34 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



properly, one lias a product to lie proud of. Oak is a wood that may 

 be made to take the same high finish in milhvork as is shown in the 

 best grades of furniture, which is a finish that no one jjretends to 

 get from pine. There is no comparison on this point. If there were 

 people would be making furniture of pine and offering it in compe- 

 tition with oak. Even if the cost figures show double those given in 



this case, the qnalily of the finished work justifies the extra cost. This 

 is no reason, however, for putting a handicap on the progress of oak 

 with an unnecessary burden of cost in the figures. That is why those 

 interested in the manufacture and sale of oak should study these 

 figures and get other figures for comparison to the end that they may 

 remove the handicap of extra cost charge against the working of oak. 



' 'W'<^-'w^^w';^ w?t;>tgW ' 'Jta Mtt'>!ii'JtTO Wii^^ 



The Wood that Goes into Aeroplanes 



Probably the most exacting 

 use of wood at the present day is 

 re(|uired in the manufacture of 

 aeroplanes. The making of these 

 machines is a new industry, and 

 as yet not a large one ; but it is 

 of great importance and its im- 

 portance will increase. It seems 

 that there is no substitute for 

 wood for certain purposes — shut- 

 tles is one and aeroplanes is an- 

 other. These air machines are 

 being made in various parts of 

 the world. Some of the earliest 

 were manufactured in Missouri, 

 and now a factory is getting un- 

 der way at Grinnell, Iowa — the 

 Grinnel Aeroplane Company. A 

 machine is now being built there for W. C. Robinson, which is ex- 

 pected to establish some world records. The present motor is 110 

 horse-power, but if that comes up to expectations another of 220 

 liorse-jjower will be made. The machine will be ready for the great 

 contests to take place next year at the San Francisco fair. 



The Thomas E. Powe Lumber Company of St. Louis is furnishing 

 the ash for the manufacturing company at Grinnell. For some 

 reason, the Missouri ash appears to possess special properties fitting 

 it for aeroplanes, and manufacturers have been drawing supplies 

 from that region for some time. Such ash must have every good 

 quality and no bad ones. 



Two years ago the Forest Service published a report of the wood- 

 using industries of Missouri, containing what was said to be the 

 first government statistics on woods manufactured into aeroplanes. 

 The report was short and is quoted below: 



' ' The making of aeroplanes is a new industry in this country, 

 and Missouri is the first state to supply statistics of their manu- 

 facture. A few dozen were turned out in 1910, and only three 

 woods were reported as to amounts, though others were made use of, 

 at least for experimental purposes. Locust and red gum are men- 

 tioned, but the exact uses are not stated. Sitka spruce supplied 

 eighty -four per cent of all; mahogany and white ash the rest. The 

 actual amount of a wood in an aeroplane is small, but it is selected 

 with much care and the waste is comparatively large. Scarcely 

 any mechanism requires greater perfection in material which enters 

 into its construction, for a defect is liable not only to ruin the 

 machine, but to result fatally to the operator as well. 



"The frame is made of spruce. It is necessary that the wood 

 be straight-grained and free from knots and other defects. The 

 strain on an airship is at times sudden and severe, and the machine 

 is so constructed that it distributes the strain equally on all parts, 

 or as nearly so as possible; and the wood is selected with the 

 purpose that every inch of it must stand its part of the strain in 

 critical moments. 



"Much care is bestowed on the propellers. It is absolutely 

 essential that they shall have the strength necessary to stand the 

 strain, and at the same time no superfluous weight is allowed. 

 They are sometimes made wholly of spruce, and at other times 

 are built up of different woods. A built-up projieller may 



WIXO BEAMS .\ND HIP.S OF WORLI l-flRCI.IXC AEROPLANE, MADE 



OF SOUTHERN ASII FURNISHED BY THOMAS E, POWE LUMBER 



COMPANY OF ST. LOUIS 



consist of a strip of ash in the 

 middle of each blade, with 

 spruce on each side, then layers 

 of mahogany outside the spruce 

 and thin pieces of ash outside 

 the hub. A propeller constructed 

 that way is believed to be 

 stronger than one of solid wood. 

 It at least offers the advantage 

 of a more careful inspection of 

 the material. One large piece 

 may have defects within, which 

 cannot be seen, but a propeller 

 made of small pieces offers less 

 chance for hidden defects. 



' ' The pieces are held together 

 with glue. It is claimed that if 

 high grade glue is used and is 

 well applied, it joins the pieces of wood so firmly that before the 

 pieces will pull apart the wood will break elsewhere. Mahogany is 

 usually employed in making the steering wheels of aeroplanes. ' ' 



It is safe to predict that a list of ten woods will embrace aU that 

 shall ultimately be found to possess the requisite properties for the 

 manufacture of aeroplanes. 



Some Second-Growth Prejudices 



Tliere is considerable prejudice in New England against white- 

 wood. This is the tree known also as tulip and yellow poplar, 

 Init owing to the large amount of sapwood in the second-growth 

 the name whitewood is usually applied. It is claimed by some 

 manufacturers that whitewood is harder to work and causes more 

 trouble from warping and checking than is the case with yellow 

 poplar. As a result the high-grade material is brought in, while 

 the local product is hard to dispose of at a profit. Other manu- 

 facturers claim that the prejudice against the wood is not justi- 

 fied and that with proper handling it will fill many of the places 

 of the more expensive poplar. A maker of porch columns uses 

 vv'hitewood and states that it gives excellent satisfaction. Since 

 the future demands for timber must ultimately be met for the 

 most part by second-growth material, a better knowledge of second- 

 growth hardwoods seems desirable. Chestnut is one of the most 

 common trees in southern New England, yet many furniture manu- 

 facturers will not use it, preferring stock from farther south and 

 west. While there are apparently grounds for this discrimination, 

 it is quite probable that many of the objections could be overcome 

 liV improved methods of cutting, handling and selling. 



An article appearing in an Illinois country newspaper, describing 

 a recently completed sawmill operation, makes the statement that 

 opens up an interesting possibility in sawmills. In describing the 

 edger, the article says: "With this machine the operator can make 

 any width wanted from two inches to twenty-four inches. ' ' Here 

 we have the exceedingly interesting prospect of taking a six, eight, 

 ten or twelve-inch board from the sawmiU and after putting it 

 through the magic edger, seeing it come out into a beautiful slab 

 twenty-four inches wide. Truly, all the wonders in sawmilling have 

 not yet been developed. 



