HARDWOOD RECORD 



35 



ba«e. It iia'lmlcs all varii'tics of tliiii liim- 

 l)cr, nut only "built-up" stock, but nia- 

 ti rial for baskets, boxes, crates, etc. 



The statistirs iiresented in Tables 1 and 

 J. it must be reniombered, are not as valu- 

 able for inirposcs of comparison as they 

 would have been had those for 1905 not 

 b<>eB the first to bo compiled, and such fig- 

 ures are usually incomplete. Rotary-cut 

 veneer is the most important produced, 

 though the quantity of sawn v.-liite oak 

 veneer is greater than the rotary-cut white 

 oak — for the reason thit oak cut into veneer 

 is used chit'fly in the manufacture of furni- 

 • re. It is ini] ossible to obtain a quartered 

 .;ik figure by cutting on a rotary machine, 

 therefore the greater part of it is either 

 -Twn or sliced. Red oak, haviug a more open 

 _rain, is less desirable for furniture veneer, 

 so the larger [lorticn is rotary cut. Woods 



like rod gum and poplar, used for backing 

 and centers of built-up veneer, are almost 

 always cut on rotary machines. Certain 

 woods in fact, show their most pleasing fig- 

 ure for outside finish in built-up veneers — 

 birdseyc maple and curly birch, for instance. 



The highest average value per thousand 

 feet log scale, $67.76, is credited to walnut, 

 while white oak ranks second, averaging 

 .$31.67 and red oak $26.61 — as may be com- 

 puted from Table 1; Douglas fir comes in 

 last, averaging about $7. No values are 

 shown in the 190.5 statistics so that price 

 comparisons cannot be made from the table. 



Table 2 gives the quantity and value of 

 timber used for veneer by states, and 

 amount of stock produced in 1906, as far as 

 reports enabled statistics to be compiled. It 

 will be noted that Illinois is the leading con- 

 sumer. 



Expensive Experience 



Fur the benefit of those who are iucliucd 

 I believe they can buihl their own dry kilns 

 itliout having had much practical e.xpeiience 

 along that line, the following is related. A 

 iiiillman cutting pine concluded there was 

 uu use to pay what he considered the high 

 prices asked for the kilns needed for his 

 mill, and. after studying the drawings and 

 data furnished by some of the kiln men from 

 whom he had received catalogues, evolved his 

 "un plants and built them. 



The building was simply a long box with 

 sliding doors at the end, part of the receiv- 

 ing end having a recessed floor to receive 

 the coils of pipe for the heating system. At 

 (he bottom of the pipe were three doors, 12 

 inches wide by 18 inches high. These were 

 to control the inlet of air to the heating 

 coils. The heater contained as many square 

 inches of radiating surface as would be con- 

 tained in a single layer of pipe if extended 

 the full length of the kiln. At the discharge 

 end and below the level of the floor there 

 was an exhaust fan with a discharge area 

 equal to 16 square feet or 2,.304 square 

 inches. The inlet was only 648 square 

 inches, the result being that the cold air was 

 drawn through the heater with such rapidity 

 that it carried very little of the heat to the 

 material in the kiln. 



So much of the air being cold and heavy, 

 it took the lowest and shortest course to the 

 fan, passing under the loaded trucks and out 

 at the fan without having performed any 

 service at all. That part of the air that 

 was heated rose to the top and partly dried 

 the top tier of the lumber, while it made the 



remainder of the load a variegated green 

 and blue. 



There was enough damage done to the lum- 

 ber in the month of trial to have i)aid for a 

 good kiln, but some men are so hard-headed 

 that they will suffer almost any loss before 

 acknowledging they are wrong, and that was 

 the case in this instance. It was as much as 

 a man 's position was worth to have offered 

 a suggestion, and no one seemed to care to 

 leave, until finally the shipping clerk got 

 tired of the worrj'. One Monday a particu- 

 larly blue lot came out, with an order for 

 clear finish on hand, and rush instructions to 

 weed out this blue mess. The old man 

 and the clerk had had some words about a 

 car to be unloaded, and when it came to the 

 blued stock things were in a condition for 

 something to be doing right quick. 



The old man came round inspecting and 

 asked the clerk what he supposed made the 

 lot so blue — it being the worst one of all. 

 Without a moment's hesitation he answered, 



"Because a d fool built the kiln," at 



the same time starting for the office to get 

 his pay, which he had reason to believe would 

 be forthcoming. 



That was the turning point for the kilns. 

 They were remodeled to one of the systems 

 that would do the work without bluing the 

 stock. To an observer it is passing strange 

 how an idea of this kind will run away with 

 a man who displays excellent judgment in 

 most other matters. Drying Unuber seems 

 so simple a thing that many millmen think 

 it is only a question of getting the heat to it, 

 and that's where they make a mistake. 



II. C. II. 



NeWs Miscellany. 



Meeting Executive Board Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association of the U. S. 

 At a meeting of the executive board of the 

 Hardwood >taiiufacturer3' Association of the 

 fnlted States, held at the offices of the associa- 

 tion In the Stahlman building, Xashville. Tenn., 

 January 8, theie were present the following: 

 John B. Ransom, president ; W. A. Gilchrist, 

 first vice president ; J. H. HImmelbcrgcr, second 



vice president : Lewis Doster, secretary ; C. M. 

 Piawford, C. Crane, I!. M. Carrier, F. V. Fee and 

 li. I(. Vansant. 



The minutes uf the last board meeting held at 

 Cincinnati, May II. 1U07, were read by the sec- 

 retary, and report was made regarding matters 

 left unllnl.shcd at lliat time. 



The car stake ami crpilpmcnt complaint cnmc 

 up for discussiiiii and the secretary was In- 



structed as to the procedure the boord desired 

 followed. 



It was decided that the secretary should fur- 

 nish Immediately to each committee the proposed 

 changes or reprints in the grading rules, each 

 committee being given suggestions for proposed 

 changes in the woods covered by them. The 

 rules in their entirety should contain the divi- 

 sion of od<l lengths in the common grades where 

 the percentages change. Vehicle stocis grading 

 rules were considered, and It was decided that 

 the National Wagon Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion should be advised that a committee of this 

 association has been appointed to meet their 

 cominlllec a day in advance of the regular con- 

 vention, or February 5. The names of Frank F. 

 Fee and E. W. Bartley were added to the regu- 

 lar dimension stock committee to meet the Na- 

 tional Wagon Manufacturers. Mr. Fee was also 

 appointed a member of the executive grading 

 comtnission. and a member of the committee on 

 the grading of gum. The grading commission 

 will meet one day In advance of the regular 

 convention date. 



The llnanciai condition of the association was 

 shown to be excellent. Kcports showed a large 

 curtailment of output during the last month or 

 two. 



It was decided to hold the next meeting of the 

 association at the Grand Hotel, Cincinnati, Feii- 

 ruary G and 7. 



The secretary was Instructed to arrange a 

 program for the annual, and to invite various 

 represenlalivos from the membership and others 

 who could to discourse upon interesting subjects 

 for the benefit of the convention and the hard- 

 wood industry at large. 



The visiting lumbermen, after careful study of 

 conditions and realizing the anxiety shown by 

 the manufacturers, decided that tlie meeting 

 should be called soon owing to the return of 

 trade which has become apparent in the past 

 ten days. Karlier in the month there was a 

 feeling that tlie meeting should be held late in 

 February or early in March, as it was thought 

 that time would be more convenient, and mem- 

 bers would be better able to study conditions 

 in the commercial world and to determine poli- 

 cies to pursue for the year, but business condi- 

 tions are returning to satisfactory shape much 

 more quickly than expected. This is the idea of 

 holding a meeting as quickly as possible, only al- 

 lowing sufficient time tor all to be notified and 

 the general program arranged for : and it is 

 hoped and believed that the largest meeting the 

 association has ever lu'Ul will be the result of 

 this call. Kvery hardwood producer Is anxious 

 to obtain information that will enable him to 

 frame his policy for the year 190.S. Every llrm 

 a member of tills association siiould have a rep- 

 resentative present, an<i the manufacturing fra- 

 ternity the country over — whether members or 

 not — will be corldaily welcomed. It is the In- 

 tention of the committee to make this invitation 

 as broad and strong and as hearty as possible, 

 to insure a l)lg attendance of tliose who arer 

 interested in the Industry. 



Manufacturers should realize that this meeting 

 is going to result in something of Importance, 

 and siiould be governed accordingly : not J)e too 

 anxious to sell or arrange for the sale of their 

 material until after the meeting, when they can 

 see what conditions really are in which they are 

 vitally interested. 



I'resldent Hanson entertained the executive 

 board with a luncheon during its session, and In 

 the evening a dintier was served at the Max- 

 well to the visitors and the Nashville members 

 of tile association. 



The Diehl Edge Sander. 



The Dlebl edge sandcr solves the problem of 

 sanding the edges of table, desk, dresser and 

 similar tops, and all forms of chair scats and 

 sanitary woodwork. This machine is the only 

 one on the market made for the sole purpose 

 of sanding edges rapidly and perfectly and is 

 therefore indispensable in furniture factories, as 

 the saving in handling stock alone will pay for 

 the machine in one year. It will sand shapes 



