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The Seconds in Face Veneer 



There is an old and ever new problem confronting the veneer 

 making and the veneer using trade, the solution of which no one 

 seems certain of. This is the question of the profitable handling 

 of the seconds in face veneer, and it has to do with the face stock 

 sold to users and to the panels sold to the furniture man. 



A furniture man more seriously concerned with economy in 

 manufacturing and the meeting of competition in his own trade 

 than with the technical grading of veneer, brought the subject out 

 into the open for an airing in connection with a bit of sharp 

 bargain driving for some veneer stock. He was out to economize 

 on every little point, and he conceived the idea in connection with 

 some davenports and other work of that kind, that it was not im- 

 portant to have conspicuouslj- figured veneer in the ends and other 

 parts not exposed directly to view. He told a veneer man about 

 his idea and asked the veneer man what he could do in the way of 

 better prices on that kind of stock — quartered oak that would 

 harmonize with the face, but might have small defects and be 

 lacking in conspicuous figure. 



It so happened that this fit in nicely with the veneer man's 

 requirements. He had some stock that was hardly good enough 

 for faces, and yet it looked like a waste of good material to use 

 it for backs. So they soon struck up a bargain that was entirely- 

 satisfactory to both. 



That looked like a simple and perfectly obvious solution of the 

 whole problem of seconds in face veneer. But wait; the story does 

 not end here. It barely made a halt until a rival veneer man 

 appeared on the scene. By some means the rival saw either the 

 order or the invoice for this stock, which did not carry with 

 it anything to show that it was seconds. And that is where 

 the furniture man did a little bargain driving that was not in his 

 mind in the placing of the original order. The new candidate was 

 anxious for his share of orders for face veneer, and in order to 

 get it he met the prices he had seen for seconds, only there was 

 no agreement on the part of the furniture manufacturer to accept 

 off-grade stock. He simply drove a smooth bargain and got good 

 face stock for what he was perfectly willing to pay for seconds. 



The furniture man didn't really want to talk about the matter, 

 for it was working to his advantage, and the way to keep it work- 

 ing that way was to keep it dark. Such things will out in time, 

 though, and when they come out they bring with them questions 

 that must be met and answered. In this case we have a question 

 which the trade seems to try to avoid. It is a thing that 

 will have to be faced squarely some day, though, and the sooner 

 some rational solution is found for it the better it would be for all. 



There is not much permanent advantage to gain by striving to 

 keep part of the trade ignorant of what the other part is doing in 

 such cases. 



There is not much doubt but tha:t it may help the veneer manu- 

 facturers and the furniture men to have some recognized stand- 

 ing for these seconds in face veneer. There is always more or 

 less stock that is not of the very highest grade ynd yet it is too 

 good to use for backs. If by sorting this out and using it for 

 faces in obscure places on finely figured furniture, and for the 

 whole of less expensive furniture, one is able to make the bal- 

 ance of his face stock show up better and sell for more money, he 

 can afford to take a little less for this and thus even things up 

 with the furniture manufacturer. 



The disadvantages suggested are that it creates loopholes of un- 

 certainty. There is an indefiniteness of description and specifica- 

 tion that makes it a matter depending not only on the honor and 

 integrity of the parties trading, but also on their ability to under- 

 stand each other clearly in what each regards as seconds of this 

 kind. Moreover, it is not easy to specify clearly in a set of rules 

 for general use what should be seconds. Then, as one veneer man, 

 spoken to on the subject pointed out, there are several peculiar 

 angles to the problem. For instance, manufacturers of case goods 

 using quartered oak, naturally want the most conspicuous figure 

 in front, and if there is any small or obscure figure they will want 

 it classed as seconds and furnished cheaper. How then can one 

 draw a line clearly between inconspicuous figures and face stock 

 with small defects and set forth a second grade of faces that will 

 not always be a source for wrangles. 



One might logically claim that all clear quartered oak is good 

 face stock, whether the figure is conspicuous or not. And it might 

 be better to place the conspicuously figured quartered oak in a 

 class by itself, just as figured mahogany is classed, with each 

 particular lot fixing its own price according as it appeals, and 

 entirely apart from the standard grade of clear faces. In plain 

 oak this matter of distinction by figure is not as strong a factor 

 as in quartered aud in mahogany, but it is there just the same in 

 ]ilain oak, gum, birch and other woods, and it is a question 

 whether or not an eft"ort to classify the seconds in face stock might 

 have the efl'ect of lowering the standard of special figured stock to 

 what is now considered clear faces. 



The whole question is one which, the more it is studied, the 

 more puzzling it gets; it is oue that the trade shows an inclination 

 to fight shy of, but it is there just the same, anil some day, some 

 wav, it will have to be faced and answered. — J. C. T. 



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The Glue Problems 



"Every now aud then," said the panel man, as he wiped the 

 April perspiration from his brow with the care that characterizes 

 spring discomfort, "you see .something in the trade papers on 

 the subject of studying glue. We are told that we need educa- 

 tion (as we undoubtedly do), and that we can't expect to get the 

 best results until we wise up on this proposition along the lines 

 of analyzing each batch we make up as to tensile strength, vis- 

 cosity, and so forth. 



' ' That 's all very well and good. I thoroughly believe that 

 every man who uses glue ought to know what his requirements 

 are, and ought to get them in all that he buys. But, on the other 

 hand, it looks to me as if there might be some pretty effective 

 educational work done among the glue manufacturers themselves. 

 Either they can't or they won't tell us what their glue con- 

 tains, so that it is purely an empirical proposition, and you have to 

 try out each batch on its merits. 

 —42— 



• ' Along that line, just take a look at this, ' ' and the panel 

 expert tossed a letter in the direction of his visitor. It bore the 

 name of a well-known glue house at the top of the sheet, and 

 was couched in about the following terms: 



Dear Mr. Panel Manufacturer : 



Wo are .lust pnttinsr out a liii; lot ol glue that we believe will prove 

 unusually satistaotorvto our customers. We haven't much to say for It 

 as to looks, but it has been made in the good old-fashioned process which 

 makes good glue without regard to the appearance of the material. 



Yon haven't given us .nn order for glue for some months, and we are 

 especially anxious to have you try out some of this particular lot. We 

 should l)c glad to have you take a few barrels and determine whether the 

 stock will answer yotu" purposi's. We will be able to make yon a price on 

 this, for introductory purposes, which will enable you to cut down your 

 glue expense considerably. If yon can take as much as twenty barrels to 

 start with, we can give you the" slock for eight cents. 



Let us send yon a sample barrel, and we will apply the price (pioted. 

 provided yon order in tlie amount noted. We believe .von will have no 

 difficulty getting splendid results from this glue, aud we oommend it to 

 you with full confidence. 



Trusting to hear from yon at your earliest convenience, we remain, 

 Very truly yours. 



Glue MAXUK.vcrrnixr, Company. 



