T WO views are shown on the preceding page of the Okanagan Saw Mills Company's plant. This is one of Canada's many lumbering enterprises and is situated in the heart of some of the richest timber territory of that country. The mill nestles in the mountains of British Columbia. So heavily timSo heavily timbered are the company's holdings that at a conservative estimate a half century will be required completely to log the 70 square miles comprising their timber limits. Fir, tamarack, cedar and pine are cut in the well-equipped mill of the company. The equipment includes a 12-inch double cutting band and two eight-inch band re-saws. From the latest information at hand, the organization includes Messrs. F. S. Stevens, Manager; Milton Stevens, Superintendent; Wiley Barrows, Filer and A. Williams, Sawyer. Through the unusual degree of activity and push in this organization, they secure a greater production than many larger mills. They have a yearly output of 25,000,000 feet while the excellent volume of 138,500 feet have been made in a ten-hour run. Another important factor in the maintenance of the high daily average is the fact that Disston Saws are used in the mill. The Passing of the Steam Whistle This is an age of invention, and with the incoming of the product of man's inventive genius, we see the passing away of some of those things which seemed to be indissolubly linked to the times, people and places where they have so long held sway. Some of us may feel a pang of regret at the passing of one of these relics, but the law of the survival of the fittest must be enforced. The steam whistle will soon cease to call the men to work, and will soon be but a memory in the mind of the veteran. The electric bell, sounding the call simultaneously in all the different departments, is fast taking its place. -The Wood Worker. Careful Attention to Narrow Bands a Good Investment E SPECIALLY at this time when narrow band saws will be used to an unprecedented extent in ship building and allied industries, a reminder that they should receive as careful attention as any other saw is doubtless appropriate. So much more satisfactory results and such economy are effected by proper care that a consideration of some of the more common forms of abuse will be worth while. Many a perfectly good saw has been ruined by defective or incorrectly adjusted guides or thrust bearing. Friction case hardens the back edge of the saw and results in breakage there which probably would have been avoided by a few minutes attention to the guides and bearing. Another fertile source of difficulty is the use of very sharp cornered files in fitting. This, of course, makes a sharp angle in the gullet which has a tendency to weaken the saw. Only on extremely narrow saws with fine teeth is it necessary to use a very sharp cornered file. On saws of 1/4-inch or more spacing, however, a round edge blunt band saw file should be used. If this practice is adhered to and the saws kept well set and sharpened the greatest single cause of breakage will be eliminated. In many instances operators do excellent work in setting and sharpening, but make the error of attempting to run too long with one fitting. The saw cannot be produced which will be proof against breakage when run with dull edges. It is just as important to keep these saws really sharp as it is any other saws in the mill. The reason some operators run dull saws is doubtless to save time and trouble in fitting, but it is so much easier to sharpen two half dull saws than one which is excessively dull that labor is actually saved by changing frequently. Of course, these points are recognized by every seasoned mill man, but it is such an easy matter to overlook them or to slight them for seemingly more important work, that printing them here may obviate a deal of trouble. From "American Forest Trees" Copyright Hardwood Record (Continued from May issue) The possibilities of white oak are almost infinite. It is good for nearly anything for which any wood is used. It is not the best for everything, but does well for most. Hickory is more résilient, ironwood is stronger, locust more durable, white pine warps and checks less; but white oak has so many good qualities in a fair degree that it can afford to fall below the highest in some, and still rank above competitors on general averages. It ranks high in shipbuilding, general construction, furniture manufacturing, finish and fixtures, the making of agricultural implements, car building, vehicle stock, cooperage and many more. It is one of the most important of American veneer woods. It is sawed very thin, and is glued upon cores of other wood, thus becoming the covering or outside part. The purpose of using oak veneer instead of the solid wood is twofold. First, it goes farther, and second, a well-built article with veneer outside and a core of other woods which stand well is superior to a solid oak article, ex cept in cases where great strength is the object sought, or where deep carving is desired. The continued use of white oak is assured. It is not necessary to seek new uses for it. The demand is as great as the supply can meet, but the supply is not assured for the distant future. There will always be some white oak in the country; but the best has been or is being cut. The tree grows slowly, and good quarter-sawed white oak cannot be cut from young trees. An age of about 150 years is necessary. Most good white oak lumber to-day is cut from trees 200 or more years old. When the present supply of venerable oaks has been exhausted, prime oak lumber will be largely a thing of the past. Fortunately, that time has not yet arrived. About eighty years are required to grow a white oak of crosstie size. Those who will grow oak for market in the future will probably not wait much longer than eighty years to cut their trees, and the result will be a scarcity of mature trunks for lumber and veneer. |