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Harawood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



December 10, 1920 



Pacific Coast Veneer Makers Organize 



Association Hopes to Introduce and Encourage Use of Western 

 Veneers in All Markets of This and Foreign Countries 



Another decisive step toward the organization of the 

 veneer manufacturers of the Pacific Coast into an asso- 

 ciation was taken at a meeting of representative members 

 of the far western branch of the industry at the Multno- 

 mah Hotel, Portland, Ore., Nov. 1 7. The manufacturers 

 received the report of the organization committee, con- 

 sisting of F. B. Knapp of the Forest Products Company, 

 Portland, chairman; S. A. Sizer of the Raymond Veneer 

 Company, Raymond, Wash., and C. W. Schuh of the 

 Columbia Box & Veneer Company of Puyallup, Wash. 

 They then adopted the recommendation that the manu- 

 facturers of sheet veneer, crates, berry and grape slices 

 and other veneer products, immediately form an asso- 

 ciation, more or less restricted in its scope and principally 

 to disseminate information as to market conditions and 

 the standardization of process and grades covering the 

 products of the veneer industry as now represented along 

 the Pacific Coast. 



The meeting, on the recommendation of Mr. Sizer, 

 authorized the selection of a committee on organization 

 to draft a constitution and by laws and report at a gen- 

 eral meeting of the veneer manufacturers to be held at 

 the Multnomah Hotel, Portland, Nov. 30. Mr. Knapp 

 was then appointed a committee of one to carry out this 

 purpose and instructed to report at the meeting 

 designated. 



The fundamental purpose of the association, according 

 to the remarks made at the Nov. I 7 meeting, will be to 

 develop further markets for the products of western 

 veneers. When Mr. Knapp, concluding his report, asked 

 for suggestions as to the services the association might 

 render, Mr. Sizer said that he foresaw that this primary 

 organization might be expanded into an association or 

 agency which would cover the broadest possible scope of 

 endeavor in the introduction of western veneers into all 

 of the markets of the United States as well as foreign 

 markets, which now^ seem to offer attractive prospects. 

 Mr. Sizer particularly pointed out the necessity for care 

 and refinement in manufacture and uniformity of grade in 

 placing the western products in primary markets in the 

 best condition as regards manufacturing, grade and con- 

 ditions of loading, in order not to detract from the possi- 

 bility of expanding the market through carelessness in 

 handling the products. 



Mr. Schuh endorsed these remarks and further elabo- 

 rated them on the necessity of the industry becoming 

 firmly established in its care of grading and handling of 

 products going into new markets. 



During the afternoon session F. W. Gates of the Gates- 

 Irwin Veneer Company, Portland, addressed the meeting 

 with regard to his recent trip to the East, outlining the 

 views of eastern users who had recently received their 



first shipments of western veneers. His remarks indicated 

 the satisfaction with which- these products had been re- 

 ceived by the eastern trade and the prospect of a con- 

 siderable call for western products because of these trial 

 orders. Several others elaborated these remarks with 

 their experiences with the eastern market, all of which 

 were encouraging as to the extended use of western 

 veneers in the middle western and eastern markets, es- 

 pecially for core stock, sheet stock and wirebound box 

 material. 



The following information committee was named: J. 

 W. Beiger, Beiger Veneer Company, Kelso, Wash., face 

 stock and core stock; J. S. Taylor, Multnomah Lumber & 

 Box Company, Portland, Ore., California slices; Mr. Sizer 

 and E. S. Downing, Willamette-Pacific Box Company, 

 North Bend, Ore., drum stock, grape covers and orange 

 slats; Mr. Sizer and Mr. Knapp, wirebound material and 

 sheet stock. 



In Eastern veneer circles very little is heard relative to 

 veneers made from woods indigenous to the Pacific Coast. 

 But the veneer industry is developing in the Far West, 

 chiefly in the making of veneers for boxes and other pack- 

 ages, and secondly for corestock and crossbanding for 

 panels. Veneers from Douglas fir, alder and maple, how^- 

 ever, have made some headw^ay as face veneer stock. At 

 least one large eastern furniture manufacturer has in- 

 terested himself in Pacific coast veneers and has bought 

 quantities of them for use in his factory. 



Veneers are being cut on the coast from spruce, cedar, 

 white pine and cottonw^ood, in addition to the other woods 

 mentioned. Douglas fir is said, however, to have the 

 greatest future in veneers of all the western woods. What 

 recommends it is its inexhaustible quantity, beauty of fig- 

 ure and low moisture content. As a face veneer Douglas 

 fir is already being used extensively on door panels and 

 interior trim. The heavy demand for veneer from this 

 species, however, is for wire-bound box stock. Most of 

 the fir is cut to one-seventh-inch thickness, glued up three 

 ply and sanded to three-eighths inches. 



The fir logs must be thoroughly steamed or boiled be- 

 fore peeling into veneer, because of the hardness of the 

 wood and the unusual toughness of knots. The heating 

 process, how^ever, puts the wood in good condition for 

 veneer cutting, and the knots do not injure the knives. 



Enormous quantities of wire-bound box stock are made 

 from fir. A great deal of such stock is shipped east. 



Battery separator stock, about one-thirteenth of an 

 inch, is being made from western red cedar. There is 

 considerable demand for this kind of veneer, but some 

 difficulty is experienced in getting stock of even thick- 

 ness, as the lathe operators have difficulty in manipulat- 

 ing the pressure bar. 



(Continued on papc .^8) 



