Notes on the Manufacture of Veneer 129 



the dynamo for lighting the plant. On each floor of the factory 

 is a large standpipe.for use in case of fire. Just outside the 

 building is a city water hydrant which supplies a pressure of 

 :><> pounds. The total value of the plant is placed at $40,000. 

 About a million board feet of logs are kept in the log- 

 yard and about 20,000 surface feet of veneer is kept in the 

 warehouse. The species used are Red Oak, Yellow Birch, Ash 

 and Basswood, most of which comes from northern Michigan 

 and Wisconsin. Oak stumpage in 1910 was $18.00 per thou- 

 sand, Birch $5.00, Ash $8.00, Basswood $10.00. Nothing but 

 number one grade logs over 12 inches in diameter are used. 

 The process of manufacture consists in cutting the veneer 

 from the log by the rotary method, clipping the veneer into 

 the desired sizes, drying, grading and packing it. The total 

 number of men employed for running the plant and for 

 handling the logs in the log-yard A r aries from 70 to 80, wages 

 varying from $1.50 to $3.00 per day. 



The first step in the process is to cut the logs into lengths 

 corresponding to the size of the three machines used. After 

 being saw r ed up, the logs are put in a large tank of steam- 

 heated water beneath the floor and soaked for at least 24 

 hours. This softens the wood and lessens the danger of split- 

 ting or breaking the veneer as it is cut off. From the tank 

 the logs are rolled up to their respective machines which ac- 

 commodate logs 100, 75 and 54 inches in length. At each 

 machine there are three men, who peel the bark from the logs 

 by means of axes. Birch and Oak are harder to peel while 

 Basswood is easiest. The logs are then grappled by hook 

 and chain and hoisted to the machines where they are clamped 

 in by means of a chuck at each end. Fine grained, clear logs 

 are chosen for the better grades and thinner veneers. Logs 

 14 to 16 inches in diameter cut nicest and give best veneer. 

 After being set in the machine the log is slowly rotated 

 and a long knife, a trifle longer than the log, is brought to 

 bear on it tangentially so that the veneer is cut off in long 

 sheets. The knife is really composed of two blades and the 

 veneer forced between under pressure. This keeps the veneer 

 from breaking or flying apart. The thickness is regulated by 

 a screw which adjusts the position of the blades, allowance 

 being made for shrinkage as veneer drys. An automatic device 



