not tnko up more than ten or tii'tcen miDulos of 

 your time. 



Kuivos : their use — On this I do not need to 

 say nnythlng, as you all know for what purpose 

 you want to use each one of them. If they will 

 not cut ns you have a right to e.tpect, someone 

 Is to blame — either the knife maker or the 

 user — as knives can be made to meet almost any 

 requirement, and if skillfully used will Invaria- 

 bly give profltable results. 



Two tilings are very necessary to make veneer 

 knives satisfactory. First, good steel must be 

 used. It must be of a proper temper or carbon, 

 and should be spoeially made for the purpose. 

 Har steel that Is suitable to make a veneer 

 knife would make as tine a razor as can be 

 made. Second, the most important element, 

 which is the proper temper. It Is very essential 

 that the knife maker should know for what 

 work the knife is intended. Too much is taken 

 for granted by the user of the knife. For in- 

 stance, a knife tempered just right to cut gum 

 veneers will not cut quartered oak so that you 

 could make a reputation for good stock. A knife 

 that would work successfully on a machine run- 

 ning from sixteen to thirty revolutions per min- 

 ute would not do as good work or stand to the 

 work if run at fifty to seventy revolutions. I 

 never saw but one machine running seventy vevo- 

 lutions per minute — that was on butter dish 

 Slock, and they are not running that fast today. 

 ' Now for the abuse. For over twenty-one years 

 I have been the "trouble man" of the Worden 

 Tool Company. In that time I have had some 

 very funny and some very trying experiences. 

 I am going to tell you some things that you may 

 not like to hear and may not Ijelieve, but they 

 are plain truths. 



Over ninety per cent of the trouble with 

 veneer knives comes from their abuse, and most 

 of the abuse is confined to the grinding room. 

 There are so many ways that they are abused 

 that I hardly know where to begin. 



The better the knife, the easier it is spoiled 

 In grinding. In cases where the temper is 

 drawn in grinding, the evidence is nearly always 

 ifrnovi'd tn the next time the emery wheel passes 

 r the knife. That is as far as you can dis- 

 ■T with the eye, but if you will try the knife 

 with a file you will notice how soft it is. If 

 you will take a hammer and strike the edge 

 lightly, the edge will turn over completely, 

 while a little farther along on the edge it will 

 hie hard and break out at the touch of the ham- 

 mer. 



.Many veneer mills have the very latest and 

 best veneer cutters that can be bought and 

 everything first class, all but the grinder — that 

 Is only to sharpen knives. They buy something 

 that has an emery wheel that goes around, and 

 the knife passes back and forth past the wheel 

 or "vice versa. Sometimes there is a water at- 

 tachment. In fact, any old thing that will 

 srind is good enough. However, this would not 

 be so bad if they will give you a good emery 

 wheel with the grinder, but that Is very apt to 

 l)e as cheap as the machine. If the emery wheel 

 Is too hard it will either draw the temper or 

 cause a number of fine cracks to appear in the 

 face of the knife. Either the knife edge will 

 turn over if the temper is drawn or break out if 

 the cracks appear. It is not always the case 

 that the knife breaks out the first time It is 

 used after grinding. Sometimes it is weeks or 

 months before the trouble begins. 



Some grinding machines are fitted with a 

 cast-iron bo.x or tank to hold water, with u 

 small pump to force water up to the emery 

 wheel. This idea is all right so long as oil and 

 grease do not get into the tank, but Just as soon 

 as oil gets into the tank and is pumped to the 

 emery wheel, that wheel begins to glaze, heat 

 and burn. After oil has once reached the emery 

 wheel it is next to impossible to keep the face 

 from glazing, and this is one of the ways to 

 ruin a knife. Fre<iuent use of the emery wheel 

 dresser is the only remedy. 



There are as many grades and iiualities of 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



emery wheels as you find grades and qualities of 

 veneers. Emery wheels should be free-cutting, 

 and free-cutting means that tbcy wear out much 

 faster than the wheels that are hard and will 

 glaze and heat. 



You can run your emery wlicel too fast — so 

 fast, in fact, that it will not cut. It makes 

 quite a dllTerence if you are grinding brass, cast 

 Iron, or hardened steel, as to tlie speed you 

 should run the emery wheel. One veneer man 

 I know ran his wheel about G50 revolutions, 

 while his neighbor ran his 800 revolutions. The 

 man running (i.'iO ground his knife perfectly in 

 llirce and one half hours, while his neighbor 

 ground seven and one-half hours and then 

 stopped because he had cracked his knife and 

 ruined it. Both knives were the same size, and 

 same make of grinders. 



Another veneer manufacturer who had one of 

 the best grinding machines made placed it right 

 in front of the windows where he had plenty of 

 light which came just where it was wanted. He 

 also had a man who understood grinding and 

 never had any trouble. Suddenly there was a 

 change. He could not get knives fast enoug), 

 to keep him running, and as usual in such cases 

 the knife got the blame. We investigated and 

 found that the grinding machine had been re- 

 moved into a dark engine room, where the 

 grinder had to use a torch, such as foundrymen 

 use, to get around the machine, and a common 

 laborer at about $1.73 a day had been picked 

 up to watch the grinding machine. The result 

 was that it cost about 5400 to replace the 

 knives ruined, to say nothing of tiie time lost 

 and veneers that were probably ruined. We 

 also found that they had bought an emery 

 wheel that was everlasting, one so hard that 

 it would never wear out. The knives were 

 cracked so that pieces from four inches to ten 

 inches long by three-fourths of an inch deep 

 broke from them, and in some places the knives 

 showed spots that were blued three-fourths of 

 an inch to one inch deep. This is perhaps the 

 worst case that ever came to our knowledge, but 

 there are similar cases where trouble comes for 

 want of proper care in grinding. 



On the other hand, I know of a number of 

 large users of veneer knives who have little, if 

 any. trouble with knives being burned or cracked. 

 It is not entirely due to the fact that they buy 

 our knives, but is largely because they have just 

 as good and capable a man doing their grinding 

 as they have running their cutter. 



Now, gentlemen, I have here a number of 

 samples of poor grinding, which, without excep- 

 tion, tile veneer manufacturer has claimed to be 

 temper cracks, wiiile as a matter of fact in 

 every case they are grinding cracks. Will you 

 please look at some of them before you leave the 

 room, and the next time you have a knife break 

 cut examine it first, then look at your emery 

 wheel and question the man at the grinder. If 

 he was in a hurry, or the water ceased to flow 

 while grinding (if only for a minute), or dark 

 blue lines or spots show on the edge, don't blame 

 the knife man, but Just order a new knife and 

 try not to crack it. 



Any questions you have to ask I will try to 

 answer. Gentlemen, I thank you. 



The preceding address concluded the pro- 

 gram as prepared, and President Kline re- 

 cjuestcd the report of the Auditing Commit- 

 tee on the accounting presented by llic 

 treasurer. They reported that they found 

 no errors and had no criticism to offer, 

 whereupon the report was duly accepted. 



Discussion of Rates. 

 Mr. IEayn:ond : The Uallroad ('omnilttee would 

 like .some instructions from the association in 

 regard to what it wants done. Our ideas may 

 not be exactly what some of the members think. 

 I Imve had a great deal to do with classifications 

 In the last few years and find that it makes no 

 difference whether a car of material is valued at 



34C 



.•s.'.iKi or .^111,11(111, material of the same character, 

 same manufacture, they take it at the same 

 rate, and it Is my opinion that if this material 

 that we make is to receive any benefit through 

 classification, we should ask the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission to put it all on a lumber 

 Itasis, whether it is figured veneer or plain. 

 Mr. Maxwell, one of the agents of the New York 

 Central, has said that it makes no difference as 

 to the value of a car — one valued at $500 Is 

 taken at the same rate as other cars, and I 

 think the classification should include veneer as 

 well as thin cut lumber. Quartered oak Is taken 

 at the same rate as plain oak. and there is no 

 reason wily quartered veneers should not be 

 taken at the same rate as other lumber, and I 

 would like advice as to what the association 

 wants done in the matter. 



Mr. Kline : The position the committee took 

 which had this matter before the Ofiiclal Ciassl- 

 tlcation Committee, as outlined in the remarks 

 I made this morning, was that the product of 

 our mills, without regard to thickness, value 

 or the uses to which it is put, should be classed 

 at not greater than fourth class in less than 

 carload lots and sixth class or even a lumber 

 rate which would be under sixth class, in car- 

 loads, and consequently those rates would apply. 

 The inconsistencies In tariffs are fearful and 

 wonderful, and there is no reason why the prod- 

 ucts of cutting machines should have to pay the 

 I'.Igh rate that is charged for them now in trans- 

 j)t)rtation. I tliink this association should go on 

 record as protesting with the Interstate Com- 

 merce ('i)mmission or sending them a resolution 

 to tliat effect. I would like very much to see it 

 forniuhiled. 



Mr. Defebaugh : Inasmuch as this legislation 

 asked for b.v the Pacific Coast people needs quick 

 action, I would suggest that the committee 

 formulate a letter to be sent to the veneer trade, 

 also resolution to the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission asking for a ruling of the commission, 

 and that tlie arbitrary action of the railroads 

 lie suspended for a time on the question of classi- 

 fication and rate. As I understand it, they have 

 arbitrarily changed the classification on certain 

 classes of stock and the contention of tlie west- 

 ern people that it is not fair that it they could 

 make money for twenty years on a certain classi- 

 fication, they should take this action now. I 

 believe a letter from every man in the country 

 would influence the matter considerably and help 

 tlie action of the commit lee. 



Report of Executive Comjnittee. 



Mr. Dow: Our committee wishes to say that 

 with regard to a permanent secretary would 

 suggest that the matter be deferred for sixty 

 days and taken up with the different clubs of the 

 association, to see it a secretary cannot act 

 lor tins asso<iatiou as well as for the different 

 divisions, thereby dividing up the expense. It 

 lias been suggested that it would be a good Idea 

 to have him make headquarters here, inasmuch 

 as he could not make ids headquarters with the 

 presidents of the clubs. It lias also been sug- 

 gested that It would be a good idea, too, to 

 linve headquarters in Chicago because the secre- 

 tary could have llie privilege of conferring with 

 our present elllclent secretary, Mr. Defebaugh, 

 and getting his valuable advice, and as these 

 different clubs meet often. If It is the sense ot 

 tills meeting to defer this matter for sixty days, 

 it can be then taken up by them and a report 

 made to the Executive Committee, and then they 

 can take action upon It. As I understand It, 

 It Is in their hands to engage a secretary if it 

 is found necessary. It is pretty diflicuit work 

 to engage one who is acquainted with the veneer 

 and panel business, but they thought that by 

 having the same secretary employed by the dif- 

 ferent clubs he would become familiar In a 

 very short time with the workings of each and 

 It would be better all around. 



The action of the Executive Committee with 

 regard to employment of a secretary was ap- 

 proved. 



