Woolgatherer Carding Mill - The Clean Bedroom
Woolgatherer Carding MillExceptional Products and ServiceCONTENTSWoolProcessing23Meet Woolgrower TerryWahl4John Quimby,sheep shearer4The staff at Woolgather CardingMill strives to provide exceptionalservice and products. As one ofthe larger wool batting producersin the USA, Woolgather is able toproduce quality products atcompetitive prices.Woolgatherer also cooperateswith each customer to create theperfect batting for their needs.Woolgatherer follows woolthrough every stage from thepastures to the finished product.Woolgatherer staff is meticulousabout creating the best productpossible and following ourindustry-leading principles forsustainability and quality.Wool Storage unitoverlooking Mt. Shasta.Growing Crite- 5ria for EcowoolIndustry Practices That WeOppose5Grower Guidelines5Wool FiberFacts andTerms6Wool Blends7and dimensionsAbout OrganicWool8Re-building the Domestic Wool IndustryWaves of cheap syntheticmaterials took the US by stormin the latter half of the 20thcentury. Nylon, rayon, polyesterand acrylic became instantlypopular with manufacturers asthey are easy to produce in largebatches with little variation. Thisboom caused a decreasedinterest in variable natural fiberslike wool and cotton.In response to the shrinkingdemand for wool, many farmersstopped raising sheep. With lesswool being produced, cardingmills, scouring mills and otherwool processing facilities slowlybegan to shut down or focus ondifferent fibers.Some US farmers continued toraise sheep, but found that woolwas so de-valued that it couldbarely be sold for enough moneyto cover shearing costs. Thesefarmers selected flocks thatproduced better meat and higherquantities of lanolin and paid lessattention to wool quality.Bringing the USA back intothe global wool market.During this period, the numberof sheep in the US fell from ahigh of 56.2 million in 1942 to8.5 million in 1996. In 2000 lessthan 1% of the world’s wool clipwas coming from the UnitedStates. More than 50% camefrom China, New Zealand andAustralia.This leads us to the origin ofWoolgatherer Carding Mill.Patrick Holland began raisingsheep to better train his awardwinning sheep dogs. As his firstshearing season came around,Patrick was surprised when hewas unable to find a buyer for hiswool. As he explored the issueand began to see the industry’sproblems, Patrick was inspired topurchase and re-build a defunctwool carding mill. He openedhis doors in 1999 asWoolgatherer Carding Mill.Woolgatherer was built on thefoundation of cooperating withregional US wool-growers andcreative businesses to find a newmarket for wool. We continueto work toward this goal today.
PAGE2Understanding Wool Processing1. Regional Wool GrowersWe source the majority ofour wool directly fromfamily farms in Oregon andCalifornia.The end customerrelies on us to providethem with accurateinformation.Major steps inHaving a personal relationshipwith each of our wool-growersis mutually beneficial. We areable to request that the farmerswork toward our chemical andcruelty-free growing criteria (Seepage 6). We can also givefarmers our specific woolproducing our woolbatting1.Raising healthysheep2.Shearing3.Skirting, gradingand baling4.Blending andScouring,5.Picking andcardingThe worldrecord forshearingsheep is 839lambs in 9hours byRodneySutton ofNew Zealandpreferences (such as how fine orcoarse, or the amount of crimp) sothat they can alter their flocks to fitour specifications. The growersare rewarded with guaranteedpremium rates for their wool.Our Premium EcoWool blend isthe combination of 20 growers inthe Pacific Northwest. Our otherwool blends are sourced from USgrowers who are working towardsour growing criteria. Additionally,when demand is high, we purchasewool from a very high-quality woolpool in New Mexico. All of ourwool is among the cleanest andhighest quality in the world. Weare one of the only high-capacityproducers in the USA usingdomestic wool.By working closely with regionalgrowers we are able to stabilizeprices and quality. By avoidingintercontinental-transport, we arepromoting a regional industry witha smaller ecological footprint.2. ShearingMost shearing happens in the spring andsummer when a sheep no longer needsits warm winter coat. If it is notremoved, a sheep’s coat can becomedangerously heavy and warm. Inaddition to causing heat stress, woolcan grow over the sheep’s eyes causing“wool-blindness” or can increase therisk of injury such as drowning.Shearing quickly and without cuttingthe sheep is a skill that takes practice.We work with the most skilledshearing teams in the region to makesure that shearing goes smoothly.These skilled shearers can remove asheep’s fleece in a mere 2 minutes.Generally a fleece is removed in oneintact piece.3. Skirting, Grading, and BalingOnce a fleece is removed from thesheep, it is passed to a skirtingtable. At the skirting table dirtierparts of the fleece from the sheep’sbelly and rear are removed. Thisless desirable wool is put aside andsold for different purposes.Wool is also “graded” at this time.Wool grade is determined by fiberthickness and the amount of debrisin the wool. This information helpsbuyers to purchase the correctquality and type of wool.At this point the wool is called“grease wool.” Grease wool is stillquite dirty and greasy with lanolin.Lanolin is the oil that sheepproduce to protect their skin andmake their coats waterproof.WOOLGATHERERSkirted and graded grease wool isstacked and pressed into bales formore efficient shipping. Each balecontains about 500 lbs of grease woolfrom up to 100 sheep.When all of the spring clip is sheared,skirted, and baled, it is pooled atWoolgatherer Mill and labeled fortransport.CARDINGMILL
PAGE4. Mixing and ScouringGrease wool must be washedbefore use in a process calledscouring. At the scouring facility,different types of wool are mixedtogether to create our special woolblends. Our wool is scoured andmixed at one of the few scouringfacilities remaining in the USA.At the scouring facility workersopen bales of wool, pull out eachfleece, and skirt the wool one moretime. Workers also blend balestogether in a carefully planned ratioso that our batting will beconsistent, fluffy, and resilient.Next, the wool goes through hugeshakers. The shakers removeloose dirt before the wool isplunged into soapy tubs of water.At the scouring plant, our wool iswashed according to our specialrequests. The soap that cleans thewool is mild and biodegradable.We also ask that the scour train isslowed down so that the wool ismore thoroughly cleaned andrinsed. Slowing the wash processremoves dirt and residualdetergent more thoroughly.The wool passes through tubs ofincreasingly clean water until itreaches the end of the scour train.The wool is carefully inspectedonce again to be sure that itmeets the highest standards. It isthen dried and baled for return toWoolgatherer.After removing so much greaseand debris, we are left with abouthalf the weight of wool we sent tothe plant!The scour facility that cleans ourwool is running on a recentlyupgraded machine that ismuch more efficient thanolder machines. It is able torun more wool, use lesswater, and also recyclesmuch of its waste water.3The scouring trainperforms much likea washing machine,except the woolmoves betweencycles on aconveyor beltTo produce our exceptional batting,fleeces are skirted at three differenttimes: during shearing, beforescouring, and after scouring.5. Wool Picking and CardingAfter scouring, the wool is shipped back toWoolgather Carding Mill where it istransformed into a finished product. Werun the wool through a unique series ofmachines that comb and fluff the wool andremove remaining vegetable matter.Little burrs and bits of plants get tangled inwool and will not come out with simplewashing. Many facilities use harsh chemicalsto remove the matter. In order to avoidthese chemicals, Woolgatherer purchasescleaner wool, skirts multiple times, and alsorelies on an incredible carding machine tocreate unbelievably clean wool batting.The first step in carding is to run thecompressed, baled wool through a “picker”machine. The picker pulls the wool baleapart as it continues to mix and blend thewool.After picking, the wool is fed into cardingequipment. Wool moves methodically fromcoarse to fine processing stages. Hugemetal cylinders crush plant matter and helpLeft: Two drum carders spinningand working wool fiber. Differentsized cylinders have differentfunctions.Right: The “lapper” layering thinsheets of wool into full-sizedbatting.to remove more debris. Three complexdrum carders comb the wool fibersrepeatedly. The carders loosen and combout plant matter as well as short and weakfibers. The detangled wool is eventuallybrushed into thin sheets with all fibersaligned in one direction.Finally, the “lapper” layers the thin sheets ofwool until they reach the desired thicknessand width of batting. The finished batting isfed onto a roll and packaged in craft paperand plastic.
PAGE4The Wahl ranch islocated on thesouthern Oregoncoast. The farm’sexpansive greenpastures overlookthe Pacific Ocean.The farm has beenin the Wahl familyfor over 130 years.Sheep grazing on theWhite House Lawnduring WWI. Theirwool was sold to raiseSpotlight on Grower Terry WahlTerry Wahl can tell you howmany different species of birdshe has seen on his expansiveOregon coast property. Morethan 30% of the Wahl propertyis off-limits to sheep and otherlivestock, left largelyunbothered for all types ofwildlife.The Wahls demonstrate theideal of land stewardship. Inaddition to meticulous dailyrotation of their flocks ofsheep, the Wahls have workedhard over the years to restoreand preserve the ecosystemthey live in. Projects on theirland include native plantings,river restoration, fencing toprotect sensitive areas, andrestoration of marshes.The USDA recently recognizedthe Wahls as leaders inconservation. This is nothingnew — the Wahls have beenrecognized many times overthe years for their efforts.The Wahl farm currentlysupports 6,000 sheep. TheWahls also raise cattle andharvest some forest productsfor extra income.This family has weathered manychanges in the wool industry.Years ago they paid .25 persheep for shearing; now theypay 2.60 per sheep.Meanwhile, the sale price ofwool has gone down.We visited the Wahl Ranchduring the summer shearing in2006. Nearly 20 members ofthe Wahl family gather toorganize the shearing event.Eight to ten professionalshearers are also present.We love working with theWahls. We hope that the woolmarket continues to grow,allowing us to support themwith better prices for betterwool.money for the RedCross.Master Shearer — John QuimbyWool and animal crueltySome celebrities and animalrights groups oppose woolproducts. The primary cause ofthis relates to processes usedwith Merino sheep raised inAustralia. We oppose cruelty toanimals and these controversialprocesses. We do not useMerino or Australian wool.(See Mulesing on Page 5)John Quimby started shearingin the 1980’s while he wasraising sheep for a high schoolproject. 25 years later, John isa regional shearing expert. Heteaches shearing courses andtravels the western USA toshear sheep at farms andcounty fairs.After taking John’s week-longshearing course, new studentsshould be able to shear 60sheep per day. Experts likeJohn aim to shear more thanWOOLGATHERERCARDING200 sheep in an 8 hour day —this averages about twominutes per sheep. During hisbusier years, John would shear30,000 sheep annually. By ourmath, that translates to anastounding half of a millionsheep in his lifetime!A farmer himself, John hasseen his share of changes inthe wool and livestockindustry. John recalled thisstory a sheep farmer told him:“When he was a kid you couldMILLmake enough money selling thewool from 300 sheep to go buy anew Ford pick-up. Now it wouldtake all of the wool in Oregon.”Also, John has noticed that fewyoung people are taking on thetrade of shearing these days.After a lull in the demand forwool and with so few farmersraising sheep, no one seemedto think of shearing as aprofitable skill to learn.
Growing Criteria for Eco WoolWhat makes our wool EcoWool?We have worked with our primary wool providers todevelop an evolving set of guidelines for EcoWoolproducers. The following guidelines encouragegrowers to produce higher quality wool that is grown ina thoughtful, sustainable manner. We also carefullychoose and blend specific types of wool to make ourbatting exceptionally soft and resilient.PROPER GRAZING METHODS: Our growers rotate sheep to different pastures to allowvegetation to recover from grazing. Our wool also comes from farms that do not overstocktheir pastures. Overstocking and infrequent rotation produces soil erosion, higher amounts ofinvasive plants, and the need to bring in outside feed. Proper grazing techniques reduce soilerosion, create higher quality wool, and reduce the risk of sheep acquiring internal parasites.We know mostof our growersPREDATOR-FRIENDLY: We encourage our growers to use trained sheepguardian dogs (rather than trapping, poisoning, or shooting) and the inclusionof other larger animals, such as llamas, to protect their flocks from predators.Predators play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.PAGEWool Industry PracticesThat WE OPPOSE! Carbonizing: Woolfibers are dipped in strongacids to dissolve residualvegetable matter. Chemical Crimping:After carbonizing, woolfibers are unnaturallystraightened and require achemical “perm” to regaintheir coiled, crimpedstructure. Dipping: At many farmsall sheep are subject to abath in a pesticide solution.We recommend a moreholistic approach. Bleaching: In order toget the purest whites andbrightest colors, most woolfibers are bleached and dyed.Our batting is the color ofnatural white wool. Harmful shearing:personally, andwe talk withthem aboutHEALTHY VETERINARY PRACTICES: Only certain kinds of medications andsupplements can be used to treat Eco-sheep. We encourage alternative caringmethods to keep sheep healthy with fewer chemicals. Generally, sheep raisedin open pastures are healthier and require less veterinary care.We work with highly skilledshearing crews to make thisprocess as quick andharmless as possible.these guidelinesbeforeCHEMICAL CONTROL: We oppose the use of herbicides and pesticides onfields where sheep will be grazing. We are able to determine if wool has beenpurchasing their in contact with harmful chemicals through random spot-testing.wool. Mulesing: Cuttingpatches of skin off sheep (todiscourage infection and fliesfrom laying eggs in the folds)is used primarily withAustralian Merino sheep.None of our growerspractice this method.SPECIFICATIONS FOR BREED,COLOR, STRENGTH AND MICRON-WIDTH: Our woolblends use wool from six to eight different breeds ofsheep. Our blends are chosen to create strong, durablewool batting that retains its loft and resiliency longer.We use a mix of coarse and finer wools with varyingcrimps to achieve our special batting. SKIRTING: Skirting is the process of removing lessdesirable wool from the belly and rear of the sheep.This wool is separated on a skirting table and sold toother clients. Our wool is skirted at the time ofshearing and checked again at the washing facility.5Overgrazing: Inaddition to harming the land,overgrazing lowers overallwool quality. More invasiveplants begin to grow and canincrease the amount ofvegetable matter in the wool.More vegetable matter oftenmakes carbonizing necessary.
PAGE6Wool Terms Rediscovering a Remarkable FiberFLEECE: A sheep’s coatof woolSHEARING: Cutting offthe fleece of the sheepSCOURING: The processof cleaning raw woolCARDING: Combing thewool fibers in onedirection and breakingloose tangles and debrisLANOLIN: Natural oilfound on woolWe use a blendof wool from thefollowing The world seems to berediscovering wool fortraditional as well ascreative new uses. Asconsumers becomeincreasingly wary ofchemically-synthesizedpetroleum fabrics andfoams, we are seeing arenewed interest in wool.Wool has many remarkablequalities that make itperfect for many uses. OurEcoWool batting iscurrently used in bedding,furniture, toys and a myriadof other products and crafts.WOOL FACTS Wool is extremely longlasting. It can bendthousands of timeswithout losing form. Wool is water resistant. Moisture is wicked to theinner surface of woolfibers. This allows woolto feel dry while it holds30% of its weight inwater.Wool fibers can be thick or extremely fine. Differenttypes of wool are optimal for different uses. Woolbatting is generally made of thicker fibers than clothing. Wool is temperatureregulating. Woolgarments are used fromthe hot desert to thecoldest climates. Wool fiber is completelynatural and 100% biodegradable. Wool can naturally passflame tests used in thebedding industry withoutthe addition of chemicalflame retardants. Wool resists mildew &mold. Wool bedding reducesand discourages dustmites. Wool fibers are resistantto dirt and stains. Wool bedding helpspeople sleep moresoundly. Wool carpets and beddingact as natural air purifiers.What Makes Wool Different?WOOLGATHERERWool owes many of its unique beneficialproperties to the microscopic structure of thefibers.Overlapping scales and natural lanolin on theoutside of wool fibers make wool durable andresistant to dirt, dust-mites, and mildew. Hollowtubes in the center of the fiber wick moistureaway from your skin and hold water withoutmaking you feel clammy.Wool can evaporate moisture in either awarming or cooling manner. This incredibleproperty maintains warmth in the winter andcoolness in the summer.CARDINGMILL
PAGEWoolgatherer’s Special Wool BlendsPREMIUM ECOWOOL: This is the blend that made us famous. We use only locally-sourcedwools that are carefully blended to create the highest quality batting. This blend is often cleanerand loftier than the organic, but the wool is not certified organic.ECOWOOL: With slightly less stringent sourcing requirements, this wool still manages to beone of the cleanest, purest wool fibers available on the market. We work with growers who aretransitioning to our EcoWool standards and are a little farther from Oregon (Utah, New Mexicoetc.) to create this wonderful wool blend.ORGANIC: Wool is purchased from certified organic domestic wool growers. With verylimited availability of this resource, this blend can be subject to greater variation. Wool is also scoured with organic agentsand processed at our exceptionally clean carding mill.GREY/DARK: We occasionally offer blends of naturally colored wool. The color varies from brown to grey oralmost black. Some of our bedding customers like the structure of this blend and find it to be more resilient than thewhite wool blends. Others like this wool for its unique color.Our wool isthe highestquality,Is this batting carded or garneted?“President Woodrow Wilson grazed sheep oncleanestbattingthe White House Lawn. The wool was sold toraise money for the Red Cross during WWI.”Close-up ofvegetablematter(VM) inotherwiseclean woolWoolbattingcoming outavailable onWoolgatherer’s carding machine originally produced woolyarns. It was later converted into a batting mill. Machinesthe marketthat card wool for yarns remove much more vegetable matterthan batting mills, producing cleaner and more refined wool.today.Yarns cannot be properly spun with vegetable matter in thefibers. Woolgatherer’s unique mill creates the cleaner, morerefined fiber needed for yarn, but lays it into sheets of batting.In addition to using finer wire combs than most mills, Woolgathereruses more of the combs. Our carding machine has three largeprocessing assemblies; most other mills use one or two. Additionally,midway through our carding process, all wool is run under anextremely heavy metal cylinder called a “Peralta.” This cylindercrushes vegetable matter but does not damage wool. The crushedvegetable matter is easier for the metal combs to remove as thewool moves into the second stage of combing.of the“picker” isstill verylumpy.We are familiar with many other wool batting processors; they alluse “garneting” machines rather than “carding” machines. Garnetingmachines use metal teeth instead of fine wire combs to brush thewool into batting. These teeth work the wool less thoroughly whichleads to less removal of vegetable matter. The metal teeth also brushthe wool into a “web” shape rather than the neatly aligned fibers ofcarded wool. Garneting machines can make lovely wool batting,particularly if the process begins with clean, high-quality wool.Garnetedbatting withits more“web-like”As one can guess, running wool through more complex machinerytakes longer. In order to fill the growing demand for our products,we are beginning to cooperate with garneting mills in the region.Our wool is so clean to begin with that simpler garneting machinesproduce excellent batting for most furniture and bedding uses. Someof our customers even prefer the structure of garneted batting.structure.7
Woolgatherer Carding Mill610 South 11th StreetP.O Box 155Montague, CA 96064Phone: 530-459-5900Fax: 530-459-5905E-mail: woolgatherer@sbcglobal.netThe Rise of Organic Wool BattingWoolgatherer Carding Mill is oneof the US industry leaders inpromoting and producing organicwool batting. In the US no facilities are certified toworking on guidelines for organicwool processing. At this time mostorganic wool on the market isexclusively imported from NewZealand and Australia.Mill is working with currentsuppliers to promote organiccertification and also looking toimport organic wools until thismarket can be supplied withdomestic sources. For many wool suppliers, organic Some manufacturers claim to be using The wool market has seen anexplosion of interest in organic woolbatting and material. The US is stillcertify a farm or processing facilityas organic, the slim US woolindustry is struggling to fill this voidin supply. In the meantime, Woolgathererproduce organic wool batting. Weare one of the few mills in the USthat doesn’t run synthetic fibers orpesticide-laden cotton on ourmachines. Woolgatherer is currentlyin the process of becoming an organicprocessing facility.or producing organic wool, but thewool may not be processed in acertified organic manner. Often,once the wool leaves the farm it is nolonger being handled according toorganic standards. Because it takes several years toDemand for organic wool battingis growing much more quicklythan the supply.certification is an expensive andtime-consuming process that offerslittle financial incentive. Manygrowers follow guidelines that arenearly as strict as organicstandards. EcoWool is awonderful product that offersthese “uncertified organic” farmersa market for their wool products.
WOOLGATHERER CARDING MILL 3. Skirting, Grading, and Baling Once a fleece is removed from the sheep, it is passed to a skirting table. At the skirting table dirtier parts of the fleece from the sheep’s belly and rear are removed. This less desirable wool is put aside and sold for different purposes. Wool is also “graded” at this time.
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Good carding - essential for economical production of nonwovens Carding is a very important process step for economical production in the value creation chain from the fibre to the nonwoven fabric. During the carding process, fibres are gently separated and then combined again to produce a uniform fibre mat, the card web.
2.2.1. Carding Process In this experiment, the flat of carding machine (TC 03) was driven at five dif-ferent speeds, that is, 200, 240, 280, 320, and 360 mm/min, by keeping all other parameters unchanged. The process parameters of the carding machine are giv-en inTable 2 . Five carded slivers were delivered for every level of flat speed to
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