For pallet companies and mills that process logs into pallet cut stock, a key machine is a scragg mill to break down the logs.
A number of Pallet Enterprise advertisers manufacture scragg mills for the pallet and sawmill industry. This guide offers a description of the various machinery options and technology as well as contact information for the suppliers.
Scragg mills are so-called because generally they are used to process low-grade or ‘scragg’ logs for industrial lumber products.
Essentially, there are two types. One is the overhead end-dogging scragg mill. The overhead carriage system has two ‘dogs’ that clamp both ends of the log and then pass it through a pair of saws. The two-sided cant is then rotated 90 degrees and passed through the saws a second time to square up the log. Depending on the machine and its capabilities, it may remove some grade material. The finished product may be a pallet cant, railroad tie or other industrial timber. The machine may be coupled with a vertical edger to produce flitches or edged slabs from one or both sides of the log. Some manufacturers also offer chipper or shaver heads to eliminate edgings.
The other type uses a sharp chain system to feed the log through the saws. A sharp chain scragg mill may be equipped with two saws to produce a two-sided cant, or it may be equipped with two pairs of saws in tandem to produce a four-sided cant. Yet another option is a scragg mill with a pair of circular saws to remove two sides of the log followed by a horizontal bandsaw that splits the two-sided cant into two three-sided cants. Like the overhead end-dogging scragg mills, sharp chain scraggs may also be available with an edger.
Manufacturers offer scragg mills that use bandsaws to process the logs as well as circular saws, and in some cases, as noted above, a combination of circular saws and bandsaws.
Most manufacturers offer a wide range of options. They may include models to process logs of different range in diameter and length, different horsepower motors for the saws, saw size, setworks, scanning systems, and other features.
Most manufacturers also can provide related sawmill equipment, including log infeed decks and loading systems, material handling equipment, and much more.
(Advertisers are listed in alphabetical order. Other suppliers are listed at the end.)
Baker Products
Contact: Clyde Reed
Phone: (800) 548-6914
Email: info@bakerproducts.net
Baker Products has been manufacturing quality machinery for 32 years. The Baker Circular Tri-Scragg can successfully process small diameter logs with an average of 70% recovery rate determined by an independent U.S. Department of Agriculture mill study.
The Baker Circular Tri-Scragg can process logs from 6 to16 inches in diameter and from 36 to 96 inches long. The mill can produce from 30-50,000 board feet per day, depending on log diameter.
A sharp chain feed pulls the log to be sawn by two 48-inch (52-inch optional) circular blades. The two-sided scragg block is then fed through a horizontal band blade that splits it into two three-sided cants. Self-centering wheels center the two-sided scragg block and eliminate twisting as it passes.
Debarking is not necessary, and the mill can even process frozen logs.
The circular saw blades are powered by two standard 50 hp motors, and the bandsaw is powered by a standard 20 hp motor.
The scragg mill features uniframe construction, is fully guarded, and is quickly and easily set up. It is designed and built for high production yet low maintenance.
Optional features include computer setworks, log turner-positioner, log infeed deck with single log loading pacman system and more.
Baker also offers the Band Tri-Scragg Mill, which uses three bandsaws to process logs into two three-sided cants, and an End-Dogging Scragg that can be equipped with either two circular saws or bandsaws to process logs into squares and boards.
Brewco Inc.
Contact: Bill Hendrix
Phone: (270) 754-5847
Email: bhendrix@brewco.com
Brewco offers two sharp chain scragg mills — the Big Jake 4000 and the Big Jake 3000.
The Big Jake 4000 is a two-stage circle scragg that processes the log into four-sided cants. The first stage can cut single thickness cants or double thickness cants.
The two-sided cant moves to the second stage, is clamped, centered, and scanned for width. The second stage of saws moves in or out to user-programmed target board thicknesses.
The Big Jake 4000 is available in two configurations — the 4000SL for short logs (up to 72 inches long) and the 4000LL for long logs (up to 14 feet, 6 inches).
Both the Big Jake 4000SL and the Big Jake 4000LL can pass the first stage slabs to the Brewco Big Jake Auto-Edger. For the Big Jake 4000SL, the Auto-Edger can create 3-sided cants to either 3.5-inch or 5.5-inch widths. For the Big Jake 4000LL, the Auto-Edger has up to 16 user-programmable setpoints to create three-sided cants anywhere from 3.5 inches to 16 inches.
Brewco also manufactures material handling equipment and resaws to accompany the scraggs to create a complete log processing mill.
Brewer Machine & Parts
Contact: Marty Fox
Phone: (270) 754-1768
Email: mfox@brewermach.com
The Brewer Primary Single Arbor Scragg Saw is designed to break down a log into a two-sided cant. It will process logs from 5-22 inches in diameter and from 60-100 inches long.
The Brewer Primary Single Arbor Scragg Saw is equipped with a sharp chain and top hold-downs to hydraulically feed the log into single arbor saws with a variable feed rate of 40-150 feet per minute. The 56-inch diameter saw blades are powered by two 100 hp TEFC motors with eight-belt drives. The saws will move as close as 3-½ inches and as wide as 12 inches. Setworks provide a minimum of five presets and up to 12.
The infeed is equipped with a pop-up turner designed to turn logs to proper feed position and load onto the sharp chain. The machine includes take-away belts on each side of the saws to remove slabs from the saw chamber.
Right-hand and left-hand saw bodies can be equipped with horizontal edging saws with two 15/16-inch vertical arbors with two 3/8-inch keyways and saw spacing up to 12 inches. Saw arbors have up and down and in and out adjustment and are powered by a 30 HP electric motor on each unit.
The Brewer Secondary Single Arbor Scragg Saw is designed to break down a two-sided cant from the primary scragg into a four-sided cant. It is equipped with a centering device on the infeed rolls to center the cant between the saw blades for maximum yield.
Brewer can supply complete systems and equipment for processing logs into grade lumber, pallet stock, railroad ties, and other lumber products.
Pendu Manufacturing
Contact: Ron Auchey
Phone: (800) 233-0471
Email: info@pendu.com
Pendu Manufacturing offers three scragg mills for the pallet industry — two overhead end-dogging machines and a sharp chain model.
The Pendu 6800 and 6900 models are fully automated overhead end-dogging scragg mills that process logs into four-sided cants. The logs pass through two 30-inch circular saw blades and are rotated 90 degrees and pass through the blades a second time. The 6900 model features laser guidance to center the logs in the end-dogging carriage.
Both models can process logs from 6-14 inches in diameter and produce cants ranging from 4×4 to 10×10, but they vary as to log length they can process. The Pendu 6800 scragg mill can cut logs from 32 to 74 inches long; the Pendu 6900 scragg mill can process logs from 40 inches to 10-feet, 6 inches.
The Pendu 6800 model is equipped with two 75 hp TEFC electric motors to power the saws and can cut six logs per minute. The 6900 model is equipped with two 100 hp motors and can process four logs per minute.
The Pendu Sharp Chain Scragg Mill removes two sides of the log to produce a two-sided cant. It can process logs from 5-18 inches in diameter and up to 15 feet long. The twin circular saws are powered by two TEFC motors up to 125 hp. Options include laser lights, setworks, operator cab, infeed log deck with log stop and loader, and various outfeed or tailing systems.
Other Suppliers
Cooper Machine
Contact: Frances Cooper
Phone: (478) 252-5885
Email: info@coopermachine.com
Cooper Machine offers several options of scragg mills for the pallet industry, including the Overhead Scragg with vertical edgers, the Yield Champ (sharp chain with an edger), or Tandem Sharp Chain Scragg (two sharp chains back-to-back). The right model depends on log sizes and diameters.
Jackson Lumber Harvester
Phone: (715) 926-3816
Jackson Lumber Harvester manufactures the Jackson Premier Scragg Mill for processing low-grade or scragg logs. The company can supply single units, various optional equipment and accessories, and complete mills.
The Jackson Premier Scragg Mill is a rugged, fast, efficient machine for breaking down low-grade logs. It is an overhead end-dogging scragg mill with a system that loads the log quickly and also centers it precisely for increased yield and fast production.
Machinery Installation Co. Inc.
Contact: Butch Wilson
Phone: (336) 269-2284
Email: bw47@triad.rr.com
Machinery Installation Co. Inc. (MICI) is the U.S. representative for MEBOR, a European family-owned machinery manufacturer in Slovenia. MEBOR offers several models of double arbor scragg mills. All specifications are dependent on the model of the machine.
Sawmill Hydraulics
Phone: (800) 245-2448
Email: service@4helle.com
Sawmill Hydraulics manufactures an overhead end-dogging scragg mill for producing cants, railroad ties, and flitches. It is a high-production machine, and the complete mill is only 8 feet by 40 feet long. The design of the end-dogging clamping and positioning system enables superior control of the log and cant, and the cant transfers and drop belt provide fast, reliable sorting and transferring of finished product and slabs.
