Kiln Drying of Common Grows Yerlr Rapidly

By H. B. Oakleaf, Matrager Northwest Blower Kiln Co.

Less than five years ago the kiln drying of Common Boards and Dimension was only a dream of a few lumbermen and kiln designers, but today it is rapidly becoming the predominant method of preparing lumber for rail shipments.

By the end of this year, billions of feet of kiln dried stock will annually replace the green and partially air-dried stocks shipped in the past from Western Mills.

Many people are asking what has brought about this change in seasoning practice throughout the vast lumber ptoducing section of the West.

There is no single answer to this question, for it is a combination of many factors of developments, so interrelated that with few exceptions, no individual item could be pointed out as the real and principal cause.

Probably the most important influence on the growth of "kilns for Common" is the improved kiln design perfected with the use of forced circulation. This is placed as the most important factor,because with,out improved design and operation of kilns, the artificial drying of Common would not have been economical or practical. It would have been cheaper to continue yard drying on a more thorough basis with a tremendous increase in stocks on hand and huge investments in sheds for winter storing of summer -dried stocks, if the industry were to meet the demand of discerning buyers and keep out the inroads of substitutes.

Ttre next step in the development of common drying in the West was the coming of the Southern operators to the Pacific Coast. These men had kiln dried Southern Pine Common for years, and were confident, that (with the improved kiln {eslgn available, at the time of their arrival) they could dry Common Dimension and Board of Western Woods as successfully as had previously been done in the South.

They backed their judgment with huge investments and won. Du-r_ing the period of development and perfection of the artificial seasoning of Common Boards and Dimension, the production of Southern Pine declined rapidly and more and more Eastern buyers were forced to turn io the West for Boards and Dimension. The green and oartiallv dry stocks they received on their early o-rders, *eti a poot substitute for the "dry" Southern Pine they were used to having. They soon began to search for Western Mills that would ship dry stock.

During the summer months, many Western Mills were able to supply dry boards and dimension, but each fall and winter it became evident that mills with kilns were the only ones that could be relied upon to ship stocks that met Eastern ideas of satisfactory dryness.

As the demand for dry boards and dimension spread, each winter more and more 'Western mill men realized that they must put in kilns for Com,mon if they were to meet the demands of Eastern buyers, who wanted d.y stocks the year round.

Sales managers at mills without kilns soon began to implore the executives and directors to install modern kilns, painting a sad but true story of complaints, claims, and lost orders.

About this time the more courageous mill executives, who had installed kilns for Common, began to accumlate data on year round underweights, low degrade, reduced working capital, lowered insurance interest and taxes on reduced stocks and very kindly gave these data to interested parties.

When the older Western operators saw what the new comers were accomplishing with kilns for Common in the way of savings, service, and preferential business, they realized that Common not onlv could be kiln dried successfully in rnodern forced circulition kilns, but, that it should be done.

They realized that it paid in cash and best of all it improved the product for the use intended. They found it pushed the Western woods farther into competitive territory and overcame all of the past prejudices against Western Common Dimension and Boards.

By January l, 1928, there will be more than two billion feet of Western Common dried and shipped annually from kilns now in operation and under construction, and many additional kilns are planned to meet this gtowing demand.

This vast change in Western Lumber Manufacturing practice represents an important milestone in the progress of lumbering operation ll/h. Dealen-How do you know that the $cond house on Fifth Street, iust off of Main, doesntt ned some of your lumber for seryice? Alt 4ght th"n, how about all the other houses in tovm?

Its success is a striking example of doing something that t'can't be donet' but is being done, not only successfully but profitably.