Best way to package wheels?

[Supratada]

I've had a reet chew-on with packaging up a single wheel the other day. Mainly because the wheel box I had been saving was actually for 26" mtb whereas the wheel I was posting was 700c.
What do youse lots do when posting a sold wheel?

I'm kinda thinking the wheel is pretty structural in its own right, and damage would come from being dropped/thrown and hitting the rim or hub ends.
I've got about 4 or 5 to put up for sale, so wanted to find the safest way to package, without costing a bomb in materials.

 

[foz]

I always use a wheel box from my LBS, failing that a standard bike box will also work but needs cutting down

 

[synchronicity]

The best way is when you buy/bought a new set of wheels you save these little hub axle protectors:
(that way, the axles don't pierce the cardboard box)

 

[novocaine]

If I can, and the buyer is happy for me to (communication is king) I always take the axle out and put it in a box tied to a spoke. this means you can package tighter to the rim and added better padding where needed.

 

[pigman]

I once bought a pair of rims off here and the seller put them in wheel box. When the yodel driver delivered them, he was ever so embarrassed and asked me to open the box cos the middle of the box had muddy boot prints on it. Being rims only, all was fine, but I let the seller know that the Yodel warehouse hands don't seem to give a jot

 

[27motorhead]

If I can, and the buyer is happy for me to (communication is king) I always take the axle out and put it in a box tied to a spoke. this means you can package tighter to the rim and added better padding where needed.

As @novocaine says. Remove the QR's (he said axle, but must mean QR!) and wrap them up then cable tie to spokes. If you don't have a plastic axle protector, then you can use a flattened 1L TetraPak (drink carton) over the ends of the axle as these are a sandwich of cardboard/plastic/aluminium so quite hard to pierce and cost nothing if you buy them anyway.

 

[novocaine]

As @novocaine says. Remove the QR's (he said axle, but must mean QR!) and wrap them up then cable tie to spokes. If you don't have a plastic axle protector, then you can use a flattened 1L TetraPak (drink carton) over the ends of the axle as these are a sandwich of cardboard/plastic/aluminium so quite hard to pierce and cost nothing if you buy them anyway.

No I mean axle. As in undo the nuts, remove the axle. Modern hubs its a pop out of one bearing, shmianonand open bearings it's remove the bearings.

 

[27motorhead]

No I mean axle. As in undo the nuts, remove the axle. Modern hubs its a pop out of one bearing, shmianonand open bearings it's remove the bearings.

Ah OK! This is another step again, but super compact with and minimises any damage from sticky-outy-bits. As long as you let the buyer know that so there's no nasty surprises for them! As you said communication is king.