40 



Hardwood Record — Veneer 6c Panel Section 



September 25, 1919 



(Continued from page 36) 

 accurate. Eeplace the wicks about twice a month. See that the 

 wet bulb is constantly moist and free from discolorations. Do not 

 touch the wicks with the fingers if it can be avoided. Grease and 

 oil will affect the evaporation and give inaccurate readings. 



There are certain fundamental laws governing the control of 

 humidity which every kiln operator should understand. 



A given volume of so-called "air" or more technically correct 

 "space" contains moisture in the form of a gas or vapor. If air 

 contains all the moisture it can hold in the form of a gas, it is called 

 saturated air. The relative humidity is 100 per cent. Moisture as 

 a gas cannot be seen. 



If there is more moisture present than the air can hold as a gas, 

 it can be seen like fog or steam. Air in this condition is called 

 supersaturated and the excess of moisture is called free water. 



The term humidity or relative humidity means the proportion of 



SPECIALISTS IN 

 -DIFFICULT ITEMS- 



We Manufacture 



ROTARY CUT VENEERS 

 THIN LUMBER SPECIALTIES 



BIRCH DOOR STOCK 

 MAPLE PIANO PIN BLOCKS 



YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BEHIND OUR PRODUCTS 



— MUNISING WOODENWARE CO. — 



MUNISING, MICH. 



North Wisconsin 



IRON-RANGE 

 HARDWOODS 



The finest and most beautiful 

 Birch, Oak, Basswood, Ash and 

 Elm grown in this country. 



We use this quality stock exclusively for our: 

 ROTARY CUT LOG RUN 

 ROTARY CUT DOOR STOCK 

 ROTARY CUT FURNITURE 

 ROTARY CUT PIANO STOCK 



VENEERS 



ROTARY CUT HOOPS AND LINERS 

 THIN LUMBER SPECIALISTS 



REMEMBER we are specialists in 



LOG RUN VENEERS 



any thickness, any lengths up to 98 in. 

 Lei Us Figure on Your Requirements 



Kiel Woodenware Co. 



KIEL WISCONSIN MELLEN 



moisture present in the air to the amount of moisture the air can 

 hold, and is expressed in per cent. 



Increasing the temperature of the air increases its ability to 

 hold moisture and thus reduces the relative humidity. 



Lowering the temperature of the air decreases its ability to hold 

 moisture and thus increases the relative humidity. 

 Definition of Terms 



By lowering the temperature sufficiently, the relative humidity 

 is increased to 100 per cent. The temperature, when the relative 

 humidity is 100 per cent, is called the dew-point. 



If the temperature is lowered below the dew-point the "air" can- 

 not hold all of its moisture in the form of gas, and the excess is 

 condensed and becomes free water. The "air" still contains 100 

 per cent relative humidity at this point because it contains all the 

 moisture that it can hold as a gas. 



To lower the humidity in ventilated and some blower kilns a 

 small volume of fresh cold air is introduced and an equal amount 

 of warm air allowed to escape. Raising this fresh air to kiln 

 temperature reduces its humidity. Mixing it with the air that is 

 recirculating lowers the average humidity in the kiln. 



In a water spray type of dry kiln, the temperature of the air 

 leaving the lumber is lowered by passing it through a spray of 

 water. By controlling the temperature of the water the tempera- 

 ture of the air at the bottom of the spray chamber where it leaves 

 the water can be regulated. This air leaving the spray chamber is 

 saturated air. Its relative humidity is 100 per cent. The same 

 principle is used in condenser kilns, namely, passing the air leaving 

 the lumber over coils containing cold water. This lowers the tem- 

 perature to the dew-point and then condenses the moisture evapo- 

 rated from the lumber. The temperature of the air leaving the 

 condensing coil is controlled by the amount of cold water allowed 

 to pass through the coil. 



In passing this saturated air over the heating coils and raising 

 the temperature, the relative humidity is lowered and its ability 

 to hold moisture is increased. Thus, regulating the temperature 

 of the air as it leaves the heating coils automatically controls the 

 humidity. 



Mahogany Stumps Available 



Consul John O. Sanders, Bluefields, Nicaragua, has informed this 

 government that there are several thousand mahogany tree stumps 

 in the Bluefields consular district that could be gotten out with 

 profit. They range usually from 10 to 12 feet in height and from 

 3 to 6 feet in diameter, not including the spurs. The spurs are flat 

 and have a nearly uniform thickness of 6 to 8 inches, depending 

 on the size of the tree, and frequently have a length of 8 to 10 

 feet, with a width of 4 to 6 feet. These stumps, and especially 

 the spurs attached to them, have a very close and figured grain, 

 thus making them by far the most desirable part of a mahogany 

 tree for manufacturers of high class furniture. 



Better Glue Needed 



A recent number of London Timber had the following para- 

 graph: 



Those of the trade who combine the manufacture and use of ply- 

 wood with that of veneer will be interested in a series of useful 

 hints on the influence of climate upon the made-up article, notably 

 in the case of furniture. Owing to damp climate of many coun- 

 tries (sometimes in the course of a few days brand-new furniture 

 becomes mouldy), furniture made from veneer is practically not 

 fit for us, as after a very short while the glue no longer holds and 

 cracks appear in the wood, and the veneer comes off. This is 

 especially the case in the coast districts. The seats of chairs should 

 be made of the very best cane; all kinds of substitutes, such as 

 rushes, triplex wood, etc., soon become swollen, mouldy, and 

 unusable. 



Apparently a better class of glue is needed. A good deal has 

 been said recently about waterproof glue, some of which must 

 stand the test of boiling water for a long time. The furniture 

 makers in England who complain that glue will not hold in the 

 foggy climate of the coast might do well to become acquainted 

 with some of the waterproof glues of this country. 



J 



