26 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



March 25, 191/ 



Contrast this with the care exercised by the flooring 

 man, who builds a warehouse of sturdy construction, 

 encloses it carefully, makes his connecting doors prac- 

 tically air-tight, and watches the conditions inside the 

 building just as carefully as the florist does the condi- 

 tions in his greenhouse. Flooring takes up moisture 

 readily, compared with lumber, on account of the greater 

 surface exposed, in comparison with its cubic contents. 

 Just for that reason veneers take up moisture even more 

 readily than flooring — and therefore deserve even greater 

 protection than flooring. 



TTie construction of a warehouse of the right kind 

 would involve a comparatively small expenditure. The 

 size of the warehouse would be determined by the volume 

 of the business handled, and the quantity of veneers 

 usually carried in stock. But a very definite object would 

 be served by this provision, and making it would in 

 itself advertise the anxiety of the veneer man not only 

 to dry his material, but to keep it dry. One is just as 

 important as the other. 



TTie writer recently visited three veneer plants, all of 

 them making high-grade material, which is sold for 

 furniture, interior trim and piano work. Buyers of 

 veneers of this kind want good stuff, and are usually 

 finicky about condition. Every one of the three manu- 

 facturers had stories to tell of complaints received from 

 consumers regarding the dryness of the veneers which 

 had been shipped. Each veneer man was positive that 

 the material had been properly dried by him, because 

 his drying methods are unquestionably efficient; and his 

 suggestion was that the gluing-up or finishing depart- 

 ment of the consumer must have been at fault, by fail- 

 ing to dry out the finished panels properly, or by slap- 

 ping too much filler or other finishing material onto the 

 rface, and thus adding moisture to the veneer. 

 Some of these explainations really explain, because 

 there are a lot of factories whose methods are open to 

 criticism. But, on the other hand, it is fair to assume 

 that the complaints are occasionally founded on fact, 

 and that veneers were used which were not sufficiently 

 dry. They may once have been in perfect condition for 

 use; but through improper handling and warehousing 

 and careless methods of storing, they lost that condition, 

 a fact not taken into account in preparing it for the 

 glue-room. "^"^ 



Reference has been made to the importance of the 

 jobber. The jobber is a big factor in the distribution 

 of fine veneers, and in practically all of the larger mar- 

 kets dealers carrying very large stocks supply a con- 

 siderable part of the demand. It would be a good idea 

 for jobbers with big stocks to put in their own drying 

 equipment, just to make assurance doubly sure, if 

 nothing else; and then, having dried their veneers to 

 the proper point, they should protect them by having 

 their warehouses just right as to temperature and other 

 conditions affecting the material in storage. 



The jobbers are constantly looking for new sales 



arguinents, and this is one that few consumers would 

 be able to resist. 



Incidentally, the consumer himself ought to pay more 

 attention to drying facilities. Some of the panel plants 

 which handle large quantities of veneers have their own 

 driers, and treat the veneers which are shipped in to them 

 just as though they had never been tried. In this way 

 they insure having the material right for their own opera- 

 tions. Even if the consumer is not laying enough 

 veneers to warrant a great expense, he can put the stock 

 in a warm room, with air circulating freely, leaving plenty 

 of space between the pieces, so that if there is much ex- 

 cess moisture it will be driven off. G. D. C. 



Finishing Quartered Oak Veneers 



In many respects quartered oak is much easier to finish than 

 plain oak, and it naturally takes a better polish as well as pre- 

 sents a better figure. Yet there are points about the working 

 of quartered oak that must be observed, if the best results are 

 to be obtained. One of these is the fact that the splash line is 

 made up of very hard material, and for that reason splash line 

 figures are likely to make ridges in the finished work, unless 

 great care is exercised in finishing. 



Make a close study of the next piece of work you meet with 

 that has a quartered oak face, and there is a fair chance that 

 if you get the light on it right you w^ill be able to distinguish 

 waves in the face made by the splash line standing up a little 

 higher than the body of the work. This is because the splash 

 line is very hard and will neither sand nor scrape down so readily 

 as the rest of the wood. So, to get the best results in finishing it 

 is important to have the sand paper and scraping tools sharp, so 

 that they will cut cleanly and not ride over the hard places in 

 the face and leave them standing up, to make w^aves or ridges 

 in the finished work. 



It also follows that it is worth while to have the veneer cut as 

 smoothly as practical, to minimize the work of finishing. Say 

 it is quarter-sawed veneer. If the saw has left tooth marks that 

 are pretty deep it means a lot of sanding and scraping to get them 

 out, and it frequently means a face with ridges or waves in it 

 marked by the splash lines. So the finishing of quartered oak 

 really begins with its cutting. If the cutting is smooth and clean, 

 the balance is comparatively easy, if the user knows enough to 

 clean to a finish and stop. Thinp of this when buying face stock, 

 for it is w^orth some difference in price. And then w^hen it 

 comes to the finishing room, whether using sandpaper, scraper, 

 or both, make the cutting light and see that the tools are sharp 

 and clean cutting. 



One good way to exploit figured veneer is by way of the 

 photographer's art and the printer's ink. One can thus show the 

 same figure to the most people in the shortest time and at the 

 smallest expense. 



The veneer manufacturer may well cultivate the small user 

 of veneer. It will not only help him grow bigger, but enough 

 small customers will make a big trade, and generally a good 

 one, too. 



A dirty caul is an abomination and a defective one is a menace. 

 Cauls should be kept clean and in excellent order, and when they 

 become defective, the sooner they are destroyed, if the defects 

 are irreparable, the better. 



Fine faces make fine furniture only when they are properly 

 put on. 



