May i;: 



l erosaitat^mima^^iMittitimiJi^^ 



Chair Manufacturers Meet 



The National Association of Cliair Manufacturers held its semi- 

 annual meeting on May 14 in the Auditorium hotel, Chicago. The 

 program contained a number of interesting papers, among which were 

 the following: 



"Reducing Waste in Drying," by Tliomas D. I'crry of Grand Rapids, 

 Mich. 



"Fltiing the Man to tlie Job," by Harry I.. Kogolman. 



"A l^ile o£ Gold," by 11. II. Marcussen, former president of the Metal and 

 Spring Bed Manufacturers' Association. 



"Necessity of Cooperation," by Edwin F. Trpfz of the Chamber of 

 Commerce of the United States of .\merica. 



The freight committee of the association made its report for the 

 past six months, and C. S. Bather gave an account of his efforts 

 along the line of uniform classification of chairs. 



The paper by Mr. Perry explained at considerable length the struc- 

 ture of wood and by what jjrocesses wood may be seasoned. This led 

 to a description of various types of dry kilns and their history, with 

 successes and defects, and he concluded with the following descrip- 

 tion of what he called a vapor kiln: 



The vapor kiln is the latest development of the lumber drying art. In 

 tliis iiiln we liave adequate control of the heat, liumidity and tlio circula- 

 tion. Humidity control means that the water vapor in the atmosphere of 

 the kilii can be increased or decreased at will. The lumber on entering the 

 kiln can be immersed in a hot fog which will be an absolute safeguard 

 against casehardening and its attendant evils. This hot fog, which Is 

 maintained to a more or less degree through the entire drying process, is 

 an absolute preventive of fire in the kiln. It is impossible to light a 

 match or carry a lighted candle or lantern in this type of kiln, as the fog 

 is too dense to permit a flame to live. 



This fog, when properly combined with heat and pressure, may be forced 

 into the lumber in such a way that the free moisture can be rapidly vapor- 

 ize<i and the moisture contained in the cell walls can be heated and 

 esi>anded so that the cell walls will be opened, the constrictions loosened 

 and the opportunity afforded for the removal of all acid and organic matter. 

 To refer to an analogy in the kitchen : it a potato is steamed or boiled 

 it will expand to the full limit of its skin and usually crack or open the 

 skin. At the same time the steamed potato is drier at the center than 

 the baked specimen. Lumber with cells thus expanded and opened has lost 

 its power of contraction, because the pores and sap cells are empty. Is 

 it not clear that lumber thus dried cannot swell or change dimension 

 appreciably after leaving the kilns? Xot only will the usual shrinkage of 

 kiln drying be avoided but as a rule air dried lumber (which is always 

 shrunken) will be increased in dimension during the kiln drying on account 

 of the expansion of the individual sap cells. In kiln drying lumber green 

 from the saw there will be less than halt the usual shrinkage in air drying 

 ■due to the same cause. 



This process, which has proven so successful in producing perfectly dried 

 lumber free from defects and of permanent dimension, consists of a system 

 of steaming, direct radiation and effective circulation, which eliminates 

 the contents of the pores and sap cells, dissolving all acids and organic 

 matter, and extracting them from the pores and cells of the lumber, 

 leaving only tihre which will not shrink or swell to an appreciable extent 

 after this treatment. This ideal kiln has the means of controlling humid- 

 ity, heat and circulation, which arc the three important factors of kiln 

 drying and these can only be assured by a kiln built on these scientific 

 lines. Drying must be uniform at all points, and this can only be attained 

 'by uniform circulation. There is considerable difference l)etween cij^culat- 

 ing air by gi-avity and the strong draught generated by a fan. 



The addition of a steam spray can only be successful when the steam is 

 brought in contact with every inch of every board in the load. This can 

 only be achieved by the constant circulation of the steam under very 

 slight compression. In fact, every cubic foot of air in the kiln mu,st be 

 kept in circulation and must contain varying percentages of humidity — 



high at the commencement and low at the finish — whilst the heat must 

 he adjusted in inverse ratio. This process may be described as a satura- 

 tion-sweating-evaporation process, and wlien a kiln Is installed correct in 



every detail, the lumber will not only be dried in half the time required 



by any other process but will be free from defects, so far as the action of 



the kiln is concerned. 



ELIMIKiTION OF SHRINKAGE 



In a bake-oven kiln the sap cells will be shrivelled up with contents dried 

 to a coagulated form. This dried and shrivelled cell when exposed to 

 moisture will again swell. Consequently bake-oven dried lumber will shrink 

 ■because its sap cells shrivel and it will again swell because Its shrivelled 

 i:ells will swell when exposed to moisture. 



Let us think what this means to woodworkers. It means that when the 

 lumber is dried by the humidity or expansion process the interior trim 

 placed in a building will not show the usual shrink or swell. Doors, 

 wainscoting, bookcases and every part of the handsome and expensive wood- 



work that is popular in the up-to-date office and home could be made with 

 imperceptible joints and the elaborate arrangements designed by architects 

 for concealing shrinkage and swelling in panels, frames and lapped Joints 

 could be eliminated. 



Think what it would mean to manufacturers of panels and glued-up stock 

 if they could know that the heavy centers would be uniformly dry and 

 would not shrink or swell ; if they could know that the tendency to twist 

 and warp when re-sawing was removed. Think what it would mean in 

 the cabinet trade if case parts, drawers and doors could be fitted snug 

 and true, without the necessity and expense of refitting : if parts could be 

 fastened rigidly together without danger of changing from shrinking and 

 swelling. 



It means that woodwork, which, because of its variable shrinkage in 

 different climates has been displaced by pressed steel which has no 

 change of dimension in moist localities, can again come into its own, super- 

 seding this self-same steel, which is subject to such severe temperature 

 expansion. The thoughts suggested by this line are far reaching. 



The speaker dwelt with particular emphasis upon the great reduc- 

 tion of waste that results from seasoning lumber correctly. 



Southern Mills Logging Close to Cut 



Inquiry among manufacturers of hardwood lumber here develops 

 the fact that production is probably about 60 per cent of normal. 

 There are some mills which are running on full time. There are 

 others which are working part time and there are stUl others which 

 are closed down at the moment. In the meantime, it is estimated 

 that the sale of southern hardwoods is about as large as the amount 

 produced, with the result that there is no special accumulation. Some 

 are running their plants on full time because they believe that present 

 conditions and the outlook justify this course. There are others who 

 are running their plants on partial time, not because they believe 

 that conditions justify this course but because they are anxious to 

 prevent a complete disorganizatiou of their forces. There are still 

 others who have simply concluded that there is nothing in manufac- 

 turing southern hardwoods and putting them on the market at 

 present prices, and they have closed down their plants awaiting more 

 favorable conditions for the disposal of their output. 



There is perhaps greater irregularity in the hardwood business 

 than there has been at any time recently. Some members of the trade 

 are doing a good business while others report that business is quite 

 slow. Practically everybody agrees that the most pronounced feature 

 of the situation is the lack of a steady flow of orders. Periods of 

 great activity are followed by others which are characterized by 

 unusual quiet, all of which indicate that the situation is still far from 

 normal so far as the manufacture and distribution of southern hard- 

 woods is concerned. 



A rather xmusual feature is the method being ptirsued by manu- 

 facturers of hardwood lumber regarding getting out timber. It has 

 been the custom at this time to get out logs on a pretty liljeral scale. 

 Just now', however, almost every manufacturer feels that it is unwise 

 to store logs and this attitude has resulted in getting out timber as 

 it is needed for the mills. 



One firm a few days ago said that it did not get out more than 

 five to ten days' supply ahead and that it proposed to pursue this 

 course until conditions are much better. The firm in question said 

 that if conditions became such as to justify closing down its plant at 

 any time it would be in position to do so without being under the 

 necessity of cutting up a great many logs after it had decided that 

 it was wisest to close down. It also has made the observation that 

 most of the manufacturers of lumber in the Memphis territory are 

 pursuing a similar course for very similar reasons. 



AVar correspondents have told us something of the importance of 

 gasoline in war and how it is replacing horses, but nearer home 

 we can see gasoline replacing the mule in handling lumber trucks 

 on th« yard as well as trucks for lumber and log handling. 



When it comes to boosting hardwood for interior trim the birch 

 people have been doing good work that other hardwood interests 

 might well pattern after. 



—23— 



