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An Idea for Association Work 



A aplendia ...... ; - — ...; »ork in bardwood nmiiufnctui 



iDg eirvlos U beini; put forward now in tlio RouUiwcKtorn rountry 

 by tho yellow pii.. ' turcm. T' .•oiitiiincil in n propo- 



aition to have an i of mill r i.-volop lM>tti<r iiictliodg 



and a higher or.lif uf clVuMoncy in luiiihir iii;imifiirtiirin('. Good 

 results can he obtained by tho riuht effort nl^ln^; thin line. There ia 

 more room, however, for effective work on tho snine idon by ii )^ttini; 

 togctlicr of mnnagera of hardwood niillB, tho men in aetuni active 

 charge of their operations. The yellow pine people hove bigger 

 plants with n greater efficiency and have already progressed in manu- 

 facturing efllciency farther thnn the hardwood mill people. Still 

 another and stronger roa.ton that the opi>ortunity is greater for good 

 work among the hardwood niillmen is fouml in the greater variety 

 in the hardwood work, not only different local conditionH, but 

 there is involved tlio preparing of a groat lino of special dimen- 

 sion stock and getting out hardwood in the best shape for certain 

 specific uses in further manufacturing. 



The owners of the mills, who meet in various organizations of 

 hardwood manufacturers, take some notice of this subject, but there 

 is room for a great work along this line which should lio iiarlieipatcd 

 in by the men who are actually in charge of the work. 



Whether the idea would justify an entirely new organization or 

 series of organizations is a question open for debate. There have 

 been so many different organizations in the lunilx;r and woodworking 

 fraternity that sometimes it looks like the in.lustry will become 

 clogged or heavily bunlcned with organization. This might be taken 

 up by a national association of and by the different district associa- 

 tions of hardwood manufacturers. Instead of entirely new organiza- 

 tions, there might be incorporated into those already existing a sort 

 of bureau of technical research, and enlist the co-operation of the 

 mill managers in the development of manufacturing methods for the 

 greatest possible efBcioncy and for the best utilization of hardwood 

 jiroducts. 



Some associations today are examples of what can be accomplished 

 along the lines of improving manufacturing methods. The Xational 

 Brick Manufacturers' Association, which has been in existence more 

 than a quarter of a century, is an example of both organization 

 growth and manufacturing development around this very idea. 



Thirty years ago there was a feeling in the brick trade that some 

 improvement could be made in manufacturing methods. Various 

 plans had been suggested and new machines were offc.ed to facilitate 

 the work. A meeting was called at Cincinnati to discuss the technical 

 phases and see what could be developed in the way of improved 

 manufacture. Out of this effort there has developed not only a 

 great national association but the American Ceramic Society, which is 

 today one of the greatest technical institutes of the world. More- 

 over, the clay working industry was converted from a crude hand 

 craft into a highly specialized scientific industry involving the use 

 of some of the finest machinery and mechanical devices to be found. 



Something of the same kind can be accomplished in the hardwood 

 manufacturing industry. The question is whether or not it will be 

 practical to arouse enough interest in the idea to set to work and 

 keep working an active organization or bureau that will develop 

 the many possibilities for improvement. 



It would hardly be possible to give in detail in a short article the 

 many lines of activity which might be engaged in to advantage, but 

 they would include not only logging and general milling methods, but 

 would branch out to include a study of a great line of dimension 

 stock work, hardwood distillation, and the cutting, conversion and use 

 of hardwoods for every purpose for which they are available. "We 

 are in splendid shape to undertake such work at the present time 

 because some work of the same nature is being done by the Forest 

 Service which is ready to co-operate. 



■What the trade needs, and what it will have to get if this work is 

 to be carried on persistently, is some central bureau. The different 

 communities of hardwood manufacturers may have varying interests, 



—22— 



ual Hardwood Lumber Anao- 



ciation, could handle tho matter. 



To Test Northern Woods 



Kfforla to make more general uao of Wiaconain and upper Michi- 

 (^an IiimlH'r are being put forth along niuny linea. The Norihern 

 lli'tnliick ami Hiirdwouil .MiinufncturerH* Association ia couperiiting 

 »ilh till" Forest I'roductM Liilmrnlory in determining vnrioua qualities 

 of hemlock. ThoFo are days when fireproof construction is a watch- 

 word in building. Tho use of stone, brick, cement and steel ia popu- 

 lar. It is generally supposed that wood is not a fireproof material. 

 Tests made by the Forest Products Laboratory have shown aomo 

 interesting results. Materials supposed to be highly inflammable 

 have been proved to be even more satisfactory in tireproof conslriic- 

 lion thiin the more dense a;id inflammable substances. 



Testa have shown that wood covered with certain fire|iroofing resists 

 heat and flames better than steel. To make such a test a l>eam 

 supported on both ends and carrying u heavy load in the middle has 

 been subjected to fire. Light steel beams were found to "buckle" 

 and give way more quickly than lumber properly fireproofod. The 

 reason is said to lie that wood is a poor conductor of heat and when 

 properly covered to prevent early ignition it resists beat even better 

 than metal. 



An interesting test is soon to be made at Madison, in which north- 

 ern manufacturers are particularly interested. There is on the campus 

 a small onerooni house built of cement and supposed to be fireproof. 

 It is tho practice to equip this small building with interior trim of 

 wood and to lay a wooden floor and provide wooden furniture and 

 then set it afire. Records are kept of the length of time it requires 

 for tho wooden portion to be destroyed. Such tests have been made 

 of various kinds of woods, such as yellow pine, Douglas fir and 

 the like. It is now planned to trim the building with birch and to 

 lay a maple floor and see how long a time is required to reduce those 

 woods. 



The tensile strength of hemlock is also to be determined according 

 to two bases, the classification of the a.=sociation and the classifica- 

 tion of the national forestry reserve. Beams of a certain size are 

 to be supported on each end and weighted down in the middle until 

 they break. The weight required to break the beam is to be recorded 

 and the percentage as compared with other woods is to be computed. 

 It is said that hemlock has never had a uniform grading along the 

 lino suggested. Various building codes show different figures, ac- 

 cording to the estimate of the engineer preparing it. The oflieial tests 

 to be made at Madison, it is believed will permit of more accurate 

 standardization. 



Filers for mills and resaws where considerable cottonwood is cut feel 

 that this is not the easiest wood in the world to file for. One operator 

 says that he believes many mills are wrong in trying to get good 

 results by using 19-gauge saws. He believes that 18-gauge bl&des 

 will stand up to the work, and do better work longer than 19-gauge, 

 and that they will prove cheaper. His experience leads him to be- 

 lieve that teeth spaced l','i inches with plenty of hook, a full round 

 throat and about % of an inch deep will prove in most cases better 

 than any other combination. 



Depreciation is a factor that is as uncertain and as variable as 

 overhead cost. The selling value of a machine is seriously im- 

 paired the minute it has been used and becomes second-hand, though 

 it ma}- give just as good service as ever for a number of years. An- 

 other factor that some fail to take into account is that the coming 

 of a new and improved machine may lessen the value of the old, 

 even though it does as much work as it ever did. 



You can handle sawdust with a blower, but in some instances 

 it is more economically handled with belts and other mechanical 



conveyors. 



