Builds Rowing Shells of Fir Plywood

Tacoma, 'Wash., August 16.-Here's a new trvist to plywood !

Perhaps it should be tabulated as the one thousand and first application for the material which heretofore has been listed as the "wood of 1,000 uses."

For with the utilization of a steam iron, some strips of rubber from tire inner tubes, a few carpenter's tools and a lot of ingenuity, Crew Coach E. A. Stevens at Oregon State College (Corvallis, Ore.) has formed two rowing shells of the rigid panels.

They are the first such craft ever built of fir plywood. And in molding the r/s-inch, three-ply panels over the framework, Coach Stevens accomplished what some people had believed dififrcult if not impossible, he shaped the pl1'1ys6d into compound curves-bent the sheets in two or more directions.

What ultimate effect these new style shells will have on collegiate rowing not yet has been determined, but it is certain that all crew men at OSC rate the ne'iv boats as "tops." After trial trips on the Willamette River, both the oarsmen and Mr. Stevens joined to say the boats are just what is wanted because they are "stable vet fast."

And the coach judged the shells not only by rvatching their "run" in the water, but also by the "feel" of the boats as he, too, pulled on a stveep.

Norv 56 years old, Coach Stevens' collegiate rowing days are back more than 30 years when he was a varsity oarsman at Cornell. But only a few minutes after his plywood shells hit the water he foresook his coaching launch to test the needle boats.

When he turned to building plywood shells this spring, there were three basic reasons for choosing the laminated material rather than the narrow cedar boards with rvhich the conventional boats are planked.

First, he needed boats that r.'i'ould stand the gaff. While OSC crervs don't draw national attention, there are more students actively participating in the sport there than at any other school in the nation. With 200 youths rowing and rvith very ferv boats to use, the shells at this school take a terrific beating.

Coach Stevens decided that plywood, which is virtually puncture-proof, would best withstand the abuse dealt out. If the boat does plow into a river snag hard enough to damage it, it is a simple matter to fit in a plywood patch rather than replace a plank as is necessary in other boats.

Strength of the plywood shells was proved even before they were finished. The light boats (less than 200 pounds when full rigged) were juggled around by two men-one at each end. This is just one stunt not tried rvith the conventional shells because the lack of intermediary support may cause the "back" to break. Ihe little matter of cost contributed torvard selection of plywood for the OSC boats. Total cost of materials for each of these boats .ivas about $5O. The coach and the students built the entire shells including outriggers, seats and other fittings. To purchase a new shell of the conventional type would cost about $500.

Third element considered rn'as the amount of equipment needed for the work. Only simple hand tools and no elaborate forms were required for building with plywood, the coach stating that he could completely plank one of these plywood shells in about four days or in about one-third the time it would take him to do the same work with narrow planking under comparable conditions.

This is the method followed: A small rotary saw was used to cut the plywood pieces to fit vvith two panels (enough to plank a fourth of the hull) coming from each 4 by l2-foot plywood sheet. The piece was then clamped in place and literally soaked with water. Then the panel was "ironed" with a home steam iron while pressure was brought to bear by pulling on the large rubber bands.

After each sheet was formed, it was glued to the ribs; nails were applied as an added bond. Only seams in the hull are the three around it and one down the center. The simple butt-joint was used with waterproof glue between the panels. One shell was finished with three coats of gym floor varnish; the other was given three coats of a sealer. That's the story of the world's first fir plywood racing shells. They are to be used primarily for intramural races at OSC, at which school the sport of crew is staged in a unique way.

There's another singular aspect to rowing at this school. Coach Stevens is the only one in the nation who builds his crew's shells.

A. A. KAYSER ON TOUR OF MILLS

Adds Ross Carrier

A. A. Kayser of the West Coast Lumbermen's Associa- Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Company, Eureka, has purtion is on an extended trip through the mills in the North- chased another Ross Carrier, making a fleet of four of a west, and is making the Portland office his headquarters. kind in constant use at their mill.