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The Russian Veneer Industry 



crs" AssocintioD. lieli 

 iinqufstiunably oik- 

 anrt vory wrll meiits 

 States. 



Editor's Note. 



:i paper n-iul on December !i liel'oie the nn'e 



at tbe Auditorium hotel. Ohica 



r tlie most Interesting and valuable' paiiers that liav 

 eloso reading on the part of- anyone interested in the 



■e tbe meetlnu' of the National Veneer & Panel Manufactur- 



by Ilenrik fronstroni of Kaukiis Kabrlk. Finland. This is 



lieen read before this association, 



and panel Industry of the United 



The writer has been in the Uuitivl States 

 since the beginning of this year, to study the 

 veneer industry, and especially the difference 

 hetwoen the nietlio<ls and niaehinery employed 

 here and in Russia, and has been requested by 

 one of the honored members of tlie National 

 Veneer & Panel Manufacturers' Association 

 to furnish, on this occasion, a short account 

 of Russian veneer manufacture. Being 

 under many ol)ligations for the courtesy and 

 great attention that have been bestowed on 

 nie during my visit in American veneer fac- 

 tories. 1 have not wanted to refuse complying 

 with the request, but am glad if I can in this 

 way reciprocate in a small measure for the 

 great favors extended to me. I wish, how- 

 ever, to state right in the beginning that 1 

 am not an e.xpert in any way on the Russian 

 veneer industry, although 1 am somewhat ac- 

 quainted with it. 



In order to give the clearest possible picture 

 of this industry, as far as is in my power, I 

 will furnish first a brief account of the manu- 

 facture itself, from beginning to end, and 

 then make a small comparison between that 

 method and the one employed in the United 



States in those points where they deviate from each other and can be 

 compartd. and will then give some figures in regard to the size of the 

 production in an average factory, number of machines used, number 

 of employes ami finally the cost of production. 



The logs are cut from December to March and transported to the 

 factory in winter by rail, but in summer often by water, being made 

 to float along with logs coming from lighter trees, to keep them 

 from sinking. The logs are carefully stored away at the factories and 

 are kept in water-basins during the warmer season. This prevents 

 splitting and change in color, anil the logs are therefore, when work 

 on them begins, quite as fresh as if they had just been cut. 



Imme<liately before cutting, the logs are steamed under pressure 

 for about six hours. This steaming must be done with much care. 

 The pressure rises .slowly from to 1.5 pounds per square inch. All 

 condensation must be drained from the boilers so the logs do not lie 

 in the water. This is very important. After the steaming the logs 

 are carried as quickly a.s possible to the veneer-lathe. 



Then follows the most important process after cutting: Glue 

 spreading and drying. This is somewhat different in different fac- 

 tories. In most of them the veneer is carried direct from the veneer- 

 lathe to the glue spreaders. Some factories, however, will first pass 

 the veneer through a so-called wringer, to squeeze out a part of the 

 water through the pressure. This tends to reduce considerably the 

 time of the actual dr.ving process. This operation will often remove 

 from twenty five per cent to forty per cent water, hence it is easy 

 to sec that the expense of the drying is reduced to quite an extent. 

 Some factories now use even a hot air drying machine for this pur- 

 jpose. The main thing is, however, that this pre-drying — where it is 

 done — is never a complete drying, but has for its purpose only a 

 .somewhat lower presence of water in the veneer; hence, practically 

 speaking, it is still in a wet condition when it reaches the glue-rollers. 



When the wet veneer goes through the glue rollers it imbibes not 

 only the glue itself, but at the same time the materials that make it 

 waterproof. The glue covered veneer comes then into the so-called 

 glue press, where it is submitted to a high pressure between steam 

 heated plates. In this press, where the veneer is held a longer or 



;ti;cim. k.mkt.s 



IIXL.VXD. 



shorter time, depending u|«)n its thickness, 

 the largest part of the moisture which is in 

 the logs is removed. From this press the 

 veneer is introduced into the so-called dry 

 press where it dries off and cools off quite 

 thoroughly. 



When a veneer for export is to be produced, 

 without special designation of its purpose, the 

 only thing still to do is to cut the veneer into 

 the desired sizes, which is done in a so-called 

 clipper for sizing, and to carry it through a 

 ser;i]ier, whereupon it is ready for export. 



With several factories, however, a part of 

 the veneer is treated somewhat further, by 

 sawing it into ready plates for tea boxes, 

 chocolate, ash trays, etc. In these cases the 

 ajipearanee of the veneer is often changed by 

 letting it go through coloring machines, imi- 

 tation machines, smoothing machines, etc. 



This is the general way of manufacture 

 told as briefly as possible. 



If we now want to make a comparison be- 

 tween this method and the one employed in 

 the United States we have to remember that 

 in an ordinary factory in Russia, there is 

 worked in the main only birch and alder three- 

 ply veneer of a thickness of 4, 5 and C millimeters, that is about 5/32", 

 6/32" and 7/32", while most factories here send out a highly finished 

 product for different purposes. A comparison, if it can be made at 

 all, must limit itself therefore to certain leading features of the 

 process. 



Moreover, the writer wishes to call the attention of his audience 

 to the fact that his knowledge of the American veneer industry was 

 gathered during the visits that he has had occasion to make to fac- 

 tories in this country, and it cannot therefore be complete. Hence, 

 it is quite clear that he will be guilty of errors in the following, for 

 which he wishes to apologize beforehand: 



First, as to the way in which the logs are kept in storage at the 

 factories, the writer thinks he has noticed that in most factories in 

 this country the logs are kept all the year round on dry ground, while 

 most Russian factories keep the logs in water-basins or tanks during 

 the warm season. The former method is without doubt a disadvan- 

 tage to the American factories. In spring, when the sap begins to 

 rise in a growing tree, the same thing will happen also in a freshly 

 cut stem. This causes a change of color in the wood, and makes it 

 brittle, and this is especially the case with the birch tree. In fact 

 as the logs are kept longer on dry ground, they will deteriorate in 

 other ways — by cracking, etc. As is known, a fresh stem can be kept 

 in water almost an indefinite time without any great change. 



We now come to what is perhaps the mo.st important ilifference be- 

 tween the two methods — the boiling, cooking or steaming of the logs. 

 The American factories cook the logs for twelve to twenty-four hours 

 in open water reservoirs or tanks. The Russians steam the logs for 

 six hours in closed boilers under pressure. The purpose of the steam- 

 ing is, of cour.se, to render the logs sufficiently soft and tough for 

 cutting. This purpose is attained in both methods; perhaps the wood 

 gets a little softer through cooking in water. But is something else 

 not likely to take ])lace with this steamingf We shall see. In 

 steaming according to the American method, the logs will take up 

 in themselves more water, so that they will contain practically a 

 higher proportion of water than will some fresh lumber that is treated 

 in the Russian style. .Ml this water will then have to be evaporated 



—33— 



