HARDWOOD RECORD 



Uhe Cor% Woods of Panama. 



The soft, elastic bark or cortex of a species of 

 oak tree of Panama is being utilized commercially 

 in the manufacture of corks. In all trees the 

 hark consists of cellular substance and a hard 

 ligneous tissue. The cellular substance predomi- 

 nates in the cork woods, and because of its 

 elasticity it can readily be cut and shaped into 

 the sizes and designs desired. 



The cork is removed from the cork tree of 

 Panama in July or August. The process in- 

 volves slicing the substance longitudinally up 

 and down the tree. After the bark has been 

 removed from the tree it is beaten so as to 

 detach it from the liber. The natives wait un- 

 til the tree is about fifteen years old before 

 they undertake to get the stock. The first crop 

 is. the most valuable, although after five or ten 

 years the bark flourishes again and another 

 crop may be obtained. The trees thus barked 

 live for many years. After the material is de- 

 tached from the tree and treated with the beat- 

 ing process, it is saturated in water and al- 



2 



A. 



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lowed to soak for a time. It is then dried In 

 the sun or over fires. Some of the heating and 

 dryiDg processes involve the use of soot, which 

 forces itself into the pores of the cork, thus 

 adding to Its firmness and smoothness. 

 The cork woods are worked into marketable 



corks by a process of pressing ; the material is 

 squeezed into squares by piling on weights, on 

 different sides, with compressing boards. After 

 the stock is pressed into convenient squares, it 

 is cut into strips by the use of a stripping 

 knife with proper gauges for getting the right 

 sizes. Then some of the strips are subjected 

 to round cork stamping devices and others to 

 the various forms of bung or taps needed. Fig- 

 ure 1 is a common shape. Figure 2 is the 

 cylindrical form often used by bottlers for me- 

 chanical insertion of the cork. 



The cruder processes of cork making are in 

 vogue in Panama, and much of the work is 

 done by manual labor. The cork cutter uses a 

 trowel-shaped knife with very keen edges, and 

 with a firm grip on the handle forces the blade 

 down through the cork, shaping the round form 

 very nearly perfect. The cork-stamping ma- 

 chines do this mechanically, and turn out the 

 corks with great accuracy of form. Figure 3 

 is another form of cork. Sometimes corks are 

 molded from the grindings and parings of cork 

 substances. The material is collected and pul- 

 verized. Then proportions of glutinous matter 

 are added. These are stirred together and the 

 cork material is molded in metal forms. One 

 of these molded corks is presented in Figure 4. 



Then again there are cork substances used in 

 washer form, as in Figure 5. These corks are 

 composed of a series of disks, one upon the 

 other, cemented together. One of the casting 

 flasks :s shown in Figure 6 in which the design 

 consists of the cone-shaped chambers A, which 

 allow the mixture of cork stuffs and glutinous 

 compositions, after being pressed in the molds, 

 to be removed easily. This is a sectional view 

 showing one-half of the device. There are 

 stamping tubes likewise used for the forming 

 of the smaller sized corks. The sheeting of cork 

 wood is flattened out upon a wood base or 

 stand. The punches are then used to cut out 

 the corks as at B. Figure 7. In the modern 

 cork cutting machine this principle is carried 

 Oui \'iv speedily with automatic tubes with 

 sharpened edges that penetrate the cork and 

 shape the sections very evenly. The single 

 hand punch plan involves many complications 

 and unsatisfactory results. 



Figure 8 represents two carved corks. The 

 native cork makers of Panama often make very 

 elaborate corks adorned with crown effects and 

 curved sections as presented in these two sam- 

 ples. The manufacture of these fancy corks 

 requires great skill and considerable time, and 

 sell at higher prices than the average per- 

 son cares to pay for a cork for common pur- 

 poses. 



The cork woods of Panama are not entirely 

 confined to the manufacture of stoppers for 

 bottles, either plain or fancy. There are other 

 uses to which they are put, among the most 

 important of which is the manufacture of heels, 

 as represented at D, Figure 9. In this drawing 

 the part C shows the base heel. To this base 

 heel the cork slab is attached, thus preventing 

 slipping and affording a cushion for the heel. 

 Cork heels are made from solidified cork wood 

 which has been compressed for several days un- 

 til the fiber is close and firm, and the heel 

 disks are then cut out with a sharp knife. 



The cork substance for tube packing is shown 

 in Figure 10 in which the metal tube is marked 

 E and the cork stuffs F. Pulverized cork stuff 

 is used for this purpose. The material is mois- 

 tened and forced into the tube. In a short time 

 it hardens, making a solid compact. 



The grips of pen holders are furnished with 

 cork pieces as shown in Figure 11, at G. The 

 cork for this purpose is selected because of its 

 superior fineness, toughness and general elastic 

 and absorbing qualities. 



Figure 12 illustrates the mode of using cork 

 tires In the channels of wheel tires as Indicated 



at H. The tire is made from a composition of 

 ground cork, and ingredients of rubber, glue, 

 borax and litharge. The combination makes a 

 firm, elastic and cushion-like tire. The tire is 

 shaped to fit into the flanges of the channel, I, 



and the latter is fastened to the wheel rim in 

 the usual way. Tbaveleb. 



New Michigan Company. 

 The Tioga Lumber Company, a Pennsylvania 

 corporation, which recently purchased exten- 

 sive timber holdings in Marquette and Alger 

 counties, Michigan, will begin operation 

 shortly. A sawmill with a daily capacity of 

 50,000 feet and a shingle mill are included in 

 the present plans of the company. A branch 

 road will be constructed which will connect 

 with the main line of the Duluth, South Shore 

 & Atlantic railway. Frank Hammond, man- 

 ager of the company, will have charge of the 

 woods operations and the construction of the 

 mills. As soon as the lumber can be sawed, 

 twenty cottages for the use of employes will 

 be built. The offices of the concern will be at 

 Deerton, but headquarters will also be main- 

 tained at Marquette and most of the business 

 will probably be handled through the offices at 

 the latter place. 



