Antistatic alternative?

endrien

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I'll be shipping a board out whenever I get the money and I need an alternative. I heard tinfoil will work, is that true?
 
By the time I hit post there will probably already be 10 screaming replies, but don't use tinfoil. Tinfoil by itself is a very very very good conductor and up against a board raw could be a rather unpleasant thing. The antistatic bags that use foil have poly on either side so there isn't the tendency to bridge a connection somehwere. Even if it doesn't cause issues up front, if a small piece of it shreds off and stays on the board when it's powered up, there's a chance of a short circuit and a *very* pissed off buyer.
 
So anyone know an alternative then? Seran wrap/plastic wrap would be a bad idea....
 
for what it's worth I've bought and sold a few boards. Most I've shipped wrapped in bubble wrap. I've never had any issues. Most of the boards I've gotten from quarterarcade.com have been wrapped in bubble wrap. The only other thing I can think of is to wrap in paper then wrap in bubble wrap and pack. I wouldn't use a material that was known for generating a lot of static electricity but I've never had issue with standard packing materials.
 
Got Staples stores up there... or what? You do realize they have the pink anti-static bubble wrap for like $15 American there:p

I have staples, hell my mom works there. But point is I don't want to buy anything for shipping.
 
Static is generated when two dissimilar materials move across each other. If you pack the board so that it won't move then you are less likely to generate static. You are better off just using bubble wrap rather than wrapping the board and then packing the rest of the space with other stuff.

If you pack it in a ziplock bag and throw it in with some regular styrofoam peanuts, expect the worst. :scared:

ken
 
Go to Wal-mart somewhere and buy some bubble wrap. Get a good sized box, not too big, wrap the pcb in bubble wrap. Throw it in the box with some bunched up newspapers, packing peanuts, etc., tape the bejesus out of the box and ship it off (make sure you put the address on it first though) .
 
Can I just wrap it in paper(And well pack the surrounding of it so it doesn't get beat around)
 
For what it's worth the standard pack job I seem to remember for items I've gotten from companies that sell many arcade pcb's is the board snugly wrapped in bubble wrap that is taped up and the rest of the box is filled with shipping paper that best I can tell is just brown paper, nothing special. The items are always packed snugly in the box to when you can't hear or feel the item moving if you shake the box.
 
Can I just wrap it in paper(And well pack the surrounding of it so it doesn't get beat around)

That would be the best thing to do if you are not going to put it in a proper bag. Paper does not generate a lot of static and it's not very conductive, it should be fine to use.
 
I'm not making a whole lot off of the sale so I'd at least like to keep what I'm making.....

While there's nothing wrong with making a profit, most times it's better to charge a little more to cover the packing material or even make a bit less profit to ensure the item is packed correct so it will arrive in good shape. Think what it might cost if the item is damaged due to poor packing? Probably the total cost of the item plus shipping, plus your time. This is a small tight knit community and it's always a good practice to make sure the buyer will be happy with the purchase. I'd imagine you would want an item you bought to be packed well regardless of the price you bought it for, right?
 
Thats why theres a shipping cost the buyer pays , to cover the cost for the bubble wrap and box , or whatever you use .
 
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