Anti Static Bag Substitute?

[EnderCat]

I am thinking of selling 16gb of ram on ebay, reddit and ltt forums but I can't get any anti static bags to ship it in so are there any alternatives I can use to ship ram?

[VVoltor]

Paper, or cardboard will do just fine.

[Anghammarad]

a local computer store used aluminium foil to pack rams or cpu's for short travels.

 

[Godlygamer23]

1 minute ago, Anghammarad said:

a local computer store used aluminium foil to pack rams or cpu's for short travels.

That would be incorrect as the whole thing is conductive - any static electricity applied to the surface will conduct through, and hit the components. An anti-static bag is only conductive on the outside, effectively putting the component in a Faraday cage. 

[Orangeator]

2 minutes ago, Anghammarad said:

a local computer store used aluminium foil to pack rams or cpu's for short travels.

 

Aluminum foil is conductive though... This doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I think Styrofoam is a much better alternative. Lol!

[mariushm]

Not a good idea. Imagine charging yourself with static electricity and then touching the aluminum foil and discharging yourself in the aluminum sheet.

 

Something simple ... take a corrugated cardboard box and cut a couple of rectangles the size of the memory stick and then sandwitch the memory between the cardboard pieces and use some scotch tape to keep the pieces together.

 

Or get a CD/DVD case and put the memory stick inside the CD/DVD case and ship it like that.

 

Basically ANYTHING that would make the envelope hard to bend during shipping and something that would protect the stick from the weight (or spread the weight over a bigger surface) of a few Kg / pounds of other envelopes pressing it down.

 

[Godlygamer23]

2 minutes ago, Orangeator said:

I think Styrofoam is a much better alternative. Lol!

Though there you will be actively generating static electricity during movement.

[AnonymousGuy]

Ship it in whatever you want, it'll be fine.

 

And for the record, aluminum foil would also be fine since it'll dissipate charge across its surface.

[Godlygamer23]

1 minute ago, AnonymousGuy said:

And for the record, aluminum foil would also be fine since it'll dissipate charge across its surface.

It will conduct through. Electrify a piece of aluminum and touch the other side. 

[AnonymousGuy]

Just now, Godlygamer23 said:

It will conduct through. Electrify a piece of aluminum and touch the other side. 

Why don't fish get electrocuted in the ocean by lightning?  Because it's a good conductor the charge stays near the surface.  Same principle here.  Static is a transient it's not a constant electrocution.

[Godlygamer23]

Just now, AnonymousGuy said:

Why don't fish get electrocuted in the ocean by lightning?  Because it's a good conductor the charge stays near the surface.  Same principle here.  Static is a transient it's not a constant electrocution.

There's enough surface area to dissipate the charge, and the ocean is quite large. If a fish is near the point that gets hit, it will probably get electrocuted. 

 

Take this how you will, but we use effectively aluminum foil over our electronics at my workplace, but with one difference. The opposite side is not conductive. 

[EnderCat]

39 minutes ago, Godlygamer23 said:

There's enough surface area to dissipate the charge, and the ocean is quite large. If a fish is near the point that gets hit, it will probably get electrocuted. 

 

Take this how you will, but we use effectively aluminum foil over our electronics at my workplace, but with one difference. The opposite side is not conductive. 

ok so I am guessing just like a paper bag or cardboard will do for a inexpensive alternative? 

[Godlygamer23]

1 minute ago, EnderCat said:

ok so I am guessing just like a paper bag or cardboard will do for a inexpensive alternative? 

Unless it's specifically ESD cardboard, no. Both will generate a static charge.

[AnonymousGuy]

1 minute ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Unless it's specifically ESD cardboard, no. Both will generate a static charge.

He's shipping RAM sticks he's not shipping a priceless electronic artifact   I've tossed them on plush carpet without problem.

[Linksys120n]

stick then in a paper sandwich bag with 3 balls of aluminum foil and 6 fully charged 9 volt batteries then before you ship it give the bag a real good shake...

[Godlygamer23]

22 minutes ago, AnonymousGuy said:

He's shipping RAM sticks he's not shipping a priceless electronic artifact   I've tossed them on plush carpet without problem.

This is about being safe with someone else's electronics. I'm not going to encourage someone to do something that could jeopardize their products - if you decide to, fine. But I'm not. If they want to put RAM in a paper bag, that's his prerogative. I have given the OP the best information to ensure the product arrives to where it goes with no problems due to static electricity.  

[TetraSky]

I've used Kraft paper before (that brown packing paper) to wrap around components and they worked just fine.

Otherwise you can just get some anti static bubble wrap at Staples. (and also envelopes) 

[EnderCat]

24 minutes ago, Godlygamer23 said:

This is about being safe with someone else's electronics. I'm not going to encourage someone to do something that could jeopardize their products - if you decide to, fine. But I'm not. If they want to put RAM in a paper bag, that's his prerogative. I have given the OP the best information to ensure the product arrives to where it goes with no problems due to static electricity.  

well is there any house hold items I can use?

[Linksys120n]

4 minutes ago, EnderCat said:

well is there any house hold items I can use?

paper towels should be fine...

[EnderCat]

OK so I am going to be selling some ram online and I was looking for some way to get free anti static bags as I don't have my own. So I found this website www.associatedbag.com and they sell them in bulk but they also give free samples so I am ordering some of those. I want to know that my ram is safe so is there any way to test if they really are anti static?

[richardwei6]

3 minutes ago, EnderCat said:

OK so I am going to be selling some ram online and I was looking for some way to get free anti static bags as I don't have my own. So I found this website www.associatedbag.com and they sell them in bulk but they also give free samples so I am ordering some of those. I want to know that my ram is safe so is there any way to test if they really are anti static?

 

Best guess is to do this: 

 

[JoostinOnline]

Bro, just order some decent ones from Amazon so you don't have to worry.  They aren't expensive.

[ARikozuM]

Multimeter should help you out. 

[JoostinOnline]

2 minutes ago, richardwei6 said:

Best guess is to do this: 

 

If you have to cut a hole in it then it's not a great method

[EnderCat]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

Bro, just order some decent ones from Amazon so you don't have to worry.  They aren't expensive.

I would if I had any money but I don't have a job and I used all my money for the last part of my new computer