The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-09-27
How Shingles Are Made.

The Oldest, brashest logs arc selected
for shingles, provided always they are
not sound. If they are sound they will
make lumber. II they are doty. worm.
80, e -" Of The shouynt and disreputsble gen
eralIy, they are worked up into shingles.
The prime consideration is to get wood
that is sound and brasi.. 1t must be
sound to make tight roof, and it must
be old and brash to prevent varying.
A log may be doty in places, and even
hollow. and yet have considerable good
timber in it suitable for shingles. Tho
logs selected, they are "run in" and
sawed into 'bolts" sixteen inches long
by q cross.cut saw worked by steam
power. These bolts are then placed on
end and pushed against large circular
saw in motion, and the good parts cut
out in the most economical shape as the
operator judges of it by looking at the
end. The refuse goes to the furnace
room, and the select blocks are carried
to the shingle machines at the other end,
where they are set on end in y sort OF
wise, and giggle rapidly back and forth
against circular saw, the block being
thrown out at the top and bottom altern-
ately by an eccentric movement for the
butt and top of the single; at the same
time it is moved back to the saw, each
movement making single. OF course
these shingles are all widths, and some
taper in width; some have kDots and
shapes and doty strips through them.
and sometimes these defects run parallel
with the sides OF the sningle and some
times they do not. Sitting near the man
who operates the block from which the
shingles are made. is the 'jointer,"
man who picks up the shingles nimbly
and holds their edges an instant against
q planer that runs so rapidly 1t appears
to be standing still, and then losses them
where they belong. All perfect shingles
that is, shingles of sound, unblem.
ished wood and with parallel edges and
square ends, no difference whether they
are wide or narrow, are pitched into one
hopper and go below to the "binder."
These are "A~l." Shingles that are per-
feet in every respect except that they
have small sound knots in the upper half
are pitched into another hopper or chute
and 60 below to another "binder." These
are "a" Shinglesjthst are perfect in
every respect except that the butt is not
on . right angle with the sides are
pitched into another chute and 60 below
to boy who lays them on gauge aud
pushes them against saw by which they
are squared, after which they are thrown
on conveyor and go to the binder Of
"A*1" shingles. Shingles that have =
doty streak or crack or knot near the
middle are jointed and pitched over the
planer to man who holds them against
circular saw until they are ripped up
and these defects cut out. Then, II this
operation leaves the sides and butts ut
right angles, they are sent below to tho
binder, but il these defects run at an
angle, the butts must be squared and
they are sent down for that purpose first.
Shingles that are feather. edged,
knotty, doty, shaky and incapable Of be-
ing made over into anything good, are
sent down chute aud come out in bun
dles, by strange travesty on language,
marked .'No. 1."-East Saginaw, Mich,
Letter 70 the lawrence. Kan. Journal.