32 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



December 25, 1917 



would be benefited. 



Right now, of course, building operations are below 

 par, and this might be considered a reason for postpon- 

 ing active effort along the line indicated. It is prob- 

 able, however, that the present lull might make it easier 

 to get the ear of architects than if the plan were attempted 



when every office was crowded with work. Leisure 

 makes for education, and propaganda having to do with 

 the increased use and enjoyment of fine veneered panels 

 is certainly education, which should be carried on just 

 as vigorously as circumstances permit and opportunity 

 offers. 



The Core Lathe 



This Coming Machine Cuts Many Feet of M erchantable Veneer that Would 



Otherwise Be of Little Value 



AS TIMBER BECOMES MORE SCARCE and 

 prices continue to climb, the veneer mill owner, 

 providing he is a man of good judgment, is 

 beginning to look around to see where it may be possible 

 to reduce the cost of manufacture and stop the waste of 

 material. It is a known fact that a few years ago very 

 little attention, if any, was paid to the roundings of the 

 log — the greater percentage was either carted direct to 

 the boiler room or thrown into the hog with its ultimate 

 destination the fire box. Cores were sawed into fire- 

 w^ood and sold about town or resold into crating stock. 



Today there are some veneer manufacturers who still 

 say that it is a waste of time and money to try to utilize 

 the cores outside of cutting them into crating stock and 

 w^ho maintain that cutting the cores down on a small 

 spindle lathe would result in a product of little value. 



If such is the case, why are some of the largest and 

 most prosperous veneer mills in the country installing 

 lathes carrying spindles from 2%" to 3^" in diameter? 



These lathes are installed for the express purpose of 

 further reducing cores, thus utilizing what would other- 

 wise be refuse. These mills are certainly not doing this 

 merely to have something to do, and could they not see 

 a profit in the operation, it is an assured fact that they 

 w^ould not long continue. A small spindle lathe is a 

 good buy for any mill, not only for cutting down cores, 

 but for handling logs of small diameter as well. For it 

 takes just as long to dog a small log in a machine carry- 

 ing a six-inch spindle as it does in one carrying 2^/%" spin- 

 dle, and should the log have crooks, by the time it is 

 rounded up in the big machine the operator has already 

 reached his chucks and so far the stock is of little value. 

 On the other hand, with small spindles, the cutting 

 can continue until the knife gets into the best part of the 

 log and is turning out usable material, thereby greatly 

 increasing the mill's capacity. A small spindle lathe is 

 not recommended for cutting '/4 or % inch for center 

 stock, or for faces 1/16 or 1 30 inch. 



D. E. Kline Becomes Veneer Secretary 



The biggest thing the veneer trade ever did was to provide for 

 a special war service committee at the recent big meeting in Chi- 

 cago. The spirit exhibited at the meeting revealed a true apprecia- 

 tion on the part of veneer and pane] men of the task which lies 

 before them. This committee, as noted in the last issue, was com- 

 posed of B. W. Lord, chairman, who is assisted by A. E. Gorham, 

 M. W. Perry, E. R. Morrison, D. E. Kline and R. L. Jurden, a 

 strong representation of the veneer and panel industry within and 

 without the association. 



This body held its first meeting in Chicago on Tuesday, Decem- 

 ber I 8, the members getting together at the call of Chairman Lord. 

 It is a notable fact that while all of them live at considerable dis- 

 tance from Chicago, the meeting was attended by every member 

 except R. L. Jurden, who was in Washington at the time on im- 

 portant association business along the same lines as that proposed 

 by the veneer and panel war committee. The committee members 

 in each case made the long trip to Chicago especially for the gather- 

 ing, and after completing the business, left for their respective 

 plants. 



The most important work was the selection of a secretary; this 

 honor falling to D. E. Kline, head of the Louisville Veneer Mills, 

 Louisville, Ky. Mr. Kline is the dean of the veneer industry and 

 his willingness to serve and to give practically his entire time away 

 from his business, is indicative of the earnest purpose inspiring 

 the members of the committee. 



It was decided that the committee will have headquarters in Chi- 

 cago in offices connected with those of the Chicago Veneer Com- 

 pany. This will keep the committee work in active touch with 



Chairman Lord, who is president of the Chicago company. 



At the same meeting H. E. Young, who is serving as secretary 

 of the association was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the 

 election of A. E. Gorham to the presidency of the association. 

 Prior to the election at the last meeting, Mr. Gorham had been, as 

 noted, appointed as one of the committee members. The resolu- 

 tion providing for the committee, however, stated that the member- 

 ship should be made up of the men named, and the president. 

 Mr. Gorham, being elected president also, the vacancy was left 

 which is filled very acceptably by Mr. Young. 



Mr. Lord also is planning to give practically his entire time to 

 the work of the association, the purpose of the whole movement 

 being to keep in close touch with problems in Washington, and to 

 act as a means through which the full resources and facilities of 

 the veneer and panel industries may be turned in the most efficient 

 and economical manner possible into channels of national service 

 during the war emergency. 



The reason for placing headquarters at a central point near 

 source of supply rather than at Washington, was that there is so 

 much confusion and congestion in Washington that accomplish- 

 ment would not result in so satisfactory' a manner as were the 

 headquarters of the committee near the source of supply. There 

 is, however, representation at Washington at this time, H. A. 

 Webster, a member of the Chicago Veneer Company, and well 

 in touch with war needs, having been in Washington for the past 

 few weeks. He is serving in an unofficial capacity. 



It is expected that Mr. Webster will be of material assistance 

 to the committee in its future work, and the committee officials 

 are planning on making frequent trips to Washington, as such 

 trips are considered necessary. 



