December 25. 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



made sate by iisiug a little corner irou or shingle laiul-UiL-Um-ends-ei— 

 each middle cleat on both sides of the'crater I believe that the most 

 careful manufacturers are using these shingle bands on all the cross 

 cleats on long and heavy crates. Especially should this be done 

 when stock is shipped by local freight. 



Proper Loading Method 

 Now regarding loading. 



(a) First see that the ear you are about to load is in good condi- 

 tion, to avoid a probability of transferring the stock while in tran- 

 sit. Also, put on the B/L "Stock not to be transferred." Some- 

 times the railroads will transfer stock from one car to another 

 simply because they do not want to let a car go to another road. 

 Transferring a carload of veneer by ordinary railroad crews is al- 

 most sure to be disastrous. Only recently there came to my notice 

 an instance of this kind, where a large car of veneer was trans- 

 ferred into two other cars with the result that the customer refused 

 the entire lot. The mill then turned the lot over to a jobber for dis- 

 position, but when he saw the condition of the stock he likewise re- 

 fused to handle it. In such cases only stock that is exceptionally well 

 crated will escape, with some scars of mistreatment, and be usable. 



(b) In loading long crates, such as contain log run stock, it 

 seems to be generally conceded that they should be stood on end with 

 the edge of the veneer, not the surface, toward the end of the car. 

 In this maner the crates will not tip to the center of the car, as would 

 be the case if the inside surface faced the end of the ear. When 

 both ends of the car are filled in this manner the center may be filled 

 in by letting the edges of the stock face the doors, or in any other 

 way that the crates will fill the center. This will insure an opportu- 

 nity to get out the crates from the center of the car when unloading. 

 I have seen cars in which the crates were stood on end with the sv-r- 

 face of the veneer toward the end of the car through its entire 

 length with a little space left between the crates here and there, 

 especially in the center, and the crates from both ends had tipped 

 toward the center or the entire lot tipped toward one end of the 

 ear. Under these conditions it is almost impossible to get a start at 

 unloading. 



(c) In loading small crates containing crossbanding or small 

 ■dimension stock or panels, where it becomes necessary to pile one 

 on top of another, there should be some pieces of cull lumber used 

 on top of each tier of crates so as to distribute the weight, as other- 

 wise the crates above may damage the edges of the stock below. 



(d) In loading bundled stock care should be exercised in keep- 

 ing the different tiers of bundles butted up tight to each other, and 

 when the loading is finished the entire car should be dressed down 

 to a uniform height and the center well filled. It is important, to 

 bulkhead the center of the car carefully, either with bundles of 

 stock or with good strong lumber. The same is true in the case of ship 

 ping loose stock, which is sometimes done with thick center stock and 

 the like. After the surface is leveled down, an inch board nailed 

 up edgewise across the car and pressed down tight to the stock will 

 help a great deal in keeping the piles from shifting. Several such 

 boards should be used through the length of the car. The greatest 

 trouble in shipping stock tied in bundles or loose comes from care- 

 less filling of the center or from not leveling the stock down suffi- 

 ciently. Only recently there came to my attention a case where a 

 carload of stock was shipped loose with only little weak strips to 

 keep the stock in place. These strips were broken while the ear was 

 in transit and when the customer opened the car doors there was 

 simply a mass of splintered and broken veneer in the center of the 

 car. Much of the stock was so badly disfigured that it was impos- 

 sible to ascertain what size it belonged to or even to make an ac- 

 curate estimate of the amount of stock damaged. 



Marking the Stock 

 Just one more point, and I have left this one for tlie last because 

 less attention is paid to it than to any of the other previously men- 

 tioned. Each crate should have upon it, in a conspicuous manner, a 

 number and its contents; that is, the number of pieces and the size 

 of the stock. There should, of course, be no crates in a shipment 

 with duplicate numbers. Every invoice should be accompanied 



-b-y a tally sheet which gives the crates in consecutive order with the 

 size and number of pieces opposite the crate number. The totals 

 only need appear on the invoice. By means of this tally sheet a car 

 is easily checked out, as no matter which crate is taken out of the car 

 first its number and contents can be readily compared with the tally 

 sheet and checked off. The last crate shown on the tally sheet, of 

 course, shows the number of crates the shipment contains and, as a 

 check, it is easy to keep track of the number of crates taken out of 

 the car, which of course should correspond with the tally sheet. 

 Moreover, in this way, if any shortage is claimed, the crate numbers 

 call be designated and the number of pieces and sizes of stock de- 

 termined. Such a tally sheet will also enable the customer to sort 

 the stock contained in the shipment according to kind and size with- 

 out opening the crates. We can not overestimate the good impres- 

 sion made upon the customer by making it eas.y for him to check 

 out a carload of stock. This is simply another matter that is well 

 worth doing and worth doing well. 



In closing let me impress upon you again, tlie importance of hav- 

 ing your stock arrive at its destination in good shape which, of 

 course, means well crated and carefully loaded, easy to get out of 

 the car, and easy to check up. It pays. 



The Outlook for Walnut Abroad 



It is a matter of comniou knowledge that certain of the Euro- 

 pean markets were never attractive customers for American wal- 

 nut manufacturers, owing to the production of high-grade walnut 

 from their own forests. Specificalty the countries thus supplied 

 were Italy and France, Italian and French walnut having been of 

 very good quality and having been produced in good quantities for 

 home consumption. 



Those in touch with the situation state that the tremendous 

 use of walnut for guustocks, aeroplane propellers, and other pur- 

 poses abroad has resulted in practically eliminating this foreign 

 growth, and thus the entire European trade will be open to Amer- 

 ican walnut when the war ceases. 



The trend of the domestic situation seems to be changing some- 

 what, due mainly to the fact that, the big gunstock business from 

 the warring nations is practically over, that is, orders for the com- 

 pleted blanks. When the- war started those countries able to 

 secure supplies from this side were not in a condition of proper 

 industrial development to make possible the production of their 

 own stocks. Thus instead of buying the raw material and work- 

 ing it up abroad thej' bought the blanks from this country. Natu- 

 rally every thought has been given to complete manufacture in 

 the European countries wherever production there is possible, so 

 development in the gunstock business abroad has finally reached 

 a point where American stock machinery is no longer so necessary 

 as it was. So the mills here are compelled to turn to gunstock 

 planks. 



Walnut, by the way, has demonstrated an unchallenged superior- 

 ity over every other wood for aeroplane propellers. Thousands of 

 these are used every month abroad as the percentage of damage 

 and loss is excessive. The trade in these articles is already well 

 developed. It requires absolutely sound boards % inches thick. 

 The stock is especially selected for this purpose. 



Suggestions for Proper Handling of Bearings 



The minute you discover any knock in the engine, locate it and 

 take it out at once. Don 't wait until the noon hour. Be sure 

 that the throttle valve doesn't leak. There have been many ac- 

 cidents caused by leaky valves. Be sure that all drain cocks 

 are open before leaving at night. Every first-class engineer knows 

 or should know that it takes some time to drain this water out. 

 Again, if you fail to do this in the winter you may have sl 

 cracked cylinder on your hands. 



It is a good plan to have the millwright inspect all line andl 

 countershafts at least once every six months, and also tightea 

 up all wood pulleys. If the oiler will fill the bearings at night, 

 less oil will be required than if he waits until the boxes are cold. 



