I don't think it is worth the trouble or expense unless you have a staff with little or no crate making experience. The artifact, a tape, pencil and paper, common sense and the Smithsonian's book on crate construction should be enough. It is also essential to know who is going to be handling the shipping, common carrier or fine arts handler. Extremely fragile three dimensional work should be handled with a professional crating company of which there are some listed in AAM directories. I have often suggested that private owners consult with the local museum to see if their staff take on independent work. Albert Sperath, Director, Univ. Art Galleries ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).