Oregon Bends

Posted on September 13, 2017 by admin

Oregon bends are segments of Redco chain channel that have been cut to a specified length and bent to a certain radius to go around equipment (see picture below). These bends are essential to allow the sawmill chain to return to the start of the table in a smooth and unbroken pattern. They can be affixed, by weld washers, same as the channel used for straight lengths. The manufacturing method used to make them is light thermoforming: the lengths of channel are heated to about 175 degrees where the UHMW plastic (which is what chain channel is made from) becomes quite soft and pliable. Our various branches have different methods to do this, but the end result is a bent channel that when cooled, will retain most of its shape.

We do need to be clear that a little “elbow grease” will be required to hold the oregon bends down during installation as there is unavoidable “rebound” after the bend cools. But this is not difficult to do. We can also supply these oregon bends out of both our regular clean/yellow/repro UHMW or our Redco Titanium channel. There is also the possibility that you can make your own oregon bends. A heat source like a BBQ would work well, just keep it on low. You will need some sort of mandrel, a circular drum-type object with the same diameter as your sawmill equipment. You simply bend the heated channel around that drum.

For information or a quote on UHMW oregon bends please contact Redwood Plastics.

Oregon Bends

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Quoting Trimmer Lugs

Posted on August 28, 2017 by admin

UHMW trimmer lugs are one of the most common plastic applications in sawmills. But quotes tend to be delayed when the request is just for “20 trimmer lugs, P & D please.”. All trimmer lugs are not created equal!

Most are made from natural (white) UHMW polyethylene; however, that’s there the ‘standard’ of this part ends. We need to know the length, the outer diameter, and whether the lug is counterbored on one or both sides. We also need to know the diameter of the pin that goes in the center.

Usually the pin has a 1″ diameter but we don’t want to make assumptions. Knowing the quantity is critical to any quote as well: the higher the quantity, the more money you can save. We can also supply the steel pins if necessary but this is only on request and we need to be asked to do so. Average lead time to ship an order is 2-3 weeks and it’s important to know that trimmer lugs are not kept ‘on the shelf’. They are manufactured to-order.

For quotation on your trimmer lugs or other sawmill plastic parts please contact Redwood Plastics.

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Sheaves For Sawmills

Posted on August 2, 2017 by admin

While not an application unique to sawmills, nylon sheaves bring the same benefits and advantages to sawmill applications as they do to any other industry. Plastic sheaves are long-lasting, lightweight, easy to install, and excel in high-load, low RPM applications. Another advantage of nylon sheaves is that the sheave itself can serve as a bearing: it is usually not necessary to procure and insert aftermarket bearings. Nylon sheaves have a high-load bearing capacity of 4,000 PSI and are available with a variety of fillers, such as oil and molybdenum disulphide aka “moly”.

Redwood Plastics offers a sheave design manual available here. While the manual is useful, we don’t want to over-complicate the process either because in most cases a very simple sheave will work that doesn’t require fancy hubs or “webbing”. If you don’t have a design of your own or sample to send us we require only the following information to get started with a quote:

1.) Diameter of the center bore (and confirmation you need a running clearance to spin freely on a shaft).

2.) The overall outer diameter of the sheave.

3.) The type and diameter of the rope or cable being used.

4.) Quantity of sheaves required.

Based off that information we can get a quotation for a simple sheave. Delivery is usually 3-4 weeks and discounts for high volume purchases are often given: so stock up the first time.

For assistance with your nylon sheave application please contact us today.

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Redco Titanium And Tivar 88 In Sawmill Applications

Posted on July 17, 2017 by admin

Don’t let the title of this article fool you: it is not about comparing and contrasting Redco Titanium vs. Tivar 88. In fact, we here at Redwood Plastics would consider those plastics virtually interchangeable in sawmill applications. Both are premium types of UHMW, both will outwear and outlast reprocessed and natural grade UHMW in similar applications. Our branches stock differing levels of either plastic and being open to an “either or” substitution will help you save money and get your application on the go quickly.

Redco Titanium or Tivar 88 would be substituted for natural or reprocessed UHMW in areas where the product works but is failing too quickly. Two good examples would be wear strip or chain channel. Both products are more dimensionly-stable than regular or repro UHMW and both have a lower coefficient of friction. Both cost around 30% more than natural grade UHMW; however, these upfront costs are often balanced by a lower lifecycle cost as Titanium or Tivar 88 parts are replaced less often. Another important point is that both premium UHMW products are UV-stabilized for outdoor use: most people know natural (white) UHMW is not UV-stable but they seem to assume that “black UHMW” which most commonly is reprocessed UHMW is UV-stable. In reality, the amount of carbon black in reprocessed-grade UHMW is too small to qualify as UV-stable, it has “limited” UV resistance at best!

Ultimately the best way to see the benefits of Tivar 88 or Redco Titanium is to use it in your application. If you have specific questions on either material or would like help with your sawmill application please contact us.

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Sawmill Spotlight: Brooks Sawmill

Posted on June 27, 2017 by admin

Have you seen the recent Leonardo Di Caprio film “The Revenant”? Some people know the film was made in Canada but most do not know where the building materials came from used to make the 19th century West come to life. It was Brooks Sawmill out of Cochrane, Alberta. A family run sawmill that has actually supplied sawn lumber to several other films. In addition, their lumber is highly regarded for use with corrals and outbuildings for many local clients, as Cochrane has become quite affluent in recent years.

The sawmill itself is very old having been established in 1901. Current proprietor David Brooks speaks of customers calling the single phone in the town (located at the general store) to put through lumber orders a couple seasons before they picked up in spring. David also speaks of times where the steam engine, which ran the sawmill, could only work for half a day due to water shortages. Those were definitely challenging times! To read the full article as per the author Tony Kryzanowski (Alberta Farmer Express) please click here.

 

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Why Choose Plastic Sprockets?

Posted on June 13, 2017 by admin

For customers who haven’t used plastic sprockets before, at first the product seems like a novelty. Many users think that the sprockets will be cheaper than metal because “it’s just plastic”. When they find out this isn’t true the question inevitably comes up “then why choose plastic sprockets?” It’s a good question and the answer is twofold. Firstly, and most important, is that plastic sprockets greatly reduce wear on the chain. One of the big reasons to put plastic in sawmills for any application is that when you mate a plastic to metal, the softer plastic wears substantially less. This saves money in the long run.

Secondly, metal on metal contact creates noise: a lot of noise. And sawmills are often under noise restrictions where noise must be kept below a certain level. The softer plastic when combined with the metal chain will help to reduce the noise output. This is further helped when combining sawmill chain with plastic chain channel. Other plastic parts in the sawmill such as diverter gates or arms and UHMW trimmer lugs function to do the same. As a bonus, high-quality industrial plastic lasts longer than an equivalent metal part – the plastic simply outwears the metal.

For a quote on Redco polyurethane sprockets please contact us today.

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Product Spotlight: Redco Saw Guides

Posted on May 31, 2017 by admin

Redco saw guides, available in both dovetail and “pacific style”, are a phenolic product we’ve manufactured for decades. The standard dovetail saw guide is 2″ x 2″ and available in lengths up to 96″. The guides are extremely strong and compatible with whatever oils and solvents are used with your saws. They stand up well to pressure and frictional conditions. While a standard profile is available many Redwood Plastics customers, especially our international customers, request special profiles and these can be done as per your drawing.

The dovetails are almost always made from a graphite-filled phenolic laminate. This particular grade has proven itself for decades in this particular application and we rarely use it elsewhere. The “pacific style” which look like a fat wedge are made of a similar material that does not have the graphite. Phenolic industrial laminates are valued for their very high strength, dimensional stability, and excellent performance in mechanical applications. You can learn more about Redco phenolics here: https://www.redwoodplastics.com/products/industrial-laminates/

For a quotation or to have your questions on Redco saw guides answered please contact us today.

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Redco Tivar 88 In Sawmill Applications

Posted on May 15, 2017 by admin

For some people the economy coupe is a good enough vehicle…But for others “good enough” doesn’t cut it. They’re willing to pay for the pickup truck with the V-8 engine, power, and leather options. Such are plastics in sawmills where a dependable product like reprocessed-black UHMW may do the job adequately but another, more expensive, grade of plastic may do the job better: last longer, require less replacement and therefore need less maintenance. And Tivar 88, a grade of UHMW originally designed for bulk lining applications, is one of those premium options for sawmill applications.

Specifically Tivar 88 is best as a high quality wear strip. Unlike reprocessed UHMW, Tivar 88 is slicker, stronger, more wear resistant, and UV-stable for outdoor applications. It is more dimensionally stable and less prone to warping. It is sometimes identified by maintenance personnel as the “blue” plastic or “blue UHMW”. It can be a tough sell as the product is around double the cost of the reprocessed grade; however, it tends to last 4-6 times longer than repro UHMW does in the same application, thus it offers lower lifecycle costs. Tivar 88 cannot be substituted in every application as it is not available in rod or tube form so cannot be manufactured into trimmer lugs for example. But in the applications where it can replace repro UHMW, Tivar 88 will outlast and outperform.

For more information on Tivar 88 or other sawmill solutions please contact Redwood Plastics.

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Trusted PVC Strip Door

Posted on April 28, 2017 by admin

In the world of modern sawmill plastic applications – a world of sprockets, turners, bushings, sharp chain bed, and other more colorful and “flashy” applications we can forget the basics. PVC strip door aka “flexible vinyl” is just as important to sawmills as it is to other industries where people would more readily think of it, such as food processing. In fact, PVC strip door isn’t “just strip door” – in particular the lower temperature formula is extremely popular in Canada as it can readily handle -30 degrees Fahrenheit in constant application before becoming brittle. The product is sold in standard rolls with three widths and thicknesses 8″ (0.080″), 12″ (0.120″) and 16″ (0.160″). In Canada, due to its popularity, only cold weather rated strip door is stocked by Redwood Plastics. In the U.S., the branches usually stock the regular formulation.

A standard quotation will be for a roll of plastic (which can easily be cut on site with a box cutter). Some, but not all, of our branches can supply the strip door with davits (the holes with the metal reinforcements) for an additional charge. Redwood Plastics usually restocks in later summer/early fall so those are the best times to get the greatest selection (and to preempt Old Man Winter!). To learn more see our brochure here.

To request a quote please contact Redwood Plastics. Please note which PVC strip door profile you are interested in to minimize the time to quote.

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Sawmill Spotlight: Hill Tavern Farm Wood Products

Posted on April 12, 2017 by admin

Highlighting this recent article about Jay Healy and his sawmill in Charlemont, MA. Jay is a former state legislator and agriculture secretary. What is interesting about his sawmill is not only does it harvest wood from his own family’s 500 acre tree farm (the largest in the state) but it’s extremely efficient. Jay boasts that 80% of his mill’s power comes from solar energy and his wood waste heats his kilns.

Jay is also a big advocate for American sawmilling. He speaks of logs heading north to Canada at the rate of “100 to 1” where Canadian sawmills finish the wood and then it is sold back to the U.S. His goal is to increase the sawmill potential in the state and have American wood sawn and finished in the U.S. The softwood lumber trade issue with Canada is divisive and complicated but you can commend Mr. Healy’s desire for the local industry to thrive.

It’s a good read for anyone interested in private small-business sawmilling and you can read the entire article here.

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