The Uses of Lumber

The manufacture of machinery of this character is scattered over a number of States, and not so centralized as are many other industries. Among the States in which machine construction attains considerable magnitude, however, are Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Illinois.

22. Boot and Shoe Findings. By boot and shoe findings are chiefly meant lasts, last blocks, shoe forms, shoe trees, shoe pegs, and wooden Table 35 Machine Construction (Annual lumber consumption, 69 million board feet) Woods Used Per Cent Yellow Pine 33 Cypress 23 Oak 12 White Pine 8 Maple 5 Hemlock 5 Yellow Poplar 3 Ash 2 Basswood 2 Hickory 2 Douglas Fir 1 Elm 1 Spruce 1 Beech 1 Other Woods 1 Total 100 heels. The material for these articles goes to the factory in log or bolt form; and the amount annually required is equivalent to about 66 million board feet of lumber. That the manufacture of these small articles is after all no mean industry, is proved by the fact that the amount of wood used for boot and shoe findings in the State of Maine is greater than that used by the shipyards and boat and canoe builders of that State. • Shoe lasts are made very largely from maple; while basswood is used for forms or fillers. A small amount of birch is also used for lasts, and shoe pegs and shanks are made of it. Wooden heels are made of maple.

The manufacture of lasts is one of the most painstaking operations in the wood-using industries. The last blocks are air dried for a long time, and then very slowly dried by artificial heat for as much as two years before they are turned to the finished pattern. Maple is preferred for lasts, because it is hard, smooth, and tough, takes a high polish, does not warp or shrink, and stands up well under the severe wear to which lasts are subjected.

Among the more important States in the manufacture of boot and shoe findings, are New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Table 36 Boot and Shoe Findings (Annual wood consumption, 66 million board feet) Woods Used Per Cent Maple 82 Birch 11 Basswood 5 Beech 1 Other Woods 1 Total 100 23. Picture Frames and Moldings.Although small articles in themselves, the manufacture of picture frames and moldings in the United States annually consumes about 65 million feet of lumber of more than thirty species. Of this

total, basswood, oak, and red gum supply twothirds; and of the remainder, white and yellow pine, birch, yellow poplar, chestnut, and beech are the more important woods.

Oak is largely used for picture frames because of its ornamental value; white pine, basswood, and yellow poplar, because they are light, easily worked, and take finishes and enamel well; while such woods as birch, red gum, mahogany, walnut, rosewood, etc., are used for hand mirrors, where both facing and backing must present an ornamental appearance.

Illinois uses by far the largest quantity of wood of any State in the manufacture of picture frames and moldings; while other important States in the production of these articles are New York, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

Table 37 Picture Frames and Moldings (Annual lumber consumption, 65 million board feet) Woods Used Per Cent Basswood 31 Oak 25 Red Gum 12 White Pine 9 Yellow Pine 8 Birch 5 Yellow Poplar 3 Chestnut 2 Beech 2 Other Woods 3 Total 100 24. Shuttles, Spools, and Bobbins.The manufacture of shuttles, spools, and bobbins requires practically as much wood as do picture frames and moldings. It constitutes an important industry in many States, and especially in Maine.

Table 38 Shuttles, Spools, and Bobbins (Annual wood consumption, 65 million board feet) Woods Used Per Cent Birch 51 Maple 21 Dogwood 11 Beech 6 Persimmon 4 Basswood 3 Hickory 1 Yellow Poplar 1 Other Woods Total 100 Spools are made chiefly from paper birch; and, in addition to the quantity used at home, several million feet of spool stock are annually exported from Maine to Scotland. Only birch is used in the manufacture of small, one-piece spools. Three-piece spools are also made of yellow poplar and red gum. Bobbins are made from maple, birch, and beech; while shuttles—which, for factory purposes, must be exceedingly resistant to wear, are made almost entirely from dogwood and persimmon. These woods are very dense, hard, and strong, and become extremely smooth with wear.