sheets from a large number of narrow widths. Other types of edge- jointing 
splicing equipment are available for rapidly and continuously edge- 
splicing veneers of various thicknesses and grades. 
Patching equipment is available for cutting cut knots and other defects in 
veneer or on lywood faces and for replacing them with patches. Cracks in 
face plies can be patcned with shims. Plastic-wood compounds are being used 
in some instances to fill defects in plywood faces and for plugging core 
s v ips appearing on plywood edges. Plywood panels having large defects that 
cannot be patched, are generally cut back to a smaller standard size. 
In many instances it is possible to reduce waste in a plant by increasing the 
number and widening the variety of products produced in the plant. A plant 
making bushel baskets may produce a large number of "shorts," or pieces of 
veneer not large enough for the standard bushel. If, however, 1/2 bushel 
baskets or other containers of a smaller measure are also made, many of the 
shorts can be used profitably. The theory of diversification of products, of 
which this is a very simple example, and the theory of integrating the wood- 
utilization practices of several types of plants, as between a sawmill, a 
veneer plant, and a pulp or a chemical conversion plant, should be considered 
by every operator who has any volume of waste wood on his hands. 
During recent years the use of paper and paper plastics as surfacing mate- 
rials for veneer and plywood has been developed and affords a metnod of using 
waste veneers. One panel product is made by edge splicing many narrow strips 
of defective veneer, that are normally clipped out as waste, and bonding a 
heavy kraft paper to each panel surface. The product is used for shipping 
containers, luggage, toys, cabinet backs, and the like, another similar 
product is cade by gluing waste veneer strips together with faces parallel to 
each other to form a two-ply laminate, but overlapping each other so that a 
continuous v/ood panel is obtained, and by bonding resin-treated paper to each 
surface to add stiffness and to cover the defects. Operations of this kind 
are generally set up on a large scale and require a continuous large supply 
of waste pieces to maintain operation. 
A very common method of using veneer cores in the veneer plant is to saw them 
into crating lumber for use by the plant itself. In the southern container 
industry cores obtained from cutting basket and container veneer are often 
sawed into lumber for use as head sticks and hamper bottoms. Special small 
circular or sash gang saws for rapidly cutting veneer cores arc obtainable 
and are commonly usod for this purpose. In the southern container industry 
it is also common to cut yellow pine and hardwood cores into excelsior. 
Sale of '.'aste 
Under favorable market conditions it is possible to dispose of large 
quantities of veneer cores (and sometimes trimmings) for use in the manufac- 
ture of wood flour, mechanical fiber for boards, roofing felt, and the like, 
Report Y.o. R1666-4 -6- 
