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Sno Biz^® BUZZ - 2008

Check out the current The Sno Biz BUZZ, (464 KB)
our newsletter.

Read the Spring 2008 of The Sno Biz BUZZ below or download the BUZZ in PDF format to read and print.

Interested in past issues of The Sno Biz BUZZ newsletter? Check out the Buzz archive

Cool Sno Biz T-Shirts:

Enter Your T-Shirt Slogans to Win!

Sno Biz T-shirts are boosting sales for dealers and creating “walking billboards” for the business. “We’re excited to see Sno Biz dealers adding the branded apparel,” said Kris Novetzke at Sno Biz headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “We’ve arranged for a low wholesale price to give dealers an easy way to generate revenue from another source.”

Dealers with ideas for new T-shirt slogans can enter to win prizes, too. Simply contact Kris with your entries (please keep each shirt slogan to 12 words or less), your name, your address and phone number, and your distributor’s name before April 30. Prizes will be awarded and sent with your next Sno Biz order. Take a look at all the current T-shirts on the SnoBiz.com Web site. T-shirts are in stock and ready to ship within two to three working days. Sno Biz dealers and distributors can order by calling Kris directly at 1-800-742-8342 or contact her for prices.

Mike Lucarelli spearheaded our Cool T’s project and has terrific experience with promotions. Comments or ideas for promotions that worked well for you?
Drop a line to Mike.

“We’ve added new online purchasing options, too, so all of our shirts are available to the public that way. The shirts are fun and they’re free advertising for the Sno Biz brand,” added Mike Lucarelli, Sno Biz Marketing Director.

Mike pointed out that local sporting goods shops usually have equipment to add the dealer’s location to the T-shirts for a souvenir-selling approach. “For dealers located in tourist destinations, printing the location on the T-shirt adds value to the item and makes the purchase more appealing to visitors.” Mike has a background in producing promotional items, and he’s happy to talk to dealers interested in exploring ideas for Sno Biz souvenir sales.

Save Time And Money With Denn Russell’s Tips
for Swan And Swan-type Ice Block Shavers

All ice block shavers require normal maintenance to perform their best season after season. Sometimes, dealers notice that the quality of the shaved ice deteriorates despite routine maintenance. Denn Russell has assembled some handy tips to keep your machine shaving profitably.

Sharpen the Blade.

First and foremost, a sharp blade is a necessity. The blade has the biggest effect on the quality of ice shaved; poor ice quality often indicates the blade needs replacement. “When in doubt, replace the blade,” said Denn. Fortunately, the blade is easy to replace in a few minutes and relatively inexpensive to buy. He added, “We’ve had little luck resharpening blades. However, if you can find a shop well versed in sharpening tool steel, and willing to design and utilize a jig, you might be able to have the blade resharpened locally.

Check For Added Pressure.

Gear-driven drive trains are meant to operate without additional pressure on the main shaft. That means without downward force created by placing your hand on top of the shaft or by forcing the crank handle. Are you or your staff adding pressure?

Check For Worn Parts in the Brake Worm Gear.

The physical characteristics of the spring-loaded brake against the brake worm gear, which meshes with the main shaft, require close tolerances. The main shaft is milled for the key in the worm gear turned by the stainless-steel worm gear pinned to the motor shaft. Because the brake worm gear meshes with the teeth on the main shaft, and its rotation has a drag coefficient caused by the brake shoe, it maintains a spiraling downward pressure. Wear on parts here can be significant without being obvious. This is the second part of the problem to investigate.

Begin by adjusting the brake correctly. Loosen the brake worm adjustment until the main shaft just stops falling (of its own weight), and then tighten the brake adjustment one half to one full turn. The brake shoe itself is usually made of a bronze alloy, to avoid wear on the more expensive steel brake worm gear. The brake shoe should be V-shaped, and not rounded. The brake spring is also suspect, but will last much longer than bronze shoes, assuming that the brake pressure has been maintained properly. If replacing either or both the brake shoe and spring (and adjusting properly) has little or no effect on the quality of ice shaved, consider the brake worm gear itself.

The brake worm gear is steel and does not show wear as readily as other parts. The tolerances between its teeth and the cut teeth of the main shaft are critical. Minute slop caused by only a few thousandths of an inch wear can allow unacceptable performance in maintaining downward pressure on the main shaft. Again, if in doubt, replace the brake worm gear.

In rare circumstances, poor shaving quality is a result of weakness in the One-Touch-Spring. This is the shock-absorbing spring that maintains upward pressure on the blade itself in conjunction with the blade-adjust mechanism. These springs do lose tension over time, but have also been known to last the life of a machine.

Please refer to the trouble-shooting guidelines in your owner’s manual for these and other problems. There are few moving parts on these machines, and the design is basic, but critical. Properly maintained, a good ice block shaver can work profitably for years.

Comments or ideas for better equipment, shipping or other operations? Drop a line to Denn.