SMALL SAWMILLS, THEIR EQUIPMENT, ETC. 37 



PILING LUMBER. 



Every pile of lumber should rest on three strong horizontal ground 

 sills. The front sill should be higher than the middle and back sills- 

 The front of the pile should be given an overhanging " batter " to 

 protect it from the rain. The usual pitch is 1 foot to 10. The tiers 

 of boards are kept apart by three or four well-seasoned crosspieces 

 called " sticks " sawed about 1 inch square and placed directly over 

 one another in the tiers. The usual width of a pile is from 6 to 10 

 feet, and the distance between piles ought to be 3 feet. . Each pile 

 must contain equal lengths, as " overlaps " are sure to get spoiled. 

 A sufficient air chamber should be left in the center of the pile f'o 

 that the stock jnay dry rapidly. When fresh-sawed lumber is 

 allowed to touch, discoloration of the portions touching is sure to 

 ensue. Each pile should have a roof 12 inches high in front and 

 6 inches high in the back, projecting on all sides. In order to pre- 

 vent end cracks, the sticking should be placed exactly at the ends 

 and slightly projecting over them. Inch boards and planks should 

 be handled carefully when being piled or loaded on wagons. If 

 slammed down violently, as is the custom, end checks are likely to 

 develop into cracks or splits which spoil the grade of the piece. 



A 2-acre yard or piling space is necessary for a small mill carrying 

 50,000 board feet in stock. Select good level ground for your lumber 

 yard and see that the lumber is neatly piled according to size and 

 grade. You will get more for your lumber if you can show it to a 

 customer in this condition than where it is all dumped in a heap. 

 Remember that the mill run is ordinarily sold at a loss to the mill- 

 man, as the buyer grades it according to the lowest quality in the 

 whole pile and not according to the high grades which, in properly 

 piled stock, would be sold separately and at higher prices. 



FIRE PROTECTION. 



There is little use in going to the expense of putting up a mill if 

 it is allowed to burn down. Fire is an ever-present danger. For 

 writing a policy on the ordinary small mill fire insurance companies 

 charge a premium equivalent to 20 per cent of the mill's value, which 

 •makes the expense of insurance prohibitive in most cases. It is up 

 to the owner, then, to provide fire protection. This can be done by 

 installing liquid chemical extinguishers or dry chemical extinguish- 

 ers or water hose that can be attached to the boiler. Liquid chemical 

 extinguishers may freeze in winter, and dry chemical extinguishers 

 are expensive. The most practical equipment for a portable mill 

 is water hose, and in the following table is given the capacity of such 

 hose at various pressures : 



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