i8 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



August 10, inn 



seeond if not the first rank among tlie mercantile powers of the 

 world. 



Quantities of white oak, or live oak and black locust are being 

 furnished for the construction of ships, the principal material of 

 which will be yellow pine along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 

 For use in the construction of tlie hundred wooden ships already 

 authorized by the government to be built on the Pacific coast, 

 not to mention those to be authorized, the liardwood industry of 

 the country must supply instead of oak, selected structural gum 

 or ironbark — a species of eucalyptus — for such parts as stern- 

 jjosts, rudder posts, rudder stocks and keel shoes. 



As agreed upon between Naval Architect Ferris of the Emergency 

 Fleet Corporation and a committee representing the Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association, the following hardwood timber and 

 lumber may be recjuired for each wooden ship to be built on the 

 Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 



The specifications for so-called yellow pine ships, having certain 

 oak timbers, provide, in part, as follows: 



.J. Oak items, unless otherwise specified, shall be selected stock 

 from the grade of construction oak timbers. The specifications 

 governing oak grades are given in association standard grades 

 issued by the Hardwood Manufacturers' Association of the Fnited 

 States, October 1, 1915. 



6. Knees shall be free from rot, heart or ring sliake, large or 

 loose knots, and other defects which would impair their strength 

 for the purpose intended. They should conform with the following 

 dimensions: 

 Thick- 

 ness Length of Kodv Length of arm 



In. Feet ' Feet 



16 f) an<l up .■? and up 



]2 8 and up 8 and up 



fl i) and up .S ',!> and up 



8 4'i and up .3 and up 



() 4 and up 2Vi and up 



4 :i ' -J and up 2 and up 



That brings us down to tlie treenails, pronounced "trenals" or 

 "trunnels," which are practically long heavy wooden spikes or 

 dowels to be driven in to hold various parts of the wooden ships 



pieces. Can be made from IVi by Ih-- by 36 inches rough dimension 

 stock, each piece containing 0..562 board foot." 



It is understood that a number of deck plugs used in the con- 

 struction of wooden ships are of hardwoods. The specifications 

 for wooden ships being constructed under government orders on 

 the Pacific coast, principally of Douglas fir, contain the following 

 relative to hardwoods: 



4. Hardwood items shall be of selected stock, high grade struc- 

 tural timl)ers. 



.J. Treenails shall be of clear all-heart wooil, straiglit grained, 

 and thoroughh- air dried. 



One set of specifications for wooden ships for the government 

 shows that in the Atlantic and Gulf-built vessels, the total gross 

 feetage, e.xcluding knees and treenails, of hardwoods required is 

 10,386, while certain specifications for wooden ships building on 

 the Pacific coast call for 8,501 gross feet of hardwoods, excluding 

 treenails. 



Gen. Gocthals for the Emergency Fleet Corporation has already 

 contracted with the Southern Pine Emergem v Bureau for the pine 

 components of 100 ships and is negotiating for such parts for fifty 

 more ships. A similar deal is being put through with the hard- 

 wood people, it is understood. The general has ordered from the 

 Douglas Fir Emeigency Bureau fir lumber and timber for 100 

 wooden ships, with more to follow, and the hardwood interests are 

 also coming across with their part of the ship material for use on 

 the West coast. 



It is said that there is to be little hardwood trim in the govern- 

 ment's wooden ship.s. However, a certain amount of hardwoods 

 will be required for the ribs and frames of ship's boats to be car- 

 ried aboard the wooden fleets under the Stars and Stripes. 



The specifications for the construction of cantonment buildings 

 for the new National army permit the use of grades of hardwoods 

 that are not too e-vpensive for flooring and the lumber committee, 

 Council of National Defense, has recommended ' ' That for durability 

 and service. No. .'1 hardwood strips be used for surface flooring 

 wherever obtainable; also that hardwood thresholds be used at 



Nt't size Gross si/e, 



ItMU Part inches inches I 



IJC Stern post 1:4x30 24 x:w 



ir>7 Kudiler post 20.\20 20 x20 



l.-)S Kuilder stoclx l.s.\l.s a8>4xl8'/i 



lo'.l Keel shoe .•ix20 A 14 x20 V* 



166 Treenails •1% 



167 Do •1', 



•l>iann't»'r. 



together. In tlie jiast treenails have gc!/erally been of black locust, 

 but that material is said to be so .scarce that many of the treenails 

 in the new government wooden ships will be of white oak. It is 

 stated that treenails shall be of clear all-heart wood, straight 

 grained, and thoroughly air-dried. It takes about 1 board foot 

 of lumber to make a treenail. With regard to the treenails, the 

 latest wooden ship specifications for Atlantic and Gulf .sliiiibuilders 

 provide as follows (from which it will be seen that, although this 

 is not a very large item, it still presents interesting opportunities 

 for hardwood lumbermen ) : 



Treenails will be of tlie following finished sizes and quantities: 



Size 

 Inches Quantity 



114x26 4,500 



1% X 32 12,500 



1% X 36 7,!500 



"Firms which do not have facilities for manufacturing finished 

 treenails, but which wish to supjilv rough oak lumber from which 

 treenails may be made by shipbuilding firms, may find the follow- 

 ing suggestions helpful: 



Memorandum Regarding Quantity of Oak Lumber Required for 

 the Manufacture of Treenails 



"Item No. 1, finished, size 1 '4 by 26 inches; ([uantity, 4,500. Can 

 be manufactured from I'/j by 1 1,^ by 26 inches rough dimension 

 stock. Amount of lumber in each piece is 0.405 board foot. 



"Item No. 2, finished, size 1% by 32 inches; ((uantity, 12,500. Can 

 be made from 1Vl> by liA by 32 inches rough dimtnsiou stock, each 

 piece containing % board foot. 



"Item No. 3, finished, .size 1% by 36 inches; quantity, 7,500 



Xunibcr Gross 

 LenRth, of footngo 

 Incar feet 



exterior doors." What quantity of hardwoods is being used for 

 these purposes, if any, is information that is not available just 

 now in the rush, of the work of building the cantonments. Yellow 

 pine and chestnut in hardwood regions may be used for dimension 

 stuffs, etc. 



Some but not much hardwood lumber, it is believed, is being used 

 in the construction of other buildings for the war and navy depart- 

 ments and other branches of the government service for war pur- 

 poses. These building operations include work that requires a bil- 

 lion feet of lumber, more or less, chiefly pine, fir and hemlock, for 

 additions to army barracks, cantonment buildings, hospitals, bar- 

 racks, storehouses, shops, wharves, docks, and other structures at 

 naval training stations, navy yards or naval stations in various 

 parts of the country, hangers and shops and other buildings at avia- 

 tion schools and camps, Y. M. C. A. buildings at army camps, 

 coastal airplane stations, warehouses at cantonments, at central 

 supply depots, at ports of embarkation on the Atlantic coast, at 

 American naval and military bases and camps in France, terminals 

 and other buildings elsewhere and for other jmrposes. 



Doubtless considerable quantities of hardwood lumber would be 

 used in this great work were it not mostl.v of a temporary character. 

 This fact and the necessity for quick action in cutting the lumber, 

 to say nothing of the question of expense, has brought about the 

 use of the softwoods principally for the government construetion 

 work referred to. If the war continues for any great length of 



