The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-07-30
MAKING vENEEnS.
A. Invention which VIII Add to Il
Beauty Of Plain Woods far Fancy Wnrh

A. Invention which win Add to the
Beauty u Plain Woods for Fancy Work.
For q long time manufacturers Of
veneers have been trying to secure
fancy grain from straight grained
wood. OF course, the more wavy and
intricate the line Of the grain IL, the
more valuable IL the veneer. A meth.
cd has at last been secured Of produc.
ing fancy veneers from plain wood.
To understand the new process one
pust first know what the old one was.
II was simple enough. A log seven feet
long or less and Of almost any diane.
ter above seven inches had its bark
ehipped of and was then steamed
over night in tank made for the pur-
pose In the morning it was ready TO
be fastened into the big lathe, and q
knife blade as long as the longest log
used--seven feet-was kept pressed
against the wood 30 as TO cut off
Q shaving or ribbon about one
thirtieth Of an inch thick an the
log revOlyed toward it. Two men
rolled up the ribbon and carried
1t away as il was turned out. OF
course the knife had - be set parallel
with the axis VI the log or the wood
would not all b. cut up, aud 50. IL the
grain Of the wood were straight, the
the ribbon could not have variegated
appearance. even lad III. long. straight
knife cut the grain al an angle.
The inventor Of the new process no
ticed that the growth Of no two differ.
ent years in tree had exactly the
same color and grain. even when the
log was perfectly straigli, grained. So
II knife were made that would strip
of ribbon that dipped in and out
through the growth Of say two
years. the ribbon would have two
kinds Of grain. To get the ribbon
the inventor made knife with a
wavy edge. The waves were quar-
ter Of All inch high. However,
this did not produce a sufficient
variety in the grain Of the ribbon u
suit the inventor. and he added 10 il
by giving the knife ali oscillaiing
movement in the direction Of the
length OF the log by cam Of a half
inch stroke. Now, II the log revolved
against the knife u ribbon was cut
which contained waves that zigEagged
up and down and exposed q grain no,
only variega,ed in color by the vary.
ing depths 10 which the knife had cut,
but which was al the same time very
wavy. IL not carly, III appearance.
The yariegations IN the color even 0!
u plain black walnut log were remark
able and beautiful.
There was one objection 10 this re
naming, aud that was that il did no,
lie down Hat on the surface TO which
il WAS glued This WAS remedied
however. by stacking up the ribbon in
hydraulic press that squeezed IL with
pressure Of forty tons 10 the square
inch II came Oh, Of tina, press Hat
At present three kinds 81 knives are
used ia these machiues There is nc
telling what new forms of knives will
he invented Tie machine i,sel. is bu,
! little mor~ expensiv. than the old
style, but a knife costs several time,
~ much E.sides. " hen II knife get,
! dull man has la labor over il for q
month with emery wheels Ia get it in
order again
When a reporter was looking nj on.
81 the machines ia Eas, Eighth stree,
the other da, il MAS cutting a plaii
log The s,u~r.up ndcu, Of the work,
ssij iha, ,hc product would brin,
e.. - i~'r 900 square feet, agaius, 8.
/ pr 1000 we've straight knife used
| Til. corrugated knife. as IL IL called
will improve the appearance 81 "a graft
that - naturally vancPa,ed 10 som,
extent. but When the grAiu is foun,
tina, is JUS, rIgh, no,hing is 80 good Ia
the old fashioned s,faigh, cigcd blade
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