56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



-jiicK (u- si;ats I'lii; i.iiniT vehicles. 



i Vl'i: OK nODY USED ON' LICIIIT VEHICLES. 



tlie axles hickory, thovigli maple aud ash are 

 used iu small quantities. In the hubs elm 

 has exclusive use. The poles are alwaj's 

 made of hickory, either shellbark or the 

 lilaek variety. This is also true of the 

 reaches, rims, shafts, single-trees, double- 

 trees, spring bars, cross bars and nock 

 yokes. Felloes, being the other remaining 

 part, are confined entirely to wagons. 



Wagon manufacturers generally buy their 

 wheels already built, but they are construct- 

 ed according to specifications. The hubs 

 are furnished by the mill men in blocks cut 

 to specified length and dried in blocks. They 

 are turned at the factory as they are' used, 

 before going through the kilns. Eim strips 

 reach the factory in the rough, cut to cer- 

 tain, desired sizes. They are shipped green 

 and bent and finished before being used. 

 The spokes are always finished by the spoke 

 manufacturer, being turned and finished, ex- 

 cept the tenon, after they ate thoroughly 

 seasoned. 



The purchase of parts from separate fac- 

 tories has been rather a big problem with 

 the carriage manufacturer. In manv eases 



manufacturers have been known to luiy 

 parts and leave them lying about in exposed 

 places until they were ready for use. be 

 fore attempting the necessary finishing anil 

 seasoning. This has had a bad effect, for 

 the wood, j)articularly if green, will undergo 

 slight changes. But the manufacturer has 

 learned that it is necessary on receipt of 

 the parts immediately to put them through 

 whatever fiushing or seasoning is recpiired 

 and then to assemble them ready for imme- 

 diate use. As soon as this is done the parts 

 are sent to their respective departments 

 without delay. And this is one of the 

 jirime factors entering the ''turning" of 

 the stock carried, since the manufacturer 

 figures on having his stock turned once in 

 one, two or three years. 



For the bottoms of light delivery wagons 

 and buggies yellow pine strips, white ash 

 for sides on open delivery wagons and 

 white ash and maple in building up seats on 

 lioth are used. 



Gum is now being experimented with in 



the se.'its of light vehicles with remarkable 

 results. Lumber buyers are free in their 

 expressions that gum soon will be used for 

 wagon aud buggy sides. 



Builders of light vehicles are large users 

 of dimension stock, and the best that can 

 be had iu the market is always required by 

 them. Carriage manufacturers bu,y ahead 

 in order to avoid financial depressions rather 

 than to gain by fluctuation of jjrices. It is 

 often the case that stock ordered is not 

 delivered for several months, and it becomes 

 necessary to anticipate this, as much as any 

 other fact, in keeping sufficient stock on 

 hand. 



The illustrations shown here were se- 

 nned from the Studebaker Carriage Company 

 of South Bend, Ind., as well as much of the 

 data. This concern carries api)roximately 

 57,000,000 feet of hanlwood on hand all the 

 time, turning it once in three years. Its 

 I>lant covers seventy-five acres of ground, 

 with eighty sheds 230 by 400 feet each for 

 housing the timber. 



TAHT OF l.iiiiu SET.S Ol' WtllOEI.S AT STUDEBAKER F.\CTOEX. 



BODY OF ELECTRIC COUPE. 



