2,6d 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



is one Chicago concern which makes all of this type of box of 

 basswood. The reason for this is that the basswood box makes 

 a much more attractive and staple piece of furniture than the 

 box of pine. The whiteness of the wood and the beauty and 

 evenness of the grain, also the excellent finish which it will 

 take, make it a receptacle in which no housekeeper need hesitate 

 to place her most delicate articles of clothing. The manufacture 

 of this line of goods is also more or less of recent date, but this 

 company states that it alone consumes in this line half a million 

 feet of basswood annually. The lumber is bought in grades of 

 No. 1 and first and second, and in 1%" and %" thicknesses. In 

 the smaller boxes, where the thinner stock can be used, this 

 lumber is resawed, but usually the full thickness of the board is 

 utilized. 



The process of manufacture of the basswood chest is some- 

 what different from that of the cedar chest, in that the basswood 

 usually does not show on the outside, hence is put together and 

 finished in a different manner. The original process of cut- 

 ting to the proper size of the tops, sides and ends, is similar to 

 that of the cedar chest, and the various panels are glued up in 

 the same manner. But there is a great variety of finishing in 

 the utility boxes, the most popular of which is to cover the sides 

 and top with a high-grade Japanese matting, and to put a trim 



of some contrasting wood around under the edge of the cover 

 and at the bottom. This matting is occasionally used on th& 

 outside of cedar chests also, but it is not a common st.yle. Such 

 combinations as basswood chests, matting-covered with quartered 

 oak trimmings or mahoganized trimmings, or even with birch 

 or basswood trimmings, are the most common. The inside of the 

 box is well polished, and is extremely inviting for storing deli- 

 cate articles. In fact, the old process of manufacture has been 

 placed upon a high standard of quality even down to the 

 minutest detail of construction. The change from the old cedar 

 box to the modern cedar chest or basswood or pine utility box 

 has been a complete transition. 



An inspection of the factory of the Roos Manufacturing Com- 

 pany demonstrated that the cause of conservation in this coun- 

 try is being supported in a great many ways entirely unknown 

 to the outside world — in fact, the only conservation which will 

 be practiced on a broad scale in ■ this country for some years 

 to come — namely, complete utilization of products, is in active 

 operation in a great many ])lants. This company utilizes all its 

 waste wood for the manufacture of curtain pole accessories such 

 as brackets, curtain pins, ornamental knobs, etc. It undoubt- 

 edly makes a financially successful proposition out of the manu- 

 facture of these articles. 



' TO TOaiB5WiiiatotmsiW^>sti;to!>ira(ima^^ 



Use of Steam in Lumber Drying 



The following letter is from a well-known student of all phases 

 of lumber affairs, and is quoted in full: 



Louisville, Ky., May 1, 1912. 



Editor Hardwood Eecord: 



The elaborate article on the evolution of lumber seasoning 

 jirinted in a recent issue of Hakdwood Kecord. has aroused new 

 interest in the subject of steam and its use in lumber season- 

 ing. Steam has l)(>('ii used more or less for a good many years and 

 in various ways to assist in seasoning lumber, and some of the 

 results obtained by dift'erent experimenters with the idea should 

 be of particular interest right now. 



That steam will hasten drying is the universal opinion of all 

 who have used it, whether in connection with kilns or as a sejia- 

 rate treatment. And that steam tends to render more uniform the 

 color of oak there seems no question. Also the effect of steaming 

 is to reduce the tendency of the wood to swell and shrink with 

 changing ('(mditions of moisture after it is dry. Evidently it dis- 

 solves anil carries out, or to a better distribution, some of the 

 saj) matter that is a factor in this swelling and shrinking at the 

 same time that it dissolves and distributes the coloring matter, 

 thus giving the wood a more uniform color. 



One man who has experimented quite extensively with lumber 

 steaming says that it will undoubtedly make oak more uniform in 

 color but it makes it darker in so doing. This is a feature that 

 he has paid particular attention to because he makes parquetry 

 and fine flooring that often calls for wood in thi" natural light 

 color. Where a stained or treated effect is wanted, he finds that 

 the use of steam, an<l anunonia added, will give better results than 

 can be obtained by either staining or fuming in the regulation 

 way. But people wanting the natural oak in fine floors complain 

 that it is too dark after it has been treated to a steam bath. 



This would hardly be an objectionable feature in furniture lum- 

 ber, for most of it is stained somewhat ilarker than the natural 

 color in the finishing process. And it certainly offers the advantage 

 of a more uniform color tone in the lumber. 



If we are to accept the idea that steaming tends to darken oak, 

 while rendering it more uniform, it naturally follows that veneer, 

 cut oiV either a rotary machine or a slicer, is slightly darker, and 

 more uniform in color than the sawed article, for either steaming 

 or boiling — which is practically the same thing — must be resorted 

 to in preparing the stock for cutting. Is this a fact? It is at 

 least an interesting question for the trade to seek the answer to. 

 It also serves to recall the fact that there was a time when the 

 veneer cutters dipped their freshly cut fine oak veneer into an 

 acid bath to prevent it turning dark, or "staining." This was 

 practically discontinued with the advent of the modern veneer 

 dryers. 



The superficial steaming of lumber as a preparatory process for 

 drying is a feature in several types of dry-kilns, both for pine and 



hardwood. This steaming is more in the nature of a steam bath, 

 as it is without pressure. Sometimes an effort is made to inject 

 a little pressure into the work. Steam boxes have been built pretty 

 much on the order of the steaming boxes for stave bolts, or those 

 useil in jireparing blocks for the veneer machine. But the amount 

 of jiressure obtained is ]iractically nil. When we get real pressure, 

 anil count the square inches in a door opening nf such a steam 

 box, it is easy to demonstrate by a little figuring that it is not 

 l)ractical to get ])ressure and hold it with any such arrangement. 



The question of i)ressure is an interesting one that the article 

 mentioned in the lieginning of this did not make clear. Moderate 

 )iressure was spoken of, but no exact figures given. It is a diffi- 

 cult thing to get pressure with your steam and have at the same 

 time a door big enough to run trucks in and out. This has been 

 the trying ]iroblem with many steaming-under-pressure ideas. And 

 if steaming under ]>ressure has distinct advantages over the steam 

 bath there will likely be some niore trys at solving the jiroblem. 



One nlan who treats lumber under real pressure (the same man 

 that insists that steaming oak darkens it) has dispensed with the 

 door idea ami gets his lumlier into and out of the steam boiler 

 by the tedious ])rocess ot ]iassing it through a large size manhole. 

 JIanifestly that is too muih trouble and expense as a general 

 proposition in seasoning lumber. It has other specific reasons in 

 this case. It is used as a means of treating oak to get "fumed" 

 and other stain effects, and it is used on mahogany to deepen and 

 uniforna the color. Other things are used along with the steam — 

 ammonia being the most common — but it is claimed that the steam 

 alone will darken the tone of oak and deepen the color of ma- 

 hogany. The steain is used under pressure running u|i to fifty 

 pounds, but is not alwa^-s kept that high. After the steaming, 

 which is of about si.x hours duration, the stock is taken to the 

 dry-kiln and dried. 



Some other wooils than oak and mahogany have been experi- 

 mented with, but the experimental work is young yet and there is 

 much to be brought out in the future. One experiment demon- 

 strated that our white walnut or butternut when treated comes 

 out with a beautiful mahogany color, and a figure that goes well 

 with it. It seems likely that red gum may be deepened in color 

 tone by this treatment, ami there may be many new possibilities. 



But do not forget that this was a matter of pressure that called 

 for a regulation manhole and cover, a pressure that it does not 

 seem practical to handle in connection with doors big enough 

 to take in trucks loaded with lumber. So it is a matter of special 

 processing rather than a matter of assisting the drying process. 



There is a modern method used by tight barrel makers that is a 

 strong object lesson on how steam, even without pressure, assists 

 in drying and joinery. The steaming is done in a close<l top rec- 

 tangular tower, with the only openings being at each side at the 

 bottom for putting in and taking out the barrels. The barrels are 



