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HARDWOOD RECORD 



March 10, 1921 





A Small Carelessness May Ruin Your Machine 



Tr;ict<>rs and iiiotin- tnu-ks liavo iilayi'd a very important and 

 valual)Ic part in the prodiictJou of lumber iu many cases, without 

 them some mills would have to shut down. It is impossible to 

 determine the amouut of money which has been invested iu these 

 two means of mechanical conveyance by mill owners and logging 

 operators, but it would not be an exaggeration to estimate this 

 investment at between two and three million dollars. 



In most cases, care has been taken to protect this investment, 

 and in only a few cases has it been found that these trucks and 

 tractors have been abused by lack of proper attention and handling. 

 The deplorable factor, however, is that this small per cent of truck 

 and tractor owners, who do abuse their machines through careless- 

 ncs.s, seem to influence prospective purchasers more than the numer- 

 ous successful outfits. 



The writer was recently asked by a saw mill owner to go down 

 into the "delta" and inspect his operation, especially his tractors, 

 and to advise him, if possible, the reason for the failure of the rigs 

 to function. This particular lumberman had purchased the tractors 

 new and not over five months before. According to his statement, 

 they had absolutely failed to operate, even with the remotest degree 

 of success. Not only had these rigs fallen down on the job, but they 

 had proven a tremendous expense in regard to repair parts. 



Before going out into the timber, I gathered all I could from 

 the superintendent, and learned that the machines, which were ten- 

 ton rigs, could not haul two eight-wheel wagons loaded with logs. 

 This, of course, looked wrong, as many of us have seen these same 

 type tractors hauling three, and often four wagons, over roads with 

 conditions no worse than those which were now proving impossible 

 for these particular outfits. The tractor operator gave me the next 

 "clew," when he advised that the transmission bearing had proved 

 the most productive source of revenue for the spare parts dealer. 

 I found that these bearings had been "going bad" with clock-like 

 regularity, and that as fast as one would prove useless for further 

 service another would be put in its place— BUT NO ATTEMPT 

 HAD BEEN MADE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. 



The first thing I asked for was a sample of the transmission oil. 

 This I mailed to my office, with instructions to have same analyzed. 

 After going over the tractors I could not help but agree with the 

 saw mill owner, his superintendent and with the tractor operator, 

 tliat the tractors were iu very bad shape and entirely incapable 

 of logging his mill. 



However, the cause of all this trouble appeared to be so obvious 

 and so entirely inexcusable that I withheld my verdict until it 

 might be confirmed by chemical experts. It is hoped that, in relat- 

 ing this experience here, that all who have the misfortune to 

 experience similar unsatisfactory results, will profit by the lesson 

 which has cost this one particular owner several hundreds of dollars. 



The chemical analysis showed that the oil used in the transmis- 

 sion was primarily the wrong kind, in that it was mostly cylinder 

 oil. Furthermore, it contained over 5 per cent grit, which was com- 

 posed of such foreign elements as copper, bronze, iron and sediment. 

 Instead of using true lubricant in the transmission case, they were, 

 in reality, using a genuine grinding compound, which would have 

 been ideal for valve grinding, but was mighty poor for lubrication. 



After the writer had made his report to the mill owner the tractor 

 operator was replaced, and a young man who was neither too lazy 

 to change his oil occasionally, nor too good a mechanic to refuse to 



be guided by the manufacturer's recommendations, was placed in 

 charge of the tractors. The last advices received from this job 

 show that both machines are working every day and hauling thirty 

 tons per trip — with no more trouble. 



Hakdwood Becoed has "no axes to grind," and, furthermore, 

 has no intention, through this department, of making "alibis," or 

 shielding the manufacturer who puts out a cheaply constructed 

 tractor or truck with the expectation of its "standing up" under 

 the hard usage of the logging camp. But the Editor of this depart- 

 ment is glad, and, in fact, very willing to call attention to the 

 injustice being done to manufacturers who do make good logging 

 rigs by mill owners who, either through carelessness or ignorance, 

 allow their machines to be practically ruined, then, in turn, con- 

 demn the machine and the company which manufactures it. 



(Continued from page IS) 



or small group of machines is making a finished product independ- 

 ently of all others, a stoppage of one machine or group will not 

 affect the others. In a single band mill every piece of lumber from 

 the log passes through all the machines serially, and a stoppage of 

 one machine in the chain will soon shut down the mill. In a saw- 

 mill with two log-cutting saws there will be two streams of lumber, 

 and failure of one machine will generally only affect one side. 

 After the lumber passes the trimmer and reaches remanufacturing 

 and by-product machines, the full advantage of unit driving is 

 gained, for here one machine does not depend on another. 



17 With the foregoing conditions in mind, a comparison may 

 be made, first as to plant details and cost, and second as to operating 

 expense. 



(Continued in March 25 Issue) 



Rate Conference Set for March 15 



The proposed conference between representatives of the Southern 

 Hardwood Traffic Association and officials of the principal railroads 

 in the South and Southwest to discuss ways and means of readjusting 

 freight rates on low grade forest products, will be held at the Hotel, 

 Gayoso, Memphis, Tuesday, March 15, unless objection to the time 

 and place is made by the railroad men. 



Invitations were sent to the railroad otficials this week and it is 

 anticipated that the conference will be held as scheduled. 



The movement of low grade forest products is extremely small and 

 officials of the association insist that there will be little forwarding 

 of these so long as freight rates are so high as to greatly restrict the 

 area in which they may be sold. The principal argument the associa- 

 tion will use is that the railroads are securing smaller revenues from 

 forest products on the present high rates than they enjoyed on the 

 basis of the rate prevailing before August 26, 1920. What answer 

 the railroads will make remains to be disclosed. In the meantime the 

 association, with its usual thoroughness, is gathering definite and 

 trustworthy information for presentation to the carriers and it will 

 have specific data sliowing the extent to which the high freight rates 

 are shutting lumbermen in the South and Southwest out of markets 

 in consuming territory where they had always done business up to the 

 time of the 25 to 35 percent increase in lumber tariffs. 



