recoating and insurance questions

I have a 16" Cassegrain mirror (<~2” thick) that I am finally ready to get re-coated. I have two questions:

1. Packing – I have gone back and forth about how to pack this thing and ended up making a wooden crate and cutting Styrofoam to fit the mirror. I then packed the crate (wrapped in bubble paper) inside a larger cardboard box for shipping. Is this OK? Overkill? Underkill?

2. Insurance – How much is a mirror like this worth? It is certainly not in new condition. My estimate is the primary is about f4 and the secondary makes the system about f15. Where could I price a replacement?

Thanks,
Charlie

Your packing sounds fine. Make sure the box material is rated to withstand the crate/weight and fill voids with packing peanuts. Label the box to keep the first surface up (not bearing weight) and make sure it is wrapped in optical tissue or equivalent before putting in styrofoam packaging. Make sure the mirror will not shift in the foam container. Photograph packaging in stages if needed for a claim.

Insurance is a tougher call. Contact Bob Royce (R. F. Royce Optics) for an estimate to replace your Cass system.

I would hope you read the many responses to UPS insurance claimes that was posted to this forum a few weeks ago. Ater what I have gone through along with many others, you should be VERY careful using UPS. If damaged, your claim will be dennied no matter how well packed it was.