HARDWOOD RECORD 



Utilization of HardWoods 



AKTICLE VIII. 



The kinds of lumber used for the manufae- 

 ire of tables have varied considerably in the 

 LSt few years. Formerly walnut, poplar and 



ber must pass before it is assembled i 

 tinished furniture product. 



From the dry kiln the boards pass 



iN -ELABORATK EXTENSION TABLE. 



ash were employed almost exclusively. Later 

 eherry and birch came into popular favor, 

 and in fact the latter especially is still in 

 demand as the great imitation of mahogany. 

 However, 70 per cent of the lumber now put 

 into tables is of oak, both quartered and 

 plan. Quarter-sawed oa^ is used extensively 

 as a veneer, and indeed this work is often- 

 times more expensive- than a piece of solid 

 oak because of the high price of the core and 

 the additional labor involved. The other 

 woods now employed are principally mahog- 

 any, birch, maple, gum and elm. 



Much of the lumber used at the present 

 time is ordere<l for direct shipment from the 

 mill. After being thoroughly air-dried in the 

 factory yard it is put in the dry-kiln, where 

 the process is continued until the boards are 

 in perfect condition. This is the rule to 

 which there are no exceptions and is but one 

 of the many processes through which the hnn- 



into the basement of the factory, where they 

 are usually stacked preparatory to their jour- 

 ney through the plant. It is here that the 



of the lumber used is bought already cut in 

 these sizes. 



If the boards are for table tops, as of 

 course many of them are, they next pass 

 through the joiner, two at a time, where one 

 edge receives a tongue and the other a groove. 

 These boards are piled one upon the other 

 and the edges of the entire lot are covered 

 with glue at one time. They are then fitted 

 together and clamped very tightly. In this 

 condition the boards are allowed to dry thor- 

 oughly, after which they are passed through 

 the planer and then taken up to the next 

 floor of the factory. 



The large "solid" table tops are, for ob- 

 vious reasons, made in two parts which are 

 later fitted together, either permanently or 

 otherwise, depending upon the style of the 

 table made. The round tops which are per- 

 haps the most numerous, pass through several 

 stages before their final circular shape is at- 

 tained. The planks are first glued together 

 with the longest board corresponding to the 

 diameter of the rough semi-cirsle; each one 

 farther outside being shorter. After being 

 planed this half table top is passed on to the 

 line-fawyer, who draws a true semi-circle 

 ui")n it and proceeds to split this line by 

 means of liis scroll s:mv. with unfailing ac- 



FINE DIRECTORS' TABI. 



QUARTERED 



in the manufacture of tables the average 

 board is from three to five feet in length 

 .111.1 .dHuit a fo.it wide. Indeed considerable 



AND CARVED. 



curacy. It next passes through another ma- 

 chine which completes the circular shape and 

 also gives it a round beveled edge. An in- 

 teresting point here is that in finishing this 

 one piece four separate "cuts" are taken so 

 as to enable the operator to work always 

 against the grain. Of course, some round ta- 

 ble tops are made in one solid piece, the 

 process of construction being similar to the 

 one just described. 



Hitherto we have only considered the tops 

 of tables as being the most conspicuous even 

 in their early stages. Some of the other 

 parts,, however, are of more difficult construc- 

 tion, notably the panels or legs on which there 

 is scroll work or hand-carving. ' Even in these 

 cases the bidk of the work is done by cleverly 

 shaped cutters run by machinery and practi- 

 cally only the finishing touches are left to 

 the hand-carver. The automatic, as well as 

 the haud lathe, plays nn important part in 



