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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



November 25. 1917 



staining and filling. Boys are boys and will never be otherwise. 

 When I was a boy I liked to shirk when the foreman wasn't on 

 the job. Unless the foreman sees what is being done, there may 

 be poor sanding, staining or improper filling. Most workers favor 

 a filler with plenty of oil in it, which will wipe easily. Unfortu- 



nately, however, if too much oil is used and not enough drier, the 

 filler will sink in drying and fail properly to fill the pores. 



Today fumed oak is probably the most popular oak finish. Most 

 finishers are familiar with the process of fuming and are employ- 

 ing modern fuming boxes. A. T. D. 



Barrels Made of Veneer 



Different Styles of Containers Manufactured of Thin Woods 



lERTAlN KINDS OF BARRELS and kegs are 

 manufactured of veneer instead of thick staves. 

 Published statistics of the cooperage industry 

 do not distinguish between containers made of 

 thick staves and those of thin sheets or slats of veneer, 

 consequently it is not possible to quote figures to show 

 the amount of material going into each class. The annual 

 output of staves for barrels of this class runs between 

 2.000,000,000 and 3,000,000,000 a year in the United 

 States, and such staves are of various sizes to suit the 

 manufacturers of barrels of different kinds; but that is 

 as far as published statistics throw any light on such staves. 

 It is well known, however, that some are of woods which 

 range from a quarter to a half-inch in thickness. 



The veneer barrel is not in this class, yet it does not 

 differ greatly from it. Some such barrels are of thin 

 slats, held in place by hoops or by bands or cleats, or 

 they may be interlaced in a sort of basketwork. A bar- 

 rel of that kind bears considerable resemblance to a 



J^IMWRS AND PAiNELS W^ 



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 GREY ELM 



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..oCONSIN VENEER GO^ 

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basket, or it may partake of the nature of a crate, though 

 in the form of a barrel. Its chief characteristic is the 

 thin wood of which it is made. Being of veneer, it is 

 very light, and a saving is made, not only in the first 

 cost, but freight bills are smaller than in the case of bar- 

 rels with thick staves, because the weight is less. The 

 veneer slats in such a barrel may cross one another 

 diagonally, there being two courses, and the barrel's wall 

 consisting of five layers. 



Veneer barrels of another pattern are made. They 

 do not consist of staves or slats, but of sheets of veneer. 

 A single sheet is rolled to make a barrel, and the con- 

 tainer is coiTiplete when the heads are put in place. Such 

 a barrel is in three principal pieces: the two ends and the 

 single sheet that forms the sides. However, there may 

 be, and usually are, cleats on hoops to strengthen the 

 structure. Such a barrel or drum may be of one ply, 

 but the best and strongest are of two or more ply. Ves- 

 sels of that class usually pass under the name of drums 

 rather than of barrel. They generally rate at a little 

 higher class than the slack barrel composed of staves or of 

 slats of veneer. The sheets forming the three-piece drum 

 or barrel may be of nearly any wood, but the service 

 intended has much to do with determining the selection 

 of the wood. A cheap container may be made of sheets 

 of pine, spruce, or some other softv/ood ; but a little bet- 

 ter drum is of Cottonwood, basswood, tupelo, poplar, 

 or gum. 



Veneer barrels made of staves or slats may be used to 

 secure ventilation. The contents, such as fruits and vege- 

 tables, may require circulation of air. Containers of 

 lattice woik are best if ventilation is the principal object 

 sought. Another class of barrels has exactly the opposite 

 purpose. They must be practically airtight. No open- 

 ings or meshes must exist, otherwise the contents will 

 dust through and be lost. The three-piece drum of 

 veneer is best. The drum in which finely-pulverized 

 sugar (berry sugar) is shipped is an example. The 

 ordinary stave barrel will not contain sugar of that kind, 

 consequently the veneer drum is demanded. There are 

 many finely-ground commodities, besides sugar, virhich 

 go in such drums. 



The veneer drum does not generally have the bilge 

 of the brrrel. It is so strong that it needs no bilge. It is 

 celdom crushed or broken, even in the roughest usage. 

 The barrel's bilge acts as an arch to strengthen the con- 

 tainer, but the veneer drum is strong enough without it. 



Veneer for barrels and drums is cut by the rotary 



AU Three of Ui WUl B* B«neBted if You Mention HARDWOOD RECOKD 



