lliiiul blocks, or pniU, for ii8i- in !uiii<lin^- iiaK sliuiilil l>i> fiicoil 

 with H firm liiinl felt. Owiii^ to tin- iiatiiro of the hnnl nnil 

 soft );raiu8 in onk, if a soft folt or pnclilini; is usimI, tlio soft ijriiiii 

 is linlilo to be samleil out more thiin tlic hnnl and consiMiiiontlv 

 this lenves n poor siirfiu-f. 



Some of the nioilern phiiiiii^ mnehines are iiiaile with as miii'h 

 uniformity ns praetirni in the bolt heails, so that only a few 

 wrenrhes arc requireil, ami a place is ])roviile<l to keep these few 

 80 that thoy will always be at haml. The rare of the oMer ma- 

 ohines may be fncilitatod by makin); the same provision, that is, 

 fitting up the necessary wrenches for the machines, then having; 

 a convenient place for them. 



Steel sash for windows in fire-proof buililin(|[S has proved dis- 

 appointing; enough and there seems to be some turning back 

 to wood again. Steel is found to be too cold, as well as uninviting, 

 and there is really nothing; that so apjieals for sash, iloors and 

 interior trim as good, woodwork. 



Fire walls between different departments of the woodworking 

 plant should be kept as soliil and intact as possible. No shaft 

 holes, or other openings than doors, should be made, if they can 

 possibly be avoided. The doors should be so hung as to auto- 

 matically close. 



In sanding doors on a hand block belt sander, most operators 

 use six-inch belts, because that happens to be a regular width; 

 but much better results will be obtained if a narrow belt is used, 

 say four-inch. A si.\-inch belt is liable to round the edges because 

 it is wider than the stiles and rails. 



A good rule to follow is never to use a saud belt that is any 

 wider than the work. Take frame work for instance. Very often 

 the surfaces are not over two or three inches wide. Belts and 

 pads conforming to these widths give much better satisfaction 

 than when the belt, as well as the pad, is so wiile that it run 

 over the edges. 



Too many people interpret efficiency to mean a cheaper product 

 when it really should often mean a better product. 



The planin j mill without a veneer room is mighty likely to be 

 handicapped in getting all the work it should have, for veneer is a 

 pretty common item now in both cabinet and mill work. 



It is time for every woodworker to wake up to the progress tliat 

 is being made and to remember that cut-offs which were thrown 

 away a few years ago without a thought are today being utilized 

 with profit. 



Carelessness is one of the principal causes of accidents. Em- 

 ployees should therefore exercise reasonable caution in all ways 

 and at all times. Scuffling, fooling, running about the plant, and 

 voluntary exposure to unnecessary risk, should be avoided, and all 

 employees should work together to suppress activities of this kind. 

 It is usually the younger and more thoughtless ones who are re- 

 sponsible for the practical jokes and horse play: and the older 

 employees should exert their influence to curb these spirits and 

 maintain order. Careless aud thoughtless acts often result in 

 injury to other persons than those who are immediately responsible 

 for them. The natural and unavoidable dangers of work are great 

 enough, and they neyer- should be wilfully increased. 



We keep learning new things about drying lumber, and there 

 are still more things to learn. 



Metal trimmings on wood work may help the cause of decora- 

 tion, but really there is more harmony and lasting qualities se- 

 cured by the use of wooden knobs and pulls on furniture and 

 other cabinet work. 



It is generally better for the planing mill man to buy a proper 

 veneer press for doors than it is to make one himself. 



A dull saw causes a lot of unnecessary waste of power, but the 

 saw that is without enough set and pinches in the cut is the one 

 that loads the power plant with the most unnecessary burden. 



One of the fundamental principles of drying lumber is to ex- 

 tract the moisture and throw it awav. 



It is not always the fault of the owner when a filing room is 

 not in good shape. Sometimes tho filer hiniMcIf is largely to 

 blame, even though he nuiy not know it. 



How long lumber may be kept on hand and still remain good 

 for work, depcmls some un tin' work and some on how the lumber 

 is ke]it. Lumber twenty and more years oM has been usnl in 

 cabinet work and seems to have improved with age. Of imirse, 

 to kei>p lumber sound this length of time, it should be kept under 

 shelter. If that is done, cabinet lumber may bo kept indefinitely, 

 but lumber for handles, vehicles, and other purposes where strength 

 is an item, seems to be at its best when it first gets thoroughly 

 ilrv, sav between one and two vears old. 



Chicago Carpenter Strike Finally Settled 



Due to the activity of the forces favoring arljllratioii. the car- 

 penter strike which has been on in this city for the jiast several 

 months, and which has completely disorganized the trade, was 

 finally settled by mutual agroement on Saturday, July 10, and 

 on the following Monday a great many of the artisans were back 

 at work. This releases the mill operators and handlers of all 

 other classes of building materials on their agreement to suspend 

 shipments, the result being that there has been a distinct boom in 

 building in Chicao in the last ten days. 



During the first two months ])erniits to the total of almost 

 $16,000,000 have been granted for buildings within the city limits, 

 and a large percentage of this is for new work which will umloubt- 

 edly be started immediately with the impetus given by the settle- 

 ment of the strike. 



The settlement was brought about by the appointment of a 

 carpenters committee with power to act. This committee got 

 together at an all-night session with representatives of the op- 

 ]posin:; faction, and when they finally ailjourned, a mutually satis- 

 factory agreement had been reached. 



Through the settlement of this strike the carpenters will re- 

 ceive seventy cents an hour for the next three years, this being an 

 increase of five cents over the price level jvhich has prevailed. 

 In addition the working agreement will extend to May 31, 1918, 

 and the employers are the winners in their demau'l tli;it they be 

 allowed to import materials from outside towns. 



The Lead Pencil Industry 



The manufacture of lead pencils was confined to a few cities until 

 quite recently; but it is now spreading to many parts of the world. 

 The work has been taken up in India on a quite extensive scale, and 

 use is there made for a native cedar (Juniperus Macropoda) which 

 grows on the dry hills of southwestern India and in Beluchistan. 

 Other woods are employed, but this cedar is most important. The 

 hardest problem in the business of making pencils is in securing 

 suitable wood, but proper grades of graphite are scarce in most 

 countries. The best pencil wood in the known world is the southern 

 red cedar, which reaches its best development between the Potomac 

 river and the Gulf of Mexico. Its softness, color, and whittling 

 qualities place it above all competitors. It has become scarcer and 

 substitutes are being sought all over the world. The India cedar 

 is not equal to the American in the desired qualities, but it gives 

 fair service. It is reported in a London trade paper that an American 

 firm is considering the matter of establishing a pencil factory in 

 India to use the wood native in that country. It is not probable 

 that pencils made there would ever apjiear in American markets. 

 They will seek their field in oriental countries, where the demand is 

 constantly growing. Japanese pencils now supply part of that de- 

 mand; but owing to the lack of suitable wood in Japan, the ipcncils 

 made there are only mediocre, judged by American standards. The 

 wood is too hard and tough to meet the ideas of users in the United 

 States. 



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