April 10, 1918 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



27 



No Economy in Cheap Glue 



War Prices Shouldn't Discourage Use of Dependable Product 



NE angle of the war situation as it affects panel this item. Strangely enough, he is strictly a quality 



manufacturers, furniture makers, fixture con- buyer in the purchase of veneers and lumber, and imme. 



cerns and others who are laying veneers and diately gets suspicious of the salesman who claims to 



manufacturing built-up work is the higher cost be able to beat the market a couple of dollars a thou- 



of glue. The movement upward of beef has involved sand on either of these materials. He has arrived at 



a rise in the price of hides and other by-products from years of discretion and he knows that you usually get 



livestock, and one of the things which are commanding just about what you pay for. But the purchase of glue, 



higher prices as a result is glue. apparently, possesses some mysterious attractions that 



It is probably true that if the increase in the cost of makes him willing to cast aside the usual restrictions 



glue were compared with other increases, including var- placed on his purchasing and to adopt a speculative 



nish, glass, hardware, abrasives and other materials used attitude with reference to it. 



around furniture factories and similar plants where glue The salesman who whispers a few words in his ear 



is purchased in quantity, it would be found that the regarding a special proposition that is being presented 



increase was not so great, after all. Besides, most man- to a favored few and who tells him about the wonderful 



ufacturers have taken care of these prices by horizontal results that are being secured by users of a new and 



advances covering their entire line, and the ultimate con- remarkable blend originated by his concern is able to 



sumer, via the dealer, is providing for this increased cost get attention from this consumer when a straight-out 



of production. declaration of the characteristics of the product, stated 



Hence, looking at it from every angle, there is no in plain black and white, and in terms that can be dem- 



real excuse for cutting down on the quality, on the onstrated and checked up on in the laboratory, would 



theory that it is safe to reduce expenses in this way. probably not command much attention. 



Compared with some other elements of expense enter- Reference to the use of the laboratory as a means of 



ing into the production of glued-up work, such as lum- proving or disproving the statements of salesmen sug- 



ber, veneers, labor, power, etc., glue is a mighty small gests that less is done in this line in the industries where 



item, and it is at the same time such an important one veneering is done than in most businesses. Manufac- 



that it is poor policy to economize in its purchase. 



An interesting feature of the situation, as it affects the 

 veneering industries, is that the largest users of glue are 

 usually the ones who are most willing to pay the price. 

 A certain big panel maker who buys his glue in carload 

 lots instead of a few barrels at a time, as the ordinary 

 consumer does, pays higher prices than the average just 

 because he insists on top-notch quality. The very fact 

 that he knows what he is buying makes him willing to 



turers who are selling the automobile trade know how 

 carefully purchasing is done, and specifications must be 

 complied with, even to the extent of measuring charac- 

 teristics by laboratory methods. Big institutions buy all 

 of their materials on specifications — and don't accept the 

 material on faith. On the contrary, the laboratory tech- 

 nician is asked to make tests of it to insure getting just 

 what was ordered and just what is to be paid for. 



Not only do buyers in the furniture and allied fields 



pay more money than lots of consumers are willing to refuse to apply this test to glue, as a general rule, but 



lay out in this way because he is in a position to judge 

 quality and therefore measure results. 



In too many cases glue is just glue. Perhaps this is 

 not altogether the fault of the user, but part of the blame 

 rests on the glue producers themselves. They have not 

 been able to educate glue buyers through the trade and 

 technical press regarding the importance of standard- 

 izing their glue, just as they have standardized other 

 materials which they use. The tendency therefore is to 

 experiment, to make price the predominating element. 



they buy varnishes and similar supplies in the same em- 

 pirical way, to use a term that is perhaps stretched a bit 

 in order to cover the situation. It would be more ac- 

 curate to say that personal prejudices and leanings, some- 

 times based on experience, and other times based on 

 factors less definite, control the buying policy, and that 

 the buyer often does not know^ exactly what he is get- 

 ting. He is purchasing a certain kind of material, but 

 whether it possesses the characteristics that are needed 

 for the work in hand is a question that cannot be de- 



to substitute salesmanship for science in the distribution termined in advance of actual use. 

 of the product. A lot of things could be improved in As far as glue is concerned, it is possible to find out 

 this connection. exactly what the material should supply in certain direc- 

 There is a certain table manufacturer who buys a tions, and it is therefore possible to know prior to pur- 

 fair lot of glue in the course of a year who is an inveter- chase whether a certain glue is the exact material that 

 ate bargain hunter when it comes to the purchase of is needed. Buying a misfit merely because of an attrac- 



