Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-09-14
How veneering Is Made.

The logs are delivered in the mill yard
in any suitable lengths as for ordinary
lumber. A steam drag cuts them into
such lengths as may be required by the
order in hand; those being cut at the
time of our visit were four feet long. AZ
ter cutting, the logs are placed in large
steam box, 15 feet wide, % feet long, and
6 feet high, built separate from the
main building. This box Is divided into
two compartments. When one is filled
entirely full, the doors are closed, and
the steam, supplied by the engine in
the main building, is turned on. The
logs remain in this box from three to
four hours, when they are ready for use,
This stcaming not only removes the
bark, but moistens and softens the entire
log. From the steam box the log goes
to the veneer lathe. 1t is raised, grasped
at each end by lathes centres, and firm
ly held in position, beginning to slowly
revolve. Every turn brings it in con-
tact with the knife, which is gauged to a
required thickness. As the log revolves
the inequalities of its surface of course
first come in contact with the keen
edged knife, and disappear in the shape
Of waste veneer, which is passed to the
engine room to be used as fuel. Soon,
however, the unevenness of the log dis
appears, and the now perfect veneer
comes from beneath the knife in a con-
tinuous sheet, and is received and passed
on to the cutting table. This continues
until the log is reduced to about a seven
Inch core. which is useless for the pur-
pose. The veneer as it comes rolling
off the log presents all the diversity of
colors and the beautiful grain and rich
marking that have perhaps for centuries
been growing to perfection in the silent
depths of our great forests.
From the lathe, the veneer is passed
to the cutting table, where it is cut to
lengths and widths as desired. 1t is
then conveyed to the second story,
where it is placed in largely dry rooms,
air tight, except as the air reaches them
through the proper channels. The
veneer is here placed in crates, each
piece separate and standing on edge. The
hot air is then turned on. This comes
from the sheet iron furnace attached to
the boiler in the engine room below, and
is conveyed through large pipes regula-
ted by hampers for putting on or taking
off the heat. There is also a blower
attached which keeps the hot air in the
dry rooms in constant motion, the air as
it cools passing off through an escape
pipe in the roof, while the freshly heated
air takes its place from below. These
rooms are also provided with network
of hot air pipes near the floor. The tenn
perature is kept at about 165 dg. and so
rapid is the drying process that IL the
short space of four hours the green log
from the steam box is shaved, cut, dried,
packed and ready for shipment.
After leaving the dry rooms it is as
sorted, counted and put in packages Of
one hundred each, and tied with cords
like lath, when it is ready for shipment.
Birds-eye maple veneer is much more
valuable and requires more care than al
most any other, and this is packed in
cases instead of tied in bundles. The
drying process is usually a slow one, and
conducted in open sheds simply exposed
to the air.