Fire Retardant Treatment of Lumber

By Dan L. Lindsley, Field Engineer, J. H. Boxter & Co., Los Angeles

There is increasing interest in the fire retardant treatment of lumber. This has been under study for some time by the wood preservation industry, and much work has been done by the Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, 'Wis., over the last 10 years in studying the different chemicals that have fire retardant value, their comparative costs, and their treatability of lumber.

War has brought rapidly increasing interest in this development, and the Forest Products Laboratory has now prepared preliminary Federal standards both for fire retardant chemical formulas and for treating processes. The Bureau of Ships of the Navy has used these standards in calling for fire retardant treatment on 20 large patrol blimp hangers of all 'r,r'ood construction. One of the formulas included in both Navy specifications and Federal tentative standards is zinc chloride or chromated zinc chloride (czc).

IJnderwriters' Laboratories, Inc., a non-profit organization, sponsored by the National Board of Fire LJnderwriters, recently made a test to determine the fire hazard classification of l-inch T & G Dressed Douglas Fir and Southern Pine, impregnated by chromated, zinc chloride. The results of the test and the description of the apparatus developed to conduct the test are shown in the report. Further investigation is under way to determine the effective depth of penetration required for lumber of greater thickness.

Test panels 2O inches by 25 ieet were constructed and in the tests these constituted the top of a furnace. At one end of this furnace a gas jet was directed against the roof panel and a draught of known volume was passed through the furnace. Peepholes at various points along the length

Will Attend Ncrtioncrl Retcil Convention

Orrie Hamilton, secretary manager, Southern California Retail Lumber Association, and Paul Hallingby, Hammond Lumber Co., Los Angeles, will attend the annual convention of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, to be held in Chicago, October 18 and 19.

of the furnace permitted observation of the spread of flame, and thermometers recorded the temperatures at the various points. Control panels of asbestos cement and of untreated red Oak were likewise tested under the same conditions. The asbestos cement panels were rated at 0 per cent combustible, and the red Oak as 100 per cent combustible. The treated panels were then rated between these limits and under the three separate headings of flame spread, fuel contributed, and smoke developed. The ratings are indicated for the varying poundages of treatment ranging from I lb. to 4 lbs. of the dry salts per cubic foot of wood.

For example under the conclusions and recommendations of this report a 4 lb. treatment with chromated zinc chloride results in a recommended flame spread factor of 30 and a fuel contributed factor of. 25. The limitations of the tests did not permit of definite factors under the heading of smoke developed, but the observations rvere conclusive that the treated samples developed less than the untreated samples. Furthermore the smoke from the treated samples was no more toxic than that from the untreated samples.

J. H. Baxter & Co., 601 West 5th Street, Los Angeles 13, and 333 Montgomery Street, San Francisco 4, have copies of this report, which they will be glad to send without charge to anyone interested in having one.

This concern has for many years treated lumber with chromated zinc chloride (CZC), for protection against termites and decay. It is only necessary to increase the poundage of the chemical to give the added fire retardant value. Some of the formulas in the Federal specifications provide fire retardant value only, whereas chromated zinc chloride provides protection against decay, termites and fire.

Hart Visits Cclifornia

Al Hart, of the Hart Mill Company, Raymond, Washington, rvas a recent visitor in Los Angeles and San Francisco. He sells lots of lumber in California, and his mill is represented in Southern California by Tacoma Lumber Sales, Los Angeles.

Twenty Yiaas Ago

From the Oetober I,1028, fsaue

Announcement was made that Lumbermen's Association would vention at the Palace Hotel. San and,27.

Congervation Order M;208 Amended

the California Retail hold their annual conFrancisco, October 26

This issue carried a personal write-up of R. L. Cuzner, manager of the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill & Lumber Company of Los Angeles.

C. D. Johnspn Lumber Company of opened an office in Los Angeles with Portland, Oregon, Frank Karrick as manager.

Peoples Lumber Company, Ventura, purchased the Fillmore vard of the Havward Lumber & Investment Co.

Hammond Lumber Company made extensive improvements to their plant in Van Nuys.

A large number of Hoo-Hoo members from the Bay District and various parts of the State attended the Concatenation held at the Plantation Inn, San Francisco, Saturday evening, September 15. Sixteen Kittens were initiated.

David Woodhead, Woodhead Lumber Company, Los Angeles, was appointed Hoo-Hoo State Counselor for California by the newly elected Snark of the lJniverse, C. D. LeMaster.

Herman L. Rosenberg, Hipolito Company, Los Angeles, was elected Vicegerent Snark of the Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo district.

A. A. Frost, Frost Hardwood Company and San Diego Lumber Company, San Diego, was elected Vicegerent Snark of the San Diego Hoo-Hoo district.

Iobs Ecsy to Get

Sorneone asked Paul Sanderson, president of the Southern Pine Association, if jobs were plentiful in the mills at present. Paul answered: "Any man who can be wheeled up to a machine, can get one."

To eliminate duplication between Conservation Order M-208 (Softwood Lumber), CMP Regulations 5 and 5A, and various preference rirting orders, M-208 as amended was issued today by the War Production Board.

M-208 formerly assigned ratings to purchase orders for softwood lumber, as defined, to be useif for maintenance and repair as well as for other specified purposes. Higher ratings for industrial and commercial maintenance and repair lumber, however, are assigned by CMP Regulations 5 and 5A and P orders, and it was not.clear whether the lower ratings of M-208 or the higher ratings should be used.

As amended, M.208 clarfies this point by deleting all assignments of preference ratings for maintenance and repair except for agricultural buildings and dwellings. Ratings for these two purposes are not assigned by any other order.

Amendment to Conservation Order M-mB, issued September 16.

Set Prices on Mexican Pine Lumber

The Defense Supplies Corporation, a subsidiary of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, has been authorized by_ the OPA to sell Mexican pine lumber in the United States at the highest prevailing price established for any private importer. The Mexican lumber to be imported by DSC is purchased under the direction of the Office of Economic Warfare and, as is the case with privately imported stock, will be sold only to government procurement agencies.

The present highest private importer's ceiling price is $6.50 per 1000 board feet above the maximum price for Western Pine established by Maximum Price Regulation No. 94. This permission is found in Amendment No. 8 to MPR 94, and becomes effective on September 25, 1943,

Four Sons in Army Air Force

The four sons of W. H. O'Neill, O'Neill Lumber Co., San Francisco, are all making good progress in the Army Aii Force.

Gil is a lst Lieutenant, stationed at Seattle; Ken is an aviation cadet in training at Tulare, Calif.; Bill is an aviation cadet at Yuma, Ariz., and Dick, a Link instructor at Herington, Kansas, is a Corporal.

Eagt B.y Hoo-Hoo Club

Electg Officers

D. Nornon Cor&

D. Normen Cords, Wendling-Nathan Co., San Francisco, was elected president of East Bay Hoo-Hoo Club at the dinner meeting held at Hotel Leamington, Oakland, September 13.

Wm. Chatham, Jr., Loop Lumber & Mill Co., Alameda, was elected vice-president, and G. W. Sechrist was reelected secretary-treasurer. Al Kelley was appointed sergeant-at-arms.

The new directors are Thomas P. Hogan III, Hogan Lumber Co., Oakland; John Helm, Santa Fe Lumber Co., San Francisco; Thomas Jacobsen, Piedmont Lumber & Mill Co., Oakland; A.M. Charter. Wholesale Building Supply Co., Oakland; Earl Chalfan, E. K. Wood Lumber Co., Oakland.

Committee chairmen appointed by the new president are the following: Finance, James McNab; Public Affairs, Clement Fraser; Membership, Earl Chalfan ; Attendance, Everett Lewis; Program and Entertainment, Thomas Hogan III; Reception, John Helm; Fraternal, B. E. Bryan; Publicity, Frank Brown; Activities and Sports, A. M. Charter; Educational, Thomas T. Branson; Meetings, Thomas Jacobsen; Paraphernalia, G. W. Sechrist; Nominating, L. J. Woodson; Christmas Party, Wm. Chatham, Jr.; Reveille, Geo. C. Clayberg, Christmas Fellowship Fund, Jack Wood.

The speaker of the evening was Col. W. B. Greeley, secretary-manager of the West Coast Lumbermen's As' sociation, Seattle.

There was an attendance of 128 at the dinner. Lewis Godard presented a wrist watch on behalf of the Club to George Clayberg, retiring president, and a fine engraved letter writing case to ex-secretary Jim Overcast, who is now a private, first class, in the Army.

ImportE Mexiccm Hcrdwoo&

George A. Hill,, formerly sales manager for CadwalladerGibson Co., is now importing some Mexican hardwoods. All his sales are in connection with the war effort. He is also marketing miscellaneous run to detail softwood items.

Red Rivcr Operrta Splcndid Rcbuih Pine Mill !t Suranville

This season the Red River Lumber Company, of Westwood, California, is operating in addition to the great Westwood plant, a mighty fine sawmill of smaller caliber at Susanville. It is a rebuilt institution. Charles Sewell, who previously had spent two years rebuilding and remodeling the great Westwood mill, completely overhauled the Susanville plant, installed a lot of new equipment, and gave them a splendidly arranged mill that will make more than twenty million feet of Pine lumber this year.

The sawmill is now operated throughout with electric power. The log cutting equipment consists of a band and band resaw, the latter being of the merry-go-round variety. New installations include an air-cooled refuse burner, and a small planing mill. Lumber around the plant is handled with Gerlinger carriers. The pond was enlarged and deepened. Power saws are used in the woods in their timber cutting.

R. L. Kemp is plant superintendent. The mill is under the general jurisdiction of Kenneth Walker.

Sto* I\fillwor&

Producers of stock millwork-wooden doors, frames, windows, sash and allied items-are authorized by OPA to shorten their discounts. Thus they may pass on to buyers their increased lumber costs resulting from price advances of$3 to $6 per 1000 board feet in shop grades of Ponderosa pine since last April.

Jobbers and retail distributors also,are given permission to add to their prices as established by GMPR the actual dollars and cents sums by which their "net costs'f of stock millwork are increased as the result of smaller discounts by producers. These price adjustments will increase maximum retail prices around 3 per cent above present levels. Increases in costs of ponderosa pine, chief material used by stock millwork manufacturers caused these adjustments. (Revised Maximum Price Regulation 293), effective September 21.

Wins Arny-Ncrva Slcr Awcrd

A new Army-Navy "E" pennant with one star affixed ryas presented September 15 to the men and women of the Masonite Corporation by the Navy Board for production Awards. There were no ceremonies held in connection with the presentation of the additional honor, which was made in recognition of the high production level of Masonite presdwoods and hardboards during the six-month period ending June 15. Masonite Corporation received the original Army-Navy "E" pennant on February 23 of this year.

Stalled on Madeline H:ll

The grade was deep on Madeline Hill, And labored the engine's breathing; The night was dark, a wild storm raged, And the river was angrily seething. Dan Steel, the husky young engineer, Opined that he "sure was whipped;" He struggled hard on that treacherous grade, But the whole train balked and slipped.

Now, the station master at Reno town 'Was new to the job and place, So he waited there for old thirty three With an anxiously puckered up face. "By gum, but that train's long after due !" He snapped in angry tones, Then he listened a while to the pouring rain And the mad wind's shrieks and moans.

Then over the wires with a snap and a crack Came a message from up near Gunther, "f'm stuck," it said, "on Madeline Hill, And I can't get no further."

Then the station master, new to the place, Uprose in a swirl of wrath; "No whipper snapper like Steel," he yelled, "Can philander along my path !"

"I'm out to make a record, by gar, And I'm betting dollars to dimes, That as long as I hold down this job, The trains will come in on time." So he snapped this answer out through the night

"By all the gods of Zeno, You gotta marry that gal, Dan Steel, And bring her along into Reno !"

A. Merriam Conner.

Pete Toste Cclls

on Mills

F. A. "Pete" Toste, manager of the Southern California office of Kilpatrick & Company, Wilmington, Calif., will be back from visiting Fir mills in the Pacific Northwest about October 1.

This company is specializing in the sale of Fir timbers, 40 feet and longer.

470,924 Units Completed Since 1940

Housing for war workers under the publicly-financed phase of the war housing program has been completed at an average rate of 1,000 dwelling units a day in the past several months, the Federal Public Housing Authority reported September 26. Some 32,177 units were completed in July alone.

In the first seven months of this year 236,697 units were completed, which is twice the number completed in the last seven months of 1942, according to Herbert Emmerich, FPHA Commissioner, and 174,306 dwelling units were under construction at the end of July and contracts were yet to be let for 60,747 more under the presenr program.

Since July l,l94o., 470,924 units have been completed, of which 321,3W were family dwelling units,L2Z,I3Z dormitory units and 27,407 trailer units.

These production records do not include the dwelling units to be made available through Government conversion of existing homes and other structures under the National Housing Agency's Homes IJse program. As of the end of August, 26,1W such units were under lease to the Government for conversion, some 15,531 of which were completed or under construction

As of July 31, a total of 706,000 dwelling units were und"er development or management in the Government-financed phase of the National Housing Agency,s war housing prog'ram.

Asbestos-Cement Building Materials

Maximum dollars and cents ceilings for sales of asbestos_ 'cement building materials from a factory are established by the OPA. This maintains the current level of prices chargei in sales from factory for several classes of building mat'erials made from asbestos-cement such as roofing and siding shingles, lumber, flat sheets, sheathing and wallboard, iexible wallboard and decorative wallboard. The 10/o increase on corrugated sheets put into effect by most of the industrv in the spring of. l94l is ordered eliminated (Maximum price Regulation 466), efrective September 18.

Ccpt. Russell Johnson Visits S. F.

Captain Russell Johnson, son of Otis R. Johnson, presi_ dent of the Union Lumber Co., San Francisco, was recentlv home on leave. He is in the Army Air Force, and is stationed at Santa Ana.