File:Canadian forest industries 1916 (1916) (20338195849).jpg

Title: Canadian forest industries 1916
Identifier: canadianforest1916donm (find matches)
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Lumbering; Forests and forestry; Forest products; Wood-pulp industry; Wood-using industries
Publisher: Don Mills, Ont. : Southam Business Publications
Contributing Library: Fisher - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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January 15, l'JIC CANADA LUMBERMAN AND WOODWORKER 37 Box-Making1 in British Columbia The rapid expansion noted in all lines of business in British Col- umbia prior to the declaration of war had an especially stimulating effect upon the box-making industry; and it is worth noting that while the depression due to the dislocation of the world's commerce has been felt most severely by the lumbermen of the province as a whole, the box manufacturers have been enjoying a good run of orders at fairly remunerative prices. This is to be ascribed in the main to the rapid development of the fruit and vegetable industry, together with the deep sea fisheries, which call for enormous quantities of containers for shipping purposes. In addition to the largely in- creased home demand for boxes a considerable foreign trade has de- veloped, with the result that several sawmills having box factories in connection are now filling huge orders for the United Kingdom, Aus- tralia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, the material being shipped in shook form, to be assembled as required. One of the best of the Vancouver factories is that of the Pacific Box Company, Limited. The business was established in a small way on Prior Street in 1906, but in 1913 the present company erected works on False Creek, at the foot of Smythe Street. Here—in the very heart of the city—they occupy a site of three acres with valuable water frontage. The modern factory erected at the land end is 109 x 108 feet in dimensions, of two storeys. Between the building and deep water there is piling ground for a large stock of lumber. At the present time over two and a half million feet are being carried in order that it may be thoroughly seasoned before use. The lumber is trans- The Modern Retail Yard At a recent convention of retail lumber dealers at Little Rock, Ark., Mr. C. K. Nicoll, of the Arkmo Lumber Company, read an interesting paper, entitled, "Practical Suggestions for Arrangements, Equipments, Accommodations and Conveniences in a Retail Lumber Yard." Mr. Nicoll gave the retailers present at this meeting many prac- tical suggestions regarding the ideal arrangement of a lumber yard. First of all, he insisted upon sheds for the lumber—sheds with studding set at regular intervals so as to be uniform. By this ar- rangement the lumber dealer had a permanent advertisement for his stock, for nothing catches the eye of the public more than "LOOKS." Looks are the first requisite in selling. Next he favored bins 7 feet high and 4 feet and ^ inch wide, with a shelf where required. This height permitted a man to reach the lumber easily, and the width permitted the stacking of lath in them. Mr. Nicoll advocated plenty of light in all sheds, and made the suggestion that a cupola with 10 x 12 twelve-light windows with weights every four feet would meet the situation nicely. This would provide the necessary circulation of air and light at the same time. Alleys at least 20 and preferably 24 feet in width were recom- mended by the speaker. Such alleys permitted the stacking of lumber in the alley if necessary and the pulling out of 20-foot timbers with-
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ferred on trucks from the pile to the machines on the mill floor. The equipment includes a fast-feed Woods planer (capacity 250 ft. a min- ute), a large Berlin planer, pony planer, horizontal and vertical resaws, and the latest design of dovetailing machine (three machines in one) which has a capacity of four thousand finished boxes every ten hours. In all, the plant has twenty-one different machines, two fans and one blower, to operate which there are twenty-four electric motors ranging in horsepower from 5 to 80. Some of these are direct connected to the machines. The equipment represents the latest and most improved machinery for making boxes, either in shooks, nailed or dovetailed. At the south end, on the first floor, is a filing room having Covel and other machines for saw and knife sharpening and repairs. The capacity of the sawing floor is 40,000 feet of spruce, hemlock and pine lumber a day. When sawn the shooks are transferred by hoist to the second floor for assembling, nailing and printing. There are two printing machines, one having double cylinders for two-color work. Mr. R. W. Sharpe, under whose efficient management the com- pany has made steady progress, says that the plant can supply boxes for any purpose and in any quantity. The business is largely with manufacturing concerns, fish packers and fruit growers, but numer- ous orders for special sizes are received and filled from time to time. So far, the firm has not accepted any foreign orders, the demands of the B. C. and prairie trade having taxed the capacity of the plant. The Waterous Engine Works Company, Ltd., Brantford, Out., arc favoring their friends this year with a fine large office calendar with reproductions of views of their plant and a generous sized calendar pad with figures that can easily be seen across a large office. out inconvenience. The stacking of all lumber the full width of the bins with a lath placed between every tenth layer of the boards* kept the piles straight, permitting checking of stock-taking in haste, and in addition prevented slovenly yardmen from pulling from the side of the pile. He also recommended the stacking with tongue out in all lumber having such, for injur)' to tongue did not depreciate the value of the commodity, while a break in the groove caused a loss. Mr. Nicoll also advocated the cutting of all bundles and declared that in this manner the stacking could be done for 35 cents a thou- sand feet, and there was, moreover, a saving in time over the handling in bundles that would not permit straight nor rapid stacking. In the handling of moulding he advised the retailers to erect a shed near the office with bins for 2,500 feet each, the reserve stock- to be kept in bundles overhead. He declared that the bins should be numbered so that an ignorant laborer could be sent to pick out the stock and make no mistake if necessity demanded it. Lumber- men should also use colored crayon to mark the ends of their mould- ing, using a different color to designate length, and in this way no time would be lost in pulling out the length of moulding required. In conclusion Mr. Nicoll advocated the placing of doors flat with the ones least used in top racks. He said he always numbered his doors from the bottom. In this way he knew at a glance the number in stock, without having to wait and count them. He also keeps a door which, while not numbered, is covered with paper on top, thus protecting the others from the dust. In handling sample doors, he advised lumber dealers to hang them by a hook from the top, per- mitting them to swing out when desired for display. In this way doors could be kept free from dust and at the same time make a good showing.

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