132 Forest Club Annual 



to the starting point. Two men are required at each end to 

 "feed" the machine. Steam pipes within the dryer maintain 

 an average temperature of 200 degrees Fahr. The speed at 

 which the rollers revolve determines the length of time the 

 stock remains in the dryer. Thinner veneer dries quicker 

 than thick and Birch dries quicker than Oak. Nearly all 

 will dry, however, in about one hour, hence the rollers are so 

 timed that it takes half an hour for the stock to go one way in 

 the machine, the return trip completing the process. The ob- 

 ject of the rollers is to keep the stock under pressure while 

 drying and thus prevent warping and splitting. 



Veneer over y 8 inch in thickness is dried in the dry kiln. 

 This is 72 feet long, 15 feet wide and 8 feet high. It is divided 

 into two chambers 7% feet wide which connect at the back 

 end. Trucks laden with veneer are pushed in at the mouth 

 of one chamber. As each succeeding truck is placed in the 

 chamber the whole number of trucks is pushed back until at 

 the end the track turns and the trucks run over into and 

 back through the adjoining chamber. The kiln is operated on 

 the moist air principle as follows : the chamber in which the 

 trucks are first placed is kept at a temperature of about 100 

 degrees Fahr. and the air is kept very moist by means of 

 steam. At the far end of the chamber the temperature becomes 

 about 130 degrees and the air is much dryer. When the trucks 

 have been forced into the next chamber and start back on the 

 return trip the temperature is raised to 160 degrees and a 

 thorough circulation of air is maintained by means of a large 

 fan which draws the moist air out at the side while hot air is 

 supplied from the bottom. The object of this is to keep the 

 plores open on the surface by means of the warm, moist air 

 till the inner cells are dried and moisture is brought to the 

 surface. Then as the temperature is raised and ventilation 

 increases, all the moisture evaporates. Trucks remain in the 

 kiln 24 hours. 



'/ After the veneer is dried it is ready to be graded and 

 shipped. The stock is graded by twelve graders who sort it 

 as to species, thickness and quality. Sizes are designated 

 as to machine and net sizes. Machine sizes are those pieces 

 that were clipped while wet and the shrinkage allowed for, 

 while net sizes are cut after being dried to give the exact 





