Strapping Kit

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Duhhh 3/4 checked it the other day      got the 1/2 inch stuff  in the shed  i supose thats what happens when go to the supplyer and throw a few rolls in the ute and say the same as usual for years 

regards Chris

[Quinn]

I use the woven webbing from Kubinec, and I like it.  You can tension it pretty tight, but it has some stretch to it - which can be an advantage.  They have some good videos on their website.  I bought the starter kit and have been happy with it.  Plus, no rust or other reaction issues as with steel strapping.

 - Marty

[nas]

My brother sells automated strapping machines, and he tells me the plastic strapping is stronger and safer than steel.  It's all they use and a lot of their machines are used in the steel and lumber industries.

[backwoods sawyer]

My brother sells automated strapping machines, and he tells me the plastic strapping is stronger and safer than steel.  It's all they use and a lot of their machines are used in the steel and lumber industries.

You bring up a good point about safety. I have run my share of the metal banding thru a chopper just to make it easier to dispose of. I have seen some nasty wounds from the metal banding. Metal banding is hard on tires to.
Whether you are using metal or fiber banding it still comes down to how well the fastener holds and there are several types of fasteners out there as well.

[nas]

My brother sells automated strapping machines, and he tells me the plastic strapping is stronger and safer than steel.  It's all they use and a lot of their machines are used in the steel and lumber industries.

I was wrong.  They still use steel for steel, but plastic for lumber products.  So if anyone has $100k or so to spend on a strapping machine......  http://itipacksystems.com/en/index.html 

[amberwood]

I have always used the 3/4" black plastic strap..it does not have the strength of steel, but also costs alot less. Worst case I use 3 or 4 bands rather than 2 on a pack. It only costs 10% the price of steel. As mentioned it is also alot safer in case of failure, and has less tendancy to damage timber when crimped up. It will stretch a little.

DTR

[DGK]

I just heard of a Web Strapping Kit  from
www.kubinecstrapping.com   and Baileys Sells it 
just wondering if anyone has tried it yet

RED

Yep. I was sold after the first bundle I made.

For the last several years my client would collect the slabs and edgings in half-cord bundles and strap them with half-inch metal strapping. He'd flog these off as cheap firewood.

Now that I'm buying logs myself, I have to deal with waste. I decided to try the Bailey's kit rather than invest in an expensive and heavy steel strapping system. I figured for a $100 it was worth a try. Here's my observations:

1) The manual tightener was intended for square packages rather than round bundles. However, I've been able to get it to work for me on my slab bundles.

2) The 250' rolls of banding are light enough to carry (Bailey's includes a bag) so you can tighten up a load and then cut the strapping. With metal I pretty much had to precut all my straps in the shop, then take them to the site.

3) If you cut the strapping just past the bottom of the manual tool, you'll have enough slack to retighten the load. No extra buckle required -- just pull the strap tighter. With metal you have to have enough overlap to get your tensioning tool in place, re-tighten the load, and add another clip.

4) The Bailey's kit literally gives you everything you need. Just carry the bag to the job site and go to it .

Am I going to stick with the system? For sure. I expect I'll buy the buckles by the 1000 as there's a significant saving. But I'm going to keep buying the 250' rolls of banding -- the 2 x 1650' rolls only save you half a cent per foot and are a heck of a lot heavier.

Hello Brucer,

I am looking at ordering the same kit for my slabs plus some skids of lumber. With reference to your comment about the manual tensioning tool, are you happy with the manual, or now that you have some experience with the kit would you consider one of the ratcheting tensioners?

Thanks,

[Brucer]

The manual tool isn't ideal on round packages like slab bundles. It was intended for square packages where the band makes a sharp bend. However, I'm getting better at positioning it -- each time I use it things go a little faster.

If my main use was square packages (e.g., lifts of lumber), I'd stick with the manual tool.  If I were making several slab bundles a day, I would probably go for one of the ratcheting tools. For now, at about one bundle every 2 days, I'll stick with the manual method.

I've told people that I'll recycle the bands and buckles if they return them to me, and every single one has come back! At this rate I won't need to buy any more banding or buckles until next year .

[DGK]

Thanks for the information Brucer. I think that I'll order the kit from Bailey's to give it a try.