______ 
 
Union Stone Company’s Patent and Improved Automatic Knife Grinding Machine, for grinding 
 planing machine knives, book binders’ currier, long knives and shears of all kinds. Size, 24, 36, 50, 
 80, 100 and 120 inches. The grinding wheel is 26 inches in diameter and inches thick, with pa¬ 
 tent sliding boxes, so that the wheel can be entirely used up. This machine soon pays for itself in 
 the labor it saves. It will grind a knife in less time than on a grindstone, and with a perfectly 
 straight edge, in itself a sufficient reason for purchasing the machine, to say nothing of the economy. 
 Speed for Emery Wheel, 230 Revolutions per Minute. 
 
 No. 0 Machine, Y x Inch Arbor. 
 
 Emery Wheel Machinery ant Tools 
 
 A SPECIALTY. 
 
 Automatic Knife Grinding Ma¬ 
 chines, Wood Polishing Wheels, 
 Emery, Quartz, Corundum. 
 
 GRINDERS’ AND POLISHERS’ SUPPLIES. 
 
 CA TALOGUE ON A PPL/CA 'LION. 
 
THE LUMBER WORLD. 
 
SHAVINGS AND SAWDUST. 
 
 BY “OBSERVER.” 
 
 COMPRISING A SERIES OF ARTICLES, SOME OF WHICH HAVE APPEARED IN 
 “THE LUMBER WORLD” FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND ARE NOW RE¬ 
 VISED, TOGETHER WITH MANY OTHERS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN 
 PUBLISHED; ALL TREATING OF THE 
 
 DESIGNING, CONSTRUCTION, CARE, 
 
 OPEEATION 
 
 WOOD-WORKING MACHINERY 
 
 ■WITH II_.I_jTTSTH?,-A-TIOTSrS- 
 
 C. A. Wenborne, Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 18 8;4. 
 
CsQ /VS 
 
 TS 
 g.rc 
 K P 
 7 
 
 1884 
 
 By C. A. Wenborne, Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 S OME two years ago when requested by the publisher of The 
 Lumber World to write some articles on the general sub¬ 
 ject of wood-working machinery, the writer hesitated for a consid¬ 
 erable time on account of his inexperience in writing on any sub¬ 
 ject, realizing that while he might be more or less qualified by his 
 practical experience, it was a different thing to tell what he knew 
 in a manner at once interesting and acceptable to that portion of 
 the public interested in the various subjects since written upon. It 
 was, therefore, with not a little reluctance that these articles were 
 commenced. 
 
 Finding that they were received favorably by those most inter¬ 
 ested in such literature, it was resolved to revise and make them 
 more complete, and to add to them enough to include the general 
 line of machinery used in planing mills, sash, blind, and cabinet 
 factories, car shops, etc. They were calculated to interest 
 not only operators, but purchasers and owners as well, and are 
 dedicated to such in the hope that they may be able to extract 
 therefrom a little knowledge by which they might profit. 
 
 They treat of the designing, construction, care, and operation 
 of the machinery mentioned above, and are full of shop matter, 
 interspersed with actual incidents that the writer has observed or 
 had connection with. If they show more of the wrong ways of 
 doing things, it is only to show the folly of the same, and as a 
 friendly warning that the reader might not go and do likewise. 
 Several of these articles have been copied in many of the leading 
 mechanical and trade journals of the country, and the writer has 
 felt that at least a few have read and regarded them with favor. 
 They contain many hints concerning methods of operation, good 
 
IV 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 and bad, written to operators, good and bad, by an operator (good 
 or bad) and comprise a book which is perhaps the only thing of 
 the kind now published. Wood-working machine operators have 
 never had an opportunity to fill their libraries with books relating 
 to their trade anyway. The writer in a humble way is trying to 
 change the order of things in that respect. 
 
 Rochester, N. Y. 
 
 JOHN KANE. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Page. 
 
 A PLAN FOR THE ECONOMICAL DRESSING OF LUMBER, - - 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 BUILDERS OF WOOD-WORKING MACHINERY— rozens’ prison shop 
 
 AND WORK, AND ROBINSON & CO.’S SYSTEM,. 14 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 WOOD-WORKING MACHINE OPERATORS; good and bad, and why— 
 
 A FEW REQUISITES FOR SUCCESS,. 19 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PROPER TOOLS— NEGLECT OF OWNERS TO FURNISH THEM—ADVANTAGES OF 
 
 HAVING THE BEST,. .-..-23 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 VARNEY’S EXPERIENCE WITH FOREMEN— troubles—the man from 
 
 THE “HUB”—VARNEY FINDS A REAL DIAMOND,.27 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 HARRISON & HENRY BUY A “ NO. i” BOILER— a few points regard¬ 
 ing THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GOOD BOILER,.32 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A “BLASTED” ENGINE, with notes on engines in general, - - 36 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A FEW FACTS CONCERNING LINE AND COUNTER SHAFTING— 
 
 TLIT PULLEYS CONSIDERED, ... .41 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 OW U. R. RUSHING CONDUCTS BUISNESS,.45 
 
 5 
 
6 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Page. 
 
 THE LOCATING OF MACHINERY —advantage of having system— 
 
 MULES THAT DON’T KICK—BELT CARRIERS, - . . - 49 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 GREEN STARTS IN BUSINESS —goes through a fire—takes in two 
 
 PARTNERS—TOGETHER THEY MAKE A SUCCESS OF THE BUSINESS, - - 53 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BELTS; narrow, wide, short and long—miles of belting—observer 
 
 IS “BELTED,” ........ 57 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A BREEZE AMONG EXHAUST FANS —proper size and curve of pipes 
 
 —LOVELY’S BIG FAN, 6l 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 HOW SOME SAW TABLES ARE MADE —russell tries his hand at the 
 
 BUSINESS, AND DISCOVERS “HOW NOT TO DO IT”—A FEW HINTS REGARD¬ 
 ING A GOOD ONE, 64 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A CHAT ON SAW ARBORS —the different kinds—advantages and 
 
 DISADVANTAGES OF EACH—HOW TO MAKE A GOOD ONE, - - 67 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 RE-SAWING MACHINES AND SAWYERS— vertical reciprocating, 
 
 BAND RE-SAWING AND CIRCULAR RE-SAWING MACHINES CONSIDERED—DIF¬ 
 FERENT METHODS OF FILING AND SETTING SAWS—OBSERVER PAYS FOR 
 THE SAWYER’S BLUNDERS, 71 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 AN IDEAL GANG RIPPING MACHINE, - . - . . 76 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS CONCERNING SURFACE PLANERS 
 
 -THE ILL TREATMENT THEY RECEIVE—A FEW ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A 
 
 GOOD PLANER—COMPARISON WITH ENDLESS BED MACHINES, - - 79 
 
7 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 TIMBER PLANING OR DRESSING MACHINES, - - - 82 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A CHAT ON PLANING AND MATCHING MACHINES— their require¬ 
 ments—WHY A GOOD ONE SOMETIMES FAILS TO TURN OUT GOOD WORK— 
 
 WHY A POOR MACHINE DOES NOT FAY, - - - - - 86 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 CAST-IRON AND STEEL CUTTER-HEADS —proper methods of con¬ 
 struction AND LUBRICATION—“OPEN WING” HEADS, - - - 90 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE USE, ABUSE AND CARE OF CYLINDER CUTTERS AND BOLTS, 95 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 CUTTER ANGLES; automatic, obtuse, acute, and otherwise consid¬ 
 ered, . 99 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 PLANER FEED ROLLS, - - - - - - - *°3 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 A GUIDE FOR GUIDES— material from which they should be con¬ 
 structed—THEIR ADJUSTMENT—A “MISGUIDED”JOPERATOR—WHO OFTEN 
 PAYS FOR THE CARELESSNESS OF OPERATORS, .... 105 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 MOULDING MACHINES, ------- 108 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 VARIETY MOULDING OR UPRIGHT SHAPING MACHINES, - 112 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 HAND OR BUZZ PLANERS, their wide range of work and gen¬ 
 eral ADAPTABILITY, - - - - - - - lr 5 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 BAND SAWING MACHINES, 
 
 - 118 
 
8 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 JIG SAWS,. . 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 MORTISING MACHINES —various kinds—their “shocking” tenijen- 
 
 CIES, - — - - - - - - _ 122 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 TENONING MACHINES, .i 2 6 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 MOULDING OR RE-LINING BABBITTED BEARINGS, - - - 129 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 LOOSE PULLEYS —results of “observer’s” experiments, - - 133 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 LUBRICATION OF WOOD-WORKING MACHINERY BEARINGS, - 138 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS,. I43 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 I IRES, THEIR CAUSES AND THEIR PREVENTIVES—BROWN’S EXPERIENCE— 
 
 ORDINARY PRECAUTION AND THE BENEFITS RESULTING THEREFROM, - I47 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 A PLAN FOR THE ECONOMICAL DRESSING OF 
 LUMBER. 
 
 T O design and build a mill or factory for wood-working pur¬ 
 poses is an undertaking that involves the consideration of 
 numerous questions, such as the location, size, foundation, ship¬ 
 ping and handling facilities, storage room, insurance, power, and 
 space for enlargement, etc. These questions, together with many 
 others, present various phases in eacli particular case, and could 
 be discussed at great length without becoming thread-bare. 
 
 Planing and moulding mills require more room than almost all 
 other kinds of establishments using a similar amount of capital 
 in machinery, etc. This is true of nearly all kinds of wood¬ 
 working shops, including sash, door and blind, cabinet and car¬ 
 riage factories. The amount of power required is also greater, 
 but on the other hand, the building for a planing mill, while sub¬ 
 stantial and well adapted to its purpose, can be erected compara¬ 
 tively cheap. Its principal requirements are good foundation for 
 the machines used, rigid supports for the line and other shaft¬ 
 ings, plenty of light, and room enough to hold at least one day’s 
 work under cover in case of storm. 
 
 During the past decade I have been in a great many mills, and 
 have seen not a few that were admirably adapted to the business- 
 of handling and dressing lumber at a minimum of expense and 
 labor, and I'have occasionally seen one that seemed to me to have 
 been built and arranged to see how much expense could be put 
 on each job and yet have every one about the place work hard 
 all day. But of these last I will not give more than a passing 
 notice. In many of them it seemed as though machines had 
 been left where they were dropped by the drayman on their first 
 arrival. The grindstone was where the rip saw belonged; the re¬ 
 sawing machine should have been placed where the flooring ma¬ 
 chine was; the surface planer was where nothing should be except 
 perhaps, a pile of lumber, and so on all the way through. 
 
* 
 
 10 
 
 A great difference can be made in the production of work by 
 the proper or improper location of the different machines. By 
 
 the proper location of machines, I mean so placing them that all 
 the various processes, including ripping, cross-cutting, re-sawing, 
 surfacing, matching, and moulding can be done with the least pos- 
 
11 
 
 sible amount of handling. Every time a piece of stuff is touched, 
 carried, or handled unnecessarily, some of the profits, if there are 
 any in the business, stick to it. It is not a hole in which to drop 
 money, but a good surface on which to stick the needful. As an 
 illustration, when boards are dressed on a double surfacing ma¬ 
 chine at a very close figure after the cost of power, grease, and 
 help are included, where would the profits go to if the same work 
 were done on a single surfacer feeding at the same rate? You 
 simply stick it on the boards with good “stickem.” It will stay 
 there and don’t forget to keep this fact in your cranium. 
 
 If I had a planing mill to put up so that it would not “go up” 
 and do a sheriff’s business, I would “scheme” out a mill where, as 
 far as possible, all lumber would come in rough at one side or end, 
 and go out finished at the other. 
 
 There have been shown from time to time many plans and 
 
 diagrams of “model mills” that have had their advantages, and 
 not a few having many disadvantages. Whether the tale or plan 
 I am about to unfold is better than others, I will not argue. 
 There are a few good features about it that I think will commend 
 it to those interested. It is intended for what might be termed a 
 manufacturing mill, that is, one that does a large amount of work 
 of a kind at a time, and consequently avoids that everlasting stop¬ 
 ping and changing of machines incident to jobbing mills, for 
 which an entirely different plan might be adopted. 
 
 The plan shown is intended to provide for two surfacing ma¬ 
 chines, four matchers, one moulder, two gang ripping machines, 
 one rip-saw table, one crosscut-saw table, one large re-saw, and 
 one siding, re-sawing machine, also shavings vault, boiler and en¬ 
 gine room and tool room. The scale is one inch to twenty-one 
 
12 
 
 feet, This gives in the lumber dressing room a size of 104x80 feet;; 
 shavings vault, 28x28 feet, boiler and engine room 28x28 feet,, 
 and tool and supply room 28x22 feet. 
 
 The elevation is drawn on the same scale as the plan, and is 
 shown here more particularly to illustrate how the line shafting 
 can be placed under the floor and still be easily accessible, also, 
 the absence of posts, leaving a clean sweep for the manipulation 
 of lumber, the only thing that will rise above the machine tops- 
 being the exhaust pipes, which from their location will not be 
 objected to. 
 
 On the plan (fig. 1) the arrows indicate the direction of passing 
 the lumber through in its various processes. The re-sawing ma¬ 
 chine, the gang ripping machines, the rip saw table and the cross¬ 
 cut saw table are all located at one side of the building, having 
 plenty of space in front of each for piling lumber which can be 
 dropped from the wagons driven in the large doors. The ma¬ 
 chines are driven by the line shaft below the floor. As the lum¬ 
 ber is taken away from the various saws it is laid opposite each 
 planing, matching or molding machine, and fed through them out 
 of the doors or apertures to the shed outside of the building, or 
 otherwise disposed of for convenience. All siding can be planed, 
 and jointed next to the siding re-saw, which has ample room be¬ 
 hind it for a large quantity of lumber. The shavings vaults should 
 be fire-proof as well as the boiler and engine room. In the tool 
 and supply room are located the grindstone or automatic emeiy 
 grinding machine, small emery grinding machine for moulding 
 cutters, a large closet or tier of shelves for cutters, saws, files and 
 other supplies, a vise bench with machinist’s and sawyer’s vise_ 
 and a metal working lathe. The dotted pulley receives the main 
 belt from the engine band wheel driving the line shafts (dotted 
 lines), one of which is driven by a cross belt from the other, which 
 in this plan is not objectionable because of its ample length and 
 large-sized pulleys, and also for the reason that it will be the only 
 cross driving belt used. Besides, should any accident happen to 
 either line of shaft at any place except the driving length of the 
 first shaft, the other can be used by uncoupling the shaft. 
 
 Referring to the elevation (fig. 2) the plan of placing the shaft¬ 
 ing underneath will be seen. Two trenches are excavated for 
 each line of shafting, about 8 feet deep, and wide enough for the 
 hanger frames, and passage way for oiling, inspection, etc. A com 
 necting trench will of course have to be excavated for the belt 
 driving the second or sawing machine line. 
 
13 
 
 The machine room is intended to be 16 feet high in the clear at 
 the lowest point, having a truss roof and skylight center the whole 
 length of the building, and 20 or 25 feet wide. 
 
 By following the arrow indicating line of travel, we find wide 
 boards travel from the re-saw to the two surfacing machines, and 
 thence out. The flooring, siding, etc., are first edged through the 
 ripping machines to the matching machines. The mouldings first 
 pass through the rip-saw table to and through the moulding ma¬ 
 chine, the only backward movement being from the matching ma¬ 
 chine to the siding saw, which in this case saves re-handling, and 
 allows of its disposal to as good advantage as any other plan. By 
 this plan ample room is had to pile lumber in front and behind 
 •each machine for the next handling, and there is plenty of space 
 to get around and between all machines. Teams can also be 
 taken through any part of the building with a load, which is 
 ■dropped at the desired place. Plenty of air and light are pro¬ 
 vided for each department, and as near as possible a place is pro¬ 
 vided for every thing needed for a first-class mill. In considering 
 and designing this plan I have to state that there are many suc¬ 
 cessful mills having many of the features here shown, and to them 
 I have added some of the minor details that are very often not 
 thought of or considered. 
 
 Two of the most successful, as well as largest, mills I have seen 
 have been built on this plan, and are considered to be almost un¬ 
 exceptionable in their appointments, one of them dressing 2,225,- 
 •000 feet per month, and using the same number and kind of ma¬ 
 chines shown with less “help” than many other mills doing a great 
 ■deal less business. 
 
 This plan easily admits of enlarging to an unlimited degree. 
 One has only to “add on” to the end. The disposition of the 
 shavings vaults and boiler and engine room, together with the 
 fact that they are fire-proof, materially lessens the high cost of 
 insurance. Now I do not claim that this is a “model mill,” but 
 feel conscious that its having been tried with good economical 
 results, having plenty of room for all wants, and machines gener¬ 
 ally well disposed, will argue its own merits. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 BUILDERS OF WOOD-WORKING MACHINERY—ROZ- 
 ENS’ PRISON SHOP AND WORK, AND ROBINSON 
 & CO.’S SYSTEM. 
 
 I HAVE often been struck by the difference in the design and 
 construction, as well as the price and durability of machines 
 intended for the same purpose, and wondered why such a wide 
 difference was tolerated by purchasers, the most of whom could 
 readily detect the contrast without a magnifying glass. It seemed 
 to me that purchasers in need of a particular machine would buy 
 the same kind—the best, of course. I don’t mean that they 
 would buy from the same firm, but from some manufacturer that 
 sold a good, acceptable article for the purpose—one that is known 
 and read of by men to do good work and plenty of it at a mini¬ 
 mum cost of production. 
 
 Well, I find that they don’t do anything of the kind. They just 
 buy at any and every place where machines for the purpose are 
 advertised. They are just as liable to go to some job shop where 
 such a machine was never seen, and order one, if they can get the 
 proprietor to build it, as to go to a shop where they build nothing 
 else, and the machine was made cheap, durable and simple—in 
 fact, perfect. 
 
 I had heard that Rozenshad the knack of building the cheapest 
 machines to convert wood (into shavings), so one day while travel¬ 
 ing in his section of the country I thought I would spend a little 
 time and see how he did the thing. After doing up the town, I 
 started for Rozens’ shop, and being acquainted with him I had no 
 difficulty in getting a peep through the works. I saw and was 
 convinced. I can pledge you my word that if you want a cheap 
 planer and matcher, surfacer, band saw, saw table, upright shaper, 
 turning lathe, or any similar machine, that the place to go is Roz¬ 
 ens’ shop. Why, he showed me cast-iron matcher heads to hold 
 three knives each, that had never seen adrift or file in the mortise 
 holes! You could buy a cart-load of them for a handful of silver. 
 
 14 
 
i5 
 
 He says that he has a patent on them. Perhaps the claim is in 
 not getting the foundry sand out of or off them. He can make a 
 bed plate for a surfacer which raises and lowers without the aid of 
 any planed surfaces—four chilled surfaces rubbing against one 
 another, also finished in the foundry (he has no planer to take 
 them in); he can give you an iron frame, wood top upright shaper 
 or moulder with two spindles, countershaft included, for about the 
 same price as you would pay for a good countershaft made any¬ 
 where else, or you can get a saw table, all iron (and wood), for a 
 mere song. He can show you a first-class planer cylinder head 
 that was cast in the foundry with the shaft in all ready for the 
 lathe, with a little planing. He has the shaft hacked up by the 
 blacksmith and sent to the foundry with the patterns: says that 
 occasionally one comes from the furnace a little loose, but he just 
 drills a hole and whacks a pin through it, and then it is all right. 
 He has a sickly looking shop, with everything in a heap : the pat¬ 
 tern, machine and blacksmith shop, casting cleaning room, and 
 office all in one ; lathes that look as though they had attended 
 three fires and a funeral, and were not buried on account of the 
 expense; a drill that some country blacksmith had thrown away 
 and under which Rozens had put a saw horse to get it up from 
 the floor; drills and reamers that would not cut; dogs that might 
 properly be called curs because of their mongrel look ; a lot of 
 vises and an old anvil and forge, with other old trash that would 
 make any junk dealer scent the shop a mile off. His wrought 
 iron, castings, patterns, and lumber were all to be found in one 
 pile up in the corner, provided you could find them at all. He 
 had a lot of men in the shop that one would mistake for old prison 
 birds, although they did not look particularly criminal only when 
 a stranger came in and found them there. They seemed to work 
 and act as though that were crime enough. 
 
 After a while Rozens got a glued table top jacked off, and told 
 a machinist to bolt it on the saw frame. Then he sat down to 
 entertain me. He told me what an immense business he was 
 doing (he had eight men and boys), how his trade had increased 
 (from what to what), and that his great forte was in designing 
 machines that could be made cheap. He said that he was going to 
 start a branch shop over in Canada to catch the Kanucks trade , 
 he was going to send his castings over and build the machines 
 there, and thus avoid the heavy duty. Finally he asked me what 
 I thought of the plan and his machines. I told him that he could 
 build the machines and finish them completely in the States, and 
 
i6 
 
 then take them apart and ship them all as castings, and that in 
 regard to the quality of his machines I thought he could not be 
 beat as a designer and builder of cheap machines. He thinks I 
 am a queer fellow who does not seem to understand that the 
 gieat Ameiican people want cheap machines. Rozens certainly 
 builds cheap machines, but I have yet to hear of a customer who 
 ever bought a machine from him which was cheap. They are 
 cheap, dear machines, or dear, cheap machines, I can hardly say 
 which. 
 
 Perhaps it would be a good idea for the government to pension 
 Rozens, and other machine builders of his kind, or get up a foul 
 conspiracy and have him exiled. One of his whilom customers 
 says that Rozens mistook his calling. Upon being asked what 
 trade he should have learned he replied that he might have been 
 a baker and then what he spoiled he could have eaten, and if he 
 could not have eaten it fast enough he could have bought swine 
 and fattened them on the balance. Some of these customers are 
 very sarcastic and unkind in their remarks. 
 
 I have forgotten to mention Rozens’ signs. They are re(a)d- 
 white and blue all over,—large letters and small letters, on the 
 doors, windows, cornice, bricks, and every other possible place, 
 My first idea upon seeing his shop was that the train had taken 
 me to the wrong city, and that I was going into one of the “Bow¬ 
 ery side shows, where they exhibit a fat woman, live monkey, 
 stuffed skeleton, sixty-foot anaconda, &c. 
 
 Robinson & Co. have for a long time held out an invitation to 
 me to visit their factory, and so I went the other day. They build 
 a line of machinery for performing various kinds of work on wood. 
 They have been in the business since they were big enough to 
 work at anything. They have taken the several degrees of ap¬ 
 prenticeship, journeymen, foremen, and proprietors; they have 
 swept floors, cleaned castings, turned rolls and arbors, and fitted 
 them in ; they have put whole machines together and operated 
 them as employees of other people, and they have designed and 
 constructed the machines you find illustrated in their catalogue. 
 They build machines as good as can be found ; they keep abreast 
 of the times in regard to improvements. Every machine that 
 comes from their shop or bears their name looks like one that will 
 fill the bill. It does what it is advertised to do. I know this, for 
 I have seen them in operation. 
 
 Their machines are built in the machine shop. All they ask 
 the moulder to do is to furnish them with good, sound, clean, 
 

 castings, without any machine work added,—only this, and noth¬ 
 ing more. They have planers, lathes, milling machines and drill 
 presses, capable of doing any part of the work required. More 
 than this, they have a full assortment of twist drills, reamers and 
 taps, which they buy where such things are made a specialty of. 
 Robinson & Co. say that they are more successful in building 
 wood-working machinery than machine shop supplies. 
 
 I saw a man planing a lot of cylinders for planing machines. 
 He had not only good tools, but a template for every line and 
 curve that he cut to. He told me that he had over two hundred 
 tools for his planer, some of which had not been dressed for ten 
 years, as they were all kept for their special purposes. This man 
 is turning a shaping spindle and will have it all finished before the 
 frame of the machine is set up. Perhaps you think that he ought 
 to leave a light cut to true it up with after the babbitting of boxes 
 is done. Oh, no! No babbitt will be poured on that spindle. There 
 are babbitting shafts for each spindle on every machine that is built 
 in that shop. All the machinist has to do is to go to a certain 
 rack and find a shaft marked “U. S. B. A.” He knows those let¬ 
 ters mean “Upright Spindle Babbitting Arbor.’’ Robinson says 
 it costs as much to get up or buy the small special tools for man¬ 
 ufacturing machinery in these days of sharp competition as it does 
 to furnish large tools such as planers, lathes, drill presses, etc. 
 
 Their pattern shop and loft is arranged in the same way, as are 
 also their blacksmith shop and iron room. Patterns are classified 
 and arranged so that each complete set for a machine is to be 
 found together. There is no hunting after patterns or core boxes, 
 no swearing or loss of temper on their account. The pattern 
 maker knows that it is his business to keep the patterns in good 
 repair and in their proper place, and he does it. The blacksmith 
 has drawings and patterns for all the forgings required for the var¬ 
 ious machines, together with the numbers. He can take you to 
 the iron room and get you a piece of tool, machine, or Bessemer 
 steel, Norway or ordinary bar iron, either flat, round, square or 
 hexagon, in the dark, if necessary. He knows where each quality 
 and kind of stock should be kept, and always finds it there. 
 
 We get back almost to where we started and find a machine 
 about to be tested before shipment. Looking overhead we see 
 countershafts with belts so arranged that any machine can be 
 started up and tried on short notice. The machines are never 
 found wanting because they are built right to a system, and all 
 alike every time. If you should find a small detail that has been 
 
i8 
 
 overlooked or set wrong, you know that Robinson & Co. will be 
 glad to make it right. They are jealous of their reputation, and 
 are more than liable to tell you plainly if you are not using their 
 machines fairly, even if they have been paid for them six or eight 
 years before. They are not extending their shops into Canada or 
 China, or anywhere else, but have made additions to their bus¬ 
 iness right at home and find all the trade they can attend to. 
 
 Robinson & Co. have more money invested in patterns, draw¬ 
 ings, special tools, templates, &c., for one machine, than Rozens 
 has in his whole shop, and yet the former make money where the 
 latter could not. If Robinson & Co. were to build the same kind 
 of machines that Rozens does they could sell them for less than 
 the latter’s cost price and make more money, but you couldn’t 
 get any machines of the Rozens stripe at Robinson & Co. s estab¬ 
 lishment. If you were to call for them or refer to that class of 
 machinery you would be told that they did not aspire to that kind 
 of competition. 
 
 Rozens knows very well what the character of his machines are 
 both in weight, quality of stock, and workmanship, and yet he 
 has the most serene countenance and earnest manner when telling 
 you that he builds machines that have no superior. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 WOOD WORKING MACHINE OPERATORS; GOOD 
 AND BAD, AND WHY—A FEW REQUISITES FOR 
 SUCCESS. 
 
 HREE or four years ago Becket bought a machine for 
 
 dressing wood and seemed to be well satisfied with his 
 
 purchase, at least he so expressed himself for about two years 
 after buying it. It turned out lots of good work, cost nothing 
 for repairs, and ran with a minimum amount of power. After 
 he had used the machine two years matters changed considerably 
 and there was a good deal of “teaming” to the city for repairs and 
 duplicates of broken parts. At first this was not noticed partic¬ 
 ularly by Boone the builder of the machine, neither did Becket 
 offer any remarks about it, but as the calls became more frequent 
 Boone began to scratch his head for an idea. He was busy and 
 did not like to run his shop wholly on repair work. Then Becket 
 began to grumble about the machine being built from poor iron 
 and steel. He also insinuated that Boone ought to hire compe¬ 
 tent mechanics, and suggested that the repairs be made of steel and 
 wrought iron, and his bill for repairs compromised or at least 
 heavily discounted. 
 
 Boone could not account for the breaking of the parts of the 
 machine in this manner as he always put in the best materials to 
 be had for the purpose, and was certain that he had a lot of as good 
 machinists as were ever gathered under one roof. This remark 
 in regard to the machine having been built by incompetent me¬ 
 chanics “riled” him, as he had always paid the highest wages to 
 secure the best, and also had a first-class O. K. machine shop in 
 all its appointments even to special tools for the smallest detail 
 used in the construction of each machine. 
 
 Becket’s temper did not improve very fast. His customers 
 were waiting for work that was behind time, and this repair bus¬ 
 iness was flattening out his pocket book very rapidly. Every time 
 a piece was wanted he had to send the team away to the city for 
 
 19 
 
20 
 
 a whole day besides incurring all the other necessary expenses. 
 Boone’s foreman did not like to have that old red wagon hanging 
 around the shop door. It was a standing accusation against him, 
 and he knew he was innocent. One day it was backed up to the 
 door of the shop as usual with a lot of broken stuff to be repaired 
 or duplicated—gears, shafts, pulleys, cutters, etc. Foreman asks 
 teamster “What do you folks mean by smashing things up so? 
 Guess we’ll have to move our shop out next door to your factory 
 if this keeps on.” Teamster said that when they had Barker who 
 had started and run the machine at first they had no trouble. 
 Everything went along well enough, but when winter was coming 
 on Becket proposed to cut down Barker’s wages until spring. 
 The latter would not submit to this so he left and soon found a 
 better job. 
 
 The canal runs alongside Becket’s mill, and he actually hired a 
 mule driver to operate his machinery, whose sole experience con¬ 
 sisted in piling lumber in a lumber yard at the other end of the 
 route for two or three weeks in the spring before shipping on the 
 “raging canawl.” Becket did not have to pay the “canaler” as heavy 
 a salary as he had paid Barker, but he more than balanced it with 
 what he paid the machinist, to say nothing of the cost of trans¬ 
 portation, delays, etc., besides making a fourth-rate second-class 
 machine out of what a short time before was a superior machine 
 for the purpose intended. 
 
 Now Becket should have known that there was something wrong 
 about the machine “driver” by comparing notes. Barker had no 
 repairs while the machine was under his care, and the canaler did; 
 the power was the same, the machine was the same, the work was 
 to be the same, the man was different. He could have gone far¬ 
 ther in his reasoning. Boone had always given him first-class work 
 at reasonable prices including this machine; he had built hundreds 
 of them just alike and they were pronounced successful by the 
 hundreds who had bought and used them. Boone had thoroughly 
 tested each one of them, including Beckets, before shipment, and 
 knew that they were a success, therefore, clearly the machine was 
 not at fault. 
 
 I understand that the mule driver has resumed his old vocation 
 and feel sure that Becket will not hire any more men because they 
 are “drivers.” 
 
 I presume that there is no branch of industry calling for so 
 much mechanical knowledge and skill as the care and operation 
 of wood working machines, where men are hired who have never 
 
21 
 
 served any regular apprenticeship or have had so little preparatory 
 education. I don’t know why this should be, but nevertheless it 
 is a fact. There is no calling among the industrial pursuits which 
 demands more knowledge, skill and good judgment. A man who 
 is thorough in all its branches has at least the parts of various 
 trades at his fingers’ ends. He must understand enough of the 
 machinist trade to make or suggest repairs and improvements; 
 must be something of a draftsman or designer to lay out and 
 execute new kinds of work demanded by the trade; should know 
 enough about carpentry and building to take orders and fill them 
 correctly; should be a good judge of lumber and know how to 
 sort and cut up the same to the best advantage and profit; be able 
 to erect and place machinery and shafting properly in the absence 
 of a millwright; be a competent judge of all supplies, such as belts, 
 oil, knives and such things that have to be replaced from time to- 
 time ; and should be able at any time to operate any machine 
 about the place, even to running the engine and keeping it in 
 order if called upon. In addition to all these things he should 
 give as much spare time as possible to studying up mechanics, and 
 especially the parts pertaining to his occupation. 
 
 To all these qualifications should be added self interest in the 
 business, industry, sobriety, economic habits, and an ambitious 
 desire to advance. Men are neither better or worse at this trade 
 than at any other. Luck or chance will advance or degrade no 
 one, but superior knowledge and education, combined with good 
 judgment and perseverance, always make their mark. 
 
 I know many men whoafewyears ago were “jours” or foremen,, 
 now conducting a prosperous business for themselves while their 
 former shopmates are still plodding along in the same old ruts or 
 working for them. These men are bound to prosper because they 
 possess all the elements of success and do not recognize such a 
 word as “fail” while their fellow workmen never advance, a few go 
 backward, and some are “tramping.” 
 
 I call to mind now two men of about the same age who started 
 to work in a shop years ago. After John had worked at the busi¬ 
 ness for a few years he gradually advanced until he became fore¬ 
 man, then superintendent of the whole place, afterwards a partner^ 
 and finally sole proprietor. He had no legacy left him or any 
 outside assistance of any kind, but he had a good deal of energy, 
 good judgment, and business tact, and every Saturday night laid 
 away a certain sum for a “rainy day.” (He owned an umbrella 
 which he kept for the same purpose.) 
 
22 
 
 He always paid cash for anything he bought and got the best 
 of everything; was well dressed when off duty ; attended a good 
 opera or show occasionally, and lived well in a cosy, comfortable 
 little cottage where you could generally find him evenings. His 
 employers always found him at his post every Monday morning; 
 he made six full days every week unless sickness or holidays pre¬ 
 vented ; he never ran any accounts “across the way” but very often 
 his shopmates called him a “greeny” to throw his money away when 
 he bought some book of art or mechanics from an agent that hap¬ 
 pened in. He did not run around every Fall or Spring looking for 
 a house worse than the last, because he was his own landlord. 
 His children were well dressed and his wife was happy. This was 
 the kind of luck or chance that John had and that every one else 
 can have if he only applies himself. 
 
 Peter worked as long as John at the business, and at the 
 same wages for a long time, and finally became foreman. He went 
 along swimmingly for a time, but prosperity did not agree with 
 him. He donned a high silk hat and boiled shirt, went around at 
 nights and was one of the “boys.” In the mornings, particularly 
 on Monday, he had a head on him so big that it pained him to 
 have anyone come near him. His employers finally “got on to 
 him” as the boys say, and discharged him. 
 
 He went to John for a job, but John did not have room for him 
 just at that time, in fact he never does, so Peter walked around 
 pounding the pavements until finally he struck a job taking lum¬ 
 ber from a machine, at the usual rate of wages for such work. I 
 saw him the other day. He doesn’t wear a plug hat or boiled 
 shirt now. He drinks cheap whiskey when he can get some one 
 to buy it, and smokes a dirty clay pipe. 
 
 When he is at home you will find him in the alley opposite 
 John’s new stable, if the Board of Health has not cleaned him 
 out. I don’t know whether the Poormaster helps Pete’s family or 
 not (they need it) but I saw the public provision wagon driving 
 into the alley the other day. 
 
 A few days ago I gave Pete a quarter. He said he had “to see 
 a man” and pay him the balance of his rent. He thinks that this 
 is a hard world and that John has had good luck with him all his 
 life. The latter told me a short time ago that Peter might have 
 been his partner or had a good business himself had he started 
 out right and worked to get to the top. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PROPER TOOLS—NEGLECT OF OWNERS TO FURNISH 
 THEM—ADVANTAGES OF HAVING THE BEST. 
 
 P ROPRIETORS of mills, when estimating the cost of build¬ 
 ing and setting in operation any planing mill or wood-work¬ 
 ing establishment, should always bear in mind the very important 
 fact that one of the best investments about the whole plant con¬ 
 sists in having good facilities for keeping the different machines 
 in good working order with the least possible delay and cost. 
 These facilities do not necessitate a very large outlay in propor¬ 
 tion to the cost of the whole, and will show a larger percentage 
 of profit than any like sum invested on any other part of the mill. 
 Of course one cannot have a whole machine shop at hand, but a 
 few small tools carefully selected and placed at the disposal of an 
 intelligent foreman, will save many tedious delays, to say nothing 
 about having machinery in good order at all times, and getting 
 ready for any part that may need repairs so that it can be put in 
 order on the shortest possible notice. 
 
 As a general rule, purchasers and owners do not pay much at¬ 
 tention to this matter, thinking that when a full outfit of engines, 
 shafting, and machinery are bought and set up in the building 
 ready for operation, they have everything needed in that di¬ 
 rection, and the machines will run themselves, without any repairs. 
 In this they are sadly mistaken, as they soon learn to their cost 
 and sorrow. I think that one reason for this lies in the fact that 
 many machine builders, in their anxiety to sell and please the pur¬ 
 chaser, make big promises as to the length of time their various 
 machines will run and produce good results, without any percept¬ 
 ible wear or need of repairs. 
 
 Now, the truth of the matter is, that machinery of all kinds, 
 and especially high-speeded wood-working machinery, no matter 
 how perfectly designed and constructed, will not run for any great 
 length of time without deterioration unless under the watchful 
 care of a competent foreman or operator, and it is reasonable to 
 
 23 
 
24 
 
 conclude that even these men need facilities at hand to perform 
 quickly what is required to have their machines always in that 
 perfect condition requisite to produce a large quantity of superior 
 work. 
 
 I have furnished machinery for a great many mills, new and old, 
 visited and inspected a great many more, and have seen them in 
 all conditions, but have failed to find many that were fitted with 
 a view of being thoroughly labor-saving, systematic, and orderly 
 in their appointments. I have known men to expend large sums 
 of money on costly machines, a nice line of shafting, first-class 
 belting, superior engines, exhaust fans, etc.—all the best to be had 
 in their several places. Then they hire a good man to take charge 
 of the mill, and expect to have everything go off all right and do 
 large quantities of work at the minimum cost of production, with 
 no expense for wear and tear or repairs for some time. But things 
 don’t go right. The engine crank gets hot; belts slip; couplings 
 on line-shaft get loose; saws, knives, etc., get dull. These things 
 happen one after another. They must stop and repair this and 
 that during the day, and at six o’clock they notice that the pile of 
 dressed lumber falls far short of their expectations, and what the 
 different manufacturers had assured them could be done. 
 
 The owner breathes a prayer for Mr. Planer Builder or Mr. En¬ 
 gineer who designed his pretty, but not very serviceable engine, 
 and puts in a powerful petition for Mr. Exhaust Blower and poor 
 O. K. Hemlock who made his belts, and does not forget to men¬ 
 tion his foreman before he says Amen. 
 
 To all who have had such experience, and profited thereby, I 
 have nothing to say, but to those who think that their production 
 should be greater and better; their wastage less; their repair bills 
 smaller, and that their machines should be in better condition, and 
 also to those who contemplate building and operating a model 
 mill, I say “don’t forget that to erect, set up and operate your 
 machines daily, the foreman must have the proper appliances and 
 tools to perform these functions.” He must have a good tool 
 room. Yes, I know that you are running a planing mill and not 
 a high-toned machine shop, but it is absolutely essential to have 
 these things and a proper place to use and keep them. Never 
 build a mill, be it ever so small, without reserving the best lighted 
 corner for a tool room, and when you board the train for the place 
 where you will purchase your machinery, don’t forget the mem¬ 
 orandum with a list of tools for your tool room. Let me look at 
 it, if you please. 
 
25 
 
 “One iron vise, about 5 inch jaw; one heavy and one light ham¬ 
 mer; two flat chisels, one half-round chisel; one 54-inch cope, one 
 /4-inch cope, and one ^-inch cope chisel; flat, half-round, and 
 round coarse files, with handles for same; two screw wrenches (10 and 
 12-inch); a steel straight-edge three feet long; iron frame 
 spirit level ; plumb bob and line ; a try-square: large and 
 small oil cans; screw-drivers ; one pair of inside and outside 
 calipers; a speed indicator; a babbitting ladle and some good bab¬ 
 bitt; complete set of bits; tools for hook studs or lacing wire; 
 hooks for cleaning out oil holes; a pair of balancing scales; a set 
 of iron gauges for the different sizes of tongue and groove used in 
 mill, also a matcher setter.” That is an excellent selection for a 
 good start. When you get home enclose your corner for tool 
 room, and don’t forget to procure an automatic knife-grinder or 
 at least a good set of hangings for a grindstone frame and an at¬ 
 tachment for grinding knives—all these the best that can be ob¬ 
 tained. The automatic grinder can be bought for $90 to $100, and 
 these things when placed in the hands of a competent man will 
 pay for themselves in a very short time because he can always 
 keep his machines in order more easily and quickly, and instead 
 of shirking the otherwise disagreeable job of repairing and adjust¬ 
 ing from time to time, it will be attended to promptly, and the 
 machine, belt, exhaust and engine men, and foreman will all hear 
 the song of praise instead of the curse of ignorance. 
 
 I recently sold an outfit for a large mill, and the manager gave 
 the superintendent carte blanche for his tool room outfit, adding 
 in his order that if the superintendent had forgotten or overlooked 
 anything necessary I should furnish it. This resulted in a list of 
 articles like the one just mentioned. 
 
 Now I will wager my diamonds against a nickel that a person 
 can step into that mill at any time and find the machinery running 
 in good order and doing first class work, and the proprietor will 
 not say in a few months, that the machine started off all right, 
 but it does not work so now, and that there is something myster¬ 
 ious about it. No, he will find these tools to be the best and most 
 essential investment in the whole mill. You can no more expect 
 a mill to be kept in good order without them than you can eat a 
 meal comfortably without knives, forks or dishes. 
 
 For a large mill or factory having a number of machines to keep, 
 in order I would advise the following additions to what I have al¬ 
 ready mentioned: One small forge and anvil which will be found 
 useful and convenient in melting babbitt metal and for forging, 
 
26 
 
 dressing and tempering knives, cutters, bolts, etc.; one engine 
 turning and screw-cutting lathe to swing 20 inches diameter and 
 5 feet long, fitted with an 18-inch independent chuck for boring, 
 etc.; one set of drill-sockets for twist drills; one set of twist drills 
 from y to 1 inch 1-16 of an inch; one set of flat or chuck drills 
 from 1 to 2^ inches by 1-4 of an inch; four sets (4 each) chuck¬ 
 ing bolts y inch diameter, 4, 6, 8 and 10 inches long; two sets of 
 clamps or straps for holding work to the face plate or chuck; one 
 set of taps and dies from to 1 inch by y inch. Also the fol¬ 
 lowing lathe cutting tools: Two diamond points, for turning; one 
 round nose, for finishing; two boring tools, one 4 inches and one 
 8 inches long; one inside threading tool; two outside threading 
 tools; two side-cutting tools, one right and one left; two parting 
 or cutting off tools y and y inch. 
 
 These tools added to those absolutely required for any small 
 mill or factory would make an outfit for a tool room not excelled 
 by many machine shops, and costing less than $1,000 would soon 
 prove to be yielding a handsome profit on the investment. They 
 could be in charge of the foreman and operated by the man who 
 sharpens the knives and cutters, saws, files, etc., to very good ad¬ 
 vantage. 
 
 If an engine stud got broken, a cutter for a new kind of mould¬ 
 ing was needed, a screw to be made or repaired, a pair of cutter 
 head boxes or a loose pulley to be re-lined, besides other repairs 
 too numerous to mention, you would soon appreciate how much 
 better and more quickly they could be done on the spot than to 
 travel a long distance to a machine shop employing persons who 
 do not really understand what is needed, to say nothing about fit¬ 
 ting all small new work within the range of these tools promptly, 
 and keeping them ahead or in stock. You may rest assured that 
 ■were this whole plant to come into use only one-sixth of the time 
 and lie idle the balance, you would be money and time ahead, 
 not counting the worry and profanity felt, if not expressed, at the 
 usual machine delay and botch work. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 VARNEY’S EXPERIENCE WITH FOREMEN—TROU 
 BLES—THE MAN FROM THE “ HUB ”—VARNEY 
 FINDS A REAL DIAMOND. 
 
 ARNEY owns a small jobbing mill and box factory, has had 
 
 considerable trouble in getting and keeping good men, and 
 
 especially a foreman. He was relating his troubles some time ago; 
 first he had Davis who was a very good foreman when tied down 
 to a day’s work on any machine in the building, and would work 
 at all hours, even Sundays, sharpening cutters, filing saws, packing 
 joints in steam pipes, cleaning the boiler, or doing anything else 
 to keep the various machines running full time—in fact, he kept 
 himself so busy that he had no time to look after the men and 
 keep them busy. He was sober, and careful about the expense 
 account to a painful degree, asking for any small needful supply 
 as though craving a great personal favor. Varney said that the 
 mill did not yield a fortune while he had Davis. 
 
 Next, Wallace came along and he ran in an opposite groove to 
 that of his predecessor. In two weeks every person about the 
 establishment was wishing that he would pick up his grip sack 
 and follow Horace Greeley’s advice. He kept everything in bad 
 shape. “ He was not going to worry and fret about all the little 
 details,” but he took good care that those under his charge did. 
 Not a man around the place ever saw him smile. Things came 
 to such a pass that the machines were idle very often, and the 
 good feeling existing between Varney and his men was in such 
 great danger of being terminated by a strike, that Wallace had to 
 go- 
 
 While on the lookout for a new foreman, one of the old hands, 
 Scott, was called to fill the place. Varney says the chief fault 
 with Scott was that he did not know how to sort and cut lumber 
 unless it was for kindling wood. A piece of clear stuff was just 
 as liable to go with a pile of barn boards or be cut into common 
 
 27 
 
28 
 
 box stuff as anything else. Now Varney says that a large per 
 cent, of the profits is due to the perfect knowledge of sorting and 
 cutting up stock, and I rather guess there is more truth than po¬ 
 etry in his assertion. Scott told him that the men ought to 
 know which side of a board to plane, which edge of a board to 
 save for first, second or third quality when sorting from the rip 
 saw, and which piece to save for a panel or use for box boards 
 when cross-cutting. Varney insisted that it was the foremans 
 business to know these things, so they parted, as Scott would not 
 go back to work in that factory as a common “jour” after having 
 been a foreman. Of course he would have no objection to the 
 same kind of a job in another place even at less wages. He had 
 not the moral courage to go back and work at what he could per¬ 
 form well, at the same time studying to advance himself prepara¬ 
 tory to getting another and better position, but he had a good 
 deal of what he called pride which he imagined was badly dam¬ 
 aged, in truth almost wrecked. Through this false pride many peo¬ 
 ple as well as Scott allow hundreds of opportunities and dollars 
 slip by them. 
 
 Soon after this, Varney’s factory took fire and two machines 
 were all that was saved from the wreck. These he had rebuilt. 
 While building his new factory and getting machinery he corre¬ 
 sponded with Bidwell who was in the same business, in regard to 
 a foreman, and the result was the recommending of a man who 
 would just suit him. I saw Varney one day before he got his 
 machinery started. He said, “I tell you, Observer, I’m going to 
 have things different from what they ever were. I have a fore¬ 
 man coming who will show you how to run wood-working ma¬ 
 chinery. He has been foreman in some big mill in the East, but 
 the climate there doesn’t agree with him, and the doctor recom¬ 
 mends a change for his health. He is coming from Boston.” 
 
 After the man from the “ Hub” had arrived, I happened into 
 the mill one day, and as I passed by the vise bench I saw two 
 planing knives, that evidently had not been on the planer ten 
 days, all bent and broken. I walked up to one of the machines 
 and as a matter of habit put my hand on one of the boxes to see 
 if it was running cool and steady. Cribben (the new foreman) 
 came along-and I pleasantly asked him how the machines worked 
 and suited him. In a very gruff manner he intimated that perhaps 
 I knew all about them as I had been examining them. As he had the 
 reputation of being an expert I thought I would keep cool and 
 probably could catch some of the drippings of wisdom with which 
 
2 9 
 
 he was overflowing, so I apologized. He then became confiden¬ 
 tial and told me that this machine should have been thrown into 
 the scrap heap instead of being rebuilt; that machine yonder 
 could not be made to work properly ; the shafting was wrong, 
 and in fact nothing seemed to suit him. One cylinder had its 
 bearings re-babbitted inside of a week. When pressed for the 
 cause of this he said he never knew of new bearings that did not 
 heat and melt out. I gently reminded him that every time the 
 bearings were re-lined they were new, hence, according to his 
 idea they would always melt out. He looked at me hard enough 
 to bore a hole through me, and to this day I don’t know whether 
 he saw the point. When I went into the office I told Varney 
 that perhaps he had a rough jewel of a foreman who might possi¬ 
 bly improve with a little polishing; also, if he would tell me what 
 Cribben ate in this glorious climate I would tell him what he 
 drank both here and elsewhere. Varney said Cribben would do 
 better after he got the hang of things and he guessed he would 
 come out all right in the end. Well, the final result was that he 
 did not come out all right at the end ; his boards even did not 
 match right at the ends as very often they were narrower there 
 than any place else. One thing Cribben could do to a nicety— 
 he could bring the edge of a glass to his lips every time he found 
 about three fingersful in it, which was very often. 
 
 Varney says no man can drink and tipple all night and do right 
 by his employer or himself the next day. He also says such 
 things have a bad influence on the men, and besides, machines 
 don’t perform so well when they are tipsy. Do machines imbibe 
 intoxicants? Cribben had to go. 
 
 Varney is hoping that Pendleton will stay with him, because 
 he just fills the bill. He came from the little town of Pineville 
 where he had charge of a small establishment, and as he had lived 
 there all his life he conceived the idea that he would shake the dust of 
 Pineville from his feet and go out into the “wide, wide world,” 
 trusting to chance to get employment. 
 
 While at Pineville he had but little opportunity to make much 
 of a show, as the shop he was in did not have a very extended 
 business or number of machines. There were a great many ma¬ 
 chines in use that he had never seen even a picture of, but he ap¬ 
 plied himself closely to his trade and read everything he could 
 find relating to his business and mechanics in general. He never 
 found time to hang around the village depot or corner tavern 
 evenings. He had no machine shop within fifty miles of the 
 
30 
 
 place, but he could babbitt a box or bearing, straighten a shaft, 
 or even go to the boiler furnace, heat an old broken bolt and put 
 a head on it that would astonish many good blacksmiths who had 
 all the required facilities at hand. His cutter heads never melted 
 out the boxes, nor did his saws get all buckled up, and if they 
 had he could have hammered them out as well as any sawyer. 
 H e was a first-class mechanic without knowing it. 
 
 But proprietors in need of such men are not long in finding out 
 what stuff a man like Pendleton is made of. He came into Var¬ 
 ney’s office and asked for a job. Varney inquired where he came 
 from and what he could do. Now Pendleton was a modest man 
 who did not toot his own horn (figuratively speaking) very loud, 
 but in a quiet way answered all of Varney’s questions. The lat¬ 
 ter was so favorably impressed with his unassuming manner and 
 appearance in general that he finally offered him the duties, re¬ 
 sponsibilities and salary of foreman of the establishment instead of 
 setting him to work at a small moulding machine as he had first 
 thought of doing. This proposition rather took Pendleton’s 
 breath away at first, as it was unexpected and much higher than 
 his ambition had soared just then. 
 
 What he was looking for was a job—some situtation where he 
 could get an insight into the ways and manners of doing business 
 in a city, and also see how machines were constructed for use on 
 work that he had never done. He requested the privilege of 
 looking through the establishment for a few hours and said he 
 would give an answer at the end of that time. 
 
 Well, he began his tour of observation and found that while 
 Varney’s shop was much larger and more varied in its work than 
 any he had been in, and also had three times as much machinery, 
 some of which was new to him, there was really not so much dif¬ 
 ference as he had imagined. The saws simply cut stuff crossways 
 or lengthways, the planer just planed it, the moulder made mould¬ 
 ings of any shape or form that the knives were made for, just as 
 had been done in the little shop at home. He concluded his in¬ 
 spection, accepted the position, and was at once placed in charge. 
 The men, some of whom had been there half a lifetime, didn’t 
 like the idea of a green country chap coming into the place and 
 “bossing”—that was putting on the hayseed too thick. 
 
 But Pendleton paid no attention to their little piques, he sim¬ 
 ply went about his business, and in two weeks everyone about the 
 place knew that he was master of the situation, because he always 
 knew what he wanted, when he wanted it, and who he wanted to 
 
3 1 
 
 do it. He had a quiet, easy, and yet commanding way of talking to 
 or ordering the men that was not to be gainsaid. In a short time 
 every machine and man was working like clockwork. More work 
 was being done and in an easier and better manner, and yet there 
 had been no upheaval of things, as everything had been quietly 
 changed and put in order at a very slight expense. 
 
 When Pendleton goes to the office and says he wants anything 
 ordered for the mill, no matter if it should be something unusual, 
 it is ordered at once because V’arney knows that “No” will not be 
 taken for an answer, and besides he has faith in Pendleton’s knowl¬ 
 edge of the wants of the business. 
 
 There is an all-prevailing sense of cleanliness and system about 
 the place. Every piece of work goes out on the duplicate system ; 
 repairs from accidents are almost wholly unknown ; there is no 
 friction between the foreman and employes ; machines use only a 
 minimum amount of power as per the tell tale on the boiler, and 
 yet Pendleton doesn’t seem to be very busy, but he keeps his eyes 
 open and thoughts busy, and seems to make every move at exactly 
 the right time and place. He is fast becoming a polished jewel, and 
 in the near future Varney will have to increase his business, as no 
 little shop can hold such valuable men; they are in too great a 
 demand. Pendleton will never have to look long for a situation. 
 His good qualities will advertise him and make a demand for his 
 services at almost any kind of a salary. To tell the truth, I know 
 of several men who have their eyes on him now. 
 
 What made him so much superior to Wallace, Davis, or Crib- 
 ben ? He was not naturally so, neither had he worked in so many 
 different places nor had as good opportunities for observation and 
 general experience. He simply interested himself in his business 
 and was determined to excel, if possible. His spare time was 
 largely drawn on to improve his mental education, and he always 
 had money enough in his pocket to buy any good book that he 
 came across that he thought would give him at least one idea. 
 He commenced at the bottom and studied first principles, and 
 ferretted out the reasons why machines and their operations should 
 be thus and so. He was rather quiet than otherwise, and reluct¬ 
 ant to express his opinion unless he felt well posted on the sub¬ 
 ject in question. He did not condemn every machine and tool 
 he had charge of, he simply made them do the best they could 
 until he could get something better. In a word, he was bound to 
 get to the top where men are not crowded so much, and he has 
 succeeded. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 HARRISON & HENRY BUY A “NO. i” BOILER—A FEW 
 POINTS REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 
 GOOD BOILER. 
 
 I WAS in Harrison & Henry’s office, not long since, and being 
 an old friend, stopped to have a chat with them. Our con¬ 
 versation was quite lengthy, and eventually turned to steam 
 boilers. As they had recently put one in, together with a new 
 engine, I was invited to visit the engine room and look at it. The 
 masons had not finished the setting or bricking in, so a very fair 
 view was obtained. 
 
 The boiler had five flues and was about ten feet long, forty-two 
 inches diameter. Some of the sheets were double riveted; that is, 
 they were too short to reach around, and two sheets or parts of 
 sheets were riveted together. These joints were placed at almost 
 all parts of the circle in the various lengths and some of them 
 looked as though a person had cut a “gutter” along every joint 
 that should be caulked neatly, and said “gutter” left off. It did 
 not enhance the beauty of the boiler, and would probably weaken 
 it. One of the heads bulged out at least two inches at the center, 
 —I presume this was to accommodate the various lengths of flues—- 
 and there were also to be seen at least three rivets that did not 
 fill the holes; evidently had been drifted together sufficiently to 
 allow a forced entrance of the rivet to the hole. There was a 
 brand or stamp on the boiler head which read “C No. I,” and 
 another stamp found on one of the shell sheets which said “C No. 
 i shell;” there was also a huge dome on top, and the fire front 
 had a large spread eagle design with the full address of the 
 attempted boiler maker. It came from a little shop owned by 
 Bloom & Co., who are located in a small town, and who also make 
 sleigh runners, corn shellers, plow points, and everything else they 
 could think of that there was any money in, including engines and 
 boilers. Harrison said I was too sarcastic when I told him that 
 
 32 
 
33 
 
 Bloom & Co. had been palming off some old foundry cupola on 
 them, and Henry hurriedly proposed adjournment to the office, 
 there to fire up, smoke and criticise a Havana, imported from the 
 nearest cigar store. 
 
 I do not think that Bloom & Co. ever saw the inside of a first- 
 class boiler shop. If they did they certainly did not show it on 
 Harrison & Henry’s boiler. Upon being pressed for ideas regard¬ 
 ing the kind of boiler as the best, together with the quality of 
 material and method of construction, I began to be somewhat 
 cautious in my remarks. You see my practical education in boiler 
 •construction has been somewhat neglected. But I have seen boil¬ 
 ers that were good in all that the word implies, and, while not an 
 expert in that line have been a very careful observer of the same. 
 I have noticed that of the various styles of boilers the greatest 
 number are of the horizontal tubular type. This is especially the 
 case in wood-working establishments. It combines in a compact 
 form a large amount of heating surface, has no superior in econ¬ 
 omic use, and is easily managed. Its advantages in connection 
 with good construction from the best materials, and its compara¬ 
 tive safety and durability cause it to be recognized as the standard 
 boiler for stationary purposes in this country. In some sections 
 where the water forms scale rapidly, cylinder, or two or five flue 
 boilers are generally used, but in such cases better results would 
 no doubt be obtained by using a feed water heater and purifier, 
 of which there are many good ones in the market which will pre¬ 
 vent or remove the said scale in the tubular boiler. 
 
 It is the general custom to compare prices of the different man¬ 
 ufacturers of boilers, by the horse power. This leads to serious 
 mistakes. Bloom & Co. might figure their total horse power by 
 every nine or ten feet of heating surface, and some one else figure 
 his by every fifteen feet. Two boilers with equal amount of heat¬ 
 ing surface may produce widely different results in practice, owing 
 to the difference in their proportions. A long boiler of a stated 
 diameter is cheaper than one which is larger in diameter and 
 shorter, both having the same amount of heating surface, but the 
 heating surface of the latter will be more available if it be properly 
 proportioned than the former if improperly proportioned as to 
 length. A good general proportion for wood-working factory use 
 is about ten feet long for a shell of forty inches diameter, to four¬ 
 teen feet for a sixty-inch shell with three inch tubes. Before 
 going farther, I would say that there are many good boilermakers 
 who, on the score of safety, will not make a shell larger than sixty 
 
34 
 
 inches in diameter, but in case they are made the tubes should be 
 increased to 3*4 inches for a sixteen foot, and 4 inches for an 
 eighteen foot boiler. An intending purchaser who gets bids from 
 numerous builders would receive better results for his money, and 
 would give better satisfaction to those making figures for him, by 
 furnishing some specifications regarding the quality of material 
 used and method of construction. These specifications can easily 
 be obtained from some one well versed in boiler construction. 
 
 The iron for the shell and heads should be what is known in the 
 market as “C H No. 1 flange iron,” and the sheets directly over 
 the fire “C H No. 1 flange fire box” iron of a tensile strain test, 
 not less than 50,000 pounds. Do not be deceived by reference to 
 “first-class, best Pennsylvania,” &c., but get the exact brands as 
 above. These brands from reputable iron manufacturers can be 
 relied on as the best. The sheets composing the shell should be 
 long enough to reach around without piercing, with the girth 
 seams well up out of reach of the fire and double riveted. Regard¬ 
 ing the comparative merits of hand and machine riveting, which 
 has received much attention of late years, each has its strong ad¬ 
 vocates. No doubt good work can be done by machine, but it is- 
 also certain that poor work has been turned out, although doubt¬ 
 less by careless workmen and manipulation. This perhaps is the 
 principal reason why many good makers still do their riveting by 
 hand. Regarding the number of tubes in a boiler, care should be 
 taken that they be not crowded in so as to impair the circulation 
 and tend to produce “foaming.” It is conceded that they should) 
 be from one to one-and-a-quarter inches apart; as large a hand 
 hole as is possible should be placed below, and if the water is very 
 bad a man hole in the front head is better, placed of course under¬ 
 neath the tubes. All boilers of 40 inches diameter and over 
 should have a man hole on the top. Rivet holes, spacing, and 
 punching or drilling, should receive careful attention so that they 
 will coincide exactly when “rolled” up ready for the rivets, and 
 thus avoid the use of drift pins to force them in alignment with 
 each other. There is just as much sense and reason for using: 
 drift pins for this purpose as for a man to stand on his head to- 
 look at the steam gauge. Years ago boilers were considered by 
 some incomplete without a dome, and even now there are those 
 who think they must have one. Of late years, however, the 
 advantages of this attachment have been seriously questioned. It 
 is a source of weakness to the boiler, and is of little value as a 
 steam resource, while its claim of producing “dry” steam is fre- 
 
35 
 
 quently doubted. A dry pipe placed along the top of the boiler,, 
 arranged so that the steam travels through the perforations pre¬ 
 vious to its passage to the steam pipe for use, is preferable, and 
 the weakness caused by use of dome avoidable. 
 
 These are a few of the leading features that come to my mind 
 at present regarding the type and construction of a boiler for sup¬ 
 plying steam power for wood-working machinery. There are 
 many minute details not mentioned that can be obtained from 
 those engaged in their manufacture, also information regarding 
 grates, fronts, connections, water and steam gauges, safety valves, 
 setting, &c., together with drawings and specifications for their 
 erection. 
 
 Although steam boilers are one of the most important parts of 
 the whole plant, and at the same time the most dangerous to life 
 and property when carelessly used, I need not here set forth the 
 causes of the failure and success of the same after being ready for 
 use. I will only add that the whole matter can be summed up in 
 a short sentence : Buy only the best, have it complete in all its 
 appointments, and engage the services of a competent engineer- 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A “BLASTED ENGINE,” WITH NOTES ON ENGINES 
 IN GENERAL. 
 
 I MADE no mention of the new engine that was to go with 
 the new boiler of Harrison & Henry’s, not through neglect, 
 but because it did not go with the boiler—that is, at the same 
 time. The reason of its delay was this : Bloom & Co. did not have 
 to make patterns for the new boiler, while at one time atfd anoth¬ 
 er they made a good many for this particular engine as they had 
 not built one of so large a size before. Some people can make 
 more machines from the same patterns with a few slight changes 
 than others can with infinitely more patterns: they know how to 
 do it, you see; it is easy enough when you know how. 
 
 Those who are saving on their pattern-making account, regard¬ 
 less of all other expenses, can furnish either a water wheel case or 
 cupola base from the same pattern, and with equal facility extract 
 from a lathe bed pattern an engine frame, or a pulley from a spur 
 gear pattern. To be sure the lines of beauty or utility are absent, 
 and the proportions may not be exactly right, neither does the 
 bank account seem to grow apace as expected from such a policy, 
 but somehow this state of affairs continues in many places. 
 
 The aforesaid engine must have been evolved, revolved, or ex¬ 
 tracted from just such a lot of patterns. The frame was about as 
 high as it was wide, and about as thick as a good stove plate. It 
 was evidently intended to be rigid and solid, because its sides 
 were “tied” together with numerous cross girths 4 or 5 inches deep 
 and fully ]/ 2 inch thick; it was about 10 feet long, at least 22 
 inches wide, and fully as deep. It had been originally intended 
 for a smaller size of engine or engine lathe frame, and when look¬ 
 ing at it alone without its engine attachment, one would be par¬ 
 doned for pronouncing it a first class water trough. I think it 
 would be a good plan to place a placard on it with these words 
 “notice—this is an engine bed.” This would avoid wear and tear 
 •of brain work done in the guessing line. 
 
37 
 
 Well, Bloom & Co. had to make new cylinder, cross head, and 
 pillow block patterns. There was a chance to spread steam science, 
 and metal. The cylinder had to be four inches larger in diameter 
 than the old pattern, but the stroke the same. That cylinder I 
 believe would actually weigh more than the frame. No fear of 
 getting a collapse there by frequent re-boring. No sir; Cylinders 
 must be heavy you know to stand that. Another convenience 
 about this cylinder was that no one had to stoop to look at the 
 oil cups; it stood about up to the second button of an ordinary 
 man’s coat (provided the buttons were all there). The piston 
 may have been good, bad or indifferent, I did not see it as it was 
 out of sight; the cross head was a marvel of workmanship, with 
 an array of oil cups, bolts, nuts, washers, gibs, etc., all finished on 
 the good old O G Style ; the pillow block acted as though it had 
 kept company with the frame long enough, and would take a trip 
 with the crank. This was the third pillow block. The first one 
 did get away one day in a very unceremonious manner; then the 
 second one was “weighted up’’ considerable, and it concluded to 
 get off unless released from duty which was finally agreed to. The 
 crank seemed to be well proportioned for its work, but not for its 
 surroundings. The valve not having any severe strain seemed to 
 be all that was necessary. To sum up the whole matter—every 
 part seemed to have been taken from an engine of a different size 
 and all the parts from as many different engines. 
 
 When I first run against it just inside the engine room door I 
 instinctively commenced to back out, but Harrison was behind 
 me and asked what I was afraid of, it wouldn’t bite. Of course I 
 wasn’t “skeered” but then I prefer to see an engine behave itself in 
 the presence of visitors. I remarked that there was no sense in 
 having a stationary engine on rolls, and received an answer that 
 my specs were deceiving me, as that engine was bolted down firm¬ 
 ly to a solid foundation. When I had wiped the steam from my 
 glasses I found this to be the case, and also that the engine did 
 move from one end to the other. In fact it was a genuine recip¬ 
 rocating engine. It was finally admitted that the crank plate 
 might be out of balance a trifle, and that the bed was none too 
 heavy, also that Bloom & Co. would have to set things right be¬ 
 fore the final payment was made. I think that some time in the 
 not very distant future Harrison & Henry will have a lively appre¬ 
 ciation of the fact that the motive power constitutes a very import¬ 
 ant part of cost of plant, and on its performance depends to a 
 considerable degree the successful operation of their establishment. 
 
38 
 
 As I stood there the engineer gave me a knowing wink and 
 said, “she is a blasted engine.” After leaving the engine room I 
 began to cogitate on the subject of engines—their purchase, adap¬ 
 tation, construction, etc., with the following results: 
 f |The best way is to purchase an engine from some well known 
 engine builder who makes them a specialty, assuming that in these 
 days of progress those who make certain machines a specialty de¬ 
 vote more thought and study to attain perfection than those who 
 put very little of these needful ingredients into any of the numer¬ 
 ous machines built by them for widely different purposes. You 
 will notice that Bloom & Co. are not quoted as authority, or even as 
 having any rank or standing with any of their different machines. 
 There are lots of good responsible engine builders whose guaran¬ 
 tee for the preference of their products need not appear on paper, 
 because they can turn in any direction and show any number of 
 their engines that are a source of pride to the builder. In fact I 
 might say that they will be good monuments when their creator 
 is not of this earth. They are also an equal source of satisfaction 
 and comfort to the purchaser and engineer when under decent 
 treatment and care. 
 
 There are three distinct types of stationary engines offered in 
 the market, viz., the automatic cut-off, fixed cut-off, and plain slide 
 valve, all having under certain circumstances their particular ad¬ 
 vantages for the special uses to which they are put. You pay 
 your money and take your choice. 
 
 The first named, in most short stroke high speed engines, has 
 besides the main valve to control steam admission and exhaust, 
 an independent cut-off valve with the object of cutting off steam 
 from the cylinder at the proper time as designated by the governor 
 and may be at any point up to ^ or ^ of the stroke. These en¬ 
 gines are usually put in to do the work cutting off at about % 
 stroke which is considered the most economical point with 70 or 
 80 pounds boiler pressure. At the same time they take advan¬ 
 tage of every change of load by changing the point in the stroke 
 at which the cut-off takes place. This point is determined by the 
 governor, and the balance of the work is done by expansion of 
 the steam. This engine is economical in using a minimum amount 
 of steam and fuel, and in wood-working mills where shavings, etc., 
 form but a part of the fuel and the remainder is purchased, makes 
 said economy an important item every day, and is a strong argu¬ 
 ment in favor of an automatic cut-off engine even at their ad¬ 
 vanced first cost. At a moderate estimate they will save from 20 
 
39 
 
 •to 30 per cent, in fuel under ordinary conditions, and in some 
 cases will even exceed these figures. There are of course many 
 different grades of these engines built—good, bad, and indifferent, 
 and the economy of the two latter kinds would perhaps not 
 amount to anything. They should be selected for their strength, 
 good workmanship, simplicity and ease of management by an or¬ 
 dinary engineer 
 
 In the fixed cut-off there are also two valves—the main and the 
 cut-off. The latter is set permanently to cut off at a given point 
 of the stroke, and speed is regulated by the governor throttling the 
 steam the same as in an ordinary slide valve engine. This type 
 of engine is a favorite with many, because, when properly adjusted, 
 it is a very economical engine, as it partially takes advantage of 
 the expansion of steam, while its cost is less than that of an auto¬ 
 matic cut-off. 
 
 The plain slide valve engine, however, is used now, as it has been 
 for many years, in establishments that furnish their own fuel in the 
 production of their work, and the matter of fuel economy is of no 
 material importance. There is little doubt that it will continue 
 to be used as long as motive power is furnished by steam. When 
 carefully designed and proportioned it is by no means an expens¬ 
 ive engine either in its first cost or expense of running and man¬ 
 agement. Its very simplicity recommends it where considerations 
 or circumstances do not exist for the use of higher type engines. 
 
 As the speed of line shafting in wood-working shops is com¬ 
 paratively speaking high, a short stroke and high speed engine 
 would be the most advantageous, with a stroke about one and 
 one-half times the diameter of the cylinder, which will allow of a 
 large pulley on the line shaft, belting from the band fly-wheel on 
 the engine running in the direction that will place the slack side 
 of the belt on top. The advantages of this style or type of en¬ 
 gine are generally understood and appreciated by engineers and 
 mill men of modern ideas. Too long a stroke with its consequent 
 slow speed involves the necessity of a fly or band wheel of a very 
 large size- If the fly-wheel is small the pulley on the line shaft 
 must be small; this shortens the life of the belt and impairs its 
 service because it requires to be strained very tight under these 
 conditions. The short stroke has also the advantage of less first 
 cost, less weight, less space, better regulation and economy, than 
 its old fashioned, long stroke, slow speed rival. 
 
 I would add that I must not be understood to prefer a high 
 speed engine that will run so fast that economy of wear, break- 
 
40 
 
 ages, attention, etc., are laid aside, but as in many other machines 
 select the happy medium which would be for piston speed from 
 400 to 500 feet per minute. It is also conceded that short stroke 
 engines must be well constructed from the best of materials to 
 insure successful results. When you get such an engine or in¬ 
 duce anyone else to, don’t have it stuck in some dark cellar way 
 or room ; don’t put it on good foundations and then enclose with 
 a rough board shed that you would blush to put a cow in over 
 night, and expect that everything will be kept shining and in good 
 shape. If .you do you will find you have made a grievous mis¬ 
 take, and the chances are that the engineer will have to be chained 
 to keep him there. Hardly anything, even princely wages, will 
 induce an engineer to have sufficient pride and interest in his en¬ 
 gine, boiler, and fixtures under such conditions. 
 
 “Harmony is the support of all institutions” and especially in 
 this case where the surroundings should be in conformity with a 
 well furnished and designed engine, don’t fail to recognize the 
 fact that every cent or dollar expended for a well appointed com¬ 
 fortable engine room is not for the single benefit of the engineer 
 but for your own special gain and satisfaction. Your engine will 
 be well taken care of. and require less repairs because of easy ac¬ 
 cess, generous light and proper ventilation. You won’t have to 
 carry a lamp or strike a match to read the gauges or see that the 
 oil cups and “sich” are full; you will go as often to the engine 
 room as any place else, and you won’t have to borrow a suit of 
 overalls to go in either; your engineer will not dread to come in 
 contact with anything because it is covered with a greasy fungus, 
 neither will he slight any little jobs he may find necessary, but 
 will strive to keep things decent and in good order, have jnore 
 comfort and yield better returns. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A FEW FACTS CONCERNING LINE AND COUNTER 
 SHAFTING.—SPLIT PULLEYS CONSIDERED. 
 
 HE line or main shafting of any mill or factory being a fix¬ 
 
 ture erected for permanent use, should receive the most 
 
 careful consideration. The power applied and distributed, the 
 length and diameter, coupling to connect the different lengths 
 properly, the number and kind of hangers or bearings necessary 
 to keep the shafting in place with the minimum amount of fric¬ 
 tion, the size and weight of pulleys to place thereon, and finally 
 the speed—all of these items should be considered with special 
 reference to their several duties, as well as their relative duties to 
 one another. 
 
 A great amount of extra power is consumed and many tedious 
 delays caused by line shafts being poorly adapted to their sur¬ 
 roundings. This is notably the case in wood-working establish¬ 
 ments where the duty on shafting is often sudden and severe, es¬ 
 pecially when large machines requiring a great deal of power are 
 quickly started and stopped. I can conceive of but few places 
 that are worse for shafting than a large planing mill, and I might 
 say fewer places where it receives less attention and care. 
 
 Line shafting is generally put up about right to drive the first 
 few machines placed in the mill, and while machines are being 
 constantly added to the original number from time to time, the 
 shafting remains the same or rather is weaker as each machine is 
 added. This is due to sudden strain, torsion, etc. 
 
 In looking through a few mills having about the same number 
 and size of machines, one is surprised at the radical difference in 
 the various line shafts. Sometimes too large, again too small; 
 sometimes too many bearings, or else too few; often speeded too 
 fast, and as often too slow. 
 
 If the building is one story high with a gable roof, as is the case 
 nine times out of ten, you will find girders about twelve feet 
 apart, with a hanger or bearing for the shaft on each—the whole 
 
 41 
 
42 
 
 put up in a shaky manner, and when it is started running, every¬ 
 one who walks under it dodges, fearing it will fall and smash 
 things, or hurt people. There has been nothing saved in its first 
 cost or erection worth considering, and no one is proud of the job, 
 while every day it costs double what it should to drive it because 
 it will not stay in alignment, gets sprung, uses up barrels of oil, 
 wears out and breaks belts, and grinds fast in the boxes. Now 
 all this is wrong and is the result of carelessness in not studying 
 the cause and effect on the start. 
 
 You should give your line shafting as much serious considera¬ 
 tion as any purchase you make for the new mill. I have in my 
 mind’s eye a line of shafting 200 feet long, that, by throwing the 
 belts off, one man can easily turn. It is made in lengths of 16 ft. 
 each, the first length receiving the power being 3 inches in diame¬ 
 ter, and all the rest 2^4 inches diameter, with adjustable hangers 
 every eight feet, clamp or compression couplings at every length, 
 and pulleys distributed ad libitum. It was put up running length¬ 
 wise of the building, trusses about 12 feet apart. To these were 
 put two stringers of 8x8 stuff the length of the line, for the feet 
 of the hangers, and cleated together to keep them from wearing, 
 and when extra heavy duty was required they were supported 
 from above. They were accurately aligned and levelled before 
 any hangers were put on, and then the hangers were placed. 
 These were adjustable in every direction—down, up, sidewise, 
 anglewise, etc., and each one provided with a good oiler (glass). 
 The couplings were such that you could uncouple any length of 
 shaft in ten minutes, or couple them again, or change pulleys. 
 The pulleys were accurately fitted, turned, and balanced ; the 
 hangers had drip cups, and the shafts plenty of collars to prevent 
 end chase. The shafts made 300 revolutions per minute. 
 
 When this line was put in operation it was a thing of beauty 
 and a joy as long as it was kept level, aligned, and secured. The 
 only improvement I could think of would be to have split pulleys 
 altogether. They cost but little extra, are neatly made, and can 
 be put on or changed in a short time without disturbing the shaft, 
 which is no small task when it is heavily loaded with pulleys. I 
 would have no whole pulleys on my plate, or shaft, rather. 
 
 Now for the speed. You will find that 300 revolutions per 
 minute is about as good an average as you can have for the ma¬ 
 chines you will use, and the shaft does not require cumbersome 
 pulleys, lessens the liability to produce torsion or twist, and runs 
 easily in the boxes. No matter how high the speed, don’t get 
 
43 
 
 too small a shaft in a planing mill, as the pulleys being large are 
 heavy at best, and the shocks caused by starting machines are 
 sudden and severe. 
 
 If your building is so arranged that you can place your line 
 shaft below the floor, do so, and put it up in the manner described, 
 but drop it as far as possible from the joist, say five feet, so as to 
 get length of belt. You need not be afraid of fire if you have 
 reliable glass oilers and metal bearings. In some respects this 
 underground plan is preferable as you have a clear room with no 
 belts to obstruct the handling of lumber. You can also use tight¬ 
 eners for your belts and do away with loose pulleys (and who does 
 not like to get rid of them?) You may perhaps have to drive a 
 machine with an extra countershaft, but it can be done as well 
 from below as above. Perhaps I should have mentioned that the 
 reason glass oilers are preferred is that you can see whether or not 
 they are doing their work, also if there is any oil in them. You 
 will find that if you erect shafting properly, made in all its general 
 details from the above hints, it will give no more trouble than 
 any other machinery, and it will cost a great deal less every day 
 for power. 
 
 In putting up countershafts always make measurements with 
 reference to the location of pulleys, keeping them as close as'pos¬ 
 sible and convenient to the bearings to avoid springing the shaft. 
 The tight and loose pulleys can be placed at one end and the 
 driving pulley at the other. Select hangers of a length or “drop” 
 that will swing pulleys 30 inches diameter, which will in almost 
 all cases be large enough; have them the same style and pattern 
 as those on the line shaft ; have all shafts the same diameter for 
 convenience in changing pulleys and collars, and avoid turning 
 down the ends for bearings. Rather take up end chase with col¬ 
 lars. This plan makes the strength of shaft equal throughout and 
 costs less in the first place in many cases. The driving pulley 
 can be placed outside of the hangers for the purpose of putting 
 on and taking off belts—a good plan for pony planer and other 
 light driving machines. 
 
 It is very essential that counter shafting be properly erected— 
 that is, perfectly level and in alignment with the shaft from which 
 it receives its power. It should be prepared and put up on the 
 same general plan as the line shaft, securely fastened and provided 
 with a substantial belt-shifting attachment, which can be made of 
 wood as well as anything else, besides having the advantage when 
 made at the mill, of being adapted to its particular place. In the 
 
44 
 
 erection be particularly careful to see that belts of ample length 
 can be used, as short belts require much more tension, causing 
 bearings to heat and wear, spoiling the belts and springing the 
 shafts. So many able writers have given full instructions regard¬ 
 ing the setting up and aligning the different kinds of shafting, 
 that I presume it would be rather superfluous for me to give any 
 directions on that subject. I will say, however, that it is a good 
 deal as an old millwright once said to me: “It is a very easy job. 
 All you have to do is to keep the shaft perfectly level and aligned” 
 —in other words, get your line shaft right and set your counter¬ 
 shafts parallel with it every way, and the thing is done. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 HOW U. R. RUSHING CONDUCTS BUSINESS. 
 
 R USHING runs a planing mill, and sash, door, and blind 
 factory, employing about twenty-five hands. He has what 
 might be considered a fair plant of machinery for the purpose, 
 does a fair run of business, but does not seem to get ahead very 
 fast. He does not know why it is, and would not thank any one 
 to tell him. He attaches no importance to having small conven¬ 
 iences, such as knife grinder, matcher setter, balancing scales, etc., 
 to facilitate and cheapen work about the establishment. As he 
 claims to be a practical man at the business, he does not have to 
 depend on a superintendent or foreman—saves that extra expense, 
 you know! which is quite an item every year. 
 
 In the morning on entering the mill he attempts to set every¬ 
 thing in motion, lays out work for the day, loads up his wagon 
 and delivers goods, buys stocks, drums up customers, keeps books, 
 and in fact does everything, and gets around after dinner in time 
 to take something to the machine shop, belt factory, or edge 
 tool works to be repaired or ground, etc. I think there is hardly 
 a day but what something is drawn off in a wagon for repairs. 
 
 These are the kinds of establishments that make plenty of work 
 for the machinist. One day it is a cylinder that has cut out the 
 bearings, next a gear is broken, then a belt has been spoiled for 
 lack of a proper shipping guide to ship it and keep it in place. 
 Then the knives have to be carted away two or three miles to be 
 ground and balanced; a shaft coupling fails to perform its duty, so 
 the shop is shut down and the “boys” take a holiday, and thus it 
 goes on throughout the year—never a day when all the machines 
 are in order to be operated. 
 
 If a person goes into the mill he involuntarily dodges under the 
 line shaft, which has a pulley turning like an eccentric, or a loose 
 pulley grinding out music that is anything but classical, making 
 enough noise to deafen him,, or, perhaps, he sees a boy driving a 
 board through the matching machine with an axe, perspiring at 
 every pore, and calling on the Deity in no very reverent terms. 
 
 45 
 
46 
 
 Going to the opposite end of the surfacing machine, or re-saw, 
 he will be almost suffocated by the shavings and dust, and yet 
 there is a good exhaust fan of ample proportions. 
 
 The carpenters and builders grumble and growl that they did 
 not order stuff for wash-boards —what they did want was flooring 
 and smooth-surfaced boards. They would also like to see two 
 sashes or doors alike when they are so ordered, threaten to with¬ 
 draw patronage, and finally compromise by cutting off a heavy 
 discount from the bill. 
 
 Poor Rushing, who really is to be pitied for the large amount 
 of hard work he does every day, cannot see why it is that he does 
 not make any progress, especially when he is such a thoroughly 
 practical man, brought up in the business, working at all the dif¬ 
 ferent branches, from carrying lumber into the mill, to carrying 
 the finished workaway. His men have an easy time; every one is 
 his own boss, and Rushing, by hook and crook, gets their salaries 
 for them regularly every week. 
 
 I have known of a first-class cutter-head in one of his machines 
 that had to be re-fitted and the boxes re-lined three times in two 
 weeks. First, after it had been re-lined and re-fitted and run for 
 three months, it suddenly stopped one day and would not turn. 
 Fie had a machinist put it in proper condition again, and it ran 
 ten days in good style, when it had another collapse. He couldn’t 
 wait this time to have the shaft straightened and turned, said it 
 was all right, and besides, he was way behind with his work; ma¬ 
 chinists must hurry up the boxes and get started. They were 
 hurried through and he got started again. Well, the way that 
 cylinder run would surprise most people. It seemed as though 
 one particular wing on that cylinder wanted to travel in a much 
 larger circle than all the rest, and do all the cutting; in truth, 
 that’s just what it did, and the consequence was, that the whole 
 job had to be done over again in a proper manner. Then every¬ 
 thing went lovely once again, for a time. Rushing said that delay 
 cost him over fifty dollars, by throwing him behind on his work. 
 This reminded me of a certain wag, who said that he had lost 
 $10,000. On being asked how, he replied that pork had advanced 
 $i per barrel, and he did not have 10,000 barrels on hand. Rush¬ 
 ing did not have the time to stop and examine his machine, and 
 find out what was necessary, neither would he allow anyone else 
 to do it for him. He saves so much money by not having an in¬ 
 telligent, careful foreman’s services to pay; he doesn’t need to, 
 you see. There is not an old, good-for-nothing machine within 
 
47 
 
 his territory that he knows of and doesn’t long for. He is just 
 as liable to get an old planer and make a saw table of it, or to 
 convert a tenoner into a moulding machine, as anything else. 
 
 I saw a gang rip saw that he had made from an old, wheezy 
 planing machine (wooden frame) that might have come out of 
 Noah’s ark. He paid for it about two-thirds as much as the price 
 of a new improved machine, and then added to, cut off, and into 
 it, until ultimately it made a very good machine for the purpose, 
 but he could have bought a first-class machine, with all the modem 
 improvements, and had $150 more to his credit at the bank. 
 
 However, he would rather have a machine of his own design, 
 and hates to see old machines rust for lack of occupation. I think 
 one couldn’t persuade him to purchase a new machine because it 
 might get ahead of his time and knowledge. I believe that if he 
 had a year’s work for a machine to dress 6x6 or 8x8 inch stock on 
 all four sides, he would probably buy a pony planer that would 
 dress one side at a time, and that he could carry under his arm, 
 or that he dare not attach a shaving pipe to for fear that the ex¬ 
 haust fan would draw it up the “spout.” Labor is cheap and he 
 would have a great deal more work to do. He generally has on 
 hand, stowed away in various places, more odds and ends than 
 would put to blush a good, flush scrap heap, or junk shop, and 
 when an extra counter-shaft, pulley, or bearing is required, can 
 fish out something every time that will be made to answer after 
 a fashion, when it has cost infinitely more than a new piece, which 
 would be right. His superfluous trash never gives out because he 
 adds to it by degrees faster than he uses it up. It may be there 
 is money in this heap, but I think there is not much profit ex¬ 
 tracted from it. 
 
 Rushing generally pays his bills and accounts with notes at 
 three months, with use, and at their maturity gives a check for 
 one-half and renews the balance—says “business is good, in fact it 
 is ‘rushing,’ but collections are slow.” He pays interest enough 
 every year to support a family easily. His creditors and the com¬ 
 mercial agencies say: “He is honest and industrious, and econom¬ 
 ical in his living, but is not believed to be making much money— 
 pays his bills rather slowly.” 
 
 I have known Rushing for the last twenty years, and he has 
 been in business steadily all that time, and is actually worth less 
 than when he had done business for about two years. He never 
 sees the time that he is not wearing out shoe leather trying to get 
 the shekels to make both ends meet. 
 
48 
 
 Now it may be that Rushing is happy in his way of doing bus¬ 
 iness, and merely continues at it for fun, but certainly there are 
 no millions in it for him, and there are other men in the same line 
 of business that do not work or worry half as much, yet make a 
 comfortable living, and lay away some money every year. I have 
 considered this matter a little, and think it barely possible that Rush¬ 
 ing might do better were he to divide his labor with an intelligent 
 foreman at a good salary, who would organize his shop affairs so 
 that it would run on a good system; pay him for that particular 
 kind of work; simplify and cheapen methods of production, and 
 always have machines ready for any class of work for which they 
 are adapted. Then he could take the office work and collect 
 promptly, as well as pay promptly, and consequently with less 
 money. His work would soon show a much larger margin of 
 profit, and he would do more of it. 
 
 Of course the belt maker, machinist, steam fitter, etc., would 
 have less to do, but that is their lookout, and besides, he would 
 take life much easier, and greet his creditors with a smile instead 
 of a growl when they called on him. In a word, he would find 
 that a sub-division of labor, properly organized and systematized, 
 would be a good thing for all concerned. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE LOCATING OF MACHINERY—ADVANTAGE OF 
 HAVING SYSTEM—MULES THAT DON’T KICK- 
 BELT CARRIERS. 
 
 O F the many people who purchase machines, there seem to 
 be but few who give much thought to the matter of locat¬ 
 ing them. They will perchance cast their eyes to the line shaft, 
 and see where they can most easily take out a length, put on a 
 pulley to drive the machine in question, re-couple the shaft, place 
 the belts and start up the machine; or they may select some part 
 of the floor that has the most open space, forgetting all other con¬ 
 siderations, and place the machine there. Again, others want a 
 machine to stand at right angles to the line shaft, but not know¬ 
 ing how to lead the belts to the machine, give it up and do what 
 they consider to be the next best thing, which may be entirely 
 unsuited for the purpose intended. In either of these cases, as 
 well as many others, the machines are a continual source of delay 
 and trouble, costing a great deal more time and money to operate 
 them as well as to get work to and from them. 
 
 I have seen a buzz or hand planer placed in the darkest corner 
 of a shop, requiring a gas light almost all the time; I have also 
 seen upright shapers so close to a wall that one-half of their 
 work had to be done on the next one, thereby causing delay and 
 extra cost of production. Again, I have known of large planing 
 and matching machines so placed that all the lumber that passed 
 through them had to be handled at least twice as much as it would 
 have been if a little consideration and study had been done on 
 the start. 
 
 A great part of the success of some establishments is largely 
 due to the advantageous location of the various machines used 
 therein. Light being absolutely necessary to the production of 
 good work, it should be one of the first considerations. An illus¬ 
 tration of this fact is had by comparing the amount of work per- 
 
5o 
 
 formed by a man on a machine in good, clear daylight, with that 
 done by the same man, on the same machine, while using gas or 
 other artificial light (electric light is not taken into consideration 
 here). Convenience in getting stuff to and from a machine is 
 another important item. No machine that is tucked away in a 
 corner, or has its surroundings of such a nature that extra exer¬ 
 tion and work have to be employed to supply it, can do justice 
 to its maker, operator, or owner; the machine may possibly do as 
 much work but it will be at an extra expense. 
 
 Another important feature to be considered in locating a ma¬ 
 chine is that it should have plenty of room. It is neither pleas¬ 
 ant nor profitable to have a saw table and buzz planer so close 
 together that every time either operator steps back with his work 
 he is compelled to climb upon the other’s back, neither is it just 
 the thing to have a board running through a rip-sawing machine 
 strike the mortising operator in the back, until he wishes the saw 
 was at least three or four feet away in his rear. You see there is 
 a good deal of backing to my arguments in favor of ample room. 
 Why, I would give them plenty of room if only for the same rea¬ 
 son that Mark Twain invented his scrap book, viz.: to save bar¬ 
 rels of profanity. 
 
 Finally, a lot of machines should be so placed in relation to one 
 another, that no piece of work would have to pass a machine 
 without being operated on, if necessary. It is poor policy to 
 have a machine operator have to pass his work clear to the other 
 end of the shop for the next process, and then back to the mid¬ 
 dle of the shop, and so on through all the processes. I have in 
 my eye an establishment that took lumber in at one end and 
 brought the finished work out at the same door, and I can truth¬ 
 fully say that each piece that was cut up as it entered was carried 
 up and down the whole length of the shop at least three times, 
 and that, too, when there was not the least reason for so doing, 
 as there was plenty of room and light everywhere. I said there 
 was no reason for it; there was: the owner’s lack of studying 
 and reasoning faculties when he started, and they have developed 
 nothing better yet. After the stuff was sawn into lengths and 
 widths, it would run against a boring machine, around a sand¬ 
 papering machine, and under an upright shaper to reach the 
 planer, when planed it would go through a like devious path to 
 reach the buzz planer, and so on until it was taken to the finishing 
 room. How they managed there I don’t know, as I was glad to 
 get out of the machine room, and considered that I had accom- 
 
5i 
 
 plished quite a feat with my big feet. It is needless to say that 
 other concerns in the same line of business do not fear the com¬ 
 petition in trade of such a shop as the one just mentioned. They 
 have no need to; such shops are generally as untidy and wasteful 
 as they are inconvenient. System is one of the fundamental prin¬ 
 ciples of success, and is nowhere more clearly shown than in the 
 locating of machinery. 
 
 In contra-distinction to the above class of shops, I would say 
 that it gave me great pleasure to go through a large furniture fac¬ 
 tory not long since, upon the invitation of the superintendent, 
 with whom I am well acquainted, and know that his great hobby 
 is system. The machinery was so arranged that the lumber went 
 in at one end and door, and out the. other, almost as quickly as 
 the boy who went through college in the same manner, with this 
 difference, the lumber showed the results of “going through” by 
 being a finished piece of work. It first went to the cut-off saw, 
 thence to the ripping saw, then through the planing machine, 
 afterwards to the jointing machine, band saw, scroll saw, or sand¬ 
 papering machine, as occasion demanded, but no unnecessary steps 
 were taken, and there was no going back. Once started it went 
 like clock-work, smoothly and without friction. The same organ- 
 *zed system extended, as a matter of course, to all the different 
 departments, and I can assure you that any visitor to that factory 
 will be favorably impressed with the modus operandi , no matter if 
 he doesn’t know a tenoning machine from a corn sheller. He will 
 leave the premises with the impression that the brain having in 
 charge the mechanical part of the works, understands the value 
 of a system of locating machinery. 
 
 Not long since the writer had a part in supplying a factory that 
 had been run on the good old hap-hazard plan, with some new 
 machinery as it was being enlarged. An efficient mechanic who 
 makes such things his special business, was employed to arrange 
 and set the new works. 
 
 Looking the situation over carefully, he began to dispose of the 
 different machines in such a manner that they would be placed 
 where they would do the most good, but after about two-thirds 
 had been so arranged the owner came into the building and the 
 new order of things was so entirely at variance with the old, that 
 he ordered them changed. Expostulations and explanations were 
 in vain : he must have them something like what they had been 
 for the past fifteen years. The expert would not submit and he 
 left. Well the machines were all re-arranged and two of them 
 
52 
 
 were so close together that the men could not work, and Mr. 
 Owner ordered two feet to be sazvn off a rip saw table before he 
 would acknowledge his error, it then had to be moved and patched 
 up before it could be used at all. Not long since this same fac¬ 
 tory caught fire by reason of their not having the exhaust fan 
 properly put up, entailing a loss of several thousand dollars. This 
 severe loss was caused by ignorance and obstinacy: hard words 
 but true. 
 
 Machines are often required to be placed at right angles, or 
 even at any angle to the line shaft for a matter of convenience, 
 etc. This can easily be performed with the aid of a “ mule pulley 
 stand,” a mechanical device but little known. It is far better for 
 all ordinary purposes than bevel gears, and can be used to trans¬ 
 mit power to almost any angle within the same plane or nearly 
 so. It consists of a standard or column suspended from the ceil¬ 
 ing at any point suitable to turn the belt. It is provided with 
 two idle pulleys revolving on stems which are adjustable in any 
 direction; it receives the belt from the line shaft and turns it 
 round the corner to the countershaft at any angle ; it is simple, 
 reliable and noiseless and promises to take the place of many 
 bevel gears. The first cost is much less than that of gears and it 
 is easily put up by anyone. 
 
 Belt carriers are also a useful appliance for the transmission 
 of power from one side of the shop to the other. They can be 
 placed midway between the delivering and receiving point, and 
 hold the belt up out of the way—in other words, take up all un¬ 
 necessary “ sag.” They are made with a column hanging down 
 from the ceiling and have two pulleys for upper and lower side of 
 the belt revolving on spindles at right angles to the column or 
 stand; they are also adjustable in any direction, thereby allowing 
 the leading or direction of a belt, and they also save a long belt 
 from excessive strain. 
 
 Indeed mechanical appliances for transmitting power in any di¬ 
 rection are so numerous and varied, that with a little good judg¬ 
 ment there is no valid reason why the art of setting up and 
 locating machinery should not be thoroughly executed and ma¬ 
 chines conveniently arranged. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 GREEN STARTS IN BUSINESS-GOES THROUGH A 
 FIRE —TAKES IN TWO PARTNERS — TOGETHER 
 THEY MAKE A SUCCESS OF THE BUSINESS. 
 
 J F. GREEN is an old acquaintance who commenced business 
 # as a box manufacturer in a small way years ago. He started 
 with a very meagre capital; rented a room in a good local¬ 
 ity in a large city ; bought a pony planer, box board (hand) matcher 
 and saw table; rented power from his neighbor, and hired a first-class 
 man whom I will call Peter, to look after his machines and run 
 them, with the assistance of one man and a boy. Green did not 
 pretend to overflow with wisdom regarding the different kinds of 
 wood-working machines or other supplies, but soon ascertained 
 from some of his friends just what were the requirements of those 
 special tools of which he was in need. 
 
 Acting on this information, he made judicious purchases and 
 commenced business. He had had considerable experience in 
 buying and selling lumber and keeping books, and was a keen judge 
 of the demands of the market and of human nature in general. 
 He did a little of everything about the establishment but operat¬ 
 ing the machinery, solicited custom, made collections, bought 
 lumber, and even delivered his goods sometimes with a hand cart 
 driven and hauled by himself. He was prompt, reliable, reason¬ 
 able in prices, made superior work, paid his little bills in “spot” 
 cash, and in a few years had, by additions from time to time, in. 
 creased his trade so much that he was compelled to seek larger 
 rooms. He finally concluded after an extended conversation with 
 Beachwood & Co., proprietors of a large lumber yard, to buy a 
 lot near their yard and erect a building large enough to do an ex¬ 
 tensive planing mill business in addition to his box factory. 
 
 He bought two more planing and matching machines, a re-saw- 
 ing and a ripping machine,etc.; paid for engine and machines in 
 cash and paid Beachwood & Co. in work for the lumber used in the 
 construction of his building. His foreman, Peter, was by this time 
 
 53 
 
 * 
 
54 
 
 kept so busy looking after the machines that he did not have time 
 to do anything but adjust and keep them in order, file saws, sharpen 
 cutters, etc. Peter said he must have a tool room fitted up—noth¬ 
 ing extravagant, but a place to “keep things” in and know where 
 to find them. Green saw the point and accordingly a room was 
 partitioned off, and a vise, bench, automatic grinding machine, 
 grindstone and all the tools necessary to supply Peter’s various 
 wants were duly installed in place. He had extra saws, knives, 
 matcher heads, cutters, etc., on hand and saw that every machine 
 ran from starting to stopping time excepting the delay for oiling 
 and changing which takes but little time. 
 
 Green also found that the business had expanded so that he 
 secured the services of a smart young man to look after his office 
 and keep the books. He believed in insurance as a means of sav¬ 
 ing grace, and consequently got his entire plant insured. 
 
 Business went on swimmingly for about two years when one 
 noon there was a sudden cry of “Fire!” The flames did their 
 work so thoroughly that nothing was left to indicate what had 
 been located there, but some old machines burnt beyond all recog¬ 
 nition even by their builders. 
 
 Most men would have been discouraged by such a severe loss, 
 cleaning out everything but a small homestead, but Green was not 
 burnt any himself, and he had all his old energy, pluck, persever¬ 
 ance and good judgment left, besides a fair amount of insurance. 
 So he told Peter to get the men together and informed them that 
 they would not lose a day’s time; set them to work cleaning off 
 the wreck; put up an'other larger and better building; bought ma¬ 
 chinery, shafting, and everything needed for another trial, and 
 commenced to ship boxes and lumber in forty-five days from date 
 of fire. The new mill was made of ample size to greatly increase 
 the amount of business anticipated, as times were then on 
 the turn for the better. After everything was fairly settled, Peter 
 and the book-keeper—whom I forgot to introduce as John—were 
 invited to come down to the office one evening where Green told 
 them how well pleased he was with them and that henceforth he 
 would give each one a certain percentage of the net profits of the 
 business. He wanted them to consider themselves to all intents 
 and purposes partners in the concern, and if it was found neces¬ 
 sary to add any new machinery for an increased production of 
 work, such an item would not be figured in as running expenses, 
 but that all cutters, saws, belts and repairs were to be so considered. 
 Of course Peter and John were highly pleased at the thought of 
 
55 
 
 receiving a share of the profits in addition to their salaries, which 
 were already liberal, and so expressed themselves to Green and as¬ 
 sured him that they thought they could do considerable to in¬ 
 crease and cheapen the production. 
 
 Business finally became so heavy that Peter had to cease all 
 work in the tool room and give his whole attention to the man¬ 
 agement of the factory or mill with its sixty hands, so he em¬ 
 ployed a good, intelligent man, whose sole business was to keep 
 all the various tools in order and report where any particular one 
 was becoming worn so much that it would soon have to be dupli¬ 
 cated. Then Peter would hand a memorandum to John and the 
 result was that duplicates would be on hand before they were 
 needed. All supply agents were turned over to Peter as Green 
 did not pretend to know much about such matters. John like¬ 
 wise attended to all the office supplies, printing, etc., while Green 
 himself found that his whole business consisted in buying and sell¬ 
 ing. He could be away in the great lumber districts for weeks at 
 a time knowing that his business would not suffer in his absence, 
 and that John and Peter were looking after his interests as well as 
 though he were home. 
 
 Careful and sharp as Peter and John had been previous to their 
 admittance as partners, they were very agreeably surprised at the 
 end of the first year to note the increased percentage of profit. 
 Green had made more money by a great deal, and both Peter and 
 John had what would make a handsome salary extra in addition 
 to their regular wages. 
 
 Now the secret of this success was that Green knew his abilities 
 and did not forget his disabilities. He was well aware that he 
 could buy and sell and generally manage his business successfully, 
 but was also fully aware that he had not the knowledge or time to do 
 everything and do it all well. His good judgment enabled him 
 to gather around him good assistants in their several specialties to 
 systematize and divide the labor so that it could be thoroughly 
 and easily performed without the large amount of wastage that 
 would surely result if not properly attended to. The consequence 
 is that John can easily tell at a moment’s notice just how every 
 account stands on the books; orders all the cars, attends to the 
 shipping; keeps a list of the amount of lumber and the number 
 and size of nails for each different size of box, and the cost thereof; 
 knows how much lumber passes through the mill each day—in 
 fact can promptly inform Green regarding any matter under his. 
 immediate charge. 
 
56 
 
 Peter knows just how much the expenses are from day to day 
 for supplies, repairs, etc; looks after them, and sees that every de¬ 
 tail is always ready; examines each machine and its work; fre¬ 
 quently gives advice to the man in the tool room and the opera¬ 
 tives regarding their work ; and personally looks after the smallest 
 matter under his supervision as well as though it were his own ; 
 while Green is doing all his “running around on business” with a 
 good horse and buggy. 
 
 Every person about the place, even to the small boy, has an 
 incentive to do the best he can. I have been in several mills in 
 my time and do not hesitate to affirm that there is not a more 
 careful, economical, earnest and contented set of workingmen to 
 be found in the country. Each one is interested in producing as 
 much and as good work as possible. Every modern improvement 
 is to be found in Green’s mill that tends to cheapen and increase 
 production. Money is spent almost lavishly in that direction but 
 each machine and operator has a particular duty and fulfills it. 
 There is no clashing or cross pulling, everything works to a har¬ 
 monious system, even to cleaning up the machines and mill every 
 night when the whistle blows. 
 
 All the machines were purchased with particular reference to 
 what was required of them. The best to be had were bought— 
 no second hand machinery, for Peter argued that generally what 
 was thrown aside was not just the best. Neither would he have 
 a combination machine to do many kinds of work. He believed 
 that the more simple, convenient, and easy they were to adjust 
 and operate, the better they answered his purpose, and besides 
 each machine was kept busy at one particular run of work. 
 
 I have an opinion that there are not many shops employing 
 seventy-five men and boys that show so neat, orderly, and even 
 tasty appearance as Green’s, and I know that it is a successful one. 
 
4 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BELTS; NARROW, WIDE, SHORT AND LONG—MILES 
 OF BELTING—OBSERVER IS “ BELTED.” 
 
 I WAS recently called to the furniture factory of Eastlake & 
 Co. to supply them with belting for a new machine, and 
 during a conversation with the superintendent, he said to me, 
 “ our belting costs us considerable every year, as we use miles of 
 it.” Of course I was aware that they used a large quantity of 
 belting, but the idea of summing up the whole in miles had never 
 occurred to me. However, when I think the matter over I con¬ 
 clude that it is a small mill that has not at least a mile in use. 
 
 The fact is, that no one using machinery of any kind can do 
 without it. It is an all important factor in the problem of trans¬ 
 mitting power, but as it is only what might properly be termed 
 an attachment to the machine it drives, it receives very little con¬ 
 sideration and care from the user. Some mills and factories have 
 almost miles of belting thrown aside in some old boxes or barrels, 
 rendered useless through various causes, among which are care¬ 
 lessness, neglect, too hard work, and being too short or too nar. 
 row for their various places. All these results arise either from 
 inattention to, or lack of knowledge of, belting, its capacity, 
 strength, etc., as well as the care it should receive. 
 
 John Smith is determined to have belts wide enough, and 
 doesn’t care for anything else ; Joe Brown wants a wide belt, and 
 loses sight of its length; Dick Roe puts on an 8-inch belt to 
 drive a small saw; and George Lee will start up the largest floor¬ 
 ing machine with a 6-inch belt. None of them are right, and 
 common sense will prove it even if “ old Bill Jones is dead.” 
 
 I once ordered a 9-inch belt from one of the best belt makers 
 in the country, at a customer’s request, not knowing what he 
 required of it. Mr. Customer came along about six weeks after, 
 and said, “ I don’t want any more of that kind of belting. Out 
 
 of the forty-five feet I have cut almost seven feet, it stretched 
 57 
 
58 
 
 so.” I said “Impossible! What planer are you driving with it?” 
 “ What planer? Why, all the planers. That is my engine belt.” 
 Now, he had just put in a large flooring machine driven by an 
 
 8- inch belt; a large surfacer driven by a 6-inch belt; a large re¬ 
 saw driven by an 8-inch belt; a rip-saw driven by a 5-inch belt; 
 and a moulder, mortiser, tenoner and other machines. Poor 
 
 9- inch belt, only i-inch wider than the planer and matcher belt, 
 had at least four times as much to do, and was doing at least the 
 work of a 16-inch belt. The only wonder was that he got any 
 power from it all. He would not if he had not got a first-class 
 belt, made upon honor. 
 
 A belt must not be taxed so heavily to do its work as to stretch 
 very much. If it continues to do so, rest assured that you are 
 using either too narrow or too short a belt—perhaps both. Now, 
 as speeds average about the same on kindred machines, it should 
 be a comparatively easy matter to have these belts produce good 
 results in transmitting power, wearing well, and lasting long. 
 
 In setting up that rip-saw of yours, locate it so that you can 
 have at least ten feet from the center of the driven to the center 
 of the driving pulley, and do not have the belt exactly perpen¬ 
 dicular, as that causes a belt, when a little slack, to hang loose on 
 the lower pulley, and decreases its usefulness. Put on at least a 
 5-inch belt, and if you have much heavy stuff make it six inches. 
 Fasten the ends after you have cut them square, with good studs, 
 hooks, or lacing, and put the grain or smooth side next the pulley. 
 It will last one-third longer, and do better work. After this belt 
 has been run a short time, say one week, moisten the smooth side 
 with some good belt preservative, and give it more as often as it 
 gets hard and dry. If it gets greasy or dirty after long usage, 
 wash it thoroughly with warm water, and then give it a good 
 stuffing of warm tallow and neatsfoot oil, and you will have a 
 belt that will give you good satisfaction and wear, while costing 
 but little for repairs. 
 
 Another thing I want to say right here—don’t go out of the 
 mill at night without throwing the belts off from the pulleys. 
 Give them a rest at night as well as yourself, and see how they 
 will “ brace up ” for business in the morning. They will not be 
 strained or stretched all night. If I had a mill with a thousand 
 belts I should insist on having them all taken off the pulleys, 
 if possible, every night. 
 
 When you get to the planer, if it is the average-sized flooring 
 machine or large surfacer, put on an 8-inch belt about twelve 
 
59 
 
 feet from center to center of shafts, and for the cylinder and 
 matcher belts, be sure to select only the best, as they travel, on 
 an average, about 4,500 feet per minute. They must be strong, 
 well jointed, pliable, and not too heavy to give good contact or 
 adhesion to the small pulleys on which they travel. I presume 
 that no belts in the mill have as hard work to do as the matcher 
 belts on a flooring machine. They run fast, get little care, are 
 quarter twisted, and run over small pulleys, and very often do 
 heavy cutting. They are short lived at the best, like all things 
 else in the mill, from the “ fast ” life they lead, and should there¬ 
 fore be carefully selected. 
 
 In setting up your re-saw, if it is a 42-inch, put on an 8-inch 
 belt at least twelve feet from center to center of shafts, and so on 
 all through your mill. Don’t get too short or narrow belts. You 
 are more in need of caution in that direction than in the opposite, 
 viz., too long or wide, although the latter can also be carried to 
 a wasteful excess. 
 
 Avoid half-twist, (or cross,) or quarter-twist belts. Keep them 
 well jointed, soft and pliable, as well as clean, and you will not 
 have such a large item in the expense account to be charged 
 to belting. 
 
 Buy only-oak tanned, short lap, first quality belt in all cases for 
 wood working machinery where you use leather belts. There are 
 some good rawhide belts on the market that are preferable in 
 some respects to leather belts, being as strong, lighter, very pliable, 
 wrapping around small pulleys very easily. I have seen it used 
 with good results in many cases. In some climates nothing 
 seems to stand as well as rubber. It is cheaper, but on the whole 
 does not last as long, and when once started on the down track 
 goes very fast. Thus far, leather has given the best general 
 satisfaction. 
 
 See that your belts are straight on their edges, and of equal 
 thickness; have them of ample width to perform their duty easily, 
 and they will wear much longer. In placing them, they should 
 be cut square or at right angles to their edges, and thus avoid 
 “crooks” in the belt, and if lacing be used, cut the holes oblong 
 and parallel with the length of it, to preserve strength. In 
 putting belts together, be careful to have the laps run with and 
 not against the pulleys; always run the grain side next the pulley 
 and it will last much longer; never cut the slack or “ sag ” out so 
 long as the belts do their work easily, unless they run in heavy 
 contact with the lower half. High speed belts are apt to do con- 
 
60 
 
 siderable damage if strained so tight that they tear apart, as I 
 know by experience. 
 
 I was superintending the testing of a planing machine some 
 time since, and went away after setting a man to putting the 
 belts on. Upon my return I found that the machine had just 
 been started. Hearing one of the belts “ whip ” a little, I con¬ 
 cluded to examine matters before going farther. As I made the 
 first step aside, one of the cylinder belts, four inches wide, 
 traveling 4,600 feet per minnte, parted and struck me. I had no 
 ambition to hang around or do much for a while, but when I 
 came to I thanked the men who had cared for me, and blessed the 
 one who had stretched that belt and caused such a result. 
 
 I have in my mind a twelve-inch double belt, less than nine 
 feet between centers, running on upright pulleys that travels at a 
 speed of 4,200 feet per minute, and has to be replaced about 
 every six months. It transmits fifty horse-power, and must be 
 kept pretty tight and accurately balanced. If it should tear out, 
 the utmost care has to be taken to splice in a new piece just the 
 proper thickness and weight, otherwise the balance would be 
 destroyed. The shafts can not be moved farther apart, neither 
 can the pulleys be changed, the driving one being only twelve 
 inches in diameter, and the driven one fifty-two inches. A great 
 deal of trouble was had at first from having the binder pulley close 
 to the driven, as the belt would run off every once in a while. I 
 suggested placing the binder close to the large receiving pulley, 
 and when the change was made, all trouble from that source ceased. 
 I know that this is different from the general theory, but the 
 tightener or binder led the belt on and kept it there. 
 
 All belts, and particularly those in planing mills or similar 
 places, should be well “ stuffed ” or at least coated on the pulley 
 side with a good belt preservative, consisting of a mixture of 
 tallow and neatsfoot oil, equal parts, applied while warm. This 
 can be done occasionally with a good deal of comfort and profit 
 to both user and owner. It saves the belt, causes it to become 
 more pliable, and consequently perform its work more easily. 
 This little job is particularly necessary in a wood-working factory, 
 where belts become so dusty and dry. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A BREEZE AMONG EXHAUST FANS—PROPER SIZE 
 AND CURVE OF PIPES—LOVEEY’S BIG FAN. 
 
 I N speaking of fans, I don’t want you to think that I mean the 
 kind by which ladies waft gentle breezes to cool their 
 aesthetic brows, or to carry on a flirtation at a ball or concert. 
 No sir! not I. What I do mean is the exhaust fan which, with 
 its seductive draft, entices the shavings and dust from your 
 planing mill. These machines have their uses and abuses. 
 
 I ordered an exhaust fan for a certain mill not long ago, of 
 abundant capacity for the work required, viz: to take away 
 shavings and dust from a large flooring machine, a surfacer, re¬ 
 sawing machine, and two saw tables. Went to the mill and 
 made diagrams and data to get speed, location, size and shapes, 
 and left them with the builder of the mill. When the fan was 
 put in operation, I was informed that the thing was a failure, no 
 good, would not answer at all, etc. Putting a pencil and speed 
 indicator in my pocket, I started for the mill, looked over the 
 ground and found the pipes, curves, etc., all right, but when the 
 speed was indicated, the fan was running about 600 revolutions 
 per minute too slow. Of course the fan would draw but very 
 little. Any “sucker” (pardon vulgarity) could have seen that. 
 
 The speed was made all right, and the fan cleaned up every¬ 
 thing that came near the pipe opening, even to a heavy slouch 
 hat, and that was slightly damaged when the owner found it 
 in the shavings room, 225 feet away from the fan. 
 
 Another case was that of a man owning a planing mill, who 
 put up a large fan some years ago and “ took suction ” from two 
 large planers, one re-saw, and three saw tables, in good style. 
 This summer he put in a large new planer, located all his 
 machines differently, and thought he would do a nice thing in 
 the pipe business. So he took down the old square pipe, and put 
 
 up a round one of the same diameter. The old square one was 
 61 
 
62 
 
 none too large in the first place, and this was reducing his pipe 
 area one-fourth, and adding another large machine, and to cap the 
 climax, he entered two of the branch pipes at exactly right 
 angles to the air current. 
 
 He came to me and said he guessed he would have to get 
 another fan ; that he had put plenty of curve to the branch pipe, 
 but still it failed to work. Investigation showed affairs as stated, 
 and after consideration, I came to the conclusion that his main pipe 
 was too small, and his branch pipes not curved in the proper di¬ 
 rection. I advised him to put in a second main pipe above the 
 old one, and to give it a gradual curve or pitch to the fan entrance, 
 and attach his branches in the proper manner. Those two ma¬ 
 chines are kept freer from shavings and dust than the rest. 
 
 Messrs. Lovely & Co. were building a model box factory, and 
 bought new engines, boilers, shafting, belting, and planing, sawing 
 and other machines, all the best that could be found. They were 
 determined to have a clean as well as a model factory. The 
 specifications and drawings for the building were approved by 
 the insurance company, in order to secure the lowest possible in¬ 
 surance rates, and as a consequence, the factory had to be kept 
 clear of shavings. 
 
 Lovely came to me to talk about exhaust fans and pipes, and 
 knowing just what machines he had, I sat down and made a few 
 figures for him, regarding the proper size of pipes and fan. He 
 had a sheet-iron worker follow out my suggestions in getting up 
 the pipes, and I had the exhaust fan shipped to him. 
 
 In due course of time Lovely called and said that his fan had 
 arrived, but he was afraid it was too large. I argued that it was 
 none too large, and that he had better try it before condemning 
 it. I could see when he went away that he was not thoroughly 
 satisfied. In a few days he came around again and said that the 
 fan grew larger in his mind, and he wished I would order one of 
 about two-thirds the capacity. I immediately wrote a letter 
 ordering a smaller one, but before mailing it, asked him to go to 
 the factory with me, and we could decide better there. After I 
 had figured the area of each pipe for every machine, I soon con¬ 
 vinced him that in the first place he had pipes that were ample 
 and not extravagantly large, and that their combined areas were 
 little more than the area of the inlet. This settled the question, 
 and the fan was put into use, and the result was, that it cleaned 
 the refuse from every machine quite easily, and Lovely is better 
 satisfied with it every day. He had some large saws cutting heavy 
 
63 
 
 stock, making plenty of green, wet saw-dust, which is a great deal 
 worse than any shavings made, and requires a good strong suction 
 to draw them away. I could many more tales unfold, but forbear. 
 
 To make a success of exhaust fans in a planing mill is simple 
 enough, if you will only stop to reason and follow directions. 
 In the first place, give a fan the proper speed as per the maker’s 
 directions ; locate it as centrally as possible for all the machines ; 
 give the branches long easy curves, and in the direction of the 
 current; put stop-gates in each branch to close when not in use ; 
 make the hoods or covers to the machines as close a fit as possible; 
 do not have the combined area of branch pipes any greater than 
 the area of main pipe, and have the main pipe as large as the 
 area of the inlet to fan. Have the outlet pipe the same size as 
 fan outlet, unless you have to drive the shavings a long distance, 
 in which case you will have to reduce size somewhat to get force 
 of air-current for the case. An exhaust fan should always be 
 put in with reference to the extra amount of work it will have 
 to perform by the constant adding of new machines from time 
 to time. If you get a fan somewhat large at first, you can slow 
 the speed and keep increasing it as machines are added, until the 
 maximum speed is attained. 
 
 In making pipes of wood, first plane the stuff at least on the 
 inside, to make a smooth surface, which increases the efficiency 
 by not having any obstructions for shavings, etc., to catch on and 
 clog the pipes. It would also be a good plan to fill the two lower 
 corners of a square pipe with bevel pieces, to avoid square corners, 
 for the volocity of wind seems to be less in the corners, and may 
 sometimes allow refuse to accumulate and finally fill the pipe. 
 If one cares to go to the expense, a much better job could be had 
 by lining the inside of the whole pipe with light sheet-iron. 
 Heavier iron should be used for the curves, and these curves 
 should never be contracted in size. If any difference is made, 
 it should be in the other direction. 
 
 In making hoods or covers for cutter heads, the best plan is to 
 have a sheet-iron worker take measurements and fit a hood, 
 having a gradual taper reaching the size of pipe about two feet 
 from the base of hood or cover. Attach to it one length of pipe 
 that is small enough to telescope inside the length just above ; 
 fasten two handles in the hood, and attach cords running over a 
 small sheave above, with weights sufficient to balance the weight 
 of the hood. You will then have a good cover that is easily 
 handled and always ready for business. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 HOW SOME SAW TABLES ARE MADE—RUSSELL 
 TRIES HIS HAND AT THE BUSINESS, AND DIS¬ 
 COVERS “HOW NOT TO DO IT A FEW HINTS 
 REGARDING A GOOD ONE. 
 
 D ROPPING into Russell’s mill the other day, I observed a 
 new saw-table which had just been fitted up and had bolts 
 put on. I examined it, flattering myself that I knew how to pick 
 flaws with other people’s work, even if I didn’t know how to better 
 it. Upon investigation I found that times were a little “slack” 
 in the mill, and the folks after sending for circulars and prices all 
 over this broad land, thought they could just beat anything they 
 had seen for adaptation to their business as well as their pockets, 
 (especially the latter.) Russell told the boys in the mill to get a 
 frame about so long, wide, and high, out of the best hard wood 
 in the yard, and when they got done he would go to town and see 
 if “ Jones & Co.,” or “ Smith & Son,” had any saw arbors, gauges, 
 etc., on hand. If they had, he would have them shipped home 
 and fit them on. Well, when he gets through the different shops, 
 he is surprised to find that there are no saw-arbors about anything 
 like the kind he wants, to be had. Neither can he find patterns 
 to suit him, so he comes to the conclusion that either one of 
 two things is to be done, viz.: take what he can get, or have 
 something made to order, entailing new patterns, etc., at a larger 
 increase of regular cost. He finally chooses the former. 
 
 They arrive in due time; he tries the arbor on the frame, finds 
 lugs on boxes are not such that he can bolt them down to his 
 frame; guides too large or short, wide or narrow; pulley on saw- 
 arbor too long or small for line shaft pulleys. He studies and 
 thinks, and looks first at the frame and then at the iron work, 
 until finally it begins to dawn on his mind that his business is 
 running a lumber yard and planing mill, and not a machine shop, 
 particularly a shop where a specialty of saw-tables, benches, and 
 “ sich ” are manufactured. But after a time the thing is finished, 
 and no one around the establishment seems to go into ecstacies 
 
 64 
 
65 
 
 over it. Oh no! It has few points to be admired, and many to be 
 condemned. The frame is out of proportion, and had to be 
 patched out to suit some other part. The arbor is out of align¬ 
 ment, and not properly bedded on the frame; it will not saw easy 
 or clean, but will heat both saw and boxes; the gauges are not 
 square, nor have they proper clearance at the back of the saw, 
 and reach too far behind, binding the lumber and also wasting it 
 because not cutting a straight line; speed is not right for size of 
 saw, and so on ad libitum. 
 
 Now reader, don’t “sit down” on this saw, because if you do, 
 you might not get up to look at one that would suit you better. 
 Right here I wish to state that in mills, saw tables can be, and 
 are built with wood frames that are all right and in every sense a 
 perfect success, but to each one of this kind you can find hun¬ 
 dreds that are far from it. 
 
 Go to some reputable wood-working machine manufactory, or 
 a dozen if you will, and select the machine built for the purpose 
 and wants of the trade. Then subtract the cost of the one you 
 build at home, including lumber, timber, and other materials, and 
 your men’s time, and I will guarantee the balance in your favor 
 will not endow a college very heavily. I know it will not com¬ 
 pensate you for all the trouble and time you have spent over it, 
 not speaking of the annoyance it will cost you as long as it is in 
 the mill. Some iron frame machines are as big a nuisance and 
 trouble as the poorest wooden frame I ever saw. The frames 
 seem to be designed especially to see how light and fragile they 
 can be made ; have very short boxes lined with cheap Babbitt 
 metal; iron arbors ; small pulleys with narrow face ; wooden tops 
 or table, poorly made and hung; no adjustment to any of their 
 parts, and really are not worth the freight bill to transport them 
 to the mill. I once knew a man who had bought one of these 
 “apologies” for a saw table because he got it for a small amount 
 of money; put it in his shop; tried to use it; couldn’t do it; 
 took it apart and carried about half of it to a machine shop; had 
 bearings turned up, gauges squared, etc., and started again. The 
 machinist who did his work had a bill of items against that saw 
 the first year, which if added to the first cost would have pur¬ 
 chased a good first-class machine, and the old trap wasn’t worth 
 shop-room after all the doctoring. Now the machinist was not to 
 blame. There was no vitality, no lungs, so to speak, the disease 
 had gone too far, and besides it was not very healthy to begin with. 
 A good saw table or bench for slitting or cross-cutting is a very 
 
66 
 
 simple machine, yet has a few vital points, that must be right to 
 be a success, and be also susceptible of some means of adjustment 
 In the first place, the frame should be strong and heavy enough 
 to insure it against vibration; the table should be iron, accurately 
 planed and made to the frame; the saw arbor of good steel, am¬ 
 ple size, running in bearings lined with the very best Babbitt met¬ 
 al ; the boxes cast together on a frame to hold them in line, and 
 fitted nicely on guides so that the saw can be raised and lowered 
 quickly and easily by a crank or other suitable device. The pul¬ 
 ley should be at least one-third the diameter of the saw to be 
 used and fully as wide ; the collars should be faced true and a 
 little concave toward the center; if there is not room for a collar 
 one bearing can be grooved to prevent end play or chase. 
 
 For a mill or factory where the business done demands only 
 one table, it should have two gauges or “fences.” The cross¬ 
 cutting gauge should be made to cross-cut square, or at any angle 
 up to 45 degrees, and be provided with a tongue or guide fitted 
 in the table to slide easily and perfectly. The slitting-gauge 
 should be so constructed that it will cut beveling back to 45 de¬ 
 grees ; should be located so that its rear end does not reach beyond 
 the center of the saw; fitted to slide to and from the saw 
 quickly, and finally have an adjustment to enable the operator to 
 ease the rear end from the saw when from any cause the lumber 
 has a tendency to hug or pinch the same. It can also have an¬ 
 other valuable attachment, viz., a long shaft and index wheel to 
 indicate width. When used extensively for slitting, this enables 
 the operator to set his gauge without going up to the saw table, 
 and as soon as he picks up his board. Some folks have used 
 packing or “steady” boxes for saw tables with very good results. 
 They could use thinner saws, and consequently save labor and 
 power in cutting and economize considerably in lumber. These 
 boxes are secured on the under side of the table and are packed 
 firmly with hemp or other suitable material and kept well lubri¬ 
 cated. They are provided with an adjustment to take up wear. 
 They are not practicable, however, where saws are carried up and 
 down to any extent. To be of any use they should be near the 
 periphery of the saw, hence would be cut by it if raised or low¬ 
 ered to any great extent. 
 
 For mills that do enough matching to keep even one good, fast 
 flooring machine running steadily, I should say get a power feed 
 gang edging saw. You will cut three times as fast and not have 
 walked one-tenth the distance during the day. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ACHAT ON SAW ARBORS—THE DIFFERENT KINDS 
 —THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF 
 EACH—HOW TO MAKE A GOOD ONE. 
 
 M Y attention has been called quite frequently to saw arbors 
 of various kinds, and I will give a few of the impressions 
 received as the results of observation and experience. Saw arbors 
 are made in many ways and shapes, but for all practical purposes 
 can be divided into three general classes. 
 
 The first is a plain arbor fitted in two separate boxes or bear¬ 
 ings independent of each other and secured to the frame by bolts, 
 with the pulley either between the bearings or at the extreme end 
 of the arbor. The second kind is made by connecting the boxes 
 so that both boxes and connection are all in one casting, having 
 the pulley outside. The third and last is similar to the second, 
 with this difference—the connection holding the two boxes to¬ 
 gether is designed to receive the pulley in the center. Each and 
 all of these can have either plain or self-oiling boxes. There are 
 objections to all of them, and after noting them you can pay your 
 money and take your choice. 
 
 The first named, or independent-box kind, may be never so well 
 designed and constructed for high speed and severe duty, but it 
 is very difficult to place on the frames perfectly in line and level, 
 because the slightest warp or twist in the timbers, which may not 
 be apparent or discovered, will spring or “cramp” the bearings 
 enough to cause them to “heat” and call for tallow and the oil-can 
 quite frequently, until it is finally condemned or has the bearing 
 re-lined or re-babbitted. 
 
 The second kind is free from the above objections because they 
 
 can be placed on the frames together, “in line and level,” without 
 
 any difficulty, and should be made heavy enough to resist any 
 
 tendency to spring under the strain of any ordinary bolt by which 
 
 they are secured. 
 
 67 
 
68 
 
 You also have the advantage of using paper or paste board 
 packing ad libitum , but, when you come to run that arbor and 
 find a belt tugging away at one bearing and the strain so unevenly 
 divided, you will invariably find that the bearing next the pulley 
 will wear out three times as fast as the one on the opposite end. 
 I have re-babbitted scores of them and I speak by the card. 
 
 The reason of this is plainly seen. The bearing is being con¬ 
 tinually strained or pulled towards the driving pulley by the belt. 
 The bearing on the saw end has nothing to do while the saw is 
 running empty, whereas the belt strain is always on the other bear¬ 
 ing, and when the saw is working at full capacity, the duty of one 
 does not increase any more than the other. The third kind is my 
 style. I want the bearings connected and the pulley in the center 
 every time, if it can possibly be so arranged. I then get an even 
 distribution of work or duty on both sides, and have less repairs 
 and trouble. 
 
 Now perhaps a great many will like to know why a saw arbor, 
 originally well made, giving good satisfaction, and little trouble 
 for a long time, never does so well after being re-babbitted at the 
 mill or in some “slop-shop.” It is simply for this reason; no arbor 
 or spindle should be used for a re-babbitting arbor or mandrel, un¬ 
 less it is put in a lathe and carefully trued up and made round if 
 necessary, as the chances are ninety-nine out of a hundred that 
 the hot babbitt will spring the steel arbor. 
 
 A great deal of trouble with saw arbors arises from the fact that 
 they are made of too slight proportions, or that the purchaser gets 
 them too light for the purpose. I have seen arbors of inches 
 diameter at the largest place, carrying a 16 and 18-inch saw through 
 two-inch hemlock, and others of I y 2 inch wrought iron perform¬ 
 ing the same duty with loose, cranky boxes, small diameter, nar¬ 
 row-faced pulleys and short belts. The man worked hard, but did 
 not accomplish much. A good, sharp buck-saw would have been 
 as effective. A rig of that kind will eat up more money in a short 
 time than would buy two new arbors of the A No. I kind, not to 
 mention the loss of the lower end of the vest and “belly band” of 
 trousers, by extraordinary pressure on said parts. You need never 
 be afraid of getting too strong an arbor, or two large a bearing or 
 pulley, for the larger these items are, the more easily the saw 
 will do the work, requiring less power and costing less for belting, 
 oiling, repairing, etc. 
 
 Regarding self-oiling boxes, l am no friend of them on general 
 principles, for reasons before mentioned, but it seems almost im- 
 
*69 
 
 possible to do without them in some cases and especially on 
 saw arbors. 
 
 Saw tables are from necessity built over the arbor, and must 
 be so designed as to allow the saw to cut as near the full rated 
 depth as possible, hence, space between the top of the table and 
 center of the arbor must be economized as much as possible. 
 This generally does not leave any room for oil or tallow cups on 
 the top or cap of the box, consequently provision is made for oil 
 below the arbor, to be drawn or fed to the bearing by wicking, 
 a process that is all right when the oiler is well made, attended, 
 and kept filled with good oil. The arbor should be taken out 
 occasionally and the wicking examined, and if found clogged with 
 any gummy substance, should be replaced; the oil chambers 
 should be well rinsed out and filled with oil. 
 
 In making saw arbors I have always found the following to be 
 the best proportions for all kinds of general work: The diameter 
 of the arbor at the bearings and pulleys should be *4-inch 
 diameter for every inch in diameter of the saw up to 12-inch 
 saws. After that add 1-20 inch for each additional inch of saw up 
 to an 18-inch saw, then 1-24 inch for each additional inch up to 
 a 30-inch saw. This will give arbors i^-inch diameter for 12-inch 
 saws, i^-inch for 18-inch saws, 2-inch for 24-inch saws, and 2^- 
 inch for 30-inch saws. The holes for these saws should be ij(, 
 and i^-inch bore respectively; the bearings should be 
 in length three times their diameter, which will be found amply 
 sufficient, as they are so close together; the pulleys should be not 
 less than one-third the diameter of the saws, and should have a 
 face of ample width to carry a belt in width not less than one- 
 third the diameter of the saw. Thus a saw 12-inches diameter 
 should be driven by a belt not less than 4 inches wide, pulley 4 
 inches diameter; 18-inch saw with belt 6 inches wide, pulley 6 
 inches diameter; 24-inch saw with belt 8 inches wide, pulley 8 inches 
 diameter. On the small sizes for hard work and severe duty, the 
 proportions are none too great, and on the larger sizes they will 
 be found ample to fulfill all requirements. 
 
 All arbors are provided with some means by which to prevent 
 “ end chase ” motion of the arbor, usually by putting on collars, 
 or cutting a series of grooves on one bearing of the arbor. 
 The latter style prevails on most all of the smaller sizes because 
 it takes up no extra space ; but for the larger sizes I would pre¬ 
 fer a collar for the purpose, because it obviates the necessity of 
 cutting away the strength of the arbor, and will generally wear 
 
better. It is poor policy to make a 2-inch arbor for heavy work, 
 and then reduce it to \]/ 2 inch in the grooves. You might just 
 as well have made an arbor i Y / 2 inch diameter at first, and left out 
 the grooves, substituting a collar. Saw arbors should be care¬ 
 fully made from the best of materials for the purpose, because if 
 not made so they will soon give their faults, as well as those of 
 the builder, away. 
 
 The proper way is to assemble all the parts together, rough off 
 the arbor, shrink on the fast collar and pulley, turning the arbor 
 down to within i-ioo of the proper size with the grooves in, if 
 so designed, and if the pulleys are to be keyed on instead of 
 shrunk, cut the key seat in the arbor; place the arbor in the 
 boxes, put packing under the caps *4-inch thick, and pour the 
 babbitt on them. Return the arbor to the lathe, cut the thread 
 for the nut, face off the collars slightly concave; turn the pulleys 
 and journals to proper size, and balance carefully. 
 
 The reason why the boxes are babbitted before the arbor is 
 reduced to a finish, is that experience has taught us the amount 
 that babbitt metal shrinks, and to allow the machinist to babbitt 
 without fitting up an extra mandrel with grooves to duplicate the 
 arbor, and also to allow the arbor to be straightened and finished 
 true after the babbitting process. If the boxes or bearings are 
 self-oiling, the holes can be drilled and wicking put in after the 
 babbitting process. Care must be exercised to prevent the babbitt 
 from running into and filling up the oil chambers. This process 
 will ensure good and successful results every time. 
 
 You may think this a simple subject to write on, but it is the 
 simple and seemingly unimportant things around a planing or 
 moulding mill that receive the least attention and care, if any at 
 all. They are also the items that eat up the profits of the es¬ 
 tablishment when not carefully looked after. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 RE-SAWING MACHINES AND SAWYERS—VERTICAL 
 RECIPROCATING, BAND RE-SAWING, AND CIRCU¬ 
 LAR RE-SAWING MACHINES CONSIDERED—DIF¬ 
 FERENT METHODS OF FILING AND SETTING SAWS 
 —OBSERVER PAYS FOR THE SAWYER’S BLUNDERS. 
 
 A FTER having been through several wood-working establish¬ 
 ments one may well be surprised in noting the different 
 kinds of re-saws used for substantially the same purpose. Of 
 course one does not expect the details on machines of different 
 builders to be alike, provided the same general principles are em¬ 
 bodied in them, but in the case of re-saws, not only are the de¬ 
 tails unlike, but the principles are totally dissimilar, yet all the ma¬ 
 chines are doing the same kind of work, viz : making two or more 
 thin boards out of one thick one. There are three kinds of these 
 machines in use: first, the vertical reciprocating saw that is built 
 from cellar to garret to keep it from “reciprocating” from one 
 end of the building to the other. The saws used in this machine 
 cut out a kerf of from 1-16 to 1-8 of an inch. It is easily taken 
 care of and attended to, because it does not feed enough lumber 
 through to dull the saw very fast. Its usual rate of saw travel is 
 400 feet per minute, one-half only being cutting travel. This is 
 the kind of machine in which one can start a board and go fishing 
 and then be back in time to start the second board. It is to be 
 found in many mills, sash, door, and cabinet factories and other 
 like places, because it was the best to be had when bought, or 
 will waste a minimum amount of lumber in cutting, or the owner 
 didn’t have much for it to do, or possibly he didn’t know of any 
 better machine. It is a good day’s work to get 1500 feet of lum¬ 
 ber through it. 
 
 Second, the band re-sawing machine is in use in many factories 
 
 where the amount of work is greater than can be done by a re- 
 71 
 
72 
 
 ciprocationg saw, and when operating successfully, it takes out a 
 very small cut or kerf, say i-i6 of an inch. It has a continuous 
 cutting speed on the saw-blade of about 4,000 feet per minute and 
 will cut from 5 to 25 feet of boards per minute. It is the most 
 expensive re-sawing machine built, from the nature of its construc¬ 
 tion which calls for a large amount of metal and machinist’s work. 
 For a machine to re-saw or slit from 26 to 30 inches wide, the 
 wheels should be about six feet diameter and the saws from 3 to 
 3 1-2 inches wide. Some makers claim that their limit in wide 
 sawing is governed only by the length of the saw blade, but it has 
 been proven time and again that they are limited by their ability 
 to remain rigid. This condition changes to extreme elasticity the 
 farther the wheels are apart, no matter how much strain may be 
 upon them by weights or springs, as is often seen ’when cutting 
 wide boards where the saw will enter at the right place on the 
 top edge, come out at the right place on the bottom edge, but 
 cut clean through the board in the middle. It will not cut fast 
 for the above reason and also because a fast feed will “crowd” the 
 saw back against the guides causing it to heat and upset, in which 
 condition it is sometimes thicker than the kerf. Quite a number 
 of these machines are being sold and used successfully, but they 
 will not answer for fast work, neither do they save much lum¬ 
 ber, in comparison to their rate of production, over circular saws 
 used for the same kind of work. One thing, however, they are 
 well calculated to do when properly constructed, and that is to cut 
 any class of work that comes along. They will cut a picture 
 frame back from a plank, make two or three, and even more pieces, 
 from ordinary boards or plank, and reduce a 4-inch or as thick a 
 plank as can be fed between the rolls, in the center or into as 
 many pieces as are required, because the blade with the set in 
 the teeth has clearance enough to avoid all “spreading” or 
 friction. Thus far no circular re-saw has been able to accomplish 
 this last result. 
 
 Third, the circular re-sawing machine is the kind found to be 
 most popular. Its first cost, ease of operation, high speed, and 
 fast feed, together with its adaptation for general use make it the 
 machine and it will remain so until some other kind of machine 
 can be brought forward that will not only do all these things but 
 waste less lumber. It is continually being used at a saw speed of 
 from 9,000 to 10,000 feet per minute, feeding from 30 to 90 feet 
 of lumber, and as it has been improved from time to time (both 
 machine and saw), it is now brought to that state of perfection 
 
73 
 
 which enables it to compare favorably with band re-saws in the 
 minimum amount of lumber cut at the kerf. More teeth and 
 thinner saws are now considered the right thing in circular saws. 
 They are also made truer and more evenly hammered and tem¬ 
 pered, consequently they stand up to their work better. 
 
 I presume that there are as many different opinions regarding 
 the setting and filing of re-saws for splitting siding or boards, as 
 there are men that run them, and all are right and wrong under cer¬ 
 tain limits. John claims that there is nothing like the spring set ; 
 Bill condemns that and says, the swage or upset is the proper 
 thing; Jake wants the teeth filed very hooking; and Ike files his 
 as straight as a cross cut saw, while each claims that he is doing 
 the best work in his section. Again, John wants his saw teeth 
 very coarse and Ike must have his very fine. Each one gets his 
 saw to suit him, and claims superiority in quantity and quality of 
 work produced, while Jake’s shows a medium, and he claims just 
 as much as either. Bill says no sane person would use anything 
 but a solid saw for re-sawing, while Jake contends that he can do 
 more work and a greater variety with a segment re-saw, and they 
 both refer you to their experience in proof of what they claim. 
 Verily, the sawyer is a many-minded man. 
 
 I have seen men who had not much experience but a good deal 
 of common sense, who could walk up to a re-sawing machine and 
 turn out a large quantity of nice work without much trouble. I 
 have seen other men of many year’s experience (so called) in run¬ 
 ning re-saws get stuck on a new re-sawing machine, while an ordi¬ 
 nary machinist would set him straight and get his machine run¬ 
 ning successfully in a short time, and I have seen work that 
 neither could do because the machine was not built to make two 
 thick pieces from one thin piece of lumber—in other words, the 
 re-saw had to waste some in cutting. 
 
 I have seen re-saws doing nice work at the rate of 16 feet per 
 minute, which were the pride of their operators, and I have also 
 seen others cutting at the rate of 80 feet per minute, to the dis¬ 
 gust of the lazy boy who had to pile it out of the way. Pete files 
 and sets his saw about the shape, size and uniformity of a piece 
 of chalk. His work never crowds any boy because he is always 
 tinkering with the saw, and wonders what fool invented a re-saw 
 for use in a planing mill when the boards might just as well have 
 been cut to the required thickness at the saw mill. Now perhaps 
 you think I consider myself au fait on saw setting and filing, and 
 will instruct you in the matter, but you are mistaken, because 
 
74 
 
 fewer rules seemingly hold good for sawyers and saws than for 
 any other machine in the mill. I say seemingly because they will 
 hold good if cause and effect are traced right to the core. 
 
 As to filing and setting, whichever way you adopt, keep the 
 saw perfectly round and all the teeth alike. I would rather run a 
 saw that is all set and filed wrong and alike, than one that is one- 
 half right and one-lialf wrong. Keep the teeth all the same length, 
 depth, shape and set, and you can be certain of one thing, viz: 
 that the saw will run even or one way all the time. Only a short 
 time ago, I saw one with half the teeth filed cross cut and the 
 other half rip cut. You can imagine how it worked. 
 
 I prefer a very short set for a spring set, as it holds better, and 
 I think cuts easier. For ordinary work I prefer a tooth spaced 
 from 2 or 2 y 2 inches long, about ^ inch deep with a very little 
 hook, as cutting easier and truer, and requiring less care than 
 those of different sizes. For a machine to do general re-sawing 
 including bevel siding, I want a segment saw, one made of a 
 number of segments screwed on a large saw-flange. I will give 
 my reasons, and I think you will agree with me. 
 
 In the first place, it being screwed on a flange with many screws 
 it is much' stiffer, and will bear more grief or abuse; being in 
 segments it will not heat or “ buckle,” and if you strike a nail or 
 hemlock knot and take out several teeth, you can replace a 
 segment without reducing the size of the saw two or three inches; 
 being a stiffer saw, you can use a thinner one and waste less 
 lumber; and finally it will do all that a solid saw will, and also 
 do work that a solid saw cannot do. The segment saws can be 
 perfectly straight on one side, not having any flange in the way, 
 and can be used to take a thin piece off a plank for picture-frame 
 backs, cigar box stuff, etc., or as a saw-mill man would term it 
 slabbing, as the thick part of the plank would run on the straight 
 or log side of the saw, and have no spreaders to encounter. 0/ 
 course you can split in the centre just as well by putting on a 
 spreader opposite the saw-collar or flange. The machine in 
 which such a saw is set should be heavy and strong, and fitted 
 with good large arbor and bearings; it should have a strong, steady 
 feed; all the rolls yielding and weighted to split uneven thickness 
 of stock in the center; and should be arranged to have one pair 
 of rolls to be set unyielding, to cut one side to a given thickness, 
 and also to cut bevel siding, etc. It should have three or four 
 ranges of feed easily changed; strong belt power; quick and easy 
 adjustment in all its parts, and finally, good clamps to hold the 
 
75 
 
 lumber from the rolls to the saw. This will prevent “stub shots.” 
 I think that a man who knows anything about a saw, and has 
 ordinary common sense, can operate such a machine without 
 much trouble, but he cannot do impossibilities. I have fitted up 
 and operated many such machines with saws from 38 to 60 inches 
 diameter, 16 gauge at the teeth, cutting only 3-32-inch kerf with¬ 
 out any trouble, and some experts claim that they can use as thin a 
 saw as 28 gauge. Bear in mind one thing; you must give the 
 flange or taper side of the saw a little more set than the straight 
 side, to prevent “ running.” 
 
 I once sent a 42-inch segment saw to a mill where they had 
 previously used a solid saw, and a few days after they had set it 
 up they telegraphed to me to come at once as they couldn’t run 
 it. I went there, looked at it, and asked what their trouble was. 
 They said they had run 15,000 feet of pine through, and then the 
 saw began to “ run ” and they couldn’t use it. I filed it up and 
 it sawed 10,000 feet more. They had forgotten that the saw had 
 to be filed and set when dull. 
 
 In another case I shipped a 50-inch segment saw; received a 
 telegram stating that seven or eight teeth were broken; saw was 
 no good; would have to furnish them a new saw, etc. I went to 
 the owner’s mill and told him that I would gum the saw over and 
 get the teeth up, and make the machine satisfy him, or else take 
 it out. Worked at that saw twelve hours, gumming, filing, and 
 setting. When I got it ready he ordered some dry cull hemlock 
 brought in for trial. When brought in some of it was so bad that 
 even he said that it could not be sawn. The worst pieces were 
 sawn first, and in such good style, that he at once expressed him¬ 
 self as satisfied in every respect. He said he was away from home 
 when the machine was set up, and was ignorant as to how the teeth 
 were broken out. 
 
 Now at both these mills were sawyers of great experience, but 
 “plagued little sense.” The railroad fare and hotel bills, inci¬ 
 dental to these two trips, amounted to about sixty dollars, 
 to say nothing of time lost. Who do you suppose should have 
 paid for them, and who did ? I’ll tell you, but don’t give it away. 
 The foolish fellow who was not in the least to blame paid them. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 AN IDEAL GANG RIPPING MACHINE. 
 
 I T is a curious fact that very often the most primitive and crude, 
 as well as costly, processes and functions performed by ma¬ 
 chinery, are still used in their original condition by those who 
 should be the most deeply interested in their improvement. 
 Their very simplicity causes them to be unnoticed. Sometimes 
 they are not required to produce any fine or finished work, or do 
 not require any skilled labor to operate them. These facts tend 
 to keep them in their antiquated state. This has been especially 
 true of the process of ripping boards for flooring, ceiling and 
 mouldings. The time was in the near past when first-class floor¬ 
 ing machines would feed only fifty feet per minute, or two ma¬ 
 chines produce one hundred feet, and require two .rip saws to get 
 out the stuff for them, the four machines requiring eight opera¬ 
 tors to produce one hundred feet per minute of flooring. A 
 machine has of late years come to the front which is fast crowding 
 out the rip-saw table and is proving itself to be as profitable as 
 any other machine in the mill. I refer to the power-feeding gang 
 ripping machine. 
 
 The demands of the trade, together with the improved fast¬ 
 feeding flooring machines, have called loudly for the change, and 
 now there are few planing and moulding mills of any considerable 
 size or capacity that have not at least one gang ripping machine. 
 It takes no more power to produce the same quantity of work, 
 and it can be run by the same number of operators as the com¬ 
 mon saw table and produce from three to four times the amount 
 of work. To illustrate, one of these machines will keep two fast 
 flooring machines supplied, each of the latter feeding seventy to 
 eighty lineal feet per minute. These three machines together 
 require six operators, making a saving of two, besides doing the 
 work faster and better. These machines call for less traveling 
 back and forth than an ordinary rip-saw table (man power) does in 
 
77 
 
 one day. The feed rolls do the walking and save the wear and 
 tear of the shoe leather. 
 
 There is in these machines, as in all others of a similar nature, 
 a chance for the home mechanic to do himself proud by building 
 one for himself. I have seen a few, however, that could not be 
 considered objects of pride to the builder. I will notice one: the 
 saw arbor and sliding collars were not convenient to get at or 
 change for the different widths without stopping the machine. 
 The saws could not be removed for sharpening without taking 
 the whole thing apart; the feed power was badly proportioned 
 and constructed ; rolls located wrong; indexes out of sight or nearly 
 so. The operation in this case would naturally be guessed. You 
 can’t guess wrong in this case. 
 
 I have been a careful observer of the machines manufactured 
 by the various firms throughout the country, but submit that 
 they evidently have not reached the same degree of perfection as 
 that attained by other wood-working machines, notably the floor¬ 
 ing, moulding and re-sawing machines. Some have good points 
 that others have not, and in my view none of them have all the 
 features combined that they should have, viz: durability, rapidity, 
 and ease of adjustment and changing, and also simplicity of oper¬ 
 ation. I think a first-class machine should have the following 
 ideas combined in good practical form: it should have a heavy 
 solid frame well fitted and secured together, having the arbor 
 boxes arranged with a vertical adjustment to provide for the wear 
 of the saw. These boxes should be of ample length and strength 
 to carry the arbor without a tremor. One of them should be so 
 designed as to be readily removed without the aid of hammer, 
 chisel, wrench, or any other tool when necessary to take off saws 
 for filing, etc. 
 
 The saw arbor should be at least two inches in diameter, of cast 
 steel, and fitted with a sliding spline for the purpose of driving 
 and changing the location of the saws. The collars for holding 
 the saws should be made a nice sliding fit on the arbor and have 
 a round nut to be tightened or loosened with a spanier or hose 
 wrench. Hexagonal or square nuts are liable to catch splinters, 
 etc., and throw them at the operator. These collars should not 
 be over 2 or 2j^ inches thick, with the saw in its place, as very 
 often narrow matching is called for. The diameter could be from 
 4^ to 5 inches according to the diameter of saws and collars. 
 The saws should be straight ground, about \]/ 2 inch from the tooth 
 towards the center and hollowing thence to the collar edge, then 
 
78 
 
 straight again to the hole. This gives all the profitable wear there 
 is in the saw and provides a clearance, making it cut free and easy, 
 and it also calls for less set. I have a set of saws of the above 
 description running and save a great deal in power and care of 
 saws, they being less liable to buckle. 
 
 The pulley on the arbor should be of sufficient face to carry a 
 7 or 8-inch belt. The feed works should be so designed that the 
 rate of feed could be instantly changed from the operator’s posi¬ 
 tion without stopping, allowing for hard knots, bad lumber, dull 
 saws, etc. One idle roll under the lumber and close as possible to 
 the saw is plenty for feeding on side. For the pulling out or de 
 livering side the under roll should be a live or driven one and the 
 top a large roll that could be raised by a foot lever and not by any 
 method requiring the use of the hands, as the operator has enough 
 use for them in handling lumber, shifting saws, etc. The board 
 should rim over and not under the saw—then there is no danger 
 
 o 
 
 of loose pieces visiting the operator too suddenly. 
 
 There is no need of a top roll to feed in—in fact it would 
 doubtless be a detriment as it would obscure the view of the saw 
 should a board get started to be cut the wrong width, and it is 
 just as well to let the hand feed the boards through to the rolls 
 beyond the saw, a distance of only 16 to 18 inches at the farthest. 
 The guide need not be more than two feet in length and not to 
 go beyond the edge of the saw. It should be moved by a lever 
 at the hand of the operator in one move and by j^-inch notches. 
 The movable saw should be provided with the same kind of a 
 shifting lever, both of which should be plainly indexed. The 
 idle roll frames at either end of the machine proper can be made 
 of wood or iron as preferred. At the feeding-in end it should be 
 fourteen feet from the saw. This length would make it equally 
 convenient for boards from 12 to 16 feet long. The feeding-out 
 frame should be of sufficient length to hold the boards from hav¬ 
 ing any tendency to drop or sag and lift on the top rolls. 
 
 I forgot to mention that there should be a rod in front of the 
 saws across the machine to guard against accident. There are, of 
 course, different ways of accomplishing these purposes, but that I 
 leave to the manufacturers, submitting that a machine properly 
 constructed, having all these features combined in a thoroughly, 
 practical and workmanlike manner, will make a gang ripping ma¬ 
 chine that will better fulfill its requirements than any now in use, 
 being quicker, easier, and more convenient and successful in its 
 operation. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS CONCERNING SUR¬ 
 FACE PLANERS —THE ILL TREATMENT THEY 
 RECEIVE—A FEW ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A 
 GOOD PLANER—COMPARISON WITH ENDLESS BED 
 MACHINES. 
 
 W HY is it that there is so much fault found with surface 
 planers, large and small, roll and chain feed, all designed 
 and built by men of more or less mechanical ability and experience, 
 who study to produce a machine that will do good work, of the 
 kind for which it is built, for ten hours a day, right along without 
 extraordinary care? I have seen small pony surfacers feeding about 
 twenty feet per minute, doing nice work on all kinds of hard and 
 soft wood, without any apparent exertion or strain, and the next 
 day have seen one just exactly the same in design and build—in 
 fact an exact duplicate in every respect—feeding less and cutting 
 lighter, groaning and gasping at every turn, aided by the curses 
 and “belly” feed of the operator, producing work that might be 
 mistaken for wash-boards, or stuff for a “corduroy” road. Who 
 is to blame for this difference? Why is it that some machines will 
 feed stronger with only two rolls, than others of twice the power, 
 if properly handled? (No prize given for a correct answer to this 
 question.) 
 
 How does anyone expect to do good work with a cylinder hav¬ 
 ing two, three, or four knives, and only one to sharpen after run¬ 
 ning for a given length of time? Did you ever know of a case 
 like this, and hear the operator make slurring remarks about the 
 machine? I have, and thought that if the planer could only talk 
 back, like the beast quoted in Holy Writ, what a heap of wisdom 
 that operator might listen to, and perhaps profit thereby. I have 
 seen a planer running, and—well, I don’t know how to describe 
 the work the operator produced, but you can imagine when I say 
 
8o 
 
 that all he cut was on the heel or back end of the bevel on the 
 knife, and when I got that cylinder in the shop, the bearings were 
 three-cornered, (that was the number of the knives,) just exactly 
 like the form of the cylinder, and required to be reduced fully l /% 
 of an inch to bring them to truth and perfect roundness. 
 
 I have known people to buy a small pony surfacer for a mere 
 song, put it in a mill alongside of powerful flooring and re-sawing 
 machines, built for the heaviest and fastest kind of work, and 
 condemn the builder because the poor little machine, that cost 
 perhaps only one-eighth as much as the flooring machine, did not 
 keep up with those alongside it. They would take a three or four- 
 inch plank and .start it in without any support at the opposite end, 
 which had ten or twelve tons leverage, and because it would not 
 push it right along, consign it to Hades, (revised edition.) 
 
 I was once sent for to repair and start a new surfacer, 8-roll ma¬ 
 chine, which had left the shop in good order, after a thorough, 
 actual test, and everything left all right for operation. All the 
 purchaser had to to do was to align and level up, put on the coun¬ 
 tershaft and belts, and go ahead In transportation a casting was 
 broken, leaving nothing to support the attachment for the rolls. 
 They sent for a new casting, and received it by return express. 
 In the meantime they kept on using the machine, and got along 
 all right until thicker lumber was to be dressed. They tried to 
 raise the rolls with one end disconnected, and of course stripped 
 the nut. Two hours work at the planing mill straightened mat¬ 
 ters. Result to me — journey two hundred miles each way, two 
 days’ time, and no recompense, not even “thank you.” Do you 
 think this will be a successfully operated mill if this is a sample? 
 
 Another time I sold a wide surfacer with two false bed-plates 
 for special work, one straight and the other bevel, three-sixteenth, 
 to produce a finished surface the second time through, that would 
 be three-eighths on one edge and three-sixteenths at the other. 
 This bevel plate was fastened under the machine in shipping, and 
 in plain sight, but when it came to be used, instead of putting it 
 on in place of the straight plate, the raising screws were discon¬ 
 nected, and one side of the bed frame raised three-sixteenths. 
 The result was that the machine was all strained and spread, cyl¬ 
 inder-boxes thrown out of line and ruined. I sent a man to 
 straighten matters; result same as in the other case. 
 
 Why should this be so, and why should machine builders put 
 up with such cases, and pocket the loss? Of course builders are 
 liable to mistakes and should be made to right them, and also pay 
 
8i 
 
 for any damage resulting from such mistakes. Now if this argu¬ 
 ment is good for one side, why is it not good for the other. 
 There are many kinds of machines built in the country, some good, 
 and as many that are poor, and each maker will claim to build the 
 best, but any man of reasonable experience and judgment can 
 see the good and bad points when the machine is dissected and 
 explained. My ideas of a good successful surface planer for gen¬ 
 eral planing-mill work are, that it should have abundant feed and 
 cutting power; pressure bars very close to the cutters and yield¬ 
 ing to a limited extent; roll pressure by weights and arranged to 
 yield at least one inch for heavy work; top and bottom cylinder 
 adjustable to cut, and easy to get at, and to have all parts adjust¬ 
 able and quick to change and operate. These points put in prac¬ 
 tical working form will give good results. 
 
 I have seen such a machine cut a hard white oak stick, 12x6^ 
 inches, feeding forty-five feet per minute, reducing it one and one- 
 half inches or to five inches thick at one cut, and the same ma¬ 
 chine surfaced basswood yi thick finish without being fed on top 
 of another board. This is a solid fact that I can prove. 
 
 Chain feed, or “endless bed” machines are strong feeding ma¬ 
 chines, but as a rule, they do not have cutting power enough and 
 I never saw one yet that had run six months that could do as nice 
 work as a roll machine, from the fact of the joints wearing out of 
 truth. They do first-rate for heavy work that does not require to 
 be real nice, and for reducing freight on lumber shipments. 
 Strange as it may seem they do not feed very strong on narrow 
 stuff, as the boards do not present surface enough for the “lags” 
 to get a good “grip,” in other words, do not produce friction 
 enough. Small surfacers that are used by cabinet and piano fac¬ 
 tories, etc., for hard wood and fine work should have all the four 
 rolls driven ; cylinders belted at both ends and the leading feature 
 of the large machine. The cylinder should be steel-capped and 
 the knives set close ; run at a high speed, and for a six-inch diam¬ 
 eter cylinder the pressure bars should be as close as inch to 
 the knives on both sides. I have seen such a machine fairly 
 polish maple, walnut, cherry, etc., at a good rate of speed, and 
 also plane three pieces of hard maple glued together on the end 
 of the grain as nice as with the grain. Surfacing machines, large 
 and small, with these ideas well combined, in the hands of a fair 
 operator, are found to be successful. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 TIMBER PLANING OR DRESSING MACHINE. 
 
 T HERE is perhaps no machine designed for saving labor in 
 dressing wood, that is so rarely used and that will yield 
 such good returns for its investment and cost of operation, as a 
 good timber planing or dressing machine. Various reasons may 
 be assigned for this, a few of which are its first cost and supposed 
 limited demand ; expense of operating ; and lack of knowledge 
 regarding its utility and advantages. Regarding the first reason 
 given—its first cost—we find upon comparing notes and prices of 
 machines which perform other functions on wood, that the timber 
 planer now placed upon the market is the cheapest machine- 
 This conclusion is based merely on the amount of stock and labor 
 expended on it. It can be had at about the same price as a first- 
 class planer and matcher, and to be properly adapted to its work, 
 must be a great deal heavier and of the best workmanship and 
 materials. 
 
 I said supposed limited demand because there are so few scat¬ 
 tered about the country. Timbers have to enter into the con¬ 
 struction of bridges, railroads, vessels, etc., either as they come 
 from the saw mill, or be jacked by hand. Contractors and build, 
 ers, knowing that they cannot find timber dressing machines in 
 their immediate vicinity, have to take timbers as they get them, 
 and as a consequence many timbers go undressed that should be 
 square and smooth, because of the great expense of preparing 
 them properly by hand. The expense of operating this machine 
 is in fact less in proportion to its earnings than any fast flooring 
 machine. The work being heavy calls for an extra amount of help 
 in getting the stuff to and from it. As an illustration, a friend of 
 mine who has a flooring machine that will dress six inches thick, 
 told me that on his machine one day he dressed a lot of oak tim¬ 
 ber that measured 6x6, 6x8, and 6x9, and after figuring the cost 
 of power and employes attending to the machine, he had realized 
 
83 
 
 $6o net—pretty good for one day. He also said that if he had a 
 machine that would dress four sides up to 16x18 inches he could 
 make fully $100 per day for at least two or three months each year, 
 as he could then work anything from 4-inch plank to a 16x18 tim¬ 
 ber. Outside of the regular car-shops of the country timber planers 
 are but little used, partly because people think that the classes 
 of work and building that would call for them are so few. This 
 is a great mistake. Any one who has even a limited amount 
 of work for one of these machines will be greatly surprised, after 
 running it for a few months, to find what an almost endless 
 variety and kind of work it will produce and how much its work 
 will be sought after. 
 
 Every timber in a bridge, in steam, river, or canal boats, and all 
 framing in the different kinds of mill work, for churches, schools, 
 and other public buildings, could be framed and put together in¬ 
 finitely better and cheaper, if properly dressed to dimensions. 
 There would also be a considerable saving on all work adapted to 
 them. No one will deny that a frame of any kind looks neater 
 and more workmanlike by being dressed; and it will also receive 
 paint better, and take less to cover it. I might add that no one 
 will deny that it is a very laborious job to jack off timbers by 
 hand, especially hard wood timbers, or that a machine not only 
 does it easier and faster, but better every way. I assert that there 
 are not enough timber planing machines in general use. 
 
 Now this being conceded, we must find out what is required o^ 
 such a machine, and how best to design and construct it that it 
 will best answer its purpose. One feature and the most vital one 
 about the whole machine, should be its strength, it should be so 
 designed and built that it will do its work with comparative ease 
 and all absence of strain ; its framing should be very heavy and 
 solid to withstand all jarring and racking to which it may be sub¬ 
 ject, and also to ensure a good foundation for all the other parts. 
 For a matter of convenience as well as to have the greatest 
 strength with the minimum amount of metal, I should prefer to 
 have the framing made on the “cored section” plan—that is, each 
 section or side having two plates or webs, and hollow or “cored' 
 in the center. This is conceded to be the strongest possible 
 shape in which to place a given quantity of metal. The rolls 
 should be from eight to ten inches in diameter, and not less than 
 eight in number, all strongly geared and at least two of them 
 fluted or corrugated. I think this is one of the few places where 
 a corrugated roll would do some good. 
 
8 4 
 
 The under rolls should all be in an exact line and level, and so 
 adjusted for height that they will not allow the timber to drag 
 hard on the bed plates or platens. The upper rolls that feed into 
 the cutters should be so arranged that they will yield or raise au¬ 
 tomatically at least I ^2 inches to receive timber that is sawn taper 
 or over size; all rolls should be fitted with shafts or bearings of 
 large diameter in boxes of ample length which should be adjusted 
 to provide for wear. The guides or fences on the right hand side 
 should be wrought iron, having the ends next the side cutters 
 faced with hard steel to withstand wear; they should be adjust¬ 
 able across the machine by means of screws feeding ^ inch each 
 turn, for convenience in measuring and also to equalize the wear 
 of knives, bed platen, pressure bars, etc., and should be well sup¬ 
 ported at their rear side by clamping blocks to ensure rigidity. 
 
 I articular care should be taken in the construction and location 
 of the different cutter heads. Right here I wish to say that un¬ 
 der no consideration would I be induced to purchase a machine 
 for such heavy work unless I could finish all four sides at one 
 operation, as the additional expense in re-handling the timber 
 would be so much that the machine would be a poor investment. 
 All cutter heads should be made of soft steel, slotted on all sides 
 and fitted with good, cast-tool steel shafts running in bearings 
 lined with the best of genuine Babbitt metal; they should be so 
 designed that the cutters will project from the heads to y 2 inch 
 and fitted with Norway iron cylinder bolts at least 7 /% inch in diam¬ 
 eter. I would have the knives ^ inch thick as they would 
 allow of the projection needed and be very stiff. 
 
 In feeding timber through a machine of this kind, the principal 
 object is to finish it square and smooth, and for this reason the 
 under cutter should be the first to come in contact with the stuff, 
 in which case the timber would lie flat and true on the platen, and 
 in turn be planed on its upper surface exactly parallel with the 
 lower surface,and would also present itself perfectly square with the 
 side cutter heads. Cutter heads so arranged would have the ad¬ 
 vantage of making the feeding much easier, from the fact that all 
 undue strain incidental to rough, unevenly sawn timbers would be 
 materially reduced, and they would also allow the last timber to 
 be fed from the machine by the last pair of rolls, a function more 
 important in feeding timber than lumber. 
 
 To be convenient as well as useful, an under cutter head in a 
 machine of this kind should be easily accessible, and could be ar¬ 
 ranged either to draw out at the side or raise to the top, for the 
 
85 
 
 purpose of changing knives. It should also be adjustable to a 
 moderate degree in order to allow the increase or decrease of cut. 
 The side cutter heads being so long or high above the upper bear¬ 
 ing should have an extra bearing above the cutter; these bearings 
 should be strong, and at the same time adjustable or movable, 
 and secured by a clamping device that is quick and positive; all the 
 cutter heads should be grouped together with reference to their 
 strength and the convenience of handling and operating the tim¬ 
 ber. The cylinder pulleys should have face enough for belts 4 y 2 
 inches wide, and the side cutters should carry a belt at least 4 
 inches wide. All belts should be of ample length; the driving 
 pulleys should be large, with tight and loose pulleys, not less than 
 16 inches diameter and 10 inches face. 
 
 A machine of this kind would weigh perhaps seven or eight 
 tons, and if properly designed and constructed should feed at the 
 rate of fifty lineal feet per minute, even on white oak. It would 
 probably take fifteen horse power to drive it, and would feed from 
 fifteen to twenty thousand lineal feet per day without very hard 
 crowding. It could be used successfully as an ordinary surfacing 
 or flooring machine. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A CHAT ON PLANING AND MATCHING MACHINES 
 — THEIR REQUIREMENTS—WHY A GOOD ONE 
 SOMETIMES FAILS TO TURN OUT GOOD WORK- 
 WHY A POOR MACHINE DOES NOT PAY. 
 
 W HEN a person gets ready to purchase any piece of ma¬ 
 chinery he has never used, he generally goes to some 
 friend using that kind of machinery and consults with him regard¬ 
 ing the best to buy, etc. Now this is especially the case with 
 planing-mill machinery, and I beg to suggest that it is wrong in 
 many cases. Said friend may never have owned, or had any ex¬ 
 perience with, but one kind and make of planing and matching 
 machines, we will say, and that was built perhaps twenty years 
 ago. What is his opinion on the subject worth ? Give it up. 
 
 Perhaps the intending purchaser goes to two or three friends of 
 about the same knowledge, experience and judgment, and gets 
 their opinions all around. Each one has the best machine or the 
 poorest machine (which is very seldom), as the case may be. 
 How much better is he off? Echo answers “ how much.” Per¬ 
 haps he goes to several different manufacturers of said planing 
 and matching machines. They tell him all they know, and some¬ 
 times more. Has he learned anything more than he knew before? 
 Yes, a little, because one manufacturer can generally tell of some 
 defect in some one else’s machine, and by the time he gets around 
 he begins to think that he has learned to look in just the right 
 place for a good or poor point every time, but even this does not 
 tell him which is best to get, because every builder can refer to 
 scores of customers who purchased of him and have always had 
 the best success, with no complaints, and the last machine heard 
 from. It is an open secret that the best machines do not always 
 produce the best results, nor the poorest machines the worst 
 
 results. “ What then,” says the intending purchaser “ shall I do? 
 86 
 
37 
 
 It looks as though I have the chances against me when I pur¬ 
 chase my flooring machine.” 
 
 My advice to you is this: Get thoroughly posted on the re¬ 
 quirements of a planing and matching machine, those require¬ 
 ments, which, if filled, will make a strong, durable, simple as well 
 as a quickly changed and operated machine. Until you know 
 what these points are, you may not get what you ought to have. 
 
 I will tell you what I think the most important points to be 
 considered in a first-class matching or flooring machine. In the 
 first place it should have a heavy frame, especially where any 
 strain demands it, and for that matter the whole machine should 
 be heavy and strong. It should have not less than six good-sized 
 feed-rolls, strongly geared and driven, and these rolls should be 
 arranged to be changed to different thicknesses very rapidly, and 
 also have plenty of yield to accommodate great difference in thick¬ 
 ness of lumber, as sometimes one board will get “lapped” over by 
 the other and break the machine, if there is not a sufficient yield. 
 They should have plenty of weights to flatten out any ordinary 
 board. There should be three or four different rates of speed for 
 feed, to suit all kinds of work that comes into the mill. 
 
 The top cylinder should be large, fitted with four surfacing 
 knives, and arranged to use beading or fancy siding knives, located 
 for any and all widths to the full width of the machine, without 
 disturbing the surfacing knives. It should have a spindle of am¬ 
 ple size made from the best tool steel, running in long bearings, 
 and the pulleys close to the bearings. These bearings should 
 have a heavy lining of the very best Babbitt metal and good oil 
 or tallow cups, not self-oiling. The pressure bars on both sides 
 of the cylinder should run to within one-half inch of the knives. 
 The front one should yield any amount without changing its rela¬ 
 tion to the cutter head; the back one should have an adjustment 
 for wear, etc., and enough yield for wet or “sticky” lumber. 
 
 It should have a false bed-plate that could be easily taken out 
 and planed over, and finally it should be easy of access in all its 
 parts and raise to dress six inches thick, by screws that travel one- 
 eighth inch each turn. 
 
 The under cylinder should carry four knives and have two sides 
 slotted to provide for the use of rabbeting, beading, and other 
 knives. It should have an adjustment of at least one-half inch 
 vertically; have close “throats,” belted at both ends and be fully 
 as easy to get at to adjust, change or sharpen knives, as the top 
 cylinder. It should not be so that an operator would have to 
 
88 
 
 climb under, over, or through a machine to get at it. The side cut¬ 
 ters or matcher spindles should be made from best tool steel, fitted 
 with a pulley having face enough to carry a belt sufficiently wide 
 to do any duty required, up to jointing six-inch stuff. They 
 should not be less than i^-inch diameter, fitted in long bearings 
 and running on a good durable step that is self-oiling, as these 
 places are not generally quite as easy to get at and oil often. 
 Besides, the step, if properly proportioned and made, does not 
 consume much oil. 
 
 Both the heads ought to move across the whole width of the 
 machine by screws that travel ^ inch by every turn. These 
 screws should be steel in bronze nuts; the guides should be 
 wrought iron and the “chip breaking” end steel-hardened. These 
 guides should travel across the machine, but both independent of 
 the heads, for convenience in adjustment for different amounts 
 of cut on the edge of the board. The long or feeding-in guide 
 should have a stop.to come to its proper relation with the head. 
 This stop should be adjustable to and from the head at least 
 3^-inch ; the short guides the same. The guides should be set 
 about ^4-inch to the foot in length, “ drawing ” and in perfect 
 line which each other, to keep the board “ hugging ” close to them. 
 
 Good matching can never be made unless the guides are proper¬ 
 ly in line, and a man will have no trouble keeping his boards up 
 to the guide, if he gives them “ rake ” enough. The left hand 
 matcher should have a good steel chip-breaker that would prevent 
 the lumber from tearing, and yield at least one inch back, and 
 keep its close relations with the knives. Matchers arranged this 
 way will save a great deal on either a wide or narrow flooring 
 machine, for by moving the guides and heads across the machine, 
 you save, or what is the same thing, equalize the wear of the 
 rolls, bed-plates, pressure bars, and knives. You can on an 
 average use your knives three times as long, because when one 
 spot gets dull you move over to a fresh or sharp place. 
 
 All the moving parts should have large wearing surfaces pro¬ 
 vided for taking up wear; all studs and shafts should be steel; 
 all pulleys turned inside as well as out where the motion is fast, 
 and accurately balanced ; all boxes and wearing parts adjustable 
 and easy to get at. Keep everything up as strong and close as 
 possible. These are the leading, vital points in a good, successful 
 flooring machine, and if combined and put together in a good, 
 straight-forward, practical manner, without any fancy or ginger¬ 
 bread clap-traps added, will make a machine that will do good 
 
89 
 
 work every time, and plenty of it. It will be a machine that will 
 make the heart of the operator glad. Why? Because he does 
 not have to shut down half the time to doctor it. He can change 
 it very readily and easily; can get out a big day’s work every day 
 in the year (barring accidents), on any kind of work that comes 
 within the capacity of the machine, and he can do it well every 
 time, and at night when he goes home he is as satisfied with the 
 machine as with himself. 
 
 I have seen a machine with substantially all these features, 
 jointing stuff six inches thick and cutting off the left-hand head 
 i^-inch cut, feeding forty-five feet per minute. I have also seen 
 it feeding through seventy-eight feet of 2-inch yellow pine 
 flooring per minute, and seventy-five feet of ash (i-inch) flooring 
 per minute, running measure, and it does it every day. I have also 
 known of machines like this, that the “operator” never could do 
 any decent work on, and I think never will. He is a “ one- 
 machine ” man, that is, he ran an old-fashioned machine that was 
 good in its day, for over twenty years, and got far enough edu¬ 
 cated to manage to grub out enough work for a small country 
 mill, and just got educated to the old machine by the time he had 
 to change to the new one. Twenty years to learn to partially 
 operate one simple machine! What is such a man worth in a 
 planing mill in these times of fast speed, high speed, and so many 
 varieties of work and careful selection of lumber? 
 
 Finally, no man can do a fair day’s work on an old consumptive 
 machine, because he has to waste too much valuable time giving 
 it medicine, in the way of repairs and make-shifts, but if he has a 
 flooring machine that is good in every sense of the word, (and 
 there are some manufactured in these times,) I submit that it is 
 his own fault if he does not do lots of good work without much 
 exertion and delay. In fine, he should make both himself and 
 the machine a perfect success. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 CAST-IRON AND STEEL CUTTER-HEADS—PROPER 
 METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION AND LUBRICATION 
 —“OPEN WING” HEADS. 
 
 W HY do cutter-heads get out of balance, and what is the 
 best preventive ? are two questions that trouble a great 
 many mill men, and have been propounded to me frequently. 
 When cylinders are turned out from any reputable shop, they are 
 bored the entire length, and the shaft or spindle fitted therein. 
 
 Here is the first chance to spoil a cylinder’s running qualities, 
 for on account of the hole being so long, it may not be round or 
 parrallel throughout the whole length, unless done by an expert 
 machinist, and as the steel shaft must be a very tight fit an im¬ 
 perfection in the whole will communicate to the shaft in driving 
 in. This can be turned straight, round, and true, and accurately 
 balanced, but if it ever gets well-heated while running, it will 
 spring back the same as when first fitted. 
 
 Again, a cylinder if made of cast-iron, should not be cast just 
 about the finished length, because, when so done, the dirt, slag, 
 and other impurities, all gather at the top and cause the iron to 
 be porous, dirty, and uneven in weight, consequently a good run¬ 
 ning balance can scarcely be attained. Although this is wrong, 
 it is also a cheap method, and is done every day. The proper 
 way is to cast about one foot too long for the cylinder, and cut 
 off the surplus length. This gets rid of the imperfect parts, and 
 leaves only the sound iron, and with good workmanship a perfect 
 job is an assured fact. Owing to the fast speed and heavy weight, 
 only the best hammered tool steel should be used, which makes 
 a difference over common machine steel of at least three times 
 the wear in favor of the best. 
 
 Cylinder bolts should be forged and turned from the best Nor¬ 
 way or Swede iron, to withstand the service required of them, in 
 securing knives, and the abuse they get from brawny arms and 
 long wrenches. A set of new knives should be carefully tested, 
 
 90 
 
9 * 
 
 to see that they are correctly balanced and kept so. A knife out 
 of balance a little, throws the cylinder out, makes rough work, and 
 wears the bearing. This, when once started, grows no better 
 very fast, and getting the knives back to balance does not remedy 
 the matter. Both the spindle and boxes are brought to that 
 state where a machinist’s services are called in, and the cylinders 
 re-turned and balanced. 
 
 Cylinder boxes should never be babbitted with the cylinder in, 
 as it will, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, get sprung by the 
 hot metal being suddenly poured on it. A plain iron arbor kept 
 i-ioo of an inch larger than the cylinder bearings should be made 
 and fitted for the cylinder every time the bearings are re-filled. 
 It should also be nicely straightened every time it is used, as it 
 also is sprung by the babbitt. I have seen a 5-inch iron shaft spring 
 out of true yi of an inch, in this way, also a 4-inch tool steel 
 shaft. Of course these were straightened and turned down to 
 fit afterwards. 
 
 Matcher spindles should be treated in the same general way. 
 And right here, I suggest, that altogether too little care is used 
 to keep matcher cutters in balance. They are so small and light 
 that most people think that they can’t be out much anyway. 
 The fact of the matter is, they require as nice balance and ad¬ 
 justment as the surfacing heads and knives. I can go to a pile of 
 finished lumber and tell how a machine has been kept, and 
 also how many or few knives have done the work by examining 
 the feed marks on the boards. 
 
 Cylinder boxes should not be self-oiling, for this reason ; if the 
 self-oiling device is depended upon, it does not self-oil some fine 
 morning, and your bearings are ruined because the oil chambers 
 were not replenished in time, or they became clogged or gummed. 
 If they are not to be depended upon, what are the benefits de¬ 
 rived from them ? There are some places on machines where self¬ 
 oilers can hardly be avoided, such as the upright or matcher 
 spindle, as the oil poured in by hand would soon drop out. 
 These can be made so that they will do good service, by arranging 
 a large oil-chamber on the box caps, and feeding the oil by 
 capillary attraction through a hole at the top of the box. This 
 will allow the whole box to be properly lubricated, and should be 
 looked after often enough to be sure that there is always plenty 
 of oil in the chamber. For cylinder boxes, I prefer a large tube 
 about three inches high for tallow. Pour in the oil and then 
 put in tallow of good quality. In this way, if the oil should run 
 
9 2 
 
 out, a very little heat will melt the tallow down and avoid 
 serious damage. 
 
 While on this subject, I would like to say that after using all 
 other kinds and brands, I prefer the best extra lard oil I can buy 
 as the best and cheapest in the end. It does not gum like the 
 heavy oils, nor run away so fast as the light oils, and you do not 
 use one-half the quantity. The fact is, it is grease all the way 
 through, and good measure. I don’t want anything better for 
 wood-working machinery, having had considerable experience 
 with loss to myself. 
 
 Cylinders on surface planers should have at least one-sixteenth 
 end play, to prevent abrasion if they should, from any cause, get 
 heated enough to expand, and on flooring machines where beading 
 and fancy siding knives are used, (and I would put them on by all 
 means,) should have from one-eighth to three-sixteenths end play, 
 and arms fitted with wooden plugs or screws to keep the cylinder 
 from vibrating, and also to shift endways for the allowance of 
 fine adjustment of beading and other knives, should they not 
 come exactly in place at the first setting. This saves stopping 
 the machine and re-setting knives, and will be found generally 
 convenient. The reason I prefer to have the beading and fancy 
 knives placed on the main top cylinder is, that it dispenses with 
 an extra cutter-head and its care. All the knives can be set at 
 one time and place, and the beading or coves will always “ track,” 
 which is not the case with an extra head. Besides, it will always 
 keep its place and stay put, and if a board by any chance should 
 leave the guides after the tongue and groove are cut, the bead or 
 cove is also cut in its proper place and no harm done, while the 
 reverse is the case with an extra cutter-head at the delivery end 
 of the machine. The full knowledge and application hereof 
 will greatly tend to the success of both operator and mill. 
 
 Thus far I have referred only to cast-iron heads, because they 
 are the most commonly used, and for general work are as good 
 as any thing else. Some use wrought-iron, some steel, and a very 
 few brass. The objection to wrought-iron is that, when a good 
 shavings-throat is planed out and the lip or knife-cap brought to 
 a proper shape to roll a chip easily, it has no strength. It is liable 
 to chip off the whole length, and has no advantages worth men¬ 
 tioning. Brass is too costly, soft and easily bent by any sudden 
 blow, unless made with a very thick lip or cap. Steel is all right, 
 but is costly if fitted up properly. The heads are generally forged 
 with heads and bearings all in one piece, the bearings roughed 
 
93 
 
 off, taken to the planer, reduced to the proper size and shape, and 
 thence brought back to the lathe to be finished; no boring of cyl¬ 
 inder or fitting of shaft therein, making a cheap job. but also a 
 poor one, because, while the soft steel is just the thing for a cut¬ 
 ter-head, it is not just the thing for the bearings; being of a very 
 soft quality of steel the bearings soon become worn, are re-turned 
 again and again until too small for use, and, finally the head goes 
 to the shop and has to be bored out for a new shaft, and, perhaps 
 planed over. The proper process by which to get a soft steel 
 forging for your cutter-head is to bore it out and fit it in a good 
 cast (tool) steel shaft, which when fitted up properly, makes a 
 first-class job, and also has the additional merit of costing at least 
 twice as much as cast-iron. They are, however, seldom called for 
 and only for certain kinds-of work where the cylinder has to be 
 pretty well cut open with slots and bolt holes. I want any cylin¬ 
 der to have plenty of “throat” to roll the shavings from the 
 knife easily, because I can do better work, feed faster with less 
 power and keep the knives sharp longer in consequence of get¬ 
 ting clear of shavings more easily. I also prefer a cylinder for a fast 
 feeding machine to be large and have four knives instead of a 
 small cylinder with three knives. 
 
 A large cylinder does not work so much “end wood” at any 
 part of the cut, but has a long, easy, and what might be termed 
 “natural” cut, and takes less power, does a great deal heavier cut¬ 
 ting, and if fitted with four knives leaves each knife less to cut at 
 the same rate of feed, or will cut the same per knife, feeding one- 
 third faster. I have seen a large four-knife cylinder taking off one 
 and one-half inches, twelve inches wide, white (dry) oak feeding 
 forty-five feet per minute, and don’t think any small cylinder can 
 equal it. Did you ever run a brass “open wing” head, old style, 
 and if so, how did you like to go through the operation of balanc¬ 
 ing it? Oh, what fun you have when one wing gets sprung from 
 a hard knot or loose knife. You try to load it to a balance with 
 washers, etc., until you get disgusted with it. Then a machinist 
 having turned the bearings true, gives you a good balance and you 
 start. Another snag after a few hours’ run, and you have the op¬ 
 eration repeated. 
 
 I have seen this thing done even when the wings had stay-bolts 
 to prevent springing. They finally went to the brass foundry for 
 old metal, and were replaced by a good iron head. I don’t 
 know what idea the person had who invented the open-wing 
 head, but I do know that he will never be canonized or knighted 
 
94 
 
 by the consent of any one who ever used the old style brass head. 
 They were profitable jobs for the brass founders, however, and it 
 is another illustration of the saying, “ It is an ill wind that blows 
 nobody good.” 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE USE, ABUSE, AND CARE OF CYLINDER CUT¬ 
 TERS AND BOLTS. 
 
 I HAVE fora*long time observed the uses and abuses of knives 
 and cutters for wood-working machinery, as well as the screws 
 and bolts that secure them to the cylinders or cutter-heads, and 
 have become convinced that at least ninety per cent, of delays, 
 breakages, and accidents, are due to ignorance and carelessness, 
 not so gross perhaps on account of their imperfections being 
 partially or wholly concealed from any one who is not looking 
 particularly for them. 
 
 It occurs very frequently that a cylinder knife is torn wholly or 
 partially from the head, a number of the cylinder bolts being 
 carried with it, or at least so badly damaged as to be unfit for 
 further use, while the tapped holes to receive said bolts are still 
 in a perfect state to be used for a new set. When after an acci¬ 
 dent of this kind, the machine is brought to my attention for 
 repairs, I very often find that the man who had charge of it, 
 criminates himself unwittingly, thus; “Why, I had just put on 
 a set of sharp knives, and the machine had hardly got under 
 regular speed when she struck the first board, the knives tore off, 
 etc.” In a case of this kind I need no more information to prove 
 almost conclusively, that the bolts were not brought properly 
 home before starting, and consequently could not stand the strain 
 given the knife when it commenced to cut, the knife raised a 
 little and “ struck ” some obstacle or allowed shavings to wedge 
 under which finished the job. 
 
 I know of one (among many others) like this, where a large 
 cylinder tore out, and actually went through the upper floor, 
 broke both pressure bars, cylinder boxes, frames, bed plate, 
 matcher-heads, gears, &c., entailing a bill of $350 for repairs, and 
 yet the operator had not got the first board into the feed rolls. 
 
 Again, the risks are greatly increased by knives not being 
 properly balanced. When I say “ balanced ” I mean absolutely 
 
9 6 
 
 balanced. An ounce too light or too heavy, traveling on a circle 
 of sixteen to thirty inches, at a speed of 3,500 or 4,000 revolutions 
 will shake a machine whose weight may be from two to six tons, 
 so you can readily infer how much force this little item amounts to. 
 
 Another matter that needs careful attention in this connection 
 is that the face of the knives that lie next to the cylinder head 
 should be flat, or having a slight concave its whole length from 
 the cutting to the rear edge. The value of this is that the knife 
 will then have a firm seat on nearly its whole face when bolted on. 
 Some builders in order to make sure of this, plane the knife seat 
 of cylinder straight to within ^ of an inch of the back edge, and 
 then raise the tool to cut about 1-32 higher. This leaves the knife 
 lying firmly on the front edge, and also on this ridge behind the 
 cylinder bolt, while in the center of the knife it does not touch 
 the seat. When the bolts or screws are brought home, the center 
 of the knife is caused to spring, and lay solid as the rest, so that if 
 a knife is not straight, but a little concave, it does not matter. 
 
 Another prolific cause of shrinking knives and bolts, lies in the 
 fact that many operators will use only two cutters on a four knife 
 cylinder—it is so handy you know, saves grinding so many knives, 
 and so forth. Now, aside from the.difference in the quality and 
 quantity of work produced, the two wing edges that are running 
 without knives, come in contact with knots, splinters, and other 
 objects that wear and break off the edge and leave a rough, blunt, 
 broken surface, and when the knives are replaced, it offers the 
 most desirable inducement that could be invented for slivers, chips, 
 and shavings to drive under the knives. Once started it is good¬ 
 bye to knife and bolts, even if nothing worse occurs. A cylinder 
 that by any accident has the edges broken this way should be 
 taken to the machine shop and be planed true, or at least have 
 the broken spaces filed so that they will be at a sharp angle, and 
 brought to almost a knife edge. Slivers and chips will not tarry 
 long where such is the case, but will commence to roll out of the 
 throat as fast as cut from the board. Knives should be at least 
 1-50 of an inch thicker at back than at the front edge. This will 
 prevent any tendency to “throw” out from under the bolts. I re¬ 
 cently came across a lot of knives that were “flaky” around the 
 bolt slots—that is, there were spots upon which the washers or 
 bolts could not find a true seat to rest. I returned them to the 
 maker and he replied that I was too high-toned about the finish. 
 I am not particularly aesthetic about the finish, which, however, 
 should be done as well as the rest, but I do want a true surface 
 
97 
 
 for the bolt heads to screw down upon, and submit that this is a 
 very important part of the knife, also one that is not generally 
 understood. 
 
 Another very frequent cause of knives flying is, that they are 
 screwed down too tight. This may seem paradoxical, but I will 
 explain. A planer leaves the builder’s shop presumably in good 
 condition, after proper construction, etc., and is placed at work. 
 Very few operators take out the cylinder bolts and oil them, say 
 once in two weeks, or even give them a casual examination as to 
 their condition. These bolts need a little lubrication once in a 
 while. They get dry and hard to turn, and as very few operators 
 stop to figure out the strength of a screw or bolt, a big wrench is 
 put on the bolt-head, backed by a bigger man, and the “ yanking” 
 goes on until the screw or man gives out from lack of strength or 
 wind. A man with a 12-inch wrench in his hand exerting a strain 
 of ioo pounds, just pulls 1200 pounds on that bolt-head, or with 
 a 10-inch wrench pulls 1000 pounds. If the screw is twelve 
 threads to the inch this strain exerts a holding down pressure on 
 the knife of about forty-five tons in the first case and over thirty- 
 five tons in the second case. Multiply this by six, the number of 
 bolts on a 24-inch knife, and you will find that the great centrifu¬ 
 gal force is overcome many fold by the holding down pressure of 
 the bolts. This, of course, is as it should be. 
 
 If ninety-five out of one hundred operators of planers will take 
 the cylinder bolt out of the planer that has been constantly run 
 for three months or over, they will 'find that the portion of the 
 thread that does not enter the hole is stretched 'considerably, or 
 in other words the lead or pitch of the thread is coarser. I have 
 seen them so bad that a screw that was twelve threads to the inch 
 stretched under the continual strain to nine threads. This of 
 course weakens the bolt to an infinite degree, and is caused by 
 too much strain on the wrench, hence I said, they were screwed 
 down too tight. It is a very easy matter to tell when a screw is 
 home, and then the wrench should stop there. There is a certain 
 feeling in a wrench that tells an experienced hand when to stop. 
 
 I would under no circumstances allow any cylinder or knife bolt 
 wrench to be more than twelve inches long. I would also hide 
 the “ gas-pipe extension ” for wrenches. A certain party com¬ 
 plained that his bolts would not stand as they were improperly 
 fitted, of poor material, etc. Upon going to the mill to investi¬ 
 gate and prove the contrary, the machinist' could not get the 
 bolts in question out, neither could the planing mill foreman. 
 
98 
 
 The latter said that he would get the man that screwed them in. 
 He went to the yard and soon a big burly son of Africa appeared 
 on the scene with a piece of gas-pipe 2^ feet long, stuck it on 
 the end of the wrench and the result was that the bolt came out 
 in a hurry. The planing-mill man did not conclude his argument 
 of complaint. This is an actual fact. 
 
 Another case was that of a customer who brought us three 
 cylinder bolts all stretched and stripped of their threads, and he 
 complained of them. We took two of them and bent them 
 double while cold, and showed him that only the best of Norway 
 iron would have stood the abuse they had. Steel is the strongest, 
 does not yield or stretch, but snaps off without any warning, so 
 that for all these reasons a good bolt forged from the best Nor¬ 
 way bar iron has proved the most successful. 
 
 Another reason why knives throw out, especially on cylinder 
 heads of small diameter, is that the holes are so shallow in many 
 cases, and the screws or bolts are fitted to almost touch the 
 bottom of the hole, and as a matter of course, when the bolts 
 get stretched until they bottom in the hole, while they screw 
 home, do not bind the knife properly. Of course no reputable 
 builder intends to have this occur on his machine, but how is he 
 to tell how much those bolts are to be stretched before they are 
 replaced ? I have seen bolts that were originally i^-inch long 
 come to the machine shop, having grown to a length of two inches. 
 The best plan is to examine occasionally, and carefully clean and 
 oil the screws and hole, replacing with new bolts when found 
 necessary. 
 
 In conclusion, I beg to remind you that eternal vigilence is the 
 price of success, and to attain that success we must not despise 
 the day of small things. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 CUTTER ANGLES; AUTOMATIC, OBTUSE, ACUTE, 
 AND OTHERWISE CONSIDERED. 
 
 F OR a number of years I have been on the lookout for a plan 
 whereby to reconcile the various theories regarding the 
 proper angles that cutters should have in order to produce smooth 
 surfaces. I have not yet found it. It would not be worth a cent 
 if I did, because it would convince but few of the operatives, even 
 after a fair demonstration of the facts. I have also been longing 
 for a self-adjustable cuttterhead that will automatically change the 
 cutting angles the instant a hard wood pile is placed behind the 
 machine after feeding soft wood, and vice versa. No other plan 
 will answer. To be complete it should also be able to adjust the 
 angles so that they would be more obtuse when passing over knots 
 or cross-grained pieces, and then re-adjust them for straight grained 
 stock. It must do its work just as the new-fangled automatic 
 steam engines do. I have no great hope of finding this kind of 
 cutter head for some time. There is a bare possibility of being 
 struck by lightning sometime, but—. 
 
 Some people may think that I am unreasonable, but my de¬ 
 fense is that I am only voicing the real demands of hundreds all 
 over this big country. Perhaps they have no idea that they make 
 their demand so strong, but I assure you I am not exaggerating. 
 I never do. Their requests may not be worded in the same man¬ 
 ner in which I put them, but they amount to the same thing. I 
 have taken out an extra life insurance policy, and propose to talk 
 right out in meeting. There are more than a few people who know 
 very little about cutting angles as applied to rotary cutters for 
 dressing wood. I won’t feel indignant if I am classed with them. 
 
 There are two extremes to be found in dressing or forming the 
 surface of wood, viz: severing the fibres or cross-cutting the grain. 
 It is well known that the former is accomplished with a great deal 
 less power than the latter, because it will allow of a very fine, 
 
 sharp, or acute-angled wedge being used, while to sever the cross 
 99 
 
100 
 
 grain requires so much more power that an acute-angled wedge 
 will not answer, consequently a wedge having a more obtuse angle 
 is called into requisition with successful results. All cutters are 
 wedges, and all cutting on wood is done by wedges. Again, an 
 obtuse-angled wedge or cutter will cut hard wood better and last 
 longer than an acute-angled cutter, because the hard wood grain 
 is so close and fine that an acute-angled edge would last compar¬ 
 atively no time. The cutter presenting an acute angle or cutting 
 edge is the sharpest, but does not remain so for any length of time, 
 because the point or edge has nothing to support it, therefore it 
 crumbles or wears away very fast. All obtuse-angled cutters or 
 edges are strong in proportion to their angle, but will not cut as 
 fast or easily as acute cutters on soft woods. Having a stronger 
 edge or point, they last or wear well on hard wood. The general 
 average of cutting angles on wood-cutting machines, has been all 
 the way from 35 to 65 degrees, and in a very few instances even 
 more, but only for special cases, and peculiar work not often called 
 for. The angle of 40 degrees has been found best for pine and 
 other soft woods, and where it is mixed with some ash or spruce, 
 50 degrees, while for oak, maple, etc., 60 degrees would be most 
 suitable, and 75 degrees for lignum vitae, banyan, iron, and other 
 woods of a kindred nature. 
 
 Now as no one machine has heads or wings that will adjust to 
 these various angles, either automatically or otherwise, we have 
 no alternative but to adopt an average, after leaving out the 
 hardest kinds of wood, which are comparatively but little used in 
 the general market, and a cutting angle of 45 or 50 degrees will 
 be found to give better satisfaction than any other, especially as 
 some of the leading machines of the country are built to-day, 
 having their pressure bars as close to the radius of the cutters as 
 safety will allow. They hold the lumber firmly, and avoid sliver¬ 
 ing or tearing rough, wainy, or cross-grained lumber. 
 
 I would have and keep on hand a set of knives for dressing 
 hard wood, ground on the under side, extending back 1-16 to 1 /q 
 of an inch. These will change the angle to any degree you 
 choose, by simply grinding to a different bevel. If you draw a 
 line on a knife or cutter that cuts at an angle of 45 degrees, you 
 will be surprised to see how little grinding on the under side will 
 change to 65 degrees. I have seen knives used this way on a 
 large machine that were fitted to cut at 40 degrees, and the result 
 on the hardest kind of wood was as good as could be desired, 
 in fact it could not have been done better if a new head had been 
 
IOI 
 
 built for the purpose. This method has the advantage of being 
 cheap, reliable, and always ready. 
 
 A great deal has been said concerning the value of, what are 
 termed, “ chip breakers,” under the knives or cutters, but their 
 real value is of but little account, except in very few cases. 
 The principle of the whole thing is false. I am aware that I am 
 treading on the toes of an old-established custom that is dear to 
 the hearts of many old builders and users, but nevertheless, the 
 fact still remains. In the first place they may break off the chips 
 or shavings, but they do it at the expense of power. They check 
 the power of any machine in which they are incorporated, in pro¬ 
 portion to their close proximity to the cutting edge. I prefer to 
 have cutters stand at least % °f an from the edge of the 
 
 head, and if possible, have the head cut under to what is known 
 as a throat, for the purpose of allowing the shavings to roll away 
 from the cutting edge. The great object of keeping the cutting 
 edge free or clear from cuttings, is thereby accomplished. Knives 
 standing well out would have to be strong and stiff, but with an 
 under-ground bevel and good pressure bar that would yield freely 
 and sustain close relations to the knife, will produce as good, true 
 and smooth work as the closest capped or chip-breaking knife. 
 This is also contrary to general theory and belief, but it is assert¬ 
 ed only after careful study, experiment, and long and varied 
 experience. The best proof of the fallacy of chip-breakers or 
 caps placed under the knives, is that extra fine results are not 
 claimed or produced until the cutter or knife is set back where it 
 can scarcely be felt to project beyond the cap or chip-breaker. 
 
 Now here is the whole secret; when the knife is thus set back, 
 the cap is not a chip breaker at all, but forms a curve or throat to 
 assist the shavings to roll away to a limited extent, besides being 
 really an under-ground bevel (or what is the same thing, a differ¬ 
 ent angle,) for the cutter, hence it is clear that if the cutters do 
 their best or smoothest work when thus set back, they do it sim¬ 
 ply because the cutting angle is thereby changed or made more 
 obtuse, and the work varies in quality as the cutters are set for¬ 
 ward or back. 
 
 One reason that some machines will not do as good work as 
 others is, that even with all these angles and pressure bars con 
 sidered and taken advantage of, the feed is not changed to a prop¬ 
 er limit. Hard wood cannot be rushed along, no matter how 
 powerful the machine, because the limit of strength or durability 
 is in the cutting edge of the knife, and in this connection it would 
 
102 
 
 be well to grind a double bevel on the back of the knife, that is, 
 grind a knife to as long bevel as possible without touching the 
 edge, then re-grind a bevel from the edge back about or 3-16 
 of an inch. This will give a sharp cutting edge, a strong support 
 to the edge, and a knife that can be easily and quickly retouched 
 with the file, stone or wheel, as the case may be. 
 
 I would add that the same general rules apply to the cutting 
 angles of saw teeth for rip and cross cutting saws for either hard 
 or soft wood. After due consideration I think I don’t want the 
 automatic, adjustable-angled duplex head as much as I did. I 
 might have too much complication for my poor head if it had to 
 be repaired. Besides, I think that a good pressure bar on the 
 rough lumber, with the extra set of cutters having the little bevel 
 on the under side, will answer every purpose and be fully as suc¬ 
 cessful. 
 
 i w fmpiii | 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 PLANER FEED ROLLS. 
 
 U NDOUBTEDLY too little attention is paid to the proper 
 construction of the feed rolls, as well as their care. The 
 common custom has been to take the roll shafts and true up or 
 turn off the scale for each end of the rolls, cut one or more key- 
 seats therein, and take it to the foundry and have it cast on solid 
 and fast. This is a cheap, easy, and speedy process, but makes a 
 poor job, as I can prove to you on examination of almost any 
 such planer that has been operated any length of time. They will 
 be loose in most cases. The trouble is that there is not enough 
 cast iron poured on the wrought iron to bring the wrought iron 
 shaft to a uniting or welding heat before the cast iron becomes too 
 cool, and the result is that the fit is not welded but chilled, and 
 very rough, and covered with “pin points” in its exposure to the 
 cold. It is the “pin points” that cause the trouble, because from 
 the constant pressure and torsion they become worn off, and the 
 fit on the shaft (it never did amount to anything) is spoiled. The 
 proper way is to fit the shaft in, after boring the rolls true and 
 pressing to a tight fit, or better yet, on large rolls, to cast the shafts 
 in at the foundry as above mentioned, then recess the roll at each 
 end about one and one-half inches deep, and press in a collar that 
 is a tight fit on the shaft and in the collar, and you have a job that 
 will not bother you during your natural lifetime. A planer can 
 be made to do good work if the top rolls are loose or out of true, 
 but the lower rolls must be kept perfect to insure accurate work, 
 because the board when fed on a loose roll is up, then down, and 
 also has a jerky motion or feed, which is only too plainly shown 
 in the work. 
 
 Now about setting rolls in a planer. This is a very important 
 matter, as the questions of feeding easily, and also of “chopping” 
 the ends, have to be considered. It is generally known that rolls 
 
 103 
 
104 
 
 can be aligned wrong, but it is not so well known how to set them 
 correctly. 
 
 Now, I will tell you how it can be done to feed with a mini¬ 
 mum amount of power, save the ends of boards, and prevent the 
 boards from “ chattering ” or vibrating when under the cutter 
 knives. In the first place, see that the bed-plate or platen is true 
 and take an ordinary business card, tear it in two, place one piece 
 on each edge of the platen, set the straight edge on them, and 
 raise the end of each roll on either side until it just touches; go 
 to the other end of the platen and repeat the process, and after 
 proving the operation you are all right as far as a four-roll ma¬ 
 chine is concerned. But for a six or eight-roll machine, place the 
 end of a straight edge at the middle of the platen (as it feeds,) 
 rest it on the roll next to it and raise the outside or first feeding 
 roll to the edge, repeat the operation for the last delivering roll, 
 and your machine is set for thin stuff, flooring, etc., up to an inch 
 and one-half thick, because the board feeds down until it strikes 
 the center directly under the cutters, and up from there out. This 
 causes the board to lie firm on the platen while being cut. The 
 first feeding and last delivering rolls should be set in a perfect 
 alignment for thick stuff, as that will not yield or spring much, 
 and for very heavy stuff from four to six inches thick and over, 
 it scarcely touches the platen and does not vibrate or tremble on 
 account of its thickness and weight. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 A GUIDE FOR GUIDES—MATERIAL FROM WHICH 
 THEY SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED—THEIR AD¬ 
 JUSTMENTS “ MISGUIDED ” OPERATOR—WHO 
 OFTEN PAYS FOR THE CARELESSNESS OF OPER¬ 
 ATORS. 
 
 I N a pievious article, I gave in a general way, the manner in 
 which the guides should be constructed and adjusted, in 
 order to produce straight edges, but before proceeding farther, 
 I would like to call attention to the fact that a great deal depends 
 on having true guides made from the proper material, as well as 
 keeping them true. 
 
 In the first place no guides should be made from cast-iron, nor 
 should you tolerate any that are, because no matter how heavy 
 or strong they are, the size and strength must be reduced as they 
 pass under the cylinder and pressure bar, and as no casting is 
 stronger than its weakest points, all the outside matter is useless. 
 Again, should a cutter get loose and strike the guide, if it be a 
 casting it will be broken, whereas if it be wrought it will simply 
 become sprung or bent, and can easily be made true. To illus¬ 
 trate this idea, I note two incidents that came under my notice. 
 
 I saw the foreman in a mill putting on a wooden guide. He 
 took me into the toobroom and showed me a heavy cast-iron 
 guide, broken very badly, and the wooden guide was a make-shift 
 until the iron one could be repaired. I remarked to him, “ You 
 should get a new wrought-iron guide made with a steel end or 
 chip-breaker hardened.” “ Oh ” he said “ that would cost too 
 much.” I soon convinced him that it would cost more than one 
 half the price of a good, new guide, to repair the old one, and 
 then at best he would have only an apology for a guide. 
 
 A few days after, a friend came to me with a wrought-iron 
 guide of which he complained, saying that he could not cut any¬ 
 thing on the last foot in length of the board on the guide side, 
 bUt cut 10 ? lmost half-an-inch too much on the opposite side. I 
 
io6 
 
 tested with a long straight-edge, and found the guide bent for 
 the last foot about one-half of an inch out of line. The board 
 kept springing the guide until it left the feeding-in rolls, and then 
 the guide sprung or pushed the board away from the matcher- 
 head. The blacksmith straightened it in about ten minutes, and 
 my friend went on his way rejoicing. 
 
 Guides should be well “backed” or supported in order to keep 
 them from springing, because if they get too great a draw, or the 
 rolls work the board in that direction, they should be rigid enough 
 to resist any strain, especially for the last three or four feet before 
 reaching the matcher cutter. Short or feeding out guides should 
 be arranged in the same manner, and should be independent of 
 the long or feeding-in guide for greater facility and ease of adjust¬ 
 ment. The short guide will produce a hollow edge on the end of 
 a board, if the last or delivering end presses the harder against it, 
 and it will show a ridge, if the receiving end presses the harder. 
 It should be set exactly parallel with the long guide, and at an 
 advance to correspond with the amount jointed off by the cutters. 
 Guides can be set so that no levers are needed to hold the lumber 
 against them if the rolls are kept parallel. Give them about one- 
 eighth pitch or rake to the foot in length, so that the lumber, as 
 it feeds, will draw against it. 
 
 I once had a little bitter experience in this line with a machine 
 that was thoroughly tested at the works, and properly adjusted, 
 and after it had been started in the mill would not hold the lum¬ 
 ber up to the guide, and when held up by a lever would leave 
 ridges and hollows at the end of every board. Such matching 
 you never saw. I was sent for at a distance of three hundred 
 and fifty miles, to get the machine right, after it had been par¬ 
 tially condemned. In about twenty minutes I had it matching as 
 nice as any one could desire. The operator had “ set ” the guides, 
 notwithstanding he had been instructed that the whole machine 
 had been properly adjusted. He had set the pitch the wrong 
 way and did not have one in line with the other. Other defi¬ 
 ciencies he had shown, but I will not mention them now. 
 
 This reminded me that some one pockets another loss, to be 
 charged to traveling expenses, to say nothing of time that was 
 especially valuable on account of a great pressure of business at 
 home. Remember, I do not claim that every board handled in a 
 year will “hug” the guide, neither will they even when you use a 
 lever to force them against said guide, for, once in a long time, a 
 person will come across a very crooked-edged board which is also 
 
107 
 
 of uneven thickness across the width ; this will bother any one. 
 But my point is this: Where a man has to examine each board 
 and turn it over before feeding at the rate of seventy to eighty 
 feet per minute, he does not have a great deal of time to hold a 
 lever, and of necessity must have his guides aligned and adjusted 
 right to produce good jointing or matching. 
 
 I hope these few notes and incidents will serve as a guide to 
 some extent for those interested in this subject. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 MOULDING MACHINES. 
 
 1 HAVE been studying up the subject of moulding machines, 
 and have listened to many arguments pro and con. I asked 
 Rushing what a moulding machine was, and he replied that it was 
 a machine designed by machine builders for the purpose of 
 keeping a continual bill of account on their books against the 
 purchaser, and also for using up old broken planer knives, scrap 
 steel, etc., for cutters; at least, that had been his experience. 
 I believe him, as far as regards his experience, and judged by the 
 appearance of his cutter-heads, that he could utilize a large scrap 
 heap to keep them balanced. He says that one knife is just as 
 good as two or more. I noticed that his cutters revolved about 
 2,000 turns per minute, and the machine was feeding seven or 
 eight feet, but the heads jumped as though they were making 
 7,000 per minute. 
 
 I went to Green and jotted down his opinion. You see Green 
 doesn’t do a great deal of work in the moulding line, only keeps 
 one machine to fill in orders together with his manufactured lum¬ 
 ber. He says that a moulder is a machine built for the purpose 
 of making mouldings of all kinds, and principally to keep a man 
 fitting up knives for all the new patterns of mouldings; says 
 that he pays more for fitting up the machine for some odd kinds 
 of mouldings, than he gets for the whole job. Green wants to 
 know why orders of that kind are not accompanied by cutters of 
 the requisite form. 
 
 Eastlake says that moulding machines are built for the purpose 
 of economically producing mouldings of any desired profile, and 
 that his machines do it, too. He says that there are lots of 
 narrow light strips taken from stuff at the saws, that without the 
 moulding machine could not be used for anything but fire wood, 
 whereas by using the moulding machine they make the nicest 
 
 mouldings for all kinds of furniture and other fine work. He 
 108 
 
109 
 
 has over eight hundred pairs of profile cutters of all shapes 
 necessary for his business, and all widths up to eight inches. 
 Hundreds of dollars are represented by these cutters, some of 
 which have not been used for many years. I suggested that a 
 good deal of capital was thereby lying idle ; he replied that he 
 did not so consider it, because they had paid for themselves time 
 and again. 
 
 I notice he does not use old planer knives and such when he 
 wants a new style of moulding, nor does he have any wavey work 
 from his machines. If he cannot produce the required shape by 
 using some combination of his old knives with a little alteration, 
 he gets a pair of blanks that are already slotted, lays them out to 
 the proper shape, takes them to the emery wheel and roughs 
 them down, grinds the clearance, and finishes the edges up nicely 
 with a file and oil stone, then puts them on the machine which 
 travels 4,000 per minute, and produces a moulding strip that only 
 needs to be lightly sand-papered to be O. K. 
 
 No single knife on his cutter-heads; time and labor cost too 
 much for that kind of business; no make-shifts of any kind. 
 Just the best he can get is none too good for him. He says that 
 no money can be got out of a moulding machine, but in the same 
 way in which it is extracted from any other machine. 
 
 Rushing says that he doesn’t have enough mouldings of a kind 
 to warrant such a piece of extravagance. I remarked to him 
 that if he-took the little extra time to finish the second knife, he 
 could speed and feed his machine just twice as fast, and have 
 work that would be infinitely better every way, and he would not 
 wear his machine out so fast. I don’t know whether or not he 
 has profited by my hints, but would not be disappointed if he 
 had not, for he is a man who thinks he is sufficient unto himself. 
 
 Outside moulding machines, as a great many of them are now 
 made, are “stickers,” that is, about every piece that is fed through 
 them sticks on its way before it is coaxed through. Perhaps this 
 is why they are often called stickers ; I never heard of any better 
 reason. They stick themselves, stick the stuff that is fed through 
 them, and stick the operator. Truly, they are worthy of their name. 
 
 Why moulding machines that are intended to cut or remove 
 more stock than a large flooring machine, are built so light and 
 frail, have such light cutting spindles, and meager feeding power 
 in comparison, is one of those things which as Dundreary says 
 “ No fellah can find out.” Of course there are good moulding- 
 machines built by a few manufactures, but on the other hand 
 
I 10 
 
 there are many that, to say the least, are none too heavy. A 
 great many have only two small upper rolls, and no lower one ; 
 some have one lower roll that is an idle one, while others have 
 one that is driven. 
 
 Every moulding machine to cut mouldings of six inches or over 
 in width, should have at least two upper and one lower roll all 
 driven strongly, and in most cases two pairs driven, not for the 
 purpose of having an extra high rate of feed, but to do the work 
 easily and surely. The frame should be perfectly strong and 
 rigid to withstand any inclination to vibrate or tremble; well 
 jointed and tied together so that it will be as solid as though cast 
 in one piece. 
 
 Spindles for cutters, both upright and horizontal, are as a rule 
 too light for the purpose. They do not carry wide knives or 
 heads, but they have very heavy cutting at times, and you can 
 hardly have too strong a spindle with good long bearings. The 
 upper and under heads should have an end adjustment for the 
 purpose of bringing the knives to a nicety after being set and 
 found to be not quite properly located ; the under head should 
 have an independent raising adjustment to allow of changing 
 depth of cut, and should also be provided with a “throat-piece” 
 in the table that will move towards and away from the center, for 
 the same purpose ; the outside cutter-head should be arranged to 
 cut at an angle to at least twenty degrees, and the inside one 
 would also be better for many purposes if so arranged. Pressure 
 bars and plates should be so hinged or secured that they can be 
 easily and quickly got out of the way for changing, etc. They 
 might in many cases be longer and wider than they ate as fric¬ 
 tion would not be increased except by additional pressure. The 
 slides or bearings for the table to raise and lower on are generally 
 long and deep enough, but seldom as wide as they should be, that 
 is, not spread far enough apart. Probably it is for the same 
 reason that a long shallow bureau drawer that is wide does not 
 slide so easily as a long narrow pigeon-hole drawer. One thing 
 is certain, the tables are likely to tip at either end as the pressure 
 happens to be. “Outside bearings,” as applied to machines of 
 the latter-day class, help to support top heads to a great extent, 
 but some of them are none too solid, in fact are bearings only in 
 name. 
 
 Outside moulding machines are sold and used for at least nine- 
 tenths of all the moulding work in the country, as the method of 
 making “ built up ” mouldings, that is, producing a wide or deep 
 
moulding from several pieces of stuff—allows the use of a much 
 smaller and lighter machine than formerly. 
 
 Outside machines, so called from having their table and all but 
 the right hand side head outside the frame, are well known to be 
 the most convenient for all kinds of light work, but it is an open 
 question whether they are not too light in many instances. I sup¬ 
 pose that like a great many other machines they are built to suit 
 the size of the purchaser’s purse; this, I think, is a false principle 
 for machine builders to act upon, because a difference of two or 
 three hundred pounds of iron, a little more steel, etc., together 
 with the extra work attending its construction, do not add so ma¬ 
 terially to the cost, but it can be sold to much better advantage 
 and at a price that will compensate for the extra work. The 
 manufacturer as well as the purchaser would be better pleased, 
 and the latter would be earning more every day he used it. 
 
 Inside machines, or machines that have all their cutter-heads 
 inside the frame are generally used for a heavy class of mouldings, 
 either very deep or wide, and as a consequence, are built consid¬ 
 erably heavier. They should have at least four feeding rolls, all 
 driven, and all the adjustments I have mentioned as being requi¬ 
 site on an outside machine. They are not so much sought after 
 in the general market as formerly, owing to the different demands 
 of the trade, but are evidently up to a better standard as regards 
 strength, proportions, power, etc. However, they are still used 
 extensively in establishments that have a large variety of heavy 
 work to do. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI I . 
 
 VARIETY MOULDING OR UPRIGHT SHAPING 
 MACHINES. 
 
 F all the machines used in mills or factories for the con- 
 
 version of wood, there are none more simple in their 
 details of construction and operation, or that can be made to 
 perform so many different parts as the variety moulding, or as it is 
 often called, upright shaping machine. In fact, its uses are so 
 many that I am inclined to believe it might, with more propriety, 
 be called a universal shaper or wood-worker. 
 
 It is to a wood-working establishment, what a universal milling 
 machine is to a well-appointed machine shop. What will it not 
 do in competent hands ? There seems to be no limit to its capacity 
 in producing almost any shape or form in either a straight line or 
 regular or irregular curves. Any style of moulding, jointing, 
 etc., can be quickly and easily produced by it, either straight, in 
 circles, ellipses, or any irregular curves, in a manner not equalled 
 by any other machine. 
 
 Take for example a few of the many pieces in a cabinet factory— 
 bedstead sweep mouldings, post caps and feet, side rails, frames 
 and panels, bureau and washstand tops, backs, boards, feet and 
 partition mouldings, doors, brackets and panels, all kinds of table- 
 tops and drawers, stand tops, straight and serpentine legs; center 
 table work, and in fact, nearly everything needed in stand and 
 table work; mantel shelves, frames, brackets, beaded work, 
 counter tops, pier glass frames, sideboard and book-case work, 
 window cornices, chair work, etc., besides an endless variety of 
 art work generally; and so we might enumerate through the 
 different branches of carriage, piano, organ, agricultural, archi¬ 
 tectural and wood-work generally. 
 
 Right here I might say that it used to be the original buzz- 
 planer as far as the width of its cutters would allow, as precisely the 
 same kind of tables or form, was always used on it for edge 
 jointing, etc. It is also the most dangerous machine in the 
 factory when carelessly handled. Scarcely any one operator in a 
 hundred, but has left more or less of his fingers in its “ greedy 
 mouth,” rather costly souvenirs. I have yet to find a person who 
 
has run one of these machines for any considerable length of 
 time, who has a “ full hand ” or “two of a kind.’’ This state of 
 things is due to several causes, but a few will suffice to illustrate, 
 viz : dull cutters, improper angles, presenting the wood with the 
 grain “wrong end to,” neglecting to use guards, guides, etc. 
 
 Variety moulders are in many cases the most wretchedly de¬ 
 signed and constructed, as well as the most abused machines to 
 be found cutting wood. They will be found in many cases to 
 consist of a light wooden frame, clumsy boxes, badly fitted iron 
 spindles, cast-iron collars, and a warped table top, all without any 
 regard to their ability to withstand vibration, secure strength, or 
 produce good work. 
 
 I had an inquiry from a friend the other day, asking for about 
 how much he could procure a “set of irons for a variety 
 moulder, he to make the frame himself. By a “ set of irons, he 
 meant boxes, spindles, collars, and countershaft. I would rather 
 have those irons before he put them on a frame, than afterwards 
 with the frame thrown in. 
 
 Now this is a wrong course to pursue, to get a good cheap 
 variety moulding machine, because the machine builder does not, 
 on account of the demand for a cheap machine, get up a first- 
 class set of irons. He cannot in the very nature of things, get 
 them up in as good shape or form as though he designed them for 
 an iron frame machine, and as a majority of wooden frames are 
 gross abortions, the whole job is a fraud from beginning to end. 
 
 I have never seen a wooden frame machine that kept perfectly 
 true, and a variety moulder is worthless otherwise. There are 
 several important features about these machines to be kept in 
 view, when designing and building them, not the least important 
 of which are a heavy substantial frame, well tied together to 
 resist vibration ; convenience of quickly raising and lowering the 
 spindles to bring the cutter on a line with the work (this should 
 be done without causing the operator to move from his place); 
 perfect spindle bearings and steps to stand the high speed; in¬ 
 dependent tops to the spindles that can be easily removed, and 
 different sizes used as the work may call for, or in a double spindle 
 machine one can be removed, leaving the table-top clear for large 
 sweeps; a perfectly true table with removable circular plates 
 around the spindles, to allow the use of large collars, or even saws 
 to be brought to the level or below the level of the table; steel 
 collars properly grooved by an indexed milling machine, which 
 are far superior in the matter of accuracy to any collars that are 
 
planed ; large belt surface on spindle pulleys with ample diameter 
 to insure strong cutting power and high speed, and a countershaft 
 having pulleys turned inside and outside and carefully balanced, 
 and set nine or ten feet away from the machine. These points 
 or features well designed and combined, will make a first-class 
 variety moulding machine, which will do the best kind of work 
 with reasonable care, running at a speed of 5,000, which will be 
 found better than a slower speed, as the work is not so apt to 
 catch or draw into the knives when at a high speed. The cutters 
 should not present too acute an angle to the work, because they 
 will be more apt to “ catch ” or “ drag,” and finish a rougher sur¬ 
 face than if set to a more obtuse angle. I should have slots or 
 grooves cut in the collars that would present the knives to the 
 lumber at an angle of 55 to 65 degrees, as circumstances would 
 require. Collars should be in sets of a uniform size, perfectly 
 finished on the outside, as they form a guide for the work to run 
 against. If rough they will drag on the work and heat. They 
 should be a nice fit on the spindle, to prevent spring, and should 
 have slots spaced all of an equal depth and distance from the 
 center. For the same reason the tops of the spindles should be 
 squared, for a wrench to hold securely when tightening or 
 loosening the binding nut, and also for the purpose of removing 
 the tops when desired. 
 
 Perhaps the most fruitful source of trouble about the whole 
 machine, is in the manner in which most of the knives are pro¬ 
 duced and used. Many think it does not pay to get knives 
 made at the shop, so they buy a bar of steel, have it cut in 
 lengths, and then they make and temper their own knives. They 
 generally have knives that do not balance, are of poor, uneven 
 temper, and have bad edges, no two of which have the same 
 angle, and they are not parallel. It would be found to be much 
 cheaper and more satisfactory to have the bars first milled on the 
 edges, at a machine shop, thereby insuring parallel lines and uni¬ 
 form angles, besides obviating any tendency to cant the collars 
 and spring the spindles, by being drawn unequally on the knives, 
 in which condition no machine can do good, smooth work. 
 
 They should run so steadily, that at a speed of 5,000 you can 
 stand a new lead pencil on end between two spindles, without 
 its vibrating or falling. This is a good test, and one that I have 
 tried many times without having the machine fastened to the 
 floor, except by its own weight. For the general line of work, 
 knives should be drawn to a straw color and made from best steel. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII., 
 
 HAND OR BUZZ PLANERS, THEIR WIDE RANGE OF 
 WORK AND GENERAL ADAPTABILITY. 
 
 HE hand or buzz planer, as it is now generally termed, is 
 
 one of the very few machines used for operating on wood 
 
 that has no power feed. At the same time it is a machine with 
 which, perhaps, a greater variety of work can be produced than 
 almost any.other in use, with the exception of the variety or up¬ 
 right shaper. With it accurate surfaces can be planed, work 
 planed out of wind, glue joints made, and squaring, cornering, 
 bevelling, rebating, moulding and gaining performed, besides an 
 almost unlimited variety of processes. 
 
 A little consideration in regard to this machine will convince one 
 that the reason of its wide range of work is due to the same rea¬ 
 sons that govern the upright shaper: its simplicity, fewness and 
 accessibility of parts, and its ease and convenience of changing 
 for different kinds of work, but above all these, as its chief one, 
 its hand power feed. No power feeding machine could be de¬ 
 signed to perform anything like such a wide range of work with¬ 
 out being clogged up and rendered impracticable and almost 
 inaccessible by the endless amount of mechanism, and even then 
 it would not produce a quantity of work that would entitle it to 
 be designated a labor-saving machine. One of the principal rea¬ 
 sons that combination machines are an abomination is, that the 
 amount of complication, time and cost of changing, overbalance 
 the advantage derived from the increased variety of their work. 
 In a simple hand-feeding machine like the hand planer, all that 
 has to be done to produce different kinds of work or diffeient 
 forms and shapes is simply to add to or change the cutters and 
 move the tables and guides, the latter taking so little time that it 
 needs not be figured on. Like the upright shaper, it can, if prop¬ 
 erly proportioned and constructed, be run at a very high speed. 
 This, in connection with the feed being at the will and judgment 
 
 115 
 
of the operator, allows of very nice work being executed. Work 
 that is done on very hard wood, uneven in its quality, or having 
 a knotty or cross-grained surface, can be fed slowly and the re¬ 
 ducing cuts made light enough to produce a superior surface, a 
 thing difficult to do on a power feeding machine for standard 
 work. 
 
 I remember the time when very few of these machines were in 
 use. A few years ago when conversing with a cabinet and furni¬ 
 ture manufacturer, in regard to hand planers, the idea was laughed 
 at; who wanted to use a hand power machine in these days when 
 every thing was done by power? The same man has now two 
 buzz pl.meis in operation. 1 here is a limit to everything—even 
 power feeding machines, and until some machine of that class is 
 invented that will do as large a variety of work with as little 
 complication, such ease of operation, and requiring so little care, 
 there is little danger of the buzz or hand planer being supplanted. 
 At the present time it certainly has not outlived its usefulness 
 simply because it is a hand machine. 
 
 Hand matching machines are built on the same principle, and 
 are the handiest little machines used in box or other factories ' 
 where short stuff is required to be matched or jointed. They 
 have not, however, the advantages of the hand planer as now 
 built, in having an independent adjustment for the rear end of 
 the table or tables. It is not really needed, as the front end of 
 the table is usually rebated to about 1-16 inch below the rear end ; 
 this gauges the amount of cut which if found to be insufficient 
 can be repeated until the joint is complete. 
 
 Hand planing machines are built by the various manufacturers 
 in many different ways, all however designed to accomplish the 
 same purposes. The parts that are so diversified are the tables. 
 Lach table front and rear requires two movements, vertical and 
 horizontal. The movements are in some instances performed by the 
 aid of cams, inclined ways, screws, compound levers, etc., each and 
 all having their advantages and advocates. It is not my purpose 
 to criticise the methods employed to attain the object, further 
 than to recommend that which is best, viz: a movement that 
 shall be positive and accurate, and remain so until a change is 
 desired , one that is easy and rapid, and the least susceptible to 
 wear and friction. The ends of the tables next the cutter head 
 should be cut under to conform to the circle described by the 
 cutters, thus allowing of a close adjustment, a matter absolutely 
 necessary for the performance of smooth work on knotty or cross- 
 
grained stuff. The edge of at least one of the tables should be 
 rebated for the convenience of using such cutters. The cutter 
 head should be small in diameter, and the perfection of mechan¬ 
 ical construction to ensure smooth and quiet running at high 
 speed ; one end of the cutter head shaft should be so designed 
 that cutters could be placed for any special forms, such as re¬ 
 bates, mouldings, etc., the extra heads and cutters could be easily 
 and rapidly taken off or put on by having the outer cutter head 
 box easily detachable. The fence or guide should always be 
 secured to the rear or finishing table, thus avoiding any liability 
 to come in contact with the cutters, and should be arranged to 
 be set to any bevel from zero to forty-five degrees. 
 
 As a matter of convenience, the purchaser or user of a hand 
 planer may be tempted to have an additional table placed on the 
 opposite side of the machine and a hole bored in the end of the 
 cutter head shaft for the purpose of having a hand planer and 
 boring machine combined. With all such I would most earn¬ 
 estly plead with tears in my eyes if necessary, don't do it, you 
 will regret it if you do. The advantages seem greater to the eye 
 than are realized by practice. In the first place, a hand planer 
 and a good boring machine bought separately cost but a trifle, if 
 any more, than a good combined machine; secondly, the two 
 classes of work are widely different and do not run together; 
 thirdly, they cannot be used at once by one operator to any de¬ 
 gree of profit; fourthly, they cannot be stopped and started sep¬ 
 arately, and if the operator wants to stop to sharpen or change 
 the cutters in the hand planer, he must stop the boring machine 
 also, and vice versa; fifthly, the ends of cutter heads that re¬ 
 quire such nice perfection in running should never be toggled 
 with boring cutters which would only enhance the liability of 
 springing or bending the journals; sixthly, the matter of econ¬ 
 omy of room is of but little moment as the extra machine takes 
 but little space and can be more than compensated for by placing 
 it to receive and deliver its work to better advantage, something 
 that can be rarely done on combination machines that are so 
 widely different in their processes. The tendency to complicate 
 machines and make them universal, or machines of many kinds, 
 is fast becoming extinct. It has been usually found to be a very 
 much more costly way to produce work than with special ma¬ 
 chines made for one kind of work, or at least not many kinds of 
 work, and then, only when they were similar in their processes 
 and manner of production and operation. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 BAND SAWING MACHINES. 
 
 O F the many various machines put on the market for cutting- 
 wood, perhaps none has made friends so rapidly, and 
 been made so welcome, as the band sawing machine for ordinary 
 work in cabinet, piano, and bracket factories, and car, wagon, and 
 agricultural implement shops. Twenty years ago but com¬ 
 paratively few were used throughout the country, and now it is 
 the exception to find a shop without one or more, and there are 
 probably as many now built and sold as of any other kind of wood¬ 
 working machines made. They are fast taking the place of jig 
 sawing machines for any kind of sawing that comes within their 
 range. They cut more easily, rapidly, and smoothly, have no jar, 
 noise, or vibration of any kind, leave no pile of saw-dust on the 
 lines marked for sawing, and are easily kept in good order at 
 a minimum cost. They are simple in operation and construction, 
 being of few parts, all of which are easily accessible. In fine as 
 now built by many manufacturers, they seem to leave but little 
 to be desired in the way of improvements. The frames have 
 been designed to resist all tendency to spring or strain under the 
 tension of the saws, and are at the same time light and out of 
 the way of the operator for a large percentage of the work. 
 They are generally designed somewhat like the letter “ G,” and 
 with a hollow or cored section, to get the greatest amount of 
 strength from a given quantity of metal. The tables are either 
 wood or iron, and are so arranged that they can be moved on the 
 radii of a circle whose center coincides with the line of the saw 
 going through the table, allowing stuff to be sawn bevel or to an 
 angle. Fences or guides can be used with good results, to 
 assist in preserving straight or parallel lines, for slitting, etc. 
 
 The wheels for the ordinary machine average about thirty-six 
 inches diameter, and have to be light and at the same time strong, 
 in order to resist flexure due to strains, and to start and stop 
 quickly without shock or jar. They are covered with rubber 
 bands made in one continuous piece, stretched over the whole 
 and cemented.- This is done to prevent the teeth of the saw 
 from coming in contact with the iron surface, and also serves as a 
 
H9 
 
 cushion. The larger the wheels are, the liability of having broken 
 blades becomes less. The upper wheel should be so suspended 
 in its bearings, that it can be canted over on a slight incline from 
 perpendicular, to guide the saw to any part of the wheel’s surface 
 when required. The bearings should also have a vertical auto¬ 
 matic adjustment as the saws require, either by springs or weights. 
 Great care should be taken to change the amount of tension for 
 the different widths of saw blades, as experience will suggest. 
 
 The art of keeping the saw blades of just the right tension for 
 the different kinds of wood and work without breakage, together 
 with keeping the blade filed and jointed in good order, are two 
 of the most important requisites about the band saw. The 
 attachments that generally go with each machine sold are so 
 generally known, as are also their uses, that it would be super¬ 
 fluous to say anything here regarding them. 
 
 Some builders make a combination machine, that is a band and 
 jig saw combined, or a band saw and upright shaper combined. 
 Regarding such combinations it is perhaps safe to conclude that 
 they are in poor taste and judgment. They hamper and compli¬ 
 cate the machine, and destroy its simplicity. They cannot be 
 used as separate machines are, that is—at the same time, but one 
 has to wait for the other, and in almost every case the machine is 
 not first-class in every respect. The cost is not so much less than 
 two separate machines so that little is gained in that respect. 
 
 Perhaps one of the principal reasons that band sawing machines 
 have attained their success is that saw makers have been able to 
 produce saw blades that are reliable. Formerly it was the case 
 that only French blades could be sold, but of late years, American 
 saw makers have been able to produce an equally reliable and uni¬ 
 form blade. In fact they are just as much sought after and bring 
 as good price as the foreign article. The band saw blades require 
 peculiar treatment during the process of manufacture. When fin¬ 
 ished they must be hard enough to hold their cutting point well, 
 and at the same time have that elasticity or ribbon-like quality 
 that they will wrap around the wheels without cracking. They 
 should be carefully jointed and filed, not too hooking, and without 
 sharp corners in the bottom of the teeth. No saw should be so 
 strained or inclined on the wheel as to cause it to back up against 
 the guide and heat it. This is the reason of the upsetting on the 
 back of saws. It also causes the saw blade to become longer on 
 the back than on the tooth side in which case it is rendered 
 worthless. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 JIG SAWS. 
 
 I I is a great relief to fret sawyers to see the designs in scroll 
 sawing generally so made that they demand but very little 
 inside sawing, which can be executed only on a jig saw. These 
 inside scroll-sawn designs are becoming more scarce every day; 
 less work is being done on the jig saw, and as a matter of conse¬ 
 quence, more band sawing machines are used. It is a matter of 
 congratulation that such is the case, for the jig sawing machine is 
 one of the few machines used in wood-working establishments, 
 that has its cutting stroke or movement arranged on the recipro¬ 
 cating plan, which is a plan having serious objections. 
 
 The cutting points of the jig saw cannot be run at such high 
 speed as continuous cutters or saws ; and their proportion being 
 about one to four or five, they will cut only at one-half of the 
 stroke or revolution, the saw and pitman receiving their motion 
 from the crank, come to a state of rest at each end of the stroke, 
 and as a matter of consequence, cause considerable of a jar or 
 shock in again starting another stroke. This is greatly augmented 
 when the work is hard pressed against the saw. 
 
 The work can scarcely be expected to approach that state of 
 pei fection attained on band saws, because of the irregularity of 
 the cut, and unequal tension of the springs that “ strain ” the 
 saws. The vibration of a jig saw on a springy floor would give 
 one the idea that an earthquake was rumbling beneath him 
 It is to be hoped that the fashions of trade will call less and less 
 for the use of jig saws, but however much this may be desired, I 
 presume that there will be jig saws for some time to come. 
 There is not much to them, and as little to be said about them. 
 They have but few parts and are well-known to the trade. 
 
 A shaft with tight and loose pulleys, crank plate and pin at¬ 
 tached, driving a pitman rod and head, all situated under a table 
 on which the work to be sawn is placed, with a suitable tension 
 device for the saw blade hung from above, form about all the es- 
 
12 I 
 
 sentials necessary to construct a jig saw. Many have a small blower 
 or fan to remove the dust from the working lines; others have no 
 fan, but kindly allow the sawyer to use his lungs and mouth for a 
 blower and pipe; here is a chance for those who have so much 
 spare wind to get it all utilized. It would be a grand scheme to 
 have many of these high and mighty blow-hards placed opposite 
 a jig saw table, to do their blowing where it would effect the 
 most good. 
 
 The ingenuity expended on jig saws has developed many won¬ 
 derful springs, pitmans, brakes, etc. The belt shifter as now gen¬ 
 erally made also carries a brake attachment to bring the saw to an 
 instant stop when desired, both objects being accomplished by one 
 movement of the foot. The pitman is at its best when made 
 lightest, requiring less counterbalance. It is made generally of 
 hickory and as light as possible; the pitman head contains the 
 catch for the lower end of the saw blade, and the one made some 
 thing like the claws of a hammer seems to be the most universally 
 used, being easy to replace and also easy to get the saws in and 
 out of for many purposes. It is better to have the table so 
 arranged that it can be adjusted for bevel sawing. 
 
 The tension springs have but one duty to perform, viz., to keep 
 as equal a tension on the saw as possible. They should with the 
 upper guideways be hung from the ceiling perfectly plumb, with 
 the guides perfectly aligned, that the saw will travel in the centei 
 line; they should be well strained with the rods and nuts made for 
 that purpose, and the whole placed where the foundation is solid, if 
 possible, with the excess of counterbalance on the crank pin side- 
 To be successful, sawyers must soon acquire the art of following 
 all sorts of irregular lines, curves, etc. To do this and keep saws 
 in good order, quickly take them out and put them back, pick out 
 loose pieces with a brad awl, and make smooth work, seem to be 
 about all the necessary requirements. Surely it ought not to take, 
 an intelligent operator a very long time to make a good jig sawyer 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 MORTISING MACHINES—VARIOUS KINDS—THEIR 
 “ SHOCKING ” TENDENCIES. 
 
 T HERE are perhaps no machines built for working on wood 
 that have more different modifications than mortising 
 machines. They are used for sash, blind, door, chair, cabinet, car, 
 wagon, and numerous other kinds of work, and are modified for 
 each particular kind. They have been the subject of an almost 
 endless number of patents in each and every case, and are also 
 the subject of a good deal of dissatisfaction regarding their 
 operation to this day. Each kind or type of machine for the 
 different purposes, has incorporated in its construction different 
 principles and features. The machine as used by cabinet makers 
 and carpenters for light work, has an eccentric or crank shaft as 
 its moving power to the chisel-bar ; the eccentric shaft has a 
 fixed or permanent position, and the motion of the chisel-bar is 
 continuous and positive, the wood having to be elevated to come 
 in contact with the chisel. These machines are simple, having 
 but few parts, and can be run perhaps at a higher speed than the 
 other kinds. However, they are best adapted to light work, such 
 as door, sash, blind, and cabinet mortising. 
 
 The second class is represented by the machine on which mor¬ 
 tises are made by a revolving traveling auger, so formed as to 
 work out the side as well as the end of the mortise. These 
 4 machines are principally used for chair and special work, and are 
 preferable where many pieces are to be exactly duplicated. The 
 principle may be said to be the same as that of the ordinary 
 routing machine, as is also its application to that class of work. 
 In another class the graduated stroke is introduced, having its 
 motion produced by varying the length of the connection from 
 the eccentric to the chisel-bar, starting from a still point. This 
 style of machine is used for different kinds of heavy work, or 
 where the table is too heavy to be raised by the operator. 
 
 The above named are the principal kinds of mortising machines 
 
 i used, and are distinct from one another in their mechanical 
 
 122 
 
123 
 
 movements and construction. There are other kinds, but they' 
 are but modifications of either or all of those mentioned, and 
 need not be referred to here. The positive chisel-bar is used in 
 some form in all of them except the rotary mortiser, mentioned 
 for the chair and light work. The cutting movement of these 
 machines consists in a series of positive and intermittent blows, 
 and in this respect they differ from almost all other machines 
 used for the finishing process in wood working, with the exception, 
 perhaps, of the jig scroll saw. They also differ from them in being 
 the most disagreeable machines to operate. They will jar and shake 
 any ordinary floor like an earthquake, and almost pound a rock 
 into fragments if placed thereon. They also have the faculty of 
 being continually out of order, and calling for repairs. These 
 faults are accounted for by the necessarily high speed at which 
 they run, their numerous joints, and their reciprocating movement, 
 all of which have thus far been unavoidable. They really seem 
 to be more suitable for a pile driver than anything else. 
 Many devices have been tried for the purpose of getting rid of, 
 or at least, to diminish the shock or jar on the treadle, but thus 
 far may be considered failures to a great extent. The only real 
 cushion, and the final one, is the foot of the operator, and thence 
 up through his spinal column. 
 
 When heavy work on hard woods is to be done, an operator' 
 will sometimes imagine that he is an inverted pile to be driven 
 home by the treadle or lever. It is a good thing for the main¬ 
 tenance of mortising machines, that the human body is so elastic' 
 and cushion like If wood-working machine operators are' ever' 
 to be commended, it is when they have the pluck to stand up and 
 operate a mortising machine all day, or rather, allow the machine 
 to operate them. Perhaps they are also to be admired for their 
 patience in keeping the machine in shape, so that it will produce 
 any work worthy of the name. There is a continual demand on 
 its part for tinkering. The joints get worn out; crank bearing; 
 and shaft, ditto; and the chisels break or wear so that they drive- - 
 more chips in tight than they loosen. They have tcp fe 
 “ doctored ” often to make them cut square with the wofk. The 
 reversing movement doesn’t reverse, or if it does it is at the 
 wrong time. I think that if a machinist could have the exclusive 
 charge of the repairs on twenty-five mortising machines, he could 
 retire wealthy in a short time. 
 
 Unlike other machines, they do not complete their work, but 
 leave part of it for others to do. They beat out a mortise, and 
 
124 
 
 then the core or chips have to be drifted or driven out before the 
 mortise is ready for a tenon, and on hard wood they have to call on 
 the boring machine or attachment to start the job for them by 
 boring a hole for a starter. 
 
 There is no doubt that many mortising machines are well de 
 signed and built, but the trouble is, that the market demands 
 square mortises, or at least, mortises having square corners. 
 Why this is the case I do not know, for in the majority of work, 
 round ones would be equally strong and answer fully as well. 
 The whole difficulty lies in the fact that fashion demands work 
 that rotary cutters will not produce. 
 
 I saw a little machine at the Centennial Exhibition, in which 
 was a novel tool, or combination of tools, that would seem to solve 
 the problem of producing a mortise without the jar or shock of a 
 positive reciprocating movement, and yet give the same form to 
 he mortise, besides finishing the job of cleaning chips or cores. 
 Since then there has been a large number of them sold, and 
 operated successfully on both light and heavy work with either 
 an upright or a horizontal machine. I have seen them used by 
 those who formerly used the ordinary kind of machine, and am 
 informed that the comparison is not very favorable to the old 
 style. I have examined and watched their operation for the past 
 few years, and see no fault in the principle, or any reason why 
 they will not eventually drive the reciprocating machine out of 
 the market. 
 
 Without describing the machine in question, I will say that the 
 cutting device consists of a hollow mortising chisel of the desired 
 size that is stationary; that is, it does not reverse ; this chisel is 
 fast to the frame, and has oblong holes some distance from the cut¬ 
 ting points. Inside this hollow chisel, whose bevel or cutting edges 
 are on the inside, there is an auger or bit that is caused to revolve 
 by its connection with the main driving spindle. The operation 
 is simple: the work is placed on the table and fed to the cutters 
 in the ordinary way, allowing the auger and chisel to enter the 
 wood at the same time, to any distance indicated by the usual 
 stop. That is all. The mortise is finished at one movement, and 
 the chips are all carried out by the auger to the oblong holes in 
 the chisel, leaving a mortise clean and true. The mortises can be 
 made any size or shape that may be required. One of the many 
 advantages claimed for this machine is, that a mortise can be cut 
 very near to the edge without breaking out the surface. Some¬ 
 thing difficult to do in the ordinary machine. 
 
125 
 
 These tools require no extra boring for hard wood, neither do 
 they require the cleaning out of mortises afterwards. All is done 
 in one operation. I am informed that they have been intro¬ 
 duced in heavy machines, for car and other heavy work in hard 
 wood, with the most satisfactory results. If so they will certainly 
 take the place of the reciprocating machine, having all of the 
 latter’s advantages, and none of its objections. No good machine,, 
 with the facilities for producing work in a superior manner in a 
 short time, and at a minimum cost for labor, and hard, disagree¬ 
 able work, will lie dormant in this country. Users and operators- 
 of wood-working machines are too intelligent to allow of any 
 such thing. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 TENONING MACHINES. 
 
 I WAS in Ritchie’s sash and door factory the other day on a 
 neighborly call, and during my stay the subject of tenoning 
 machines was discussed. Among other things, Ritchie said he 
 believed that with ordinary care, a tenoning machine would last 
 for ever, nothing but a fire or an extraordinary accident could 
 use it up His sentiments as to their length of life might be 
 modified some, but the machine certainly seems to be a long-lived 
 one. In this respect it differs very much from almost every other 
 'kind of machine used to form or shape wood. I remember seeing 
 Ritchie’s tenoning machine when only a little boy, gathering 
 shavings in my basket, and it now looks the same as it did then. 
 It has the same old green painted wooden frame, with all sorts of 
 fancy scrolls in red. 
 
 There is not much to cause a tenoning machine to wear out if 
 we except the speed of the cutter heads, and they are so light 
 and well supported by bearings, with the cutter-head pulleys 
 between, that they have every advantage in their favor. Besides, 
 the work done by it is comparatively light, even on heavy work, 
 that is, the cutting is done gradually and slowly by hand, in con¬ 
 tra-distinction to power feeding machines. It is true that some 
 machines of recent design have been so arranged that the feeding 
 has been done by power, but the proportion of work required of 
 any tenoning machine is so small, that a very slow feed will 
 enable it to keep up with the other machines surrounding it. 
 Another reason that these machines last so long with common 
 care, is that very few in the ordinary sash, door, and blind shops, 
 are required to run more than half the time, and many even 
 Jess than that. 
 
 The first tenoning machine used was supplied with two saws, 
 one placed to cut with, or parallel to, the face of the work, and 
 ;£he other at right angles, forming the square shoulder of the 
 
 136 ' 
 
127 
 
 tenon. This operation was repeated on the reverse side, re¬ 
 quiring two operations for each tenon. A few of these machines 
 are still to be found about the country even now, and serve their 
 purpose quite well, but of course the quality of work they pro¬ 
 duce, cannot compare with work done on a modern machine kept 
 in good order. 
 
 The most popular machines of to-day for sash, door, cabinet, 
 and other work requiring tenons from l to 6^ inches long, 
 are those having two heads whose center of rotation is parallel 
 to the side of the tenon. The heads are so arranged as to finish 
 both sides of the tenon by once passing between the heads. 
 These heads are fitted with cutters shaped and ground to pro¬ 
 duce a drawing or shearing cut. This is necessary because of the 
 wood having to be cut transversely to its grain or fibre, and its 
 liability to tear off edges with straight cutters. The heads are 
 also fitted with “spurs” or saw segments, to cut and produce a 
 clean, square shoulder ; these heads are mounted on a gateway 
 frame, having slide-bearings so arranged that both heads can be 
 raised or lowered simultaneously and also independently. They 
 are provided with end thrust-bearings, to ensure perfection in 
 length of tenons to the shoulder. The upper head generally has 
 a lateral movement, by which on the single cutter head machines 
 the length can be varied. 
 
 Many machines for heavy door and other like work have 
 double heads, that cut two or more tenons on the same piece at 
 the same operation, and within the past few years machines have 
 been placed on the market that are double machines entirely, 
 that is, they cut tenons on each end of the board at once. They 
 are so arranged that all the heads on one end of the machine can be 
 moved to and fro for different lengths of work. These machines 
 are generally arranged to feed by power, and for an establishment 
 having plenty of work to do, ought to be an economical pro¬ 
 ducing, and labo-r-saving, machine. I saw one fitted up with cut¬ 
 ters, etc., that was turning out an almost endless variety of work. 
 Besides cutting tenons, it would cut square off and mould both ends 
 of table leaves and other work, making it one of the most valuable 
 machines in the factory. These machines also have the advantage 
 over single end machines of producing tenons that are square, 
 parallel, and exact duplicates in length, a matter of great im¬ 
 portance when the pieces are put together. The cope heads are 
 generally so disposed that they can be adjusted with the tenon 
 heads, and no machine is complete without them when used for 
 
128 
 
 sash, door, or blind work. They are also coming more into use 
 in cabinet work. 
 
 The hold down is a simple arrangement, and need not be 
 noticed here. The table is one of the parts of a tenoning 
 machine, on which the operator depends for square and true work, 
 or rather, I should say the movement of the table. If it does 
 not travel square with the line of the cut, the result is obvious— 
 the work is not square. As a general thing, the slides are none 
 too long to produce and retain a true bearing on the track or 
 ways of the frame. Tables also have the fault of being hard to 
 move without considerable exertion. When they are only moved 
 by great power, the work is forced up against the cutters suddenly, 
 causing the cutters to do too much work at the expense of 
 quality. It seems as though this might be avoided, if some 
 means were taken to obtain an anti-frictional slide. 
 
 Some builders have made a partial attempt in that direction, 
 by placing rollers on the track next the cutter heads. This does 
 not accomplish the desired object, but only tends to aggravate 
 the trouble when the table becomes worn, because one end is 
 liable to lead the other in traveling, and not only binds on the 
 other end, but produces imperfect work. Rollers should be 
 placed on both ends or tracks, and thus equalize the wear and 
 cause the table to travel easily. They could also be arranged 
 so that they would provide for wear and proper adjustment. 
 
 For heavy work, machines that have a fixed or stationary table 
 and movable heads, are now preferred to those of any other kind, 
 and are coming into more extensive use every day. It is found 
 that they are more convenient, as it is easier to move a light part 
 of the machine than the large heavy timbers. They are also 
 much quicker in their operation. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII 
 
 MOULDING OR RE-LINING BABBITTED BEARINGS- 
 
 P ROBABLY there is no class of repairs so often demanded 
 as moulding or re-lining babbitted boxes or bearings, and 
 this is more particularly the case in establishments where wood¬ 
 working machinery is used. Several reasons may be assigned as 
 the cause of this, among which may be named, first, the very high 
 speed at which the large majority run ; poor babbitt metal; the 
 use of unevenly tempered steel for spindles; poor means of lubri¬ 
 cation and protection from dust, grit and other cutting substances; 
 and inattention or neglect on the part of those whose duty it is to 
 care for them. It is often the case that this class of repairs can 
 not be conveniently taken to the machine shop on account of dis¬ 
 tance and consequent delay, neither is it necessary, for while in 
 many cases it is a job requiring good skill, judgment, and experi¬ 
 ence, yet with a few cheap tools it can be done by anyone who 
 will carefully observe and practice the few following suggestions. 
 
 Before going into the modus operandi , however, I would say that 
 on many accounts it is perhaps best to purchase the metals from 
 some reliable dealer and state just what use it is to be put to. 
 Babbitt metal for high speed spindles, such as cylinders or planers, 
 upright shapers and the like should be the very best, composed of 
 one part copper, two parts antimony, and twenty-two parts banca 
 or other good tin, while for ordinary bearings such as on line and 
 counter-shaft boxes a metal composed of about two parts anti¬ 
 mony, five parts tin, and eighteen parts lead is better than nine- 
 tenths that are used for those places. The difficulty in melting 
 and mixing the first named in any ordinary open fire is due to the 
 fact that the copper takes a very high degree of heat to melt it, 
 and the antimony is liable to sweat or burn out before all is thor¬ 
 oughly melted and mixed. They can be successfully melted in a 
 crucible carefully covered and in a strong fire—the copper melted 
 first, then the antimony, and the tin last. Care must be taken to 
 avoid loss by oxidation or exposure to the open air. 
 
 129 
 
130 
 
 The first thing to be considered in re-lining the bearings is an 
 examination as to the cause of the old one giving out. If it is 
 found that the shaft or spindle is out of truth or has sprung, it 
 will have to be made right before going farther. A shaft out of 
 truth or round will of course have to be re-turned to truth, or if 
 sprung will have to be straightened. This last operation can often 
 be performed on the spot by springing it back to truth and testing 
 it by trueing it up by hand. The old babbitt can easily be taken 
 out by the aid of a cope chisel cutting lengthwise of the bearing, 
 or by melting, as the case may be. After this is accomplished, 
 the bearing should be thoroughly cleansed of grease or other for¬ 
 eign substances, and carefully dried to avoid any accumulation of 
 gas when pouring. If this precaution is taken there will be fewer 
 blow holes or rough uneven surfaces in the bearing. 
 
 The next operation requires care, and some fine measurement 
 if the bearings are fast to the machine, therefore a special arbor 
 or shaft should be used, about t^o of an inch larger than the spin¬ 
 dle proper, in which case springing of the spindle will be avoided, 
 and the bearings found to be of the right size without any fitting, 
 the difference in size being compensated by the shrinking of the 
 metal. In either case, the spindles, when put in place, should be 
 set accurately, parallel with the bed and square with the framing or 
 other parts that they may have to work to; then cut out “liners,” 
 either of pasteboard or soft pine, which latter is preferable, as it 
 can be reduced in thickness, and thereby take up any wear; cut 
 these of the length of bearing and to the shape of the outside, 
 the inside edge being straight with the shaft and having several 
 V-shaped notches cut for the admission of babbitt to the lower 
 half of box or bearing. After cutting holes in the “liners” for the 
 several bolts, the shaft is ready for the placing of the cap which 
 must have a hole from x / 2 to ^ of an inch diameter for pouring 
 into; next, lute up the ends with clay or putty, and build up a 
 “pocket” of the same material at each end of the bearings; this 
 allows the gas to escape; also form a pocket around the top hole 
 to prevent spilling and waste. If the shaft is for a loose pulley 
 or other “solid” bearing, it should be lightly painted with a mix¬ 
 ture of lampblack and lard oil, and have two holes drilled in the 
 bearing or hub. Coating the shaft allows it to be easily with¬ 
 drawn after pouring, and the additional holes are to prevent an 
 accumulation of gas. The absence of suitable “vents” will pro¬ 
 duce formation and accumulation of gas, which keeps the metal 
 
bubbling, and often blows it clean out of the bearing. I have 
 seen this occur quite frequently, and in one case saw a person lose 
 one of his eyes as the price of his forgetfulness. 
 
 After having gone through these processes and taken the proper 
 precautions, the next thing to do is to melt the metal. Right 
 here I would say that more babbitt is spoiled by being melted too 
 fast than most people think. It must be melted slowly, and the 
 harder the metal the slower it should be melted, because hard 
 babbitt metals contain certain proportions of different metals 
 that take a great deal stronger heat than others. The tin will 
 melt first, antimony next, and copper last. These metals have 
 each a different specific gravity or degree of weight; antimony 
 being the lightest will float to the top and become burned or sweat 
 out before the copper is thoroughly melted. To avoid this the 
 moulten metal must be well covered with charcoal or a lid, and 
 just before removal from the fire be thoroughly stirred or mixed 
 up. When taken to the bearing, everything being ready, pour 
 the metal as rapidly as the hole will receive it, and the faster it is 
 poured the better the results will be, therefore I advise large holes 
 for pouring into. After pouring, remove the bolts and tap the 
 caps lightly with a hand hammer, or raise them with a chisel or 
 wedge. This is necessary because the babbitt has a solid connec¬ 
 tion at every one of the V-shaped notches in the liners; dress these 
 all off even with the surface of the box joints; rub a little red lead 
 on the spindle and put it in place; revolve slowly by hand; then 
 remove the spindle and file or scrape the high spots; repeat this 
 until the red lead shows a good bearing surface, then drill out 
 the oil holes and cut the oil grooves. 
 
 If spindles, instead of special babbitting arbors, have to be used 
 to pour the metal on, they should be examined to see whether they 
 have been sprung, as is generally the case. After getting them 
 straightened, put them in place, bolt on the caps until the spindle 
 will revolve easily without shaking, and the job is done and you 
 are ready for business. If it is done well, thoroughly, and properly, 
 and if the other parts are as good, it will give good results. 
 
 Boxes should never be cast in halves as they will not be round, 
 and it is not easy to get one half in line with the other, besides 
 it is well known that hot babbitt metal poured into a lower half 
 of a bearing, will raise the shaft out of place unless it is secured 
 there. The pocket for pouring into should be filled at least part 
 way, to allow enough metal to fill the drilled hole, as the metal 
 settles some by shrinking. 
 
132 
 
 Surplus metal left in the ladle should be either covered to 
 exclude the air until cooled, or poured into a form or mould and 
 likewise treated. The smaller the pieces are broken into before 
 melting, the faster and easier they will melt. A good way to 
 test whether or not babbitt is hot enough to pour, is to insert a 
 small pine stick, and when it becomes charred (not burned or in 
 flames) the metal is hot enough. It is a good plan to get boxes 
 or bearings warmed up enough to take the chill off them in 
 cold weather. 
 
 I remember when I was a new hand at the bellows, of once 
 having to line a large box six inches in diameter. Having no 
 mandrel on which to pour, the foreman directed me to make one 
 out of a hard piece of beech-wood. I did so. and put the box 
 together properly. Having to use two large ladles I innocently 
 took the last “ trick.” The result was, that I was all covered 
 with babbitt metal: my arms all blistered, and my clothes full of 
 it. 1 tried it again and again with the same result; finally an idea 
 dawned on my mind; the last ladlefull always did the mishief, 
 but I could not tell why. So when ready to make the fourth 
 attempt, I reported to the foreman, who examined my method 
 and found it all right. I seized the first ladle and poured it, leaving 
 the last to him, and before his was half empty he received a bad 
 dose, dropped the ladle, and started for the water trough to cool 
 off. He then advised me to pour in separate halves. In doing 
 so the metal did not fly, but there was lots of hand-fitting on that 
 box, because the wooden mandrel got badly out of shape. I 
 afterwards learned that there is more moisture and gas in wood 
 than in iron. 
 
 Moral: Never use wood or any kindred substance for a bab¬ 
 bitting arbor. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 LOOSE PULLEYS—RESULTS OF OBSERVER’S EXPER¬ 
 IMENTS. 
 
 NYONE who has had to do with machinery, and particularly 
 
 wood-working machinery driven by belts, knows well the 
 
 trials and tribulations of loose pulleys. They are always rattling, 
 squeaking, and cutting out; they have a faculty of making trouble 
 when least expected or desired; and sometimes they do not cut 
 out, but take a notion of cutting or grinding fast to the shaft, in 
 which latter case they make excellent fast pulleys. If we take 
 the average speed of loose pulleys on wood-working machinery we 
 must conclude they are “fast” anyway. When they become loose 
 on the shaft and are allowed to continue to wear the shaft out of 
 round and size, and often grind the edges of the rim “wobbling,” 
 they will take more oil and throw it out than a good-sized faucet 
 at full head. They are a source of annoyance to all within their 
 hearing, the range of which is not small by any means, and they are 
 a prolific means of developing “cuss” words from those who may 
 happen to have them under their immediate charge. 
 
 There are a great many reasons for the above-mentioned griev¬ 
 ances. The machinist perhaps is at fault: He does not get the 
 shaft round ; it may be too tight, and cut fast; it may be too loose 
 and throw the oil out so fast that it does no good; the shaft or 
 hole in the pulley may be out of round, or the pulley may be im¬ 
 properly balanced or not balanced at all; or it may be that the pul¬ 
 ley has been turned even larger than its mate—the tight pulley, in 
 which case the belt must be unusually tight. It may be that 
 some “genius” has been selling oil that would better fulfill its 
 mission if used as a substitute for glue, resin, molasses or other 
 sticky substances, and the operator who doesn’t know or care why 
 a pulley doesn’t run quietly and smoothly has used it as a substi¬ 
 tute for set screws. If the pulley has simply a plain oil hole con¬ 
 necting with an oil channel cut lengthwise in the hub, the chances 
 are that the hole will be allowed to clog up and the channel get 
 full of gum and other refuse, so that the oil can neither get in nor 
 
 133 
 
134 
 
 out; if it has an oil cup attached the feed stem becomes filled 1 
 and obstructs the passage of oil; if fitted with a self-oiling sleeve 
 no attention is paid to it until it calls for replenishing in very de¬ 
 cided terms, not altogether agreeable to the ear. I might also add 
 that very often the owner is responsible by purchasing something 
 called a lubricant, which is really unfit to use for greasing a barn 
 door hinge. These and many other reasons combine to make 
 what is really in fact as well as looks a small thing for considera¬ 
 tion, and yet one of the most noisy and objectionable pieces of 
 machinery about the whole establishment, and the trouble is that 
 there are generally a number of them and no two turned alike. 
 There are ways and plans by which to repair all things, loose pul¬ 
 leys included. 
 
 I was in a furniture factory some time since where a loose pulley 
 on a variety moulder counter shaft was just howling for all it was 
 worth. I asked the foreman why he did not sell it for a steam 
 calliope, or rent it for a full brass band and orchestrion combined, 
 to a beer garden proprietor. He said he had got tired of putting 
 it in order. I ventured to inquire whether he had ever done so 
 or if he knew how ? Just did know ! Just take that pulley off the 
 shaft, knock out the babbitt, put the pulley back on the shaft, and 
 fill it with babbitt again; then punch the babbitt out of the 
 oil hole, put on the belts and go ahead—that is the way to relieve 
 a loose pulley. One thing was certain—he had not taken off the 
 high spots or filled up the low ones that the pulley had made on 
 the shaft by continual pounding, but he had sprung the shaft 
 worse every time he had poured babbitt on it, and he had to drive 
 the pulley off with a sledge because the shaft was neither round 
 nor parallel, and in getting it off he had to cut the babbitt surface 
 until it was unfit for use; then he had to file out the hole until 
 the pulley would go on again. When it was on it was all kinds 
 of a fit—sometimes tight, sometimes loose, just as it happened 
 to touch the high and low places on the shaft. He was finally 
 induced to take the whole thing, shaft included, to the machine 
 shop, and get the job done properly. First, the shaft was straight¬ 
 ened and the part that carried the loose pulley was turned round 
 and true. As this reduced the shaft to an uneven size so that no 
 regular arbor could be used to pour the babbitt on, an arbor con¬ 
 siderably smaller was placed in the hole and wedged to the center; 
 the babbitt was poured in and the pulley taken to a lathe and 
 bored out to the odd size; then an oil hole and channel were put 
 in, and the pulley tried for balance and size relative to the tight 
 
1 35 
 
 pulley; these found to be correct, they were taken back to the 
 factory with instructions to either oil often and carefully, or put 
 in a brass oil cup, but never to let it get empty or clogged up and 
 he would have no trouble. He has had none since 
 
 No operator ever had a loose pulley give out but would 
 inform you that he had just examined and oiled it a short time 
 before. This may or may not be so but it does not matter either 
 way, because it was not the neglect for that one time that caused 
 the trouble, but the continual lack of oil and vigilance. This is 
 the price of success with loose pulleys. A plain pulley should not 
 be floated in oil, but it should have a little oil at a time and very 
 often, according to its duty. If an oil cup or self-oiling sleeve is 
 used, it should be examined every day to see that it is not clogged 
 or the oil run out, until you'find out just how long it will run 
 without filling, after that it need not be examined often, but be 
 sure to be on hand first. Don’t let the oil travel faster than you 
 do; this is the secret of smooth-running pulleys. If you find that 
 it will feed ten days without replenishing, do not wait ten days 
 and one hour, but fill up again before nine days are up. 
 
 I have made a great many different kinds of loose pulleys. First 
 I tried the ordinary old way of lining with Babbitt metal, but 
 found that they would cut out; then tried a self-oiling sleeve made 
 of bronze (brass) metal that would fit the pulley at either end, and 
 form a recess holding from a gill to a half pint of oil, cut two V 
 slots lengthwise in the bush, filled it with felt or wicking, and se¬ 
 cured it in place; then drove the bush home and awaited events. 
 Some users said it was the best thing ever was—-would run a month 
 without filling; some said it was no good—the oil would not feed 
 through; others said it got heated, and the V slots opened and 
 let the oil out too fast. I had not the shell thick enough to re¬ 
 sist expansion and opening of the slots when heated to an im¬ 
 moderate degree; that was my fault; neither had I figured on an 
 oil being used that could not be strained through anything finer 
 than a coal sieve. I suppose that was owing to my ignorance of 
 the real value and virtue of cheap “black strap” oils. I must say 
 that I was not greatly encouraged. However, I struck another 
 idea. I made patterns for another “self-oiling sleeve” for loose 
 pulleys. This time I put four ribs on the outside of the sleeve for 
 strength, each about A high, two of them inch and two A thick; 
 these ribs, and the flanges on either ends, made a bearing for the 
 hole of the pulley, and gave considerable back-bone to the sleeve; 
 the two thick ribs had holes A inch diameter, extending almost 
 
136 
 
 through them, spaced every y of an inch apart the whole length, 
 and these A holes were merged into holes l /% inch diameter, which 
 extended through the rest of the rib. Every alternate hole was 
 then drilled from the side of the rib, at right angles to the first or 
 upright holes, the first one on one side and the second one on the 
 opposite side in the second hole. This was for the purpose of 
 feeding oil, no matter whether the pulley went forward or back¬ 
 ward; the holes were all filled with felt or wicking as before, and 
 then I awaited criticisms. They soon came in. Some thought 
 that perfection had been attained, as this was simply perfection— 
 they could use this rig where all others had failed; others evi¬ 
 dently supposed that it did not need to be filled except each New 
 Year’s day, and the oil so cold that it had to be cut up and pressed 
 in, a chunk at a time; others said that it would not feed the oil. 
 This last assertion staggered me, as I had put the side holes in 
 supposing that the high centrifugal speed would virtually pump 
 the oil through the hole and on the bearing. I wish Congress 
 would enact a law empowering me to carry a many-barreled shot 
 gun by which to exterminate the oil fiends who deal in those 
 cheap black oils, or at least confine their sales to saw-mill men to 
 grease logs with, or to small boys who could use it for sliding. It 
 goes without my saying, that the last sleeve was as good as could 
 be used on any loose pulley, but its failure was due to the fact 
 that it would need to be re-filled some time, and would not feed 
 anything through but oil—-by oil I mean limpid grease, pure and 
 unadulterated. 
 
 My next venture was a plain cast-iron hole in the pulley, bored 
 true and smooth, having the hubs at least y longer than the 
 rim was wide; thus for a pulley four inches face, make the hub 
 five inches long; pulley six inches face, hubs jy 2 inches long; 
 pulley eight inches face, hubs ten inches long, projecting equally 
 on both ends ; after boring a straight hole I had a recess bored in 
 the centre of the hub at least iy inch long, and y inch deep for 
 oil, and the usual oil channel cut lengthwise of the hole to with¬ 
 in y of an inch of each end ; then put in an oil cup leading to 
 the recess, and having a feed hole in its stem of ample size, say 
 y inch in diameter. I did not wait for anyone’s opinion or 
 judgment this time; I knew that they would not be any more 
 flattering than the previous ones, but I felt satisfied that the 
 results would be all right as the principles were correct. In the 
 first place, the extra length on the hubs was worth more than all 
 the rest of the hub put together. It gave more bearing and 
 
i37 
 
 served as a brace to the rim, resisting any tendency to tip when 
 the belts were shifted or placed on one edge of the pulley. 
 Second, the recess was large, as was also the hole in the oiler, and 
 would feed almost anything that would flow or run ; and third 
 cast-iron was as good as any metal for a bearing, if of the proper 
 dimensions. Being of a porous nature it soon glazes over and 
 makes a smooth hard surface, and will wear an indefinitely 
 long time. 
 
 A loose pulley should always be considerably smaller than the 
 tight one, in order to relieve the belt when idle, as well as to save 
 wear and tear on the shaft and pulley, and save oil. From y& to 
 Y x inch diameter has been found to be about the average in 
 difference, as it virtually lengthens the belt from yi to one inch, 
 which is a great relief. Pulleys have been and are made with a 
 difference of from to 2 inches diameter, in which case they 
 have either bevelled or vertical inclines, or flanges. 
 
 The objections to the latter are, that they shift a belt too 
 suddenly, and cause considerable strain, and consequent slipping 
 and burning, and also spoil one side of the belt by extraordinary 
 stretching on that side. For saving shafts from wear or reduction 
 in size where there are other pulleys or bearings between the 
 loose pulley and end of the shaft, a good idea is to bore and fit 
 a sleeve of cast-iron fast on the shaft on which to place the loose 
 pulley. Nothing wears better under such circumstances, than 
 cast-iron, and it is comparatively cheap and easily replaced. 
 
 There is nothing about the whole job that vexes one more 
 than to find it necessary to reduce the shaft in order to get it 
 true for the loose pulley, and to find that all the other pulleys out¬ 
 side of it must be re-bored and bushed, and the outside bearing 
 re-lined with babbitt, in order to allow one loose pulley to be 
 placed in position. A cast-iron sleeve will effectually obviate 
 these difficulties. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 LUBRICATION OF WOOD-WORKING MACHINERY 
 
 BEARINGS. 
 
 W EBSTER gives a definition of the word lubricate “ to 
 make slippery or smooth.” As regards machines of any 
 kind, it means to pour oil so that it forms a film between the re¬ 
 volving and the stationary parts, or in other words, to separate 
 the contact of shaft and box, and vice versa. No bearing that 
 has not this film or coating of oil or grease extending over its 
 whole surface, is lubricated sufficiently to do its own work well 
 and easily. The object of lubrication is to keep metal surfaces 
 from contact with one another, and thus avoid abrasion or cutting. 
 This abrasion is caused by high speed, heavy weights, and dry 
 surfaces coming together. Jf you will take a new spindle and 
 bearing perfectly fitted, and before oiling it attempt to turn it by 
 hand, you will be astonished to see how much more power it re¬ 
 quires than to turn it after giving it a slight dose of oil. An 
 experiment of this kind will illustrate the value of lubrication as 
 well as anything else known. 
 
 There are so many kinds of bearings, in various conditions, per¬ 
 forming so many different duties, that it would take more space 
 than can here be spared to treat of them, but a few words as to 
 the ways and means of lubrication may not be amiss. There 
 are upright and horizontal bearings; bearings neither upright or 
 horizontal; bearings long and short, heavy and light, of high 
 speed and slow speed, accessible and inaccessible, and I might say 
 unseen, in the matter of lubrication. There are many of the last 
 mentioned that suffer, not through any fault of construction, but 
 from lack of attention and care. Some argue that different kinds 
 of oil will do for different places or duties, as for example, one 
 would use one kind of oil for a heavy, slow-running bearing, and 
 another kind for a fast, light-running one, and still another for 
 
 one that was fast and heavy running. 
 
 138 
 
*39 
 
 I would simply say that the man who tries this will run an oil 
 store, having his machinery merely as an adjunct, or using it as 
 an object on which to experiment with oils. He will not have 
 much time for anything else. It may be that an oil is sometimes 
 found to do well on a light-running spindle bearing that would 
 prove a failure if applied to a heavy, high-speed bearing, but I 
 want to see that kind or brand of oil that performs its duties 
 perfectly on a high-speed, heavy spindle or shaft, that will not do 
 equally as well on a light-running spindle. The fact is that it 
 will do vastly better and at less expense and trouble. 
 
 The principal quality required in lubricants is grease, simon- 
 pure and unadulterated—a grease that, while limpid enough to 
 run into every part of the bearing, will have body to hold itself 
 there until worn out. There must be an absence of all acids, 
 resins or gums, as, no matter how limpid an oil is, if it contains a 
 small percentage of grease, it will wear or last only as long as 
 that percentage lasts. If it has been “doctored” with any 
 gummy or resinous ingredients, it will soon show itself in the 
 increase of power required to revolve the shaft, and will also heat 
 and stick like glue. 
 
 A great deal has been claimed and said regarding the lubri¬ 
 cating qualities of the various oils lately presented to the public, 
 but they are in many cases anti-lubricators. A gallon of sperm 
 oil, or perhaps two gallons of the best pure lard oil, will go as far 
 as twenty gallons of many other so-called lubricants. About as 
 good and thorough a test as can be made, is to get a large pane 
 of glass about twenty inches long; place it on an incline of about 
 ten degrees; pour on the upper end of the glass, side by side, a 
 drop each of pure sperm, lard, and any of the cheap mineral 
 oils; cover from dust, and examine them at intervals of first, four 
 or five hours, then ten hours, then twenty hours, then thirty 
 hours, and note the result. On the first examination you will 
 find that the mineral oils being diluted to make them limpid, had 
 run off at the lower end, or else were so gummy that they had all 
 stuck on the glass, while the lard and sperm oils were still moving, 
 the lard oil continuing to do so until the end of the fifteen or 
 twenty hours, and the sperm until the expiration of thirty hours. 
 This places these oils in the following ratio for value as lubri¬ 
 cants: minerals, one; lard, three to four; and sperm, six to 
 seven ; with a difference also in favor of the last two named— 
 they do not “stick” everything fast, and one drop of them will 
 do where ten to twenty of the poor substitutes are required. If 
 
140 
 
 any one doubts this statement, all I have to say to them is, “ try 
 it.” I have been lubricated and stuck by cheap oil and oil men, 
 and know whereof I speak. These facts only go to prove the 
 truth of the old adage that the best is the cheapest. 
 
 There are almost as many ways and means by which to get oil 
 into bearings as there are kinds of oil, and some of them are mean 
 ways too—notably, the self-feeding oil chambers or cells attached 
 to, or part of the boxes or bearings. I prefer the term “cell” to 
 “chamber” because it is more significant; they are in a majority 
 of instances “sells” in more than one sense. They were designed 
 by their inventor to relieve the operator from any care whatever 
 for some time after filling them up. I don’t know of any other 
 device on machinery where the design of the originator has been 
 so fully carried out as on self oiling chambers. The operators 
 generally do a great deal more with them than the inventor could 
 do or would even think of doing. They can fill one and use it 
 until the bearing is worn out, and sometimes it doesn’t take long 
 either. 
 
 The great trouble is that oil chambers are filled up and forgotten 
 until they become dry and melt the bearings, but no matter how 
 carefully and often they are attended to they will not feed poor 
 oils. Capillary attraction doesn’t attract thick gummy substances 
 worth a cent. Sometimes, however, it is almost impossible to use 
 anything else but self-feeding oilers, on account of the location of 
 the bearings. Where this is the case I would say, use good oil, 
 keep it clear of sediment, grit, etc., keep chambers as nearly full 
 as possible, and trouble will be reduced to a minimum in that 
 direction. 
 
 Where a bearing cannot be got at easily or often, if practicable, 
 a glass oiler is as good a thing as can be used to conduct the oil 
 to it. A glass oiler has the advantage of the oil chamber in hold¬ 
 ing a quantity of oil, and can be regulated to the wants of the 
 bearing, and is always in sight. One can tell at a glance how the 
 oil supply is, and whether it is being fed out too fast, too slow, or 
 just right. These glass oilers are also handy to take off and clean 
 out. It is sometimes the case that they cannot be used on ac¬ 
 count of their liability to breakage caused by stuff being thrown 
 against them with considerable force, as, for example, boxes of 
 cylinders on planing machinery, or the arbor boxes on re-sawing 
 machines, etc. These bearings require plenty of oil and a reserve 
 supply on hand, and as oil cups cannot be used with any safety, 
 most builders use oil reservoirs cast on the top of the cap. This 
 
cup can be made to receive a sufficient quantity of oil to last con¬ 
 siderable time, besides leaving room for tallow or suet—something 
 that should be put in all oil reservoirs where high speed is attained, 
 as it does not melt while the oil lasts and does its duty, but can 
 be relied upon to melt down into the bearing when the oil gives 
 out. It is also a good lubricator. 
 
 Oil reservoirs of this kind sometimes have a cap or cover made 
 of iron or other metal. This cover gets loose, the hinge pins 
 come out, and it drops, either into the shavings, or into the cut¬ 
 ters, which is much worse, and causes great damage. A better 
 plan is to make the reservoirs higher and fit wooden caps or plugs 
 to go on the inside of the hole ; they do no damage if they jar out, 
 and can be easily replaced if lost, while any ordinary wood turner 
 can get them up so as to look a great deal neater than even a 
 metal cap. They are also much cheaper to fit up. 
 
 It has often been noticed that slow running journals give more 
 trouble and actually wear out faster than fast speed bearings in 
 many cases. For instance, the bearings on feed rolls run very 
 slowly (from thirty to sixty turns per minute) and yet give out 
 very fast. Three causes may be assigned for this: first, they run 
 so slowly that they will cut or stick fast before they heat enough 
 to be discovered in time; second, their slow running induces over¬ 
 sight and neglect to oil often, whereas the high speed bearings are 
 attended to promptly; and third, there are very few of them that 
 have not large gaping oil holes that serve as avenues by which 
 dust and grit are introduced without stint or hindrance. 
 
 No oil holes should be allowed to go without some kind of a 
 plug or cover. They must be protected from anything that tends 
 to produce abrasion or cutting of the bearings. To assist in 
 keeping journals or bearings well oiled and cleaned, a good plan 
 is to insert pieces of felt or wicking between the joints before 
 screwing together; they will hold oil and wipe off foreign sub¬ 
 stances at every revolution. When liners or packings of wood 
 are used between the box and the cap, the wood can be cut 
 back from ^ to ^ of an inch, and the felt placed therein and 
 against the spindle of the shaft. 
 
 Very little value can be set on traps or other devices for catch¬ 
 ing oil and using it over again, even if the best of them are used. 
 It has been generally conceded that a good lubricating oil has 
 among its other good qualities, the faculty of staying on the bear¬ 
 ings until it is used up or worn out, therefore it is worthless 
 afterwards and should be allowed to run off or out of the bearing 
 
142 
 
 where it can, if desired, be received into a waste cup, for the sake 
 of cleanliness. For similar reason, it is the best plan to oil any- 
 bearing from the top. Oils are commodities that are greatly 
 wasted. There is perhaps ten times as much poured out as is 
 ever used. If a few drops were placed on at a time, and more often, 
 there would be less oil wasted and machines would look less like 
 having been tumbled around in a soap vat. I must not be under¬ 
 stood to advise using oil sparingly, but urge that it be used judici¬ 
 ously. Oil often, freely, but not wastefully, keep oil holes and cups 
 clean and covered, always remembering that the little particles of 
 dust and grit which are always flying in the air are the gods that 
 grind and cut bearings, sometimes not very slowly, but always 
 surely. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS. 
 
 O N the assumption that “ self preservation is the first law of 
 nature,” I feel justified in calling attention to the various 
 causes through which accidents happen to operators of wood 
 cutting machinery. There is no class of mechanics that run a 
 greater risk of meeting with accidents, than these operators. The 
 reason of this is easily understood. Fast speed, sharp cutters, 
 exposed belts and gears, unprotected saws, projecting set screws and 
 bolt heads, and the improper fastening and balancing of cutters, 
 are a few of the many causes that lead to the destruction of 
 property, and cripple or cause the death of those employed in 
 these establishments. Without constituting myself a jury to 
 pass judgment on my fellow men, I may claim without fear of 
 contradiction, that a majority of the accidents are directly trace¬ 
 able to some one’s neglect or carelessness, and very often that 
 same one pays the penalty with his own life. 
 
 The very places and parts of machinery that one would suppose 
 to be the most fruitful sources of mishaps, are found to be com¬ 
 paratively innocent of such charges, because their danger has 
 been well-known by those who have to be near them, and there¬ 
 fore take the necessary precautions. One seldom hears of persons 
 getting caught in a fly wheel, because they know the danger, and 
 keep at a respectful distance ; few get hurt from a flying knife or 
 cutter, because it is securely bolted in its place, and carefully 
 watched when started in motion. Heads and bodies are kept out 
 of the way until one is assured that there is no danger. The lit¬ 
 tle innocent, and seemingly inconsequential things are the ones 
 that do the mischief, coming when least expected from an unex¬ 
 pected source. 
 
 One great fault, and one that causes numerous accidents with 
 many workmen, is the manner in which they attempt to put on 
 belts while pulleys are under motion. More people get caught in 
 belting by attempting to do this thing than in any other way. I 
 
 143 
 
 
144 
 
 have seen men on a ladder trying to put on a ten inch belt run¬ 
 ning at high speed, crowding the belt against the pulley and burning 
 it as well as their hands, and finally having to give it up as a fail¬ 
 ure ; then they had the speed slowed, and put the belt on without 
 any trouble. I think that they never calculated how fast they 
 would have to move the belt to get it on easily. 
 
 There is nothing that agitates my nervous system more than to 
 see some one attempt to put on a belt while standing on the 
 wrong side of the pulley. He stands no chance of getting the 
 belt on, and a good big chance of being caught and wound up 
 around the shaft. The proper place is to stand on the opposite 
 side of the belt, putting it on as it travels towards you. Having 
 a good foundation to stand on, take the belt in hand and lead on 
 to the pulley, moving the hand as fast as the pulley travels. This 
 is the whole secret. I have seen a little fellow who understood 
 this principle, go to a large belt that three men were tugging at 
 and easily put it on the pulley at the first trial. 
 
 Pulleys on line and other shafting should never have any set 
 screws so placed as to be likely to catch clothing or belts ; they 
 should be well under cover and no longer than required. For 
 cutter head pulleys in exposed places, keys should not be left out 
 beyond the end of the hub, nor set screws project beyond the 
 surface. They cut nearly as badly as a knife and are more danger¬ 
 ous because of their exposure. I remember seeing an old opera¬ 
 tor who had two of his fingers shortened up considerably just 
 from this cause. 
 
 Variety moulders are very blood-thirsty sometimes when cut¬ 
 ting cross grained or eaty stuff, but all such danger can be avoid¬ 
 ed by using one of the many guards now in the market. The 
 same may be said of saws. Within the past few years there have 
 been numerous devices put on the market, but any one if so dis¬ 
 posed, can make them equally as good for all practical purposes- 
 The writer would also recommend the housing or covering of 
 belts wherever possible, if they are dangerous. Having been 
 “knocked out of time” by the parting of a matcher belt, he knows 
 how it is himself. One ounce of prevention is better than a cart 
 load of cure. 
 
 Don’t allow your fingers to get any nearer the cutters than 
 stern necessity compels, and keep as far away as possible to do the 
 work easily and well. In this connection I want to speak of an 
 incident that happened “once upon a time.” A man went into a 
 joiner shop, and not seeing anyone about, he went up to the saw 
 
H5 
 
 table where there was a bright new saw in motion, but it ran so 
 smoothly and quietly that he laid his hand on it to feel of it. He 
 left a finger on that table. Just then the owner came in and see¬ 
 ing him dancing around with his hand all bloody, he asked him 
 what he had done and how he did it. Advancing to the saw he 
 said he had just put his hand on so. By gosh ! there goes another 
 finger. He had no doubt as to whether the saw was revolving or 
 in cutting order either. I venture to say that since then he hasn t 
 “monkeyed’’ around any saws. 
 
 I was shown a board nailed to a post in a factory not long 
 since. It showed the marks of saw teeth, first very close together 
 then gradually extending apart until they coincided with the dis¬ 
 tance of the saw teeth. This board had been fed through once, 
 and was being passed back over the saw to be ripped again. It 
 was allowed to touch the top of the saw which threw it with such 
 violence as to instantly kill the man who was feeding the saw. 
 What right had anyone to pass a board back over the top of a 
 fast running saw ; what right had a saw to be thus unprotected ? 
 Evidently, the first law of nature was not observed to an alarming 
 degree in this instance. 
 
 In talking with an operator who had run upright shapers, he 
 showed me his hands on which he had neither a whole finger nor 
 thumb. He said that they had all been lost either through inat¬ 
 tention to his work, or feeding against his judgment. Dull tools, 
 cross-grained stuff, and inattention will always make trouble 
 around an upright planer. 
 
 I was in a planing mill the other day and saw a man shifting a 
 feed belt on a planer from the tight to the loose pulley with his 
 foot, in spite of the fact that he nearly lost his life and did break 
 his leg in two different places, only five months ago. You see, it 
 would have taken too much time and lumber to erect a suitable 
 shifter. I saw another man get his fingers cut very badly on the 
 cylinder, by starting up before he was ready. His shifter was 
 made only to push the belt on to the loose pulley. He probably 
 did not think it just as necessary to keep it off after it was shifted. 
 He has altered his opinion, however, as I notice he has the proper 
 kind of a belt shifter and lock to hold it in its place. 
 
 Another operator could not get the last board out of the ma¬ 
 chine fast enough, and intended to help it some by bracing his 
 foot against the under cutter and pulling it out. He does not do 
 that way now, because he has only one foot left, and the other leg 
 has only a heel at its lower extremity. He feeds a piece of waste 
 
146 
 
 stuff far enough to push out the last board. This way is much 
 easier on the muscle, and less liable to result in the destruction of 
 the pedal extremities. 
 
 Another case was that of a man who set up a large flooring 
 machine and put in a suction pipe and a box of stuff ^ of an inch 
 thick to take the shavings from the under cutter. He made the 
 pipes so small and the curves so near a sharp angle, that the pipe 
 was often clogged up. Every time it was clogged up, some one 
 commenced to “kick” against the box. The boss came along one 
 day when the box was clogged up; he kicked pretty hard and 
 effectively, and also too high. He does not kick much to speak 
 of now, because he has only one foot. The knives were not dulled 
 much, neither was any part of the machine damaged. The 
 strongest survived, if not the fittest. I beg leave to add that he 
 now has a suction pipe that is properly made, and large enough; 
 besides it is of ample strength to resist any amount of kicking 
 that either man or mule can perform on it. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 FIRES, THEIR CAUSES AND THEIR PREVENTIVES— 
 BROWN’S EXPERIENCE—ORDINARY PRECAUTION 
 AND THE BENEFITS RESULTING THEREFROM. 
 
 I F there is any one thing that produces larger losses to the 
 wood-working factories and planing mills than any other, it is 
 without doubt fire. Almost every trade journal relating to this 
 branch of business has a column devoted to casualties, and the 
 greater part of it relates to fires. Fire is an evil agent that is liable 
 to pounce upon us at any time, and from any part of the building. 
 It makes no noise, and gives no alarm; does not have to be assisted 
 to any great extent, but proceeds to get its work in quietly, surely 
 and effectively, and in most cases succeeds to an alarming degree. 
 In wood-working factories of all kinds which I have noticed, there 
 are, to a casual observer, many paradoxes. Effect does not follow 
 cause, and correct theory does not result in correct practice, at 
 least these results do not seem to be in any hurry whatever to 
 assert themselves. This is rather noticeable in the case of build¬ 
 ings devoted to wood working purposes. You may step into a 
 building, and after careful observation conclude that it is a nice, 
 clean, well-kept factory, provided with all proper means to prevent 
 and resist fire. Well, if you do, you have either got into the wrong 
 door, or else have drawn a lucky number. The chances are that 
 the next nine you go through will be just as bad in their appoint¬ 
 ments, or rather lack of appointments to prevent a fire, as this one 
 is good, but they will have all that is required to start a fire of 
 any kind, either a small one that is capable of growing fast when 
 started, or a full-fledged one that will lick up everything in a 
 shorter time than you would take to eat a lunch in. There are 
 shavings in a train from the furnace front to the uttermost part of 
 the shop; accumulated dust of years that will compare favorably 
 with gun powder; grease on every machine and under every line 
 and counter-shaft hanger; oily waste, old polishing rags saturated 
 
 147 
 
148 
 
 with oil; varnish, japan, turpentine, or benzine; a big stove to heat 
 little glue pots stands in the middle of the room surrounded by 
 the last mentioned compounds; piles of old hay, straw, or papers 
 are off in one corner, to be used when occasion demands for pack¬ 
 ing goods; and perhaps men smoking in the middle of a pile of 
 shavings every noon, if not during working hours. All these and 
 many other causes combine to make insurance men steer clear of 
 wood-working establishments, or if they are prevailed upon to 
 write them up, charge anywhere from three to eight per cent, per 
 annum, and then for only a small proportion of the value. I know 
 of one firm taking out $15,000 insurance that had to get it divided 
 up among thirty-two different companies because the risk was such 
 that no single company wanted but a small portion. 
 
 There are many men engaged in the wood-working business 
 that get insured for a comparatively small percentage, and are 
 considered fair risks simply because they take every precaution, 
 and insist on all their employes doing the same. These men reap 
 their reward, not hereafter, but every day as they go along. To 
 such a person it must be a source of trouble and care to be a 
 tenant in the same building with those of the opposite disposition. 
 He increases his vigilance, and also gets his insurance rates in. 
 creased; He lives in dread and doubt every day, and dreams of 
 the “imminent deadly foe” by night, but it does no good; just 
 as likely as not, when he feels that he is in the least degree safe, 
 his neighbour above, below, or at one side of him may be 
 innocently doing all he can to burn him up, not intentionally, 
 but by carelessness, and I might say cussedness. What else is 
 it when one does what the commonest kind of horse sense dictates 
 is dangerously wrong. 
 
 I verily believe that were the dynamite conspirators to take a 
 few lessons in the destruction of property and life, by going 
 through some of the factories in question, they could do a great 
 deal more effective work—do it more easily, cheaply and quickly, 
 and what is more there would never be any suspicion, arrest or 
 trial, because evidence would show that thousands of business 
 men all over the world had their buildings exposed in the same 
 manner with their volition, and by their acts consider them safe. 
 
 I will cite a little experience a friend of mine had on this tene¬ 
 ment question. I will call him Brown, which is not his name. 
 Brown, Jones, and Smith, each occupies different stories of the 
 same building. Brown has the first floor and basement, Jones the 
 second and part of the third floor, and Smith the balance of the 
 
149 
 
 third floor. Both the second and third floors are used for the 
 manufacture of wood-work, brackets, bamboo chairs and the like, 
 while Brown is engaged in the machine business. When Brown 
 was the only tenant he paid only a minimum percentage of insur¬ 
 ance, and owing to his vigilance and care felt perfectly safe. After 
 a time the proprietor concluded to rent the upper stories to any¬ 
 one that came along, even if it was a wood-worker. Jones and 
 Smith came along and rented; insurance men came along also, 
 and told Brown that his rates would be 135 per cent, higher. 
 This galled Brown badly, but he had a long lease and there was 
 no use kicking. He had to stay or fail in order to avoid the grip 
 his landlord had on him. Jones and Smith moved in old dry goods 
 boxes filled with straw, hay, etc., used varnish, turpentine, benzine, 
 and oils of all kinds. They also moved in an immense amount of 
 ignorance, carelessness, and “don’t care” ativeness. Brown had 
 the fire marshall look them up; marshall said Jones and Smith 
 were going to reform and keep things in good shape. Things 
 went on along for two years, when one of Smith’s help about as 
 tall as a half ton of coal let a spark fall from his pipe into a ben¬ 
 zine vat; all hands in Smith’s establishment moved out suddenly, 
 and the whole top story of the building was in flames in five 
 minutes. Finally the fire department got the best of it and ex¬ 
 tinguished it. Brown’s property was not burnt any but was 
 soaked through with water, and he was delayed for about two 
 weeks; Smith did not loose much as he had a fair insurance—in 
 fact, I think it would pay some people to get burnt out often, as it 
 is one of the few ways in which they seem to be able to get any 
 profits out of their business. 
 
 After everything was righted, all hands swore reform ; fire pails 
 were stationed and filled in every room; notices posted indicating 
 what should be done in case of fire; instructions were given to 
 keep pails filled with water and not to use them for any purpose 
 except fire. Insurance agents and fire marshal put on more rigid 
 rules, and all went lovely for a while, but after a time Smith’s 
 varnish barrels began to leak, and Jones complained that the 
 varnish came down through the floor; Jones’s varnish barrel 
 began to leak, and Brown’s men said that it did not make 
 good hair oil and thought that Jones should move his var¬ 
 nish from directly over two of Brown’s vises; Brown complained 
 that Jones stopped up the varnish with a heap of saw-dust kept 
 under the spiggot (new recipe for a fire from “an unknown source, 
 probably an incendiary” fire). Finally the varnish leaked so fast 
 
from Smith’s barrels that it ran under the partition walls into 
 Jones’ upper room; the dust settled on it, and the other morning 
 at seven o’clock the workmen had to fly for pails to put out an 
 incipient fire. This led to another investigation. Brown who 
 looked after the building generally, at the request of the landlord, 
 found some of the fire pails used for washing purposes, and strewn 
 all over the room while others were empty or nearly so. Brown 
 remonstrated, and Smith cursed and swore he would use the pails 
 as he liked and when he liked, and if that didn’t suit, Brown could 
 take them away. Brown thought this queer, particularly as the 
 pails belonged to the building to be used only in case of fire, and 
 were so placed for the good of all concerned. But no matter: 
 Smith rented his room and did not propose to have any interfer¬ 
 ence, besides, didn’t he escape having a fire that very day while 
 Jones had a fire in his part of the building? What matter if it 
 was caused by the varnish from Smith’s barrels ; the fire did not 
 start in his room. It did, however, originate in Smith’s rooms, 
 and he knew it. He was also mulish enough to use a pail because 
 it was forbidden fruit, instead of a good wash sink for washing 
 purposes. 
 
 Now what remedy is there for such a case as Brown’s ? He does 
 not want to move out; he cannot stand guard and fight all the 
 time, and. he is fearful at all times and seasons. I suggested that 
 he build a shop on a floating raft, put it on the lake, and induce 
 Smith to move his business, and then keep a loaded cannon 
 always pointed at the raft, to be discharged in case said raft 
 drifted towards the shore. These incidents, together with many 
 others, only tend to prove that a large majority of fires originate 
 through, what might be termed with propriety, “ criminal care¬ 
 lessness,” and that this same carelessness is the cause of many 
 fires which are written up as of incendiary origin. The laws, 
 rules, and regulations must be changed vastly before people will 
 protect even themselves or their own property, and what is more, 
 they must be rigidly enforced. 
 
 It would seem that all men having a naturally hazardous risk 
 in their business, would take at least ordinary precautions against 
 ruinous losses. Their business would not suffer in consequence, 
 but would go along much more smoothly; their insurance account 
 would be cut down very materially, and their chances for delays 
 and losses of business, diminished. Some people think that they 
 must go to a great expense to accomplish these results, but this 
 is their mistake. If they have a good exhaust fan, and system of 
 
suction pipes to clear out the factory, they would save the labor of 
 man power, and have a healthier as well as a pleasanter place in 
 which to pass the day-time of their lives. They will also save a great 
 deal of wear and tear of their mouths, spitting out saw-dust, etc. 
 They could, if a moderate pressure could be had, introduce a 
 system of pipes and automatic sprinklers overhead, which would 
 in almost every case, quench a fire as soon as started. These 
 sprinklers need no human aid, are always ready for duty, do not 
 strike, or have any holidays or blue Mondays, and can be arranged 
 to operate at almost any temperature desired. This plan has 
 been very successfully and generally introduced in many of the 
 cotton factories and large establishments both east and west, 
 and are becoming very popular. 
 
 If one does not care to go to the expense of this system they 
 should at least have a full supply of water barrels and pails sta¬ 
 tioned at frequent intervals throughout the building. Some of 
 the old turpentine, varnish, or Japan barrels could be utilized. 
 Rubber pails would be the best as they never shrink or fall to 
 pieces, but if the wooden pails are kept filled they will not fail. 
 They should occasionally be emptied and refilled to keep them 
 sweet and clean; it should be a part of some one’s business to see 
 that all barrels and pails are looked after and kept full; men 
 should be instructed at least enough to know their duty as soon 
 as a fire is discovered ; all kinds of refuse such as oily rags and 
 waste should be swept up and burned every evening; smoking 
 should not be allowed about the premises under any considera¬ 
 tion ; all inflammable liquids such as varnish and the like should 
 be kept in a separate building, and should a water system be in 
 the vicinity, or steam kept up all night, and a watchman employed, 
 a good line of hose should be attached and ready for service 
 Having taken all these precautions, you will be prepared to extin 
 guish any incipient fire that may occur, but it won’t occur, at 
 leasthardly—that is I mean to say not frequently. Why ? Be¬ 
 cause the very men employed to handle the fire are also a means 
 to prevent the same, and that is the secret. Keep up the preven¬ 
 tion day after day and year after year, and you may rest as¬ 
 sured that your chances of getting the insurance appraisers and 
 adjusters around will be very small. 
 
THE LUMBER WORLD. 
 
 A Monthly Magazine 0/ Eighty Pages , Devoted 
 to the Production and Utilization 0/Lumber. 
 
 THE LEADING PAPER OF ITS CLASS. 
 
 Each number contains practical articles upon every¬ 
 day topics by practical men; illustrated descriptions of 
 all new wood-working machinery as soon as the same is 
 ready for the market; illustrations and descriptions of 
 all new inventions in the line of wood-working ma¬ 
 chinery ; news and notes from the trade in all sections 
 of the country. 
 
 SUBSCRIPTION, - $1.50 Per Year. 
 
 SINGLE COPIES, - - - 20 Cents. 
 
 C. A. Wenborne, Publisher, Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 152 
 

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