Use and Care Manual

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Working with Highwood/Everwood Material
www.highwood-usa.com
Working with highwood®/Everwood Material
GENERAL INFORMATION
highwood
®
synthetic wood material is our proprietary
high-grade poly alternative to real wood. This unique
material is at the core of many of our products, including
all of our furniture brands and Everwood dimensional
lumber. It can be handled and machined in a similar
fashion to natural wood. Most methods used for storing,
fabricating, and cleaning real wood can be used with
highwood
®
products, making it an extremely versatile
material. This section provides useful guidelines that will
help you get the most out of our synthetic lumber and the
products that we make from it.
Storage
As with real wood, highwood
®
material should be properly supported and protected from the elements when
stored. Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or excessive temperatures (>100°F or 38°C). Usually, storing
the products as packaged will provide the necessary support. The best practice is to store highwood
®
proles
indoors on a clean, at surface and covered to protect from dirt and dust. highwood
®
material expands and
contracts with temperature, therefore the product should be at room temperature before fabricating to ensure
proper measurements.
MACHINING
It is important that all saw blades, cutters, and drill bits used to cut the material be kept sharp. Dull tools increase
the heat generated while machining, which may soften or melt the material and result in a poorly machined
surface. Any build-up of ‘plastic sawdust’ may melt around the tool and also cause a poor surface.
Cutting
highwood
®
materials can easily be cut with circular blades (table saw, radial arm
saw, miter saw) and band saws. Use caution with reciprocating saws (e.g., jig
saws) as heat generation can melt the material; we suggest using low RPM and
high Orbital setting when using reciprocating saws. Circular saw blades should
be carbide-tipped with no more than one tooth per inch (maximum: 20T for 7-1/4
inch blades, 30T for 10 inch blades). Blades designed for ‘fast ripping’ tend to
work well (example: Diablo 24 tooth 10 red). ATB-alternating tooth bevel-style
blades with a 6° to 12° rake are a good selection. Pushing the material through
the saw, or plunging the saw into the material as fast as is safely possible will give
the best cuts.
A blade lubricant such as silicone spray can be used to help reduce friction and
hence keep heat build-up to a minimum. Saw blades must be in good condition:
at and sharp. Blade wobble or diameter run-out will create friction and
soften the product. Select a blade with the thinnest possible kerf that provides
adequate stiffness. Using blade collars to reduce blade wobble is advisable.
As with real wood, the material should always be cut from the ‘show side’ to the
back face to avoid chipping of the nished surface.