The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-24
MANY USES OF VENEER.
Process by Which it is Prepared for the
 Cabinetmakers.

CabinetmakerS, Hardwood trees, such as the oak, the walnut and the ash, have been made more valuable in modern days by the invention of veneering machines, which slice up the logs into uniform thick ness of less than one-twentieth of an inch. Veneering is not new art, but in early days it was all hand work and the process was so slow and laborious that the cost was great.
 Some of the old furniture of colonial days shows how patiently and accu- rately the first American cabinetmak- CTS worked; but as a rule solid wood furniture was preferred and manufact- ured. The veneer of to-day, says the Christian Endeavor World, instead of cheapening furniture, really makes it in many respects superior to the solid hardwood articles.
 The several layers of veneer are glued on the surface with the grain running in opposite directions. This gives firm, substantial finish, which will rarely warp in hot or cold weather, or swell or crack Heavy mahogany or oak doors are inconvenient to handle, but by making the doors of light wood and veneering 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 greatest Improvements in the
 woodworking industry of the day. Without veneering machinery it l. ,1,1 a1n trD 11oo fine cabinet articles within the reach of the multitude.
 Parlor and ornamental furniture and cabinet pieces, with handsome veneered surfaces, appear in nearly all 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 turned over to the manufacturers of the cheaper articles A large walnut tree, with perfect grain, is worth good deal of money. for it can be made into hundreds of feet of veneer.
 The veneering machines are of two kinds-sawing and slicing. The former was at one time considered the best and p6ODlG u6IldIluCu OllAy 9elNGQ kClISCl lOA the choice furniture, but it requires an expert to-day to distinguish the differ- ence.
 Expert woodsmen are travelling through the great woods all the time in the interests of the veneering compa- nies, and when they find a handsome hardwood tree they buy it. Sometimes ;t l.; ea,,ad ;,, +l,a bFoort of +ba vuOOde and again on some lonely farm or in the dooryard of 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 purposes
 These perfect specimens of hardwood
 trees are then cut and trimmed, sawed into convenient lengths, peeled and even split The logs are shipped to the fac tory 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 vat of hot
 water or steam, where they are left un- l til they become soft and pliable. 1 When properly cooked they go to the
 veneering machines. These either slice
 or saw the logs into slabs from one- tenth to one-thirtieth of an inch in
 thickness. So perfect are the slicing or
 cutting machines that the veneer does
 not vary hairbreadth throughout it's 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 1t rarely cracks or breaks, Next it is hardened or seasoned by steaming, which takes from one to two
 days. When it has been properly sea- soned the moisture is all extracted from it, and it is strong, tough and
 elastic.
 The veneer is then ready for the cabi- netmaker. He cuts it into different every small piece that might otherwise prove waste. Nearly every square inch of the log is used by the cabinetmakers, so that the amount of waste in a tree is insignificant
 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 skill full and cunning. They lay the veneers on so that no joints are visible, and by running the grain of one layer opposite to that of the next they toughen and harden the surface so that it rarely
 warps or shrinks.
 The grain of the veneers come out
 better than solid wood, and the surface will take a much higher polish, while the strength and durability are remark able, considering the built-up character of the wood.
 "As I watched you dancing," he said,
 ''the thougat suddenly came to me that
 you were a poem set to music With l hopeless sigh she turned her back on
 him, for she knew something about
 poetry, and he made a study of the
 kinds that are usually set to music Chicago Record-Herald.