SLACK COOPERAGE 127 



3 equalizers these men work one hour on and one-half hour off. 



4 stave cutters these men only work every other hour. 

 2 stave cullers. 



2 loaders on trucks that take them to the dry sheds. 



2 drivers to transport the trucks to the yards. 



8 pilers in the yard. 



4 stave jointers. 



Stavers get 83.00 to $3.25 per day. Common labor received $1.75 per 

 day of ten hours before the war. 



Manufacture of Heading. 



After the bolts designated for heading stock are cut off in proper 

 lengths (22 in. for sugar barrel heads) by the main cut-off saw, they are 

 first rossed to remove the bark and any accumulated sand, grit, etc. 

 One man can remove the bark fast enough to keep two heading saws busy, 

 when sawing 24,000 to 30,000 pieces of heading boards per day. Then 

 each bolt is transferred on live rolls to the heading saw, the largest bolts 

 being quartered or halved. One large mill observes the rule that bolts 

 12 in. and over in diameter must be halved; those over 16 in. are quar- 

 tered. 



The heading saw is also called an upright pendulous-swing saw. 

 The larger this saw with greater rim speed, the greater will be the ease 

 in cutting and, therefore, its capacity. The hardness and character of 

 the wood sawed will govern, of course, the gauge and number of teeth in 

 the saw. With beech, maple, birch, sycamore and oak a 5o-in. saw with 

 80 teeth, 15 gauge at the rim and 6 gauge at the eye running 1500 R.P.M. 

 will give the best results. With red gum, cottonwood, and basswood, a 

 5o-in. saw with 64 teeth, 15 gauge on the rim and 10 gauge at the eye and 

 running 1500 R.P.M. gives the most satisfactory results. A horizontal 

 hand-feed heading saw is also used to some extent and has certain advan- 

 tages. 



The heading saw usually cuts the heading stock about TO of an inch 

 in thickness. When surfaced and kiln dried it makes heading ^ or \ 

 in. hi thickness. Surfacing is usually done only on one side. 



The boards are then stacked on trucks which hold from 4500 to 5000 

 pieces and conveyed to the dry shed where they are left from ten to 

 thirty days with stickers between the layers. 



From the dry shed the heading boards are rolled on trucks into the 

 dry kilns, of which there are many types. One mill which turns out 3500 

 to 4000 sets of heading per day has two channels hi its dry kiln which are 



