takingchase

LP mailers can get kind of expensive and I'm cheap as hell and have to much time on my hands. So as I'm looking at the entire shelf full of free boxes from the usps I started thinking to myself that I just may be able to cut them up and make my own lp mailers. After a few tries with different shaped boxes I figured out how to make pretty decent ones easily. After making a few it only takes me about 3 or 4 minutes to make one. Heres a tutorial for anyone who is as cheap as me.
If anyone has the measurements for a 7" mailer I would appreciate it too, I didn't have one so I couldn't make one. 7" mailers would come out even better since they require less cardboard.
What you need:
There are two different boxes from the usps you should get, a big more thin one and a large thick cardboard one. You can pick them up at your post office or order them here for free http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductCategoryDisplay?beginIndex=18&pageSize=6&langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10152&categoryId=13354
The two boxes you will want are: 12x12x8 and the other one is 12.5 x 15.5 x 3. They are the first and third boxes on the website.
You'll also need an exacto knife or box cutter, tape, sharpie and a straight edge.

Alright step one is deconstructing your two boxes. On the inside there is an overlap in the cardboard. These boxes use really shitty glue so just pull them apart with ease so the box is completely flat


Next up we are going to lay one of your lp mailers on the flat usps box and trace it. If you don't have a lp mailer to trace the picture below shows the measurements and you can just use a ruler to get what you need. You can place your measurements just right so one of the folds is already on a fold in the usps box.


Alright time to cut out your template. I just used my original lp mailer as a straight edge to make sure my cuts were straight. You can use a ruler or something else for this too.

Now you want to use your guide box to mark were the folds will be on the cardboard. If you don't have a guide box the measurements are just .75" away from each other or smaller depending on how many lps your shipping, you can make it a little bigger too but not by much or the box won't close all the way. Once you have your guides pull out your straight edge again and perforate where the fold will be. This will help the fold be nice and straight plus it will help you fold it without bending the cardboard. I showed the guides I made but I did not put the second guide for each fold because well that was were a cut was so it was already a guide.


Ok, now because of the way the box is made on one side there will be a slit in the cardboard. Just take some tape and tape this slit together. Once that’s done fold where you did all your perforating and the box will now be made.

Alright, we’re almost done you just have to cut the padding out from the thicker cardboard box now. So Just use your template box or use the measurements 12.5 x 12.5

Now the easy part: go make some trades, put the padding in front and back of the record, seal the box up and write fragile on it. Hopefully some other cheap people will get use out of this. It will probably take you 10 or 15 minutes to make your first box but once you know what you’re doing you will fly through the process.


Now that I finally have a 7" mailer I'm throwing in the measurements of that. Just follow the same instructions for the LP mailer just with these measurements instead.

I love Invincible or anything written by Kirkman. It's so awesome that the high school principle looks like Carl Winslow, is named Winslow, and the schools name is Reginald VelJohnson High plus all the Invincible trades are named after an 80's tv show.
Have you read his Irredeemable Ant Man series? That was a good read also.

Will buy or trade, I need this record to finish off my collection.