HARDWOOD RECORD 



23 



Utilization of Hardwoods 



ARTICLE XXXIX 

 HALL FURNITURE 



That the manufauture of hall furniture is 

 of considerable importance as a source of con- 

 sumption of liardwood is made evident by a 

 trip through any of the large plants turning 

 nut this line of goods. Tlie information em- 

 bodied in this article, and the illustrations 

 used in connection with it, were secured 

 through the courtesy of the Lewis Hanson 

 Company, the big Chicago furniture concern. 

 This firm is an extensive [iroducer of hall 

 furniture, in addition to its large output of 

 mirrors, parlor and library furniture, and 



HANDSOME II.M.L TKEp: I\ OAK. 



wooden bathroom equipment, and for the last 

 year has carried a special line of parlor and 

 library tables. 



To give an idea of the extent of the in- 

 dustry, it might be to the point to say that 

 the Lewis Hanson Company alone uses an- 

 nually 1,500.000 feet of quartered white oak, 

 500,000 feet of plain white oak, 300,000 feet 

 of birch and .50,000 feet of malujgany. The 

 oak comes, of course, from the southern for- 

 ests, and is shipped in various lengths and 

 widths, quartered oak being cut 1 and 1% 

 inches thick, and plain oak 2, 2VL> and 3 inches 

 thick. Owing to the numerous ways in which 

 small waste ends can be utiliz<'il, a liigli class 



of stock is not necessitated, number 1 com- 

 mon being the best grade used. With a 

 view to complete the economy of material, a 

 system, whereby all parts of one article are 

 manufactured simultaneously — and thereby 

 the waste from one unit being used for the 

 other and smaller units — is in operation in 

 progressive plants. 



Mahogany and birch arc botli used to a 

 limited extent for hall furniture, the former 

 usually being used in solid boards for tops, 

 and the latter in cheap articles, it being 

 stained to imitate mahogany. One inch to three 

 inches are the usual thicknesses for birch. 

 Dimension stock is consumed in smaller quan- 

 tities, going mostly into small parts, tables, 

 etc. For this purpose square stuff from 1% 

 to 3 inches thick. 26 to 32 inches long, is used. 



All lumber, u]ion being received, is placed in 



the factory kilns for a period of three to four 

 weeks, absolute dryness being, of course, es- 

 sential. In the case of the Hanson Company 

 the kilns have a capacity of 125,000 feet, in- 

 suring a continuous supply of dry stock. 



After re-drying, the lumber is allowed to 

 remain on the trucks from three to four days 

 before using, and is transported on the same 

 trucks directly to the machines. As wide 

 material, especially quartered oak, is not pro- 

 duced in sufficient quantities to supply the 

 demand, narrower widths must, of necessity, 

 be used, and particular care is required in 

 matching at joints. To facilitate this pro- 

 cess, it is the custom among manufacturers 

 to plane one side of each board, as the first 

 step to utilization. 



In the manufacture of hall trees, seats, and 

 similar articles, sawing to pattern is the next 

 step, the waste being used for arms, frames 

 and similar parts. In making cheaper prod- 

 ucts, however, it is the custom to turn out 150 

 to 200 hall trees in one process. Prom the 

 time the lumber enters tlie planer to the ulti- 



