How to pack a violin for moving

In the event you personal a violin, then you already know completely effectively simply how precious that musical instrument is. So, when the time comes to maneuver home, it’s solely regular that you must get anxious in regards to the security of your prized possession.

Violins are very delicate musical devices and even the slightest misstep when packing a violin for transferring could result in average or critical harm to the stringed instrument. And that is precisely why you’re going to must be extraordinarily cautious when defending your personal violin for the upcoming transfer.

Comply with the steps under to study one of the best ways to pack a violin for transferring.

One attention-grabbing element is that whereas these packing steps present tips on how to pack a violin for transport, you too can use the identical packing technique to guard a viola and a cello for a transfer.

Step 1. Put together the violin packing supplies

So as to pack your violin for transferring, you’re going to want to have the next packing provides:

• Packing paper. It’s best to solely use clean, comfortable, and acid-free wrapping paper that’s meant to guard delicate gadgets throughout a transfer.
• Bubble wrap. Bubble wrap will assist you to defend probably the most fragile areas of your stringed musical instrument.
• Packing field. Put together a powerful cardboard field that’s at the least four inches wider and longer than the violin case.
• PVC tube. In case you have to pack your violin bow or bows individually.
• Packing peanuts. You’ll want packing peanuts to cushion and immobilize the violin case contained in the cardboard field.
• Packing tape. You’ll want packing tape to seal the cardboard field.
• Black marker. Get a black marker to label appropriately the cardboard container. 

See additionally: How to move a piano by yourself

Step 2. Pack the violin in its protecting case

Beneath you’ll discover ways to pack a violin into a tough violin case.

In the event you don’t have such a case, we strongly urge you to buy one previous to transferring out because it’s one of the best ways to maintain the one that you love musical instrument secure on the street.

Do NOT try and pack and transfer your stringed instrument with out a violin case just because the danger of injury to your precious possession shall be too nice to be justified in any means.

• LOOSEN the violin’s strings barely (a few quarter tone). The rationale for this step is that your musical instrument is prone to have some publicity to sizzling or chilly temperatures, that means that its completely different supplies will increase and contract at completely different speeds. Finally, the strings could put an excessive amount of pressure on the neck or the bridge as a result of they are going to increase at a slower price than the wooden within the instrument.
• CHECK once more the strain on the strings – it needs to be sufficient to carry the bridge in place however not too tight to result in harm attributable to fluctuations within the ambient temperature.
• PLACE some comfortable packing paper underneath the tailpiece and the fingerboard. Wedge the paper fastidiously however firmly in order that these fragile violin elements stay absolutely supported throughout the transfer.
• POSITION comfortable wrapping paper underneath the strings on each side of the bridge. This manner, the delicate bridge shall be saved upright throughout transport and received’t have the ability to collapse, thus probably scratching the fragile prime end of the instrument.
• PLACE the violin fastidiously in its arduous case and fasten the neck strap till it’s effectively secured.
• ADD items of wrapping paper across the musical instrument till it can not transfer contained in the case, not even barely. The violin needs to be cosy in its case with none wobble. This is a crucial step, so don’t skip it.
• POSITION a chunk of soppy fabric over the instrument for added safety. That is particularly related when the violin bows shall be transported contained in the case too. Bows would possibly get unhooked from their security spinners and fall onto the highest of the violin and probably damaging its delicate floor.
• LOOSEN the strings of the bows. A sudden change within the ambient temperature could cause the bow hairs to tighten and probably snap the bow.
• SECURE the bows on their designated locations contained in the violin case, then flip the spinners to maintain the bows in place.
• CLOSE the violin case securely. Take the case in your palms and shake it gently – nothing needs to be transferring inside it. If it does, open up the case and add extra padding materials.
• WRAP the whole case with giant sheets of bubble wrap. Use items of tape to safe the bubble wrap and preserve it from unfolding throughout transport.

Learn additionally: How to pack a guitar for moving

Step Three. Pack the violin case within the transferring field

Now it’s time to pack the violin case inside a cardboard field. To do that safely,

• COVER the underside of the field with Styrofoam packing peanuts.
• CENTER the violin case contained in the transferring field. Keep in mind that the cardboard container needs to be at the least four inches wider and longer than the violin case itself.
• FILL the field to the highest with packing peanuts in order that there’s no additional area for the case to shift round contained in the field. Ideally, you must have 2-Three inches of a buffer zone across the violin case in all instructions.
• CLOSE the field and seal the lids securely utilizing high quality packing tape.
• LABEL the field appropriately. Don’t overlook to write down FRAGILE and HANDLE WITH CARE in massive purple letters.

NOTE: In the event you don’t have any Styrofoam peanuts in your house, then you may substitute them for various padding supplies reminiscent of loads of wadded-up wrapping paper and a number of sheets of bubble wrap.

Good to know: How to pack drums for moving

Step four. Pack violin bows exterior the violin case

You might occur to have additional bows apart from those you’ve already packed within the violin case. On this case, you’re going to must pack them individually and one of the best ways to do it’s to retailer them in a bow case (in fact!) or insert them right into a PVC tube (offered at most shops).

• PURCHASE a PVC tube that’s roughly 37 inches lengthy and a couple of inches extensive.
• LOOSEN the strings of the bows as described above. It is a security step to make sure the bow strings received’t create an excessive amount of rigidity if the climate situations change.
• Bow case: PAD each ends and sides of the bow frog with comfortable packing paper.
• Bow case: ADD wrapping paper across the size of every violin bow to verify it received’t shift contained in the bow case.
• Bow case: CLOSE the bow case securely, wrap it up in sheets of bubble wrap, and place it subsequent to the violin case within the giant cardboard field for secure transport.
• PVC tube: WRAP every bow in bubble wrap with the hair away from you. Roll every bow in protecting materials as soon as, then add one other one by alternating its course.
• PVC tube: USE tape to safe the bundle once you’ve rolled all violin bows in bubble wrap. Keep in mind to tape the ends of the bundle as effectively.
• PVC tube: ADD about two inches of bubble wrap to the underside of the PVC tube for additional safety.
• PVC tube: SLIDE fastidiously the bubble wrap roll containing the violin bows into the PVC tube. The bundle ought to match snugly contained in the tube.
• PVC tube: ADD two inches of bubble wrap on the prime, then shut the tip cap of the tube.
• PVC tube: TAPE the PVC tube cap or screw it on relying on the kind of tube you’ve bought.
• PVC tube: PACK the tube subsequent to the violin case within the massive cardboard field for secure transport.

Packing a violin for transferring will not be that onerous if you already know what you’re doing. Comply with the violin packing steps above and the one that you love musical instrument ought to arrive completely secure within the new dwelling.

Nonetheless, when you nonetheless really feel nervous about packing your violin by your self, trust professional packers with years of expertise in packing super-delicate gadgets reminiscent of musical devices.

Should-read: Should you hire professional packers?