^ J CgOTaJBiTOiKgOTi TOiM)^^ 



The Passing of the Refuse Burner 



Formerly the esseutial part of the equipment of every large 

 sawmill was the refuse burner. Various types were developed — 

 some simple and cheap, others elaborate and expensive — but all had 

 one object in view, namely, to get rid of the waste from lumber 

 production. Slabs, bark, edgings, sawdust, shavings and ends from 

 the equalizer were used to feed a fire which burned from one 

 year end to another. The refuse burner is something that no mill- 

 ;nan can ever jjoLut to with pride. Its presence is a constant 

 reminder that his methods are wasteful. 



It is encouraging to note that an increasing number of mills are 

 doing away with their refuse burners. This signifies that other 

 means have been found for the disposal of the odds and ends 

 resulting from the conversion of round logs into square products. 

 The extent to which a concern utilizes its waste may be taken as a 

 measure of its efficiency, just as the extent to which a country 

 reduces its waste may, in a sense, be taken as an indirator of its 

 development. 



A distinction must be made be- 

 tween waste that is avoidable 

 and waste that is unavoid- 

 able. In the latter case an 

 jictual loss is not involved, for 

 the material unused coidd never 

 be copsidered a potential asset. 

 The distinction is by no means 

 easy to make. Waste that is un- 

 avoidable under certain condi- 

 tions may he an actual loss 

 under different conditions. 

 Lumbermen and wood users 

 shouhl not be blamed for 

 discarding stuff which they can- 

 not use except at an outright 

 expense. On the other hand, 

 everyone should lie criticized 

 who does not make his utiliza- 

 tion as complete as possible. 



There are three principal fac- 

 tors which retard waste utiliza- 

 tion, namel}', (1) lack of de- 

 in,-uid for the products which 



may be obtained, or unfavorable economic conditions which make 

 their jjroduetion too costly; (2) ignorance of the methods employed 

 in other countries in which similar problems have arisen and of 

 those employed in allied industries; (3) prejudice in favor of a 

 staple article which has long been used for a specific purpose even 

 though a new article may answer the purpose as well as or even 

 better than the old one, and lack of business organization to over- 

 come this jjrejudice. 



In some respects these factors are out of the control of the mill- 

 man, but in others they are wholly or partially controlled. Much 

 depends on the operator himself. He may adjust his operations 

 to the conditions or he may attemjjt to adjust the conditions to 

 his operations. In one case he will be content with whatever 

 outlets for bis products are at hand; in the other he will find or 

 even create new markets and stimulate new demands if the old 

 are insufficient or unsatisfactory. No waste should be considered 

 unavoidable until every possible means for its prevention has been 

 considered. The healthy attitude for the lumberman is to con- 

 sider every waste avoidable until he is positive it is not, and this 

 cannot be settled once for all because times are changing and the 

 •wastes of today may hold the profits of tomorrow. 



Many examples could be cited where a product has changed 

 places with a by-product in relative importance. For example, 

 until a few years ago chestnut extract plants had no other use 

 for the spent chips than for burning under the boilers. Later a 



— 2(1— 



STAVES AND CHAIR STOCK ARE CUT FROM THESE SLABS. 



practical' method of employing this material for wood pulp was 

 perfected and as a result some of the paper mills began to use 

 chestnut primarily for this purpose. In consequence the tannin 

 extract became the by-product and glutted the market. 



When rattan was first placed on the market only the hard. 

 glossy, outer covering of the long stems was in demand, and the 

 core or pith which makes up a large proportion of every stem was 

 a by-product of little or no value. Conditions have changed and 

 the flinty cane is now the by-product. The core of the small stems 

 is smoothed down and those of the large ones cut into numerous 

 small reeds or into flat pieces and used extensively in the manu- 

 facture of furniture, baskets, baby carriages, whips, canes and 

 innumerable other articles of value. In present day methods 

 there is no waste in this industry, for the very shavings have a 

 value for mattresses, packing material and for pulp. 



The following table compiled by the Forest Service in 1907 gives 

 what is believed to be a conservative estimate of the milling waste 



of various hardwoods. They are 

 the result of extensive inquiry 

 and investigations covering 

 tlie whole field. The reports 

 from all the mills answering in- 

 quiries showed a total produc- 

 tion of 1,873,246 cords of slabs, 

 trimmings, edgings, etc., of 

 which 469,511 cords, or 25 per 

 cent, were burned for fuel at 

 the mills; 822,526 cords, or 44 

 per cent, were sold as fuel, and 

 the remainder, 581,209 cords, or 

 31 per cent, was burned in the 

 refuse burners. These figures 

 apply both to hardwoods and 

 softwoods. This 31 per cent 

 represents an absolute waste. 

 Tlie absolute waste in sawdust 

 is estimated at 10 per cent of 

 the total production, about 9ll 

 per cent being used for fuel. 

 The waste shown in the last 

 column is all absolute waste, 

 except possibly in a single case, although souu> of it is used as fuel 

 in the form of sawdust or attached to the slabs. 



I'KI.M.inY W.\.STK IN MlLH.NO lI.MtmVOODS 



Species 

 Oak . . . 

 Maplo . . 



M Cubic 

 Feet 



01)8.000 



i:i3.000 



I'opUir 140.000 



Clicstuut 110.000 



Beech 70.000 



Birch (i:;,ooo 



Basswood 62.000 



Cottonwood 4o.OOO 



Total . . 



M Cubic 



Feet 

 134,000 

 ;i4.000 

 31,000 

 24.000 

 15,000 

 14,000 

 14.000 

 10.000 



'T^ 



tr. 



M Cubic M Cubic M Cubic M Cubic 



Foet 



42.000 



10.000 



10.000 



8,000 



5,000 



4,000 



4.000 



3,000 



Feet 



S.'i.OOO 



21.000 



20,000 



l.-.OOO 



lo.OOO 



0,000 



0.000 



0.000 



Feet 



0.000 



2.000 



2,000 



2,000 



1,000 



1,000 



1 ,000 



1,000 



Feet 



70,000 



20,000 



18,000 



14,000 



0,000 



8,0011 



8.000 



0,000 



1,250,000 276,000 86,000 175,000 19,000 162,000 



The time seems ripe for doing away with all refuse burners and 

 the methods they typify. The subject of closer utilization has 

 been discussed until it has become tiresome. All niillmen profess 

 to be willing to change their methods as soon as practical and 

 profitable processes have been devised, but too many of them leave 

 it to the other fellow to do ;ill the work. One lumber journal says 



