Clicker press cutting boards...

[Mark842]

Just wondering who people use to plane there clicker press boards? I actually have a stack of about 60 boards in the shop as I trash both sides in about six months. I have a place that sells new boards that is close by for $100 so it is cheaper for me to just buy new. Everyplace I've ever looked at that planes them, it will cost me more to ship round trip and pay for the planing service then to buy a new one. Keep hoping a place will open up close by and I'll never have to buy a new board again...

Anyone know of anyone that does it near Utah?

[kgg]

Hi Mark,

I don,t have a clicker myself but am going to assume you are using a 1/2 inch material similar to puck board ( polyethylene). Which is used to line the ice side of hockey rink boards, kitchen cutting boards, whelping boxes etc. This material can be purchased in 4 x 8 sheets from 1/8" up at your local hardware store (Lowes, Rona, Homedepot) or plastic fabricator or they could ordered it for you. Then cut it to the size you need with a table saw or circular saw. In my area of Ontario a sheet in 1/2" would be about $200.

If that isn't possible for you maybe you have a local woodworker with a table drum sander that could take off a skim to give a nice smooth surface to the clicker press board.

Just my two cents worth.

kgg

[ljk]

It seems like everybody clicks toward the middle therefore you get a slight valley.

Naturally after time you get uneven cutting and possible die bending.  Now I'm speaking of red

die boards, and  also  wood boards.

I go to Harbor Freight and buy a cheap planner, about forty bucks.  Use a low setting

and plane from outside edge toward the middle.  As you get toward the center the cutting 

action will lessen.  Continue  planning all around the edge until it will cut across clean and smooth.

These planners usually run flat but adjusting the blades can be done

[brmax]

It may be possible depending on the width and or length of your material.

What is the material thickness we are working with here. I would think first is if the material will get hot to quick. I think some softer plastics might.

From my small purchases its the freight of these materials as it gets heavy very quick. Then if it requires truck shipping well, as you already mentioned its expensive to move any freight.

Floyd

[Mark842]

The boards are 36" x 15.5" x 1" polypropylene. As for trying to plane them myself, not interested. I already work 14-18 hours a day 6 days a week. I don't need another project. I'm just trying to find if someone close to me can do it cheaper than I can buy new ones for. If not I'm going to throw them out.

[brmax]

In my opinion you have found the best option.

If a local outfit could do the local pick up, even then the time needed with ultra pro equipment would be an issue. 

If I was local and made a typical offer, a suggestion would be for future one side only usage. This I think in this situation would be more accurate for the surfacer/operator. This incase they would be dished, one side is fine but keeping it flat during surfacing may be a real pain. All this would be “ if “ a blade/planer type machine were possible.

 

Good day there

Floyd

[Mark842]

There are several places I know of that do it for $5 a square foot like Weaver does. As for time, last time I saw it done it took about 5 minutes to do both sides. It's the shipping that kills the deal. Maybe I'll just wait till I go to the next Weaver leather auction and I'll just throw 20 of them in the truck when I drive out. Was really just hoping somebody was doing it out here in Utah or maybe a neighboring state.

Thanks for the replies!

[Ferg]

Well, I wish you were closer to Ohio. I use a wide belt sander in our woodshop.

If you want to load them in a pickup or trailer and get them here. You and I could do them pretty quick. Cost would be $20 per hour.

Ferg

[bikermutt07]

Any good cabinet shop would have a wide belt sander like @Ferg mentioned.

Call around and see what they say. They may charge you less if you are up front about donating one or two for trial and error.

When people bid things they aren't sure about they usually charge more in case there is a mistake. But, since you mentioned having 60 that you can't use right now.........

[KingsCountyLeather]

I would agree with Mutt, sacrifice a couple to let someone work out a cost for you?

when I am having my materials shipped around the country here or in the UK I always look for pallet prices and not the quantity on the pallet or even the weight. I buy lots of pallets of floor leveling compound and each pallet is a tonne weight.

[brmax]

If the shipping were 400. total for the 60.

Its likely higher though

I figure with both sides surfaced by weaver the cost is 50 per board/poly. 

I’d have to put them on the pallet and call the freight truck. This one go around for the time being is half price. 

Good luck 

Floyd

Edited April 25, 2018 by brmax

[KingsCountyLeather]

1 hour ago, brmax said:

If the shipping were 400. total for the 60.

Its likely higher though

I figure with both sides surfaced by weaver the cost is 50 per board/poly. 

I’d have to put them on the pallet and call the freight truck. This one go around for the time being is half price. 

Good luck 

Floyd

Is it really that expensive to ship in the US ?

if you ship with Fed Ex or DHL etc... I can understand that kind of charge but I’m talking trucking haulage. Here in Ireland a pallet with a Tonne costs me 40 euro approximately  49 dollars.

If it were me... I would put a pallet on my truck and load all the boards and ask a bigger company who handles pallets to ship it for me?

[BenjaminEstberg]

we had the same problem. and just buy new ones for a hundred dollars.  The problem we found when you have them planed a couple of times is that they start to bow if you are not constantly flipping them.

 

Just a thought.

[Mark842]

22 minutes ago, KingsCountyLeather said:

Is it really that expensive to ship in the US ?

if you ship with Fed Ex or DHL etc... I can understand that kind of charge but I’m talking trucking haulage. Here in Ireland a pallet with a Tonne costs me 40 euro approximately  49 dollars.

If it were me... I would put a pallet on my truck and load all the boards and ask a bigger company who handles pallets to ship it for me?

For me to ship one board it would cost $52 each way. Shipping all 60 would be laughable. At 25lbs each and taking a whole pallet space on a truck I'm sure it would be in the 6-800 range.

Guess I have a bunch of trash. Just hate throwing stuff out that still has life.

[KingsCountyLeather]

9 minutes ago, Mark842 said:

For me to ship one board it would cost $52 each way. Shipping all 60 would be laughable. At 25lbs each and taking a whole pallet space on a truck I'm sure it would be in the 6-800 range.

Guess I have a bunch of trash. Just hate throwing stuff out that still has life.

I don’t want to go on too much... but you are looking at shipping the wrong way.

If I ask my suppliers to ship me a package 25 lbs they will charge me between 20 and 30 euro because they use curriers like UPS or DHL. (Mileage will be less than yours) but when I ask my same suppliers to ship me a pallet (50 bags at 25lbs) they then use a haulage company and the standard charge is around 40 euro. I hope that makes sense?

By the way... I’m a very small company and work from a small warehouse at my home and I don’t have a forklift.

I also have a 20 tonne hydraulic clicker press and would love to get my hands on your boards. 

Hope you can work things out.

[fredk]

Could you not do the job yourself with a planer-thicknesser? They only cost a couple hundred $$ or less.

At $100 each board, after you've planed the second or third you're winning

Edited April 25, 2018 by fredk

[brmax]

Even the truck freight in the US is much more. My earlier this year hdpe had a 176lb weight, required a double pallet length. East coast to Missouri ran 200.$

If its possible, and i would try if it were me, to use a smaller stationary planer. I have one for wood, it doesnt have tiny spiked roller that somtimes help feed. Believe it or not slick varnish old flooring stuff kicks it az. 

 

Good day

Floyd

 

ps: i meant to ask what some lastic hardness specs are on these plates/cut boards. 

Edited April 25, 2018 by brmax

[JLSleather]

3' x 1' x $5 is $15 per side? 

No machine shops?  Simple face mill should take care of it.  The set-up would maybe take a bit, but after the first one, should be able to "plane" (mill) them at about 5 min per side.  Even at $60/hr it's still a bargain.  That's $1 per minute .... thinkin' out loud here, that's roughly 1/2 the cost as weaver, but lets you duck the shipping charges.

Simple job... and if they're using a CNC machine, even easier -- just need the new guy to clamp it down and hit the "go" button 4 times an hour....