Colifornio Blqck Ook Sqtisfqctorily Kiln-Dried In Lqtest UC Forest Products Loborotory Erperiments

California black oak, a plentiful western hardwood but an "ornery" timber to process, has been kiln-dried satisfactorily from the green condition in a recent series of tests at the University of California's Forest Products Laboratory, Richmond.

Success in the kiln drying research may help clear the way for wider utilization of this species. When properly processed, black oak compares favorably with northern red oak and similar American hardwoods as a material for furniture, flooring, paneling, toys, and certain millwork USCS.

Efforts in the past to utilize black oak have often ended in processing failures. Unless it's dried and conditioned in just the right way, the wood tends to develop internal

Designers of thc UC Fore.t Producl5 loborotory chosc mony type. of wood construclion for lho modern fo<ililie3 of Richmond. Grocefully supporting the rof of thir 3hop isclion ond odioining moin lob ore 80-fooi lominoted Douclos fir orches, ideol becouse of superior fire-rcsistonce. Building'r exlerior is 5heothod with Colifornio Redwood. lnt.rid fetures include "rolid-woll" conslruclion, use of poriicle boord ond ofiico furniture mode of notive Colifornio hordwoods. Completed in 1954. lhe loborotory is o moior center for reseor.h in timber phyrics, timber nechonics ond folost producli chomistry stresses; it warps and splits, and the surface may develop checks.

During the past 18 months, black oak lumber four-quarter stock amounting to some 7,000 board-feet has been kiln dried from the green condition at the University of California laboratory in Richmond. The project was supervised by Eric L. Ellwood, chief of the laboratory's division of timber ohvsics and mechanics.

In the firsf tests, a 3,500-board-foot "charge" was dried under accelerated conditions, including a quick fall in relative humidity. Drying time was 19 days (including equalizing and conditioning treatments)-considered very fast for black oak. The degrade on this material (based on a before-ancl-after comparisorr of lumber grades) amounted to about two dollars per thottsand boar-d-feet-considered srnall in this kind of tieatment.

According to Elhvood, the initial drying conditions were very critical: surface checking developed easily unless high relative humidity rvas mainlained. Also, distortion and collapse were likely unless comparatively low kiln temperatures were used during the initial drying period (down to 25o/o moisture content in the lumber).

The Richmond tests continued with a second run made under milder conditions. In this case, relative humidity rvas decreased more slowly and the temperature was not increasecl until the lurnber reached 25/o moisture content. Total time for this treatment was 24 days-comparable to tl-re drying time for northern red oak. The milder run yielded a higher gracle than did the accelerated treatment.

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Ihis i3 ihe nerve center for the 6,000-b.f. dry kiln ot UC'r Foresl Products Iob.ob, where su<<essful h-r further tests, the kiln treatment was applied to black oak that had been pre-dried in a low-temperature kiln. The experimenters reported a complete success and almost negligible degrade rn'itl-r very rapid drying schedules. Moisture arid humidity levels were not critical except when (a) the pre-drying was insttfficient, or (b) redistribution of moisture became a- problem in lumber that had been block-piled cluring an interim period.

Verdicts from the Richmond experiments: Kiln drying of California black oak is feasible, and it can be completed in time comoarable to that needed for other commercial

Scpfember 15, 1958 oaks. Kiln drying from the green condition requires very critical conditions, varying with kilns and local situations. Air drying or pre-drying may sometimes be more economical, but these methods can't complete the job down to the required 8/o moisture level.

Ellwood and his associates are continuing experiments to overcome the problem of collapse-an extreme form of shrinkage caused by cell deformation during the kiln-dry- ing process. Collapse recovery treatmentJ have already been demonstrated showing possibilities for a substantiil recovery in lumber volume with removal of more than half the original shrinkage.

The University of California studies are part of a threeway-cooTeration i_n black oak research, sponsored in part !y the Diamond-Gardner Corporation. The U. S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madisbn, Wisconsin, has been assessing black-oak log grades, comparing the quality of logs with. the quality of the lumber they y-ield. And ltre Cat-ifornia Forest and Range Experiment -Station of the U. S. Forest Service has been conducting tests at Chico on air drying and pre-drying of four-quari-er oak stock.

4Oo/o Exponsion in GypsumBoqrd Use

Production of gypsum board in the United States will rise above present levels by a)/o by 1965, said H. Dorn Stewart, president of the Barrett division of Allied Chemical Corp. More than half of all homes being built today use the board for inte-rior wall surfaces, he said, estimating that in 1956 around 70/o of new homes will make use of dry wall construction.

The industry last year turned out 6.6 billion square feet of gyp.sum board, Stewart said, and industry marketing studies indicate that by 1965 production should reach more th"an 9 billion square feet.

. Barrett's gypsum troard plant, which began limited production in February, is now-reaching its capacity of 8O0,OOO iquare feet of finished gypsum board in-every24-hov period.

Large diversiffed stocks of foreign and domestic hardwoods-our yard. o

S. F. Hoo-Hoo Club 9 Elects New President in lts Prime

Well-knorvn Lumber Sales Company Exec. John Prime was unanimously elected president of San Francisco HooHoo Club 9 at the club's arrnual Election Nite, held at the Leopard Cafe on August 26. The up-and-coming young lumberman received a standing ovation for his good work oll numerous officer and director posts rluring tl-re past six years as he was l-randed the presiclent's gavel by outgoing President lVlike Coorrau.

Prime, in turn, along u'ith Ex-presiclent Hugh Pessner, paid high tribute to orrtgoing President IIike for his excellent leadersl-rip of Club 9 affairs during the past year. Tl-re traclitional gift for tl-re outgoing president will be presented at tlre cltrb's annual Roundup, September 26, at The Village in San Francisco.

The election meeting got ur.rderway at 6:29 p.m. with the al'ivays popular sponsored cocktail hour, compliments of Lumber Sales Company, George \AIindeler Co., Ltd., and Service Lumber Company, of Sausalito. An excellent roast beef dir.urer follou'ecl this pleasant hour. after which Hush Pessner reacl the nominaiing committee's suggested sliie of officers as follor,l's:

President, Jol-rn Prime ; lirst vice-presiclerrt, Jack Dollar, The Robert Dollar Co.: secon<l vice-presiclent. Ben Ward. Bonnell-\Vard & Knapp ; secretary, A.t 'rA'a11, George \Alindeler Co., Ltcl.; treasurer, Bob Itlelsorr, Hobbs Wall Lumber Co. ; lirst sergeant-at-arms, Gay Bradt, \A/endlingNathan Co., and seconcl sergeant-at-arms, Max Cook, The California Lumber l,Ierchant.

Directors t'ill be as follou,s : Llovcl Hecathorn. Arcata Redrvoocl Co. ; Bob Kilgore, It. P. Kilgore Co.; Harry Hood. The Pacific Lumber Co.: Barnev Bates. CRA: Bob Strahle. Service Lumber Co.; Nlillarcl -"Doc" \\-hite. recerrtl_v retired Cliristenson Lun.rber Co. general manager; Dick llogan, Van Arsdale-Harris Ltrnrber Co.; Jinr Kr.ro,x, Rounds Lttmber Co., and Frecl Buckley, F. S. Buckley Door Co.

Top Photo: President Mike COONAN (lefr), now lhe exclusive property of Torter, Webster & Johnson ogoin, congrotulotes his successor in the 1958-59 Club 9 presidency, John Prime.

Cenler Photo: Election Nite ended the club's Summer siesto ond brought oui more lhqn 30 Boy Areo lumbermen. There's Lew Godord woy down in the righr-hond corner. ond look ot the Associqiion men lined up in the next row, next io Prime; the LMANC's Jock Pomeroy, the WPA's Don Comslock, rhe WCIA's Jorgensen ond the CRA's Owen Stebbins. In the next row, you con pick out Hood. Egnell, Gehring, Johnson, Dove Mensing ond Bob Strohle.

Lower Photo: President Prime (sionding) gets down to work ol hqnd os Jock Dollor (left). Mike Coonon ond Vicegerent Snork Hugh Pessner look on.

The meeting was brought to an enjoyable close with a 30-minute, Forty-Niners sound film depicting highlights (and there were many, too !) of the team's 1957 season.

Specializing in Truck-snd.Troiler ond Rclif Shipmenfs

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Old-Growth Bqnd-sawn REDWOOD from Boiock lumber Co., Monchesler

Old-Growth DOUGTAS FIR from Spocek Bros. Lumber Co., Monchester

Precision-trimmed STUDSDouglos Fir o White Fir . Redwood