 with free prime shipping. One assumes that the $153 includes the cost of shipping it all the way from China in the first place. For comparison, a similarly sized anvil from a reputable local dealer costs $949 plus tax and shipping at the lowest r…

That's the best name I can imagine for an anvil.

People who watched the road runner growing up might like "Acme" anvils.

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#75

Post by giantg2 »

Blackthorn wrote: post #22

That said, it sure wasn't fun for the mail person when they had to deliver me those two boxes of lead ingots.

My friend worked at UPS. He said you could always tell when someone had bullets shipped because of the rattle and heavy weight. He said those were probably the most common heavy shipment they saw.

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#76

Post by ilyagr »

bell-cot wrote: post #70
ilyagr wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can this overcompressed material continue to exist at room temperature and pressure? It would be remarkable, but I guess it's hard to imagine how that could work.

Not really. But if you ship it sufficiently fast, the en-transit expansion won't be enough to matter.

I guess if I can get USPS to accept the parcel quickly enough, what happens afterwards is their problem. I'm sure they won't mind.

In fact, if the parcel is - er - damaged while in their care, the USPS will owe me. They better rush.

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#77

Post by giantg2 »

chiph wrote: post #10
radicality wrote: post #6

Semi related - a few months ago, while not fully sober, I was aimlessly browsing through Amazon and ended up owning a set of two 1.5inch cubes - one aluminium, one tungsten. It’s kind of a silly purchase considering it’s a lot of money for 2 metal cubes, but it’s honestly very impressive just how heavy that small cube is - both objectively, and when compared to the aluminium cube. Also makes for a great talking point…

When I heard that the crypto millionaires were buying Tungsten cubes for fun, I checked into the prices. Amazon lists a 1.5" cube (weighs 1 kg) at $199 and a 4" cube (that weighs 18.9 kg [0]) at $3499. There's no way I'm spending that, but I will admit to wanting to experience their density for myself. [0] free Prime shipping for the win

I have a part off an aircraft (nobody seems to know what part or what aircraft). I imagine it's partially tungsten since it's not much bigger than a 4x4 cube and has to weigh close to 50lbs.

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#78

Post by jmyeet »

What many may not realize is that there's a thriving industry in sending passengers on planes for the sole purpose of them taking things from A to B.

Years ago, you could get discounted flights to Europe where you couldn't check in any luggage. Why? That allowance was taken up by documents for various clients. This was usually quicker than any courier services at the time.

I've had friends who worked in the oil and gas industry. One story I was told was where parts were desperately needed to repair a drill bit on a gas platform. The best option? Someone would fly halfway around the world, drive to a particular factory, wait for the parts and then fly back. This was cheaper and faster than any courier service, even if you spent $10,000+ on the ticket.

This was exacerbated because a person with 200lb of machine parts could walk through customs where a shipment might get stuck in customs for weeks. And each day of non-operation cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Re: It is physically impossible to exceed the weight limit for a Small Flat Rate Box

#80

Post by ilyagr »

perihelions wrote: post #72
ilyagr wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can this overcompressed material continue to exist at room temperature and pressure? It would be remarkable, but I guess it's hard to imagine how that could work.

That's a great question. There's solid phases you can create at extreme pressure that remain stable or metastable at STP, like the diamond allotrope of carbon. I don't know of any examples that retain a high density at low pressure. Is it possible for something like that to exist? There was a suggestion that hydrogen metal could be metastable at low pressure -- it would be much denser than molecular hydrogen -- but i…

Diamonds are a great example!
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