The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-04-12
INCREASING USES FOR \
Process by Which it Is Prepai
the Cabinetmakers.

by the invention Of veneering ma
chimes, which slice up the logs into
a Uniform thickness Of less than one
twentieth OF an inch. Veneering 10
not a new art, but in early days IL was
Iii nand work, and the process was
SO slow and laborious that the cosi.
was great.
Some of the old furniture OF Colon
ial days shows how patiently and aO
curately the first American cabinet
makers worked; but as rule solid
wood furniture was preferred and
manufactured. The veneer OF today,
says the Christian Endeayor World
instead Of cheapening furniture, really
maAes IL in many respects superior
70 the solid hardwood articles.
The several layers OF veneer are
glued in the surface with the grain
running in opposite directions. This
gives a firm, substantial finish, which
will rarely warp in hot or cold wea
tner, or swell or crack Heavy ma
bOgany or oak doors are inconvenleIN
TO handle, but by making the doors
CT light wood and veneerlng them on
the outside we have handsome doors
that are easy to handle, and which
never warp and sag. Altogether, the
veneer is considered one OF the great
est Improvements in the wood work
ing industry OF the day.
Without veneering machinery it
would of course, be impossible to
place fine cabinet articles within the
reach OF the multitude.
Parlor and ornamental furniture and
cabinet pieces, with handsome ven
eered surfaces, appear in nearly ali
of our homes. The very best OF the
oak, the walnut and the ash trees
are selected for veneering. Only the
poor, coarse and knotty logs are turn
ed over to the manufacturers OF the
cheaper articles. A large walnut tree,
Sith perfect grain is worth good
deal OF money; Tor it can be made in
to hundreds Of feet of. veneer.
The veneering machines are Of two
kinds-sawing and slicing. The for
mer was at one time considered the
best and people demanded only sawed
veneer for the choice furniture, but
1t requires an expert today to distin.
guish tie difference.
Expert woodsmen are travelling
through the great woods all the time
In the interests of the veneering com
panies, and when they find hand.
some hardwood tree they buy it.
Sometimes it is found In the heart oil
the woods and again on some lonely
farm or in the dooryard of a small
country home. If it is large, straight
and perfect in grain, ten times as
much will be offered for it as it would
be worth for ordinary numbering pur-
poses.
These perfect specimens of hard
wood trees are then cut and trimmed,
sawed into convenient lengths, peelec
and even split. The logs are shipped
to the factory in this rough condition,
sometimes thirteen to twenty feet
in length. The first process is to cook
them This is done by plunging them
into q vat Of hot water or steam,
where they are left until they become
soft and pliable.
When properly cooked they go to
the veneering machines. These either
slice or saw the logs into slabs Of an
inch in thickness. So perfect are the
slicing or cutting machines that the
veneer does not vary a hairs breadth
throughout its whole length.
The usual veneer is one-twentieth
of an inch in thickness, which is SO
thin that it seems as if it must be
broken when handled; but in it's soft,
pliable condition it rarely cracks o.
breaks.
Next it is hardened or seasoned by
steaming, which takes from oaa TO
two days. When it has been properly
seasoned the moisture is all extract.
ed from it, and it is strong, tough and
elastic.
The veneer is then ready for the
cabinetmaker. He cuts it into differ
ent lengths to suit his purpose, util-
izing every small piece that might
otherwise prove waste. Nearly ev.
cry square inch of the log is used by
the cabinet makers, SO that the
amount of waste in a tree is signifi.
cant.
Nearly everything is veneered to
day, from our pianos and sideboards
to cars and the interior Of ferryboats.
Car manufacturers are among the
largest consumers of veneers, and one
may study something of the art any
time during journey in cars or boats.
The art of the cabinet workers is
skilful and cunning. They lay the
veneers on SO that no joints are Wis
ible, and by running the grain of one
layer opposite to that Of the next
they tougher and harden the surface
so that it rarely warps Or shrinks.
The grain of the veneers comes out
better than solid wood, ana the SUR.
face will take much higher polish,
while the strength and durability are
remarkable, considering the built up
character Of the wood.