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Plywood Industry Adopts New Commerciol Stondqrd

A new commercidl standard for Douglas flr plywood, expanded in some areas to take advantage of recent scientific advances and revised in others to clarify meanings, has been put into efrect. Industry spokesman said the new standard, completely reworked for the first time since 1955, applies to all fir plywood produced since November 14.

The Commodity Standards Division of the U.S. Department of Commerce promulgated the standard after its acceptance by all segments of the industry. The standard is designated CS 45-60. Special reprints carrying facsimiles of DFPA grade-trademarks are available free from the Dougl&s Flr Plywootl Assoclatlon' Tac,oma 2, Washington.

Some of the chang:es may have important effects on timber utilization in the Norttrwest, where virtually all softwood plywood is made. Others will make it possible for the industry to take better advantage of the opportunities in specific markets, where products have been added to the standard.

Western Larch, commonly called Tamarack, is accepted by CS 45-60 as equal in value to Coastal type Douglas fir. This timber is common in western Montana and areas of Idaho and Washington. It now will be possible to get much greater utilization of these timber stands.

Douglas Flr Handling Changed

Douglas fir, the bread-and-butter species of the plywood industry, has been given more specific handling in this edition of the Commercial Standard because of the emerging importance of other softwoods to the industry. This tree has strength characteristics that vary with the conditions under which it grows, so only Douglas fir falling under the "Coast type" clabsification may be used in plywood conforming.to this new Standard.

Scarffng Is Covered

Douglas fir grown elsewhere is grouped with certain other "Western softwood species" used in plywood, but covered in a separate Commercial Standard.

Among the manufacturing specifications and testing procedures added to the Commercial Standard in this revision is one for scarfing panels and veneers, a process important to the production of extra-long panels, coming into more common use. New overlays, developed by research, also are permitted. l'ormerly, only a specific overlay was permitted on panels manufactured to specifications of CS 45-55, which this standard supersedes.

Underla5rment Listed

"Underlayment" grade panels, previously covered within another grade, are clearly listed for the flrst time. This interior type panel must be made with a better grade of veneer next to the face than is ordinarily required for others of its glueline type. This is to comba,t the problems caused by the new, thin heels on women's shoes. Those heels, with their poor weight distributlon, can puncture resilient tile and the top ply of underlayment tf tho second veneer contalns large knotholes or other voids.

Grades Aalded

Marine Exterior, formerly a specialty of DF PA mills and included only in its specifications, has been added to the Standard, along with decorative panels and C-D with exterior glue, Sradetrademarked as PlyScord by DFPA,

Otherwise, the main changes in the Standard involve clarification of wording:. Veneer grades, for instance, were not sig'niflcantly changed, but the paragraphs covering this important subject were completely rewritten for clarity.

DFPA Dominates IndustrY

Commercial Standards are not set up by the government, but are written by interested groups, with the Commodity Standards Division acting as the clearing house and moderator for these gToups. After these groups have agreed on its terms, the Standard is distributed by the Department of Commerce, but enforced by the industry. In the plywood industry this enforcement is entrusted by 85Va of the manufacturers to their trade association, DFPA.

It was through DF PA, in 1933, that the industry took its first steps toward a Commercial Standard for PlJrwood. After acceptance by the distributors and users, it was promulg:ated as CS 45-33. The "33" stands for the year of promulg'ation.

DFPA does not draw up these Standards for submission to others or to the government, however. The association is involved only through its members who sit on the committees that decide on the Standard, and through the information its large technical staff is able to collect through research and in-mill operations.

Supervisors Are Rotated

The original testing method, refined today in the Commercial Standard, was worked out by DF PA specialists more than 20 years ago. It was set up to complement DFPA's unique inspection sys-