April 10, 1919 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



23 



Practice and Theory in a Common Cause 



Woodworkers Study Technical Features of TTieir 

 Business Under Direction of Madison Experts 



BEGINNING MARCH 1 7 and ending two weeks later, 

 a school, unique of its kind, was held at Madison, 

 Wis., under the auspices of the United States Govern- 

 ment. The Forest Products Laboratory supplied from 

 its staff of scientists the instructors, and the pupils came 

 from factories which make chairs and furniture. TTie 

 purpose was to bring together scientific specialists and 

 manufacturing experts, for discussion of and instruction 

 in certain problems which confront the progressive user 

 of wood. No other school just like it has ever been 

 held in this country, and if results come up to expecta- 

 tions, the foundation has probably been laid for similar 

 work along other lines which will join theory and prac- 

 tice in wood utilization for the benefit of the industry 

 and the public. 



The government furnished some of its best men in the 

 special lines of work, and manufacturers were repre- 

 sented by as good as they could send. The field was 

 not general but included principally dry kilns, veneer 

 panels, and glue. The men who attended as students 

 were interested in these matters, and the lecturers had 

 specialized in the scientific phases of that work. The 

 manufacturers who took the courses follow: 



John H. Veneklasen and John Welmers, representing the John 

 WicJdicomb Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. 



C. J. Baldwin, representing The Macey Company, Grand Rapids, 

 Mich. 



H. Hubut, of the Berkey & Gay Furniture Company, Grand 

 Rapids, Mich. 



W. H. Negley, representing himself. 



A. C. Devereaux, also of Grand Rapids, representing the Grand 

 Rapids Chair Company. 



These men -were specially interested in glues and ply- 

 wood in connection with the manufacture of furniture or 

 similar products. Others who were most interested in 

 kiln drying, with the firms represented, were the follow- 

 ing: 



H. Kronexneyer, Peru Chair Works, Peru, Ind. 



C. A. Maxey, Grand Rapids Show Case Company, Grand Rapids, 



Mich. 



j. D. Halstead and Vander Kodde, Crocker Chair Company, 

 Sheboygan, Wis. 



J. H. Dargie, P. Derby & Company, Inc., Gardner, Mass. 



B. F. Hilton, Berkey & Gay Furniture Company, Grand Rapids, 



Mich. 



H. Hoppe, Milwaukee Chair Company, Milwaukee, Mich. 



R. A. Kelley, Webster Manufacturing Company, Superior, Wis. 



A. K. Dewick, Wisconsin Chair Company, Port Washngton, Wis. 



Lectures and Demonstrations 



Every hour of the two weeks was filled with lectures, 

 demonstrations and tests. Eleven lectures were given on 

 the structure and other physical properties of wood; 



eleven on practical problems of kiln drying; six on glues; 

 and four on veneers, either in connection with glue prob- 

 lems, or along other lines. 



The lectures constituted only half of the course of 

 study, for laboratory tests were made daily to emphasize 

 and clear up points referred to by the lecturers. Every- 

 thing was made as practcial as possible and as plain as 

 circumstances would allow. 



A good deal of attention was given to the structure 

 of wood,, so far as structure has a direct bearing on the 

 working qualities of wood. Shrinkage, swelling, warp- 

 ing, and checking are produced by or are due to the 

 minute structure of wood, its cells, fibers, rays, pores. 

 These elements, some of which are microscopic, others 

 not, were pointed out and explained in a way to clear 

 up the meaning of some of the laboratory tests which 

 followed, and to show why woods cannot be mishandled 

 and abused without producing undesirable results. 



Particular attention was given to the presence of mois- 

 ture in the wood, and to the results which are apt to 

 follow the presence of too much of it or the too rapid 

 extraction of moisture. Methods of determining and 

 measuring the presence of moisture in wood were ex- 

 plained, and instructions were given whereby proper rec- 

 ords could be kept. What the lecturers explained in the 

 class room, the tests in the laboratory made clear and 

 practical. 



The lecturers emphasized the fact from the beginning 

 that they did not expect or intend to teach the manu- 

 facture of furniture, but should content themselves with 

 assisting in solving some of the troublesome problems 

 which plague the worker in wood. 



The Dry KUn's Proper Work 



With a working understanding of wood's structure, its 

 behavior in the dry kiln is not difficult to comprehend. 

 With many manufacturers of wood commodities, the dry 

 kiln is the weak point and gives most bother. No formula 

 for drying wood in a kiln has yet been devised that will 

 do satisfactory work without man's help, and a large 

 part of that help must be brain work. The government 

 laboratory at Madison has given a great deal of attention 

 to dry kilns during the past six or eight years, and has 

 sample kilns in which various phases of the drying pro- 

 cesses can be watched and studied, thereby showing ex- 

 actly what is taking place under conditions that can be 

 regulated and measured. 



Facilities for these observations were provided for the 

 class taking the course in kiln drying. The first step con- 

 sisted of a descriotion of the kiln, its apperatus for regu- 



