48 



Hardwood Record — ^Veneer & Panel Section 



May 25. 1922 



H'oiitintnil from />f/.</r iOl 

 obtaining from them the necessary information for making these 

 applications. 



There has been a marked development along the line of glue 

 heaters, ^vhich is important not only in the veneer and panel phases 

 of furniture manufacture, but in practically all parts of it. There 

 is on the market an electric glue heater, which is fast attaining wide 

 use in furniture plants. Recently the manufacturer of this heater 

 sent a letter with a picture of the heater to a concern in Grand 

 Rapids. The manufacturer of the heater happens also to be located 

 in Grand Rapids and a few days after this letter went out the fur- 

 niture manufacturer "phoned and asked that tw^o of the electric 

 type glue heaters be sent over to his shop, as he had been having 

 fire in his shop practically every day because of the old style gas 

 glue heater. 



The modern glue heater operates on the principle of the fireless 

 cooker, so that it consumes the minimum amount of electricity. 

 The cover is so placed as to keep heat and moisture in the glue. 

 Remarkable Finishing Improvements 



This article can not properly be brought to a close w^ithout some 

 reference to the truly remarkable advances that have been made 

 in finishing processes, the laborious costly hand methods having 

 been largely replaced by time and labor-saving sprays, dryers, rub- 

 bers, air for dusting and numerous other appliances, that have 

 completely revolutionized finishing methods. The compressed air 

 installations have also made possible the introduction of many 

 small tools for labor-saving throughout the factory. Then in addi- 

 tion to the air we have electric drills, screw drivers, ad infinitum. 



Both air and electric rubbing machines have been developed, 

 each of w^hich is a most valuable tool to the furniture and all other 

 manufacturers of fine cabinet work. These machines are very 

 ingenious and save an enormous amount of time and muscular 

 exertion. 



We w^ould like to again remind the readers of this article that 

 no effort was made to make it exhaustive, because the field to be 

 covered was entirely too vast and too complex. The desire was 

 merely to suggest to the busy executive in the furniture plant the 

 tremendous progress that has taken place in the mechanical process 

 of his industry in even the last few years. It should also suggest 

 how diligently and intelligently the machine tool manufacturers 

 who serve his industry are applying the ever-increasing wisdom 

 of our industrial genius to the specific needs of furniture manufac- 

 ture. 



Furniture Trade Terms Being Used 



A discussion of the proper descriptions of wood furniture has 

 been going on for over a year and has finally crystallized itself 

 into tw^o sets of terms. 



One set has been prepared by the furniture manufacturers for 

 use between the manufacturers and the retailers. These terms 

 w^ere finally recommended by the meeting of the National Council 

 at High Point on March 1st. This represented a combination of 

 the various suggestions that have come from manufacturers and 

 manufacturers' associations at different times. 



Another set of terms to be used in transactions between the 

 furniture retailer and the public was recommended by the Na- 

 tional Better Business Commission of the Associated Advertising 

 Clubs, Affiliating Better Business Bureaus and the National Vigi- 

 lance Committee, at a meeting in Chicago April 13, 1922. 



The "Better Business" terms are very much in line with the 

 terms recommended by the manufacturers, but since they are for 

 public use rather than for exclusive use within the trade they 

 elaborate and make clear several important points. This appears 

 to be absolutely necessary in order that there may be no con- 

 fusion or misunderstanding on the part of the public, as such a 

 feeling does not help to build up confidence in the furniture 

 industry. 



Since the discussion of furniture trade terms has been interest- 

 ing the furniture industry, several of the manufacturers of 



furniture have adopted the policy of stating specifically just the 

 kinds of woods used in each piece of furniture. 



One of the leaders in this policy is the Kittinger Furniture 

 Company of Buffalo, New^ York. They manufacture a very com- 

 plete line of living room furniture and also dining and bedroom 

 furniture. Pasted to the interior, back, or bottom of each piece 

 of furniture is a specification tag w^hich reads as follows: 



"The Manufacturer of this piece of furniture guarantees that it 

 contains the following choice Cabinet Woods: 



"Top and Sides: Solid American Walnut. 



"Legs, Rails and Stretchers: Solid American Walnut. 



"Desk Partitions and Shelves: Solid American Walnut. 



"Drawer Fronts: Solid American Walnut. 



"Drawer Interiors: Quartered White Oak." 



This company has taken the position that the retailer and the 

 public has a right to know just what w^oods are used in each piece, 

 and they are attaching the information at the factory. 



It is understood that a number of other manufacturers are 

 w^orking out a similar plan to be used on furniture at the mid- 

 season market. 



The Standard Table Company of Jamestown, N. Y., manufac- 

 turers of dining room furniture, w^as probably the earliest manu- 

 facturer in the field giving a specification of just what woods w^ere 

 used in each piece of furniture. At the Jamestown November show 

 such tags w^ere used and at the May exposition the following tags 

 went with each piece: 



"GENUINE SOLID MAHOGANY OR WALNUT. 



Including Wood Back or Glass Frame. Tops, Fronts, Ends, Posts. 

 Legs, D-aw Sides, Draw Backs, and Trays. Dining Table Tops, 

 Fillers, Legs and chairs. 



"Remember, as makers of good furniture, we consider it very 

 important to see that all details and quality are our foundation for 

 success 



-COMPLETE DINING ROOM SUITES MADE IN OUR FAC- 

 TORY." 



One of Bosse Trustees Dies 



H. Fred Riechmann, 44 years old, president of the West Side 

 bank at Evansville, Ind., died at his home in that city on Wednes- 

 day, May 1 7th, his death being due to heart disease. He had been 

 sick but a day. Mr. Riechmann w^as a brother-in-law of the late 

 Mayor Benjamin Bosse, president of the Globe-Bosse-World Fur- 

 niture Company, w^ho died on April 4. Mr. Riechmann w^as one of 

 the trustees of the Benjamin Bosse estate, provided by will, and 

 which was valued at about $1,500,000. Mr. Riechmann is sur- 

 vived by his aged mother, two brothers and tw^o sisters, one of his 

 brothers being George E. Riechmann, manager of the Evansville 

 Furniture Company. 



Copper Salts Improve Casein Glue 



It has been found that copper salts added to casein glues greatly 

 increase their resistance to moisture and also make them more 

 durable w^hen exposed to the action of molds and fungi. Casein 

 glues containing copper are nearly as moisture resistant as blood 

 albumin glues." This is the beginning of a technical note sent out 

 by the Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, Wis. 



In the preparation of copper-casein glue at the Forest Products 

 Laboratory, 2 to 3 parts by weight of copper chloride or copper 

 sulphate are dissolved in about 30 parts of water and are added to 

 every 500 parts of the ordinary casein, lime, and ■water glass glue. 

 The copper solution is poured into the glue in a thin stream. The 

 violet-colored lumps formed at first by the coagulation of the glue 

 by the copper solution are reduced by stirring vigorously for about 

 1 5 minutes, and a smooth violet-colored glue results. It is neces- 

 sary to add the copper salts after the other ingredients are thoro- 

 oughly mixed, in order to obtain beneficial results. Copper added 

 to the casein before the lime and water glass is ineffective. 



