Figuered Red Gum Veneers and Plywood

By Mr. J. M. Langton, Jr,, Pac. Coast Commercial Co.

Just thirteen years ago, to be exact in the fall of 1911, The Louisville Veneer Mills sau' the wonderful possibilities that lay dornrant in a wood that was at that time practically unknown in tl-re art of cabinetry. Gum had been used for various purposes, such as boxes, shooks, baskets, and for concealed work in the woodworkins industrv for many years. The wood enjoyed a period of populari[' a shoit time prior to 1911, r,,'hen it was paraded up and dorvn Europe and E_ngland un_der. several fictitious names the principal ones being Nyssa., and Satin Walnut. But it was destined that this far sighted organization should become the pioneers in the manufactuie of Figure{ Gum Products. An advertising ca.mpaign was started, that virtually placed this wood in the strong position it now holds amollg the finer cabinet woods.

And you who live in the West, and are not so familiar with this wood must bear in mind that Figured Gum is not an imitation of any other specie, but it is a wood that possesses sufficient individual beauty of figure and coloring and quality of texture and grain to enable it to stand on it's own merits, the proof of which- lies in it's immense popularity.

The tree grows to best advantage, and is most prolific in the warm climate of the south eastern states. Tl-re logs are generally cut from l0' to 16' long and range lrom 2' to 5' in diimeter. - The wood is, mediumly soft, lending itself readily to knife cutting, and the predominating colors are red, brown and canary. The figuie design may be 'seen in the accompanying photograph.

The manufacturer who specializes in Figured Gum must be a gambler for to paraphrase-all Figured Gum is Gum, but all Gum is not figured. Of course there are so called tests to determine if a log is figured or not, one test is to thoroughly'wet the fresh sawn end of a log with rvater, and the figure is supposed to become visible, however this test is successful sometimes, and perhaps more times it means nothing. The only real test is to split the los in the center and if it is a figured log the figure will show on the-two exposed surfaces. If it contains no figure just then the orieinal investment depreciates anywhere from 50Vo to 100% in the -oossible sale val's of that particular log., Comparing the price a[ which Figured Red Gum veneers are sold with that of some of the other fancy woods, and when the relatively small amount of real fgured wood to the plain is taken in consideration, the price is excesJively low.

If the.log shows figure it is of course sawn into flitches which in turn are either cut into sliced or sa$'n veneers. It has been the custom of the Louisville Veneer Mills almost from the beginning to sepa-rate and retain intact. the entire output of a finely figured log, and even an entiri tree. A gum log of average size will produce abo_ut_ 10,000 feet.of veneer and the advantage in following ihis established custom is a dual one. The consumdr may obtain ine flitch or the entire.log which-may be used either in furniture building or for paneled interiors of large buildings, in either case a unif6rm appearance is most desirable. The producer is benefitted in .that it gives him an opportunity, not only as a sales argument, but enables him to give his customer a class of service that pleases and makes for repeat orders.

-Another distinctive property of Figured Red Gum is the beautiful effect produced by- the blending of heart wood and sap, especially in the proper. match-ing of .the veneers. This is one of ihe q:ualities that sets it apart, for it is almost impossible to obtain the same design in any other specie of wood.

.^J.he us.9 of .Figur.ed Red Gum has been steadily increasing since l9l1 until .today_ millions -of feet are being used -for purposis that were utterly unthought of prior to that da1e. And this oeriod iust a little over a decade marks only the start, the first tari tras .intv been passed, _and the possibilities- and opportunities offered bv thi"s once desplsed, unknown and downtrodden wood are without- limit. And the fact that it is grown in the southeastern section of it i country and -produ_ced in 4entucky, both of rvhich are quite a dis. tance from this Western Coast, will not deter it's sale ""i f,i"ai. it's popularity here in the West, for the producers have estabiishE sales connection with the Pacific Coast Commercial Co. *t" c"iiy in stock an ample quantity of Figured Red Gum veneers and olv-_ wood to take care of requests for immediate shipment or for smifl lot.s... This sales agency will gladly cooperate ;ith achit;;is. -;;e Durtdrng committees. .or with furniture manufacturers and wood_ NoIkXC plants. turnis]1lng gratis any information relative to Figured lI.ec uum, rt s posstbllltres and uses.