Atlas Dowel

Atlas Dowel Spring Sale

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:01:57 EST

Aahh, spring! This is the season that marks beginnings and endings. End of winter, baseball opening day, flowers blooming, sunshine, rain, longer days, sandals, and good spirits! All of these things are indicators that spring has finally come.

And, what would spring be without a great sale? Atlas Dowel & Wood Products Company supports that philosophy and is pleased to announce great spring savings on selected wood components to customers. Spring specials (good through the end of May include 5% off the following larger domestic dowels and turnings:

Cherry
Walnut
Hard Maple
Poplar
Red Oak

Make sure you mention that you read about the discount in our blog! Distributors and brokers are exempt from this discount.

If you are not currently on Atlas Dowel’s newsletter distribution list, you can sign up below by entering your email address and clicking “go.” Or, visit our Facebook page, and sign up there by clicking the “Join My List” link.

tags: Savings

Meet the Team at Atlas Dowel

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:48:55 EST

We often refer to our work at Atlas Dowel, the kinds of processes we use to manufacture dowel rods, spindles and rope mouldings, the ways we strive to be a “green” company, and the products we sell. While all of those things have contributed greatly to the success of Atlas Dowel & Wood Products Company, it’s our people that takes us to new heights and makes us stand out from the rest. We thought you might enjoy reading about some of the individuals who make it happen – from customer service to centerless grinding to managing orders.

Leslie – you have probably talked to Leslie if you’ve called Atlas Dowel on a Wednesday. She is the main point of contact who collects and manages orders.

Mary – our “resident crafter,” Mary works with the management team for product development. As a woodworker herself, Mary brings a unique perspective to Atlas Dowel. She provides insight for Atlas Dowel’s sister company, Midwest Dowel, and makes recommendations on product uses.

Dave Frey – joining Atlas Dowel last year, Dave has worked for a Fortune 500 company the last 20+ years and brings an enormous wealth of knowledge in customer service and manufacturing operations to Atlas Dowel. He concentrates on accurate lead times for customers, faster quoting and follow-up.

Pete Puttmann – with more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing and distribution industries, Pete is President of Atlas Dowel. He also serves as president of the Wood Products Manufacturers Association.

The Three T's of Wood Working

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:08:07 EST

When you make a dowel rod, spindle, rope moulding or other wood component purchase, more than likely, you don’t think about the processes that go into making the final product. When you visit our facility, and we hope you will, you will see all kinds of activities going on. We don’t just stock dowels and ship them to customers. We make our products from FSC-certified wood and incorporate a number of different processes depending on the final product. We manufacture and supply high quality products with a variety of woods including poplar, oak, hickory, hard maple, ash, beech, walnut and teak.

To familiarize you with some of the processes we utilize at Atlas Dowel, we wanted to focus on the Three T’s: tenoning, tumbling and turning.

Tenoning

This process involves cutting tenons on work piece ends, which enables you to attach two pieces of wood together. The tenon is the male component, which is glued and pushed into slots or square holes of another piece of wood. What makes this type of joint appealing is that it creates 90-degree face grain-to-face grain glue surface. The joints can be cut and offset so that the two mated pieces are flush.

Tumbling

When Atlas Dowel manufactures smaller wood parts, sanding is often needed. However, this can be a difficult process if done by hand. We use tumbling as a method of “sanding” the surface area to a smooth finish, and it helps round edges of these small parts. The small pieces are placed into a large barrel and turned, or “tumbled,” for a set amount of time. Barrel tumbling is an efficient alternative to hand sanding.

Turning

Wood turning involves shaping wood on a lathe where the wood is moving, while the tool is stationary. We are able to produce intricate shapes and designs by turning wood. We offer three types of turning at our facility: backknife, novelty and centerless.

For more information about Atlas Dowel’s products and processes or for assistance in finding a solution to a wood component challenge, please contact us at 800-541-0573.

Challenges and Solutions Mean Ideas into Action

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:33:46 EST

Challenge - something that by its nature or character serves as a call to special effort

Solution - the act of solving a problem or question

Idea - a thought, conception, or notion

Action - something done or performed

While this blog is not intended to be a listing of dictionary definitions, we thought it was important to note that our company motto, “Finding Solutions to Your Wood Component Challenges,” is more than a compilation of words. It is what we specialize in at Atlas Dowel – putting ideas into action. The measure of a good company is its ability to adapt, respond, and produce.

Through the years, Atlas Dowel has proven time and time again, that when our clients come up with great ideas, we help them find innovative ways of executing those plans into products. It’s what sets us apart. We work with all kinds of companies in virtually every industry. In fact, last year we worked with a company on a solution to a piece of fitness equipment. You might not think of dowel rods when you think of fitness equipment! However, this company contacted us with their challenge, and we engineered a solution by incorporating a wooden dowel (not visible to the consumer). The result was a cost-effective solution that was easily incorporated into their manufacturing process.

The same holds true for numerous other clients. Our engineers review submitted ideas and drawings, and we present options with variables, costs, etc. The steps in this process include:

Fax or e-mail a drawing or print of your idea.
Our engineers review the drawing or print to determine the difficulty or ease with which the piece can be made. With more than 75 years of engineering experience at Atlas Dowel, we evaluate costs and production variables.
Last, our estimating department puts all the variables together and provides an estimate to you.

We would like to partner with you on your next endeavor. Simply contact Atlas Dowel, and let us help you find solutions to your wood component challenges.

tags: dowel rods, wooden dowel, wood components, Wood component challenges,

Spring is Here - and so is the Emerald Ash Borer

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:09:42 EST

Spring is here! Warmer days. Budding trees and plants. Blooming flowers. High pollen counts. Days filled with sunshine. The arrival of spring also means the arrival of insects. And, with the mild winter that most of the country experienced, bug season might arrive earlier than usual.

Certain parts of the country have been afflicted in recent years with the Emerald Ash Borer. The Emerald Ash Borer, first found in Michigan in 2002, is an invasive beetle that attacks only Ash trees. Atlas Dowel supplies wood dowel rods and rope moldings made from Ash, therefore, we make sure that the wood we use comes from Ash trees not grown in affected areas.

Signs and Symptoms of the Emerald Ash Borer

The adult Emerald Ash Borer beetle does little harm to the tree. However the larvae of the beetle tunnel under bark, disrupt the flow of water and nutrients in the tree, and cause the most damage. According to the Michigan State University Extension, there are signs and symptoms to look for when determining infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer. In addition to the presence of the insect (metallic bright green), you might notice creamy white, legless larva on the tree. These larva leave serpentine galleries that weave back and forth against the wood grain, so it is very noticeable.

Additionally, typically the appearance of the tree’s foliage will undergo changes, as the tree experiences what is called “canopy dieback.” This dieback, or loss of leaves, begins in the top one-third of the canopy and progresses until the tree is bare. Another sign to look for is if there are sprouts growing from the roots and trunk, or that the leaves look larger than normal. One additional clue that a tree might be infested is increased woodpecker activity or damage.

For more information on the Emerald Ash Borer, or if you have questions about Atlas Dowel products, please contact us today.

tags: Emerald Ash Borer