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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



January 10, 1922 



Value of the Jointer in Small Shops 



As the smaller shops can only employ a limited number 

 of machines, every tool installed must be selected with 

 the greatest foresight. Larger concen.s can afford to 

 have special machines for every operation in the course 

 the use of tools that are adapted to only one operation or 

 of manufacture. In fact, their large production compels 

 class of work. 



On the other hand, the limited production of the small 

 manufacturer necessitates the use of a small number of 

 machines which MriW give the same results. That is, mak- 

 ing the same articles, only on a more limited production 

 scale. To do this every machine must, in some degree, be 

 adapted to other work besides that w^hich it is primarily 

 intended. 



To illustrate this point reference might be made to one 

 little shop that had only four machines to work v^ith, and 

 yet made the entire interior finish for a house. These 

 tools were a mortiser, rip and cut-off saw and a planer. 

 Perhaps the most useful of the lot was the jointer. 



This tool is really indispensable to nearly all plants, 

 large or small. In the larger plants its capacity for straight 

 jointing work is sufficient to assure its necessity. While in 

 the small shops its adaptability for many different opera- 

 lions makes it quite essential. 



In the case above mentioned, the jointer, besides doing 

 its regular work, was used to make all the casings, mould- 

 ings, tenons, stools, base, etc., in the house. 



You often see the jointer used for making simple 

 mouldings, in spite of the fact that a sticker may be at 

 hand for this purpose. Where there are only a few feet 

 of moulding to make, it can be done quite as quickly on 

 the jointer as on the sticker, especially as the men are apt 

 to be more familiar with the operation of the jointer. An- 

 other advantage it has over the sticker is in the matter of 

 making rabbets. In this work the jointer makes a perfect 

 rabbet without taking anything off the face, as is the case 

 with the sticker. This rabbeting is done by first sawing 

 the pieces on the rip saw, making the saw cut as deep and 

 as wide as the rabbet is to be, and then finishing on the 

 jointer. 



By the aid of a specially constructed box, the jointei 

 can be quickly made adaptable for fluting columns. 

 When so equipped, the jointer will do excellent work, only 

 a little short of results obtained on machines made espe- 

 cially for fluting work. In addition, small lots of pulley 

 stiles, door jambs and many other things can be worked 

 profitably on the jointer. 



It must be remembered, however, that the jointer when 

 fitted with round cylinders is not adapted to this wide 

 range of work. Round cylinders equipped with thin, 

 high-speed knives undoubtedly give the very best results 

 possible when used for jointing purposes only. But where 

 other work must be considered as part of the duty of this 

 machine, it is better to use the four-slotted cylinder carry- 

 ing four knives. The practical advantage of this head is 

 that it is not necessary to take off the straight knives every 



time different knives are put on. And knives may be 

 used with two or more slots any distance apart; also, many 

 knives may be used as close together as desired. 



Hawke Attempts to Put the Furniture Buyer Wise 



The latest reminder which the furniture industry has received 

 that Attorney George S. Hawke is still alive and doing business 

 at the same old stand is a pamphlet designated as "Bulletin No. 6." 

 This bulletin was issued under the signature of the "National 

 Furniture Association" and signed by Mr. Hawke, as "Acting 

 Secretary." It is addressed to "buyers of retail furniture depart- 

 ments," and appears to be predicated upon the assumption that 

 such buyers know little or nothing about the product they presume 

 to buy and are likely to be victimized by the manufacturer of 

 furniture if not instructed as to what to beware of. They are 

 urged to acquaint themselves with "exactly what every part of a 

 piece of furniture is made of before placing an order." Then, as 

 evidence of how the unsophisticated buyer may be cheated, Mr. 

 Hawke proceeds to quote the alleged yearly requirenients of cer- 

 tain large furniture manufacturing establishments, showing that 

 they buy large quantities of gum and birch and other woods, as 

 well as walnut and mahogany. It is presumed from this that 

 Mr. Hawke believes that the average buyer of furniture does not 

 know gum and birch are used in the manufacture of furniture 

 and that if he did know he would not buy furniture in which these 

 two woods are used, but would insist on walnut and mahogany only. 



Other portions of the pamphlet, evidently intended to reflect 

 discredit upon the practice of using veneers, or at least on the 

 employment of woods for core stock in panels different from the 

 face of the panel, are too vague to permit of an attempt at ex- 

 tended analysis. 



Mr. Hawke admonishes the buyer to "Remember, order your 

 furniture finished light enough to show the beautiful grain of the 

 wood in all exposed parts." 



Members of the lumber and furniture industry who have read 

 Mr. Hawke's effusion are amused at his attempts to instruct the 

 retail furniture buyer, as it has always been supposed that the 

 buyer knew almost as much about furniture as the manufacturer, 

 and that he could tell the difference between the various woods, 

 and was familiar with construction methods. It has never been 

 supposed that the buyer did not generally know just what he was 

 getting. It is commonly understood that the need for better defini- 

 tions for furniture, or better understanding of woods and methods 

 of construction used, was primarily for the protection of the 

 average ultimate consumer. The manufacturer's interest in the 

 matter chiefly issues from a desire to protect the good name of 

 his product from the dissatisfaction and suspicion that results when 

 a buyer has been imposed upon by a retail salesman. The calling 

 of a piece of furniture "walnut" or "mahogany" that may only 

 be finished or veneered in one of these woods, is more or less a 

 trade habit and a convenience in transactions between manufac- 

 turer and buyer for retail establishments, and is not generally prac- 

 ticed for purposes of deception. 



Furniture Exchange Elects Officers 



Meeting at the Emery Hotel, the newly-elected directors of the 

 Cincinnati Furniture Exchange elected the following officers for 

 1922; President, Fred Stille; vice-president, A. G. Steinman: sec- 

 ond vice-president, Howard Scheid; treasurer, Henry Hagemann; 

 secretary, H. B. Kemper. 



The Dade City Veneer Mills has been incorporated ijt Djde 

 City, Fla. 



