Making Big Ones From Little Ones

Bv R. Trade Extension, \#est

T. Titus, Director Coast Lumbermen's Association

Solid timbers of Douglcs lir up to 136

"Bigger, better ancl lor.rgcr rvoocl beams tiran ever have been sau'ed from a log are nolr' :rvailable for use in htudreds of structttral shapes." Cl'rester J. Hogue, in charge of technical service for the West Coast Lurnbermen's Association, pointed out recently in tellins' of the spectacular development in nerv glues being used irr fabrication of laminated timbers.

Research, stimulated by u'ar's clemands, has rler-elopecl :,-ll sorts of glues. Quick-setting colcl glrrc ; a phenolic resin glue now suitable for beams exposed to rain, frost, heat ancl cold; a casein glue that rvon't mold; and glues so strons that a glued-up laminated member 1.i11 not break on thc glue line-these are some of the \-ert' ne\\' olTerings of scicnce and laboratclrv technicians designed to extend rrltra-modcr:r r,t'oo{ rrse ir.rttl the difficult game of heavy constructir)l1 arrrl touqlr engineerirrg reqrrirenrents.

The lumber inclustrv tociav is making l.reavy plan.; fcr the futtrre, x'ith tlre great \\-ar uses for lumber:rs a rvonclcrful provirrg grorrnd, cnabling l'ood to take its rightful place among' tl-re chosen fcu' rrnir-crsall1- zicceptecl "semi-precious'' materials. With thc aid of nelr. technologies, such as the perfection of high-grade glues, lumbermen hope to keeo out of the economic cloghorrse of the futnre, bv reversing the old adage to one of tl.reir o\\rlr-"making big ones out of little ones."

Ieet in length, lor Ncvy boqt keels.

\\'ith the transition here in the Pacific Northrvest of our forest lands from decadent olcl-grorvth stands to rvood producing young forests determining the rnarching orders of the industry, many problems must be solved. Lumber manulacturers and private forest land orvners must begin to think in terms of products ancl markets instead of trees. Their keynote for the future is, "Year br. r'ear, cut fer,r'er trees ancl employ more rnen."

Because utilization of the tree crop from our millions of acres of top quality tirnberland out here is a basic element of forestrv, it stands to reason tl.rat anv neu,' method oI utilization n'ill have a orofound effect on future forestrv policies.

For installce, if bv der-eloping gluecl-up lamination to the point l-here future reqnirements of industry for heavy tirn. bers can lre completelr. rnet from the coml>irration of srnall boarcls anrl gluepot, then the entire forestrv pictrrre charrg. cs. Gone u'ill lte the neerl for large trees Irom r','hicl-r to cut large "sticks." If srrraller trees can be profital>iy harvcstcrl ancl the irrrnl>er therefrorn converted into everv recluiremeut of the brrilding inclustry, the grou'th cycle of a forest can be greatlv reduced. 'Ihat means that private capital can l>etter all-ord to retain control of forest-grorving land l'ith much shorter and more frecluent periods of harvest.