TIGHT COOPERAGE 153 



therefore, made 511 staves of all grades and represented an equivalant 

 of 822 bd. ft. 



Photograph by U. S. Forest Service. 



Fig. 36. — Equalizer in operation at a tight stave mill in Tennessee. This machine trims o£f 

 the length of the bolts to an exact size. 



MANUFACTURE OF STAVES AND HEADING 



Manufacturing establishments for making staves and heading from 

 bolts are placed in the forest on locations advantageously situated with 

 reference to water, yarding facilities and bolt haul. Since the moving 

 and setting up of a mill from place to place ordinarily costs about $200, 

 the mill is moved to the timber, so to speak, to obviate long, costly hauls. 

 In hauHng bolts, considerable waste is being transported in the form of 

 saw kerf, hstings and odds and ends. 



Many mills operate as a rule under one company. The usual practice 

 is to have separate mills for staves and headings; the mills being fre- 

 quently located now from 10 to 20 miles from the nearest points of ship- 

 ment on the railroad. This in itself is evidence of the rapidly decreasing 

 supply of white oak timber, the most accessible stumpage having been 

 cut off sometime ago. There should be at least 2,000,000 staves avail- 

 able to be cut from each mill set. Mills should not be moved more 

 frequently than once a year, for economical production. 



