Western wood's role in the panel industry

lltEST COAST species have lU played an important part in the development and continuing popularity of particleboard, medium density fiberboard, waferboard and oriented strand board.

Oriented strand board and waferboard are often called structural panels because they meet performance standards of the American Plywood Association and carry the APA trademark showing they are designed and manufactured specifically for protected residential and other lightframe construction applications. Particleboard and medium density fiberboards are frequently used for cabinets, wall units, furniture drawer sides and shelving. They often have laminated surfaces.

All of these products are suitable for use by the d-i-yer and may be recommended by the retailer for projects ranging from dog houses to closet shelves. Their workability and reasonable prices make them attractive to the home owner. The large sheet dimensions and the ability to accept finish easily are pluses.

Approximately l8 particleboard plants in California, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Oregon will produce over 1800 million square feet of 3/4 inch basis particleboard this year. Ponderosa pine and Douglas hr predominate although other softwoods are included in the mix as well as some local hardwoods. Each species offers particular advantages and characteristics in its use. Pine is often cited for giving the particleboard an incomparable smooth finish, excellent paintability and fine machinability.

Waferboard was born in the West with Dr. James d'A Clark, its inventor. who established the first wafer- board plant in Sandpoint, Id., in 1950. The plant produced some 50 tons a day utilizing low-grade forest stands. Dr. Clark was a conservationist who wanted to convert junktype trees into a viable commercial product, utilizing available fiber

Dr. Clark's dream has expanded to include waferboard, oriented waferboard and oriented strandboard plants all over the U.S. and Canada. Last year about 3.3 billion sq. ft. of reconstituted panels were produced in this country with Canada producing an additional 1.6 billion sq. ft. Idaho, Colorado, Oregon and Washington each have one or more such plants.

Story at a Glance

How western woods are used in particleboard, MDF and structural panel industries ways retailers can sell these products to do-it-yourself customers.

Under utilized raw material is still the main ingredient in waferboard, oriented waferboard and oriented strandboard, though more PoPular species such as Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine can be used successfully. For example, a Chilco, Id., Plant uses sawmill residue as its raw material. About a half a dozen species including Ponderosa and lodgepole pine, hemlock, spruce, Douglas fir and cottonwood are combined in the process. AsPen and basswood are considered to have the ideal physical properties for waferboard, but in the south, southern pine and hardwoods are often used.

Waferboard is an engineered panel made from randomlY distributed wood wafers bonded together into a solid panel with heat and pressure using phenolic resins. Oriented waferboard uses non-directional alignment in the middle layer and oriented alignment in the outer layers of a three layer sandwich type panel. Oriented strandboard is made from flakes or strands of wood randomly arranged in three or five Perpendicular layers bonded with phenolic resin.

Planer shavings are the major raw material used to make particleboard although plywood ends and Particleboard panels that have failed to pass inspection are sometimes added. The material is screened for size and dried before being blended with resin and wax. This mixture is then spread in three to five layers on a metal plate in a process called mat formation. The prePared mats are placed in a particleboard press where heating platens that weigh from l5 to 40 tons compress the particles into the desired thickness and densitY using temperatures of 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Medium densitY fiberboard (MDF) uses a similar Process of blending and matting wood which has been digested under pressure in a steam container. This sYstem softens the wood making it less brittle and less likely to be affected bY moisture.

Although they are manufactured, these products have the same enduring qualities as the woods used in their formation. Because they utilize so-called junk-trees or scrap material, they offer great value for a small investment.