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Component Manufacturing dverti$er
October 2018 #10231 Page #28
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
Adverti$er
Material Quality Isn’t the Only Metric to a Quality Product Many years ago I worked construction as a teenager, and I recall the framing lumber I used to see as a framer’s helper. My teacher was a gentleman by the name of Otho Tew. Otho was a seasoned experienced homebuilder who had learned his trade from his father and probably his father before. Mr. Tew would scrutinize each piece of lumber looking for defects that could impact the performance of his construction. He would lament how lumber just wasn’t as good as it was in the old days. He would say “in the old days the lumber would actually be 2 inches by 4 inches” and would make other comments about an occasional knot. Wane was virtually non-existent back them. Appearance said it all. Wow, things have really changed. It’s partly due to the way lumber is cultivated using methods that increase yield, but the situation also reflects a better understanding of what is necessary for the specific duty the lumber will perform. Back in the day, only clear lumber was used. Clear = Better. Often, perfectly suitable lumber was discarded or downgraded. With today’s technology, we have methods that actually test the lumber for strength. We have cameras that check for visual defects, and we have genetically selected progeny that create the best materials. Until recently, I believed the near faultless lumber I remember was a distant memory. Recently, however, I traveled to Japan to visit some residential construction projects and manufacturing facilities. The purpose of the trip was to learn as much as I could about Japanese techniques, framing methods, and materials. What I found has completely shifted my way of thinking about homebuilding and our industry in the United States. The material used in the construction of components I encountered was all shipped from Canada. These materials were the best quality I have seen since those days as a carpenter’s helper. The cream of the crop is selected from the harvest, bundled, wrapped, and shipped to Nippon. Just like the fantastic lobsters harvested in Maine, the nice ones are shipped to Kansas City where they yield the best price helping to defray shipping cost. I guess the Mainers get the seconds. The studs used in Japan were virtually flawless. The knots were small if any. Of the several projects I visited, twist, bow, and wane were nonexistent. It was amazing. The quality of construction was impressive. Tight joints, square wall panels, and immaculate jobsites all contributed to a phenomenal home built with care and attention to detail. Figure 1 Shin-iizuka, Japan – Jobsite walking mats Continued next page
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