THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 7

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

A NEW ASPECT. "A wonderful proccss, which is going to re. volutioniso the timber industry, not only-in this Dominion, but throughout the world." So writes a correspondent concerning the Powell wood process. "It has long been recognised," ho continues, "that wo should ono day-feel' the enormous destruction of our valuablo timbers in this Dominion. Felling bush and burning it, 'however, had-to he done for tho. purposo of settlement. At tho. same time, it would really have been of .'bonefit to the country had cortain areas of tho best timber in every district been reserved by. tho Government' to be dealt with in a special manner hereafter. Encouragement now will have to bo given to settlors to- go in for plantations to meet, this continual paucity of timber,, and it', does not-matter what class of tiinber is planted, as by a proved process all timbers can bo mado available for all classes of work. "This romark-'blo process, called tho Powell Wood Process, generally known now as 'Powellising,'prevents any class of timber wlioii cut from warping, and tho timber is preserved and seasoned, soft woods in eight days, hardor longer, according to tho nature of tho wood, tho hardest within a month, far more perfectly than timber is ordinarily seasoned now by stacking in three years. It makes it also immuno from attacks of any insect life, either on land or in water. . It, strengthens' the timber and brings out tho grain perfectly. Tho result, is that our soft timbers, such as whito pine and rimu, etc., after being treated,, can be used for fencingposts or any work'where tho timber has to bo buried in the ground, just as well as. tho heart of totara, and to all builders and cabinot-makers this troatmeiit will bo of immonso benefit. " , "A most thorough and severe test for inoro than two years hasibeon mado at tho works' established at Perth, and tho then chief en-, gineerof the Railway Department in Western Australia, Mr. G. A. Julius, superintended those tests on behalf or the Western Australian; G'overnmont, and was so satisfied with the results that he threw, up his exalted career in that country and is now manager of tho Now South AA'ales Powell Wood Process, -Limited, Sydney, where he has erected'/very | complete- and extensive works, described in tho. "Sydney Building Paper" of August 5, which gives a description of this process. Tho company, although it has only been a few weeks' in operation, has already received orders to treat a million feet of -timber. "A company has been formed'and'is putting up similar works at' Raugataua, a railway station on tho Main Trunk lino, tho first after entering ' the celebrated AVaimarino Bush from the southern si'de. The timber from seven sawmills will pass through thenyard to that station. , These extensive works are expected to bo completed and open- for operation in November next-. They also, intend to crect similar works at Frankton Junction, in tho Waikato. "When orio comes to consider 'tho enormous amount of timber which is at present unavailable for tho market owing to its known tendency to warping and perishing after being milled, and that this process will prevent.all that, and make this timber available for'all classoo of work, it must bo 'admitted thatNAo industry promises to be of great value to the Dominion. 1 Any movement ,to convert what is now practically-useless, timber into a valuable asset will bo watched with close interest." Mr. Julius, interviewed by a representative of " Building," a Sydney magazine, stated that 1 ' in the process the timber is neither discoloured nor damaged. No cxcessivo steaming or high temperature is used, and at tho end of operations tho timber is seasoned to any degree necessary. It is also rendered non-absorbont, free from cracks, shakes or twists, and becomes permanent in its nature, and absolutely"immuno to all insect attacks and dry rot. Timber so treated isj on the average, ■ fully 25 per cent, lighter and 40per cent, stronger than tho untreated green wood. Another important', item is that tho timber treated by the new process requires from 20 per. cent, to 40 per cent, less paint' than when thero is necessity for painting to cover it. - "Mr. Julius further explained that tho proccss consists in boiling timber in a saccharine solution, containing such other ingre-. dients as may, be desired, whereby the latent air, sap, and much of the organic matter which it contained is oxpollod. and. tho wood, cells filled with the saccharine matter, a sub r stance akin to tho wood itself. The timber, is subsequently dried in specially constructed chambers, leaving; it, if so desired, in a perfectly ' seasoned condition. :■ It was claimfcd for the.: process that by it. timbers. ..were thoroughly seasoned without cracking, twisting, or splitting,' making them .lighter.and stronger. It rendered all woods immune to the' attacks of , whito . ants,: tho borer and. tho tered navalis, and dry rot also. No pressure of any kind was used in the process, to induce, absorption, owing to tho natural affinity of tho ■ wood for sugar. In reply to ' Building,' Mr. Julius mentioned that great pieces of timber, 24in. square,' after being treated ' by - tho; process, showed, when cut that the preservatives bad reached the very, centre." . ' " ,