Abstract: A hog fuel board is made by placing a hog fuel mat including an ammonium chloride catalyst with flexible non-sticking layers on outside surfaces between screens in a preheated platen press and pressing the mat to preset stops and for a predetermined time and pressure to cause adhesives naturally present in the hog fuel to disperse throughout the board. The presence of ammonium chloride as a catalyst uniformly distributed through the hog fuel mat significantly lowers the temperature required at the heating press platens to form a board which also has improved properties. There is also described a hog fuel veneer board with a hog fuel mat sandwiched between veneer sheets and a lumber product with a hog fuel coating thereon. These additional products are both formed using the ammonium chloride catalyst to reduce press temperatures and create a product with improved properties, particularly, internal bond strength.

Abstract: Although borates have been recognized as desirable for use in wood-based articles because of their preservative properties and low toxicity, it has not until now been possible to make effective use of them. A lignocellulosic e.g. wood-based composite article in accordance with the present Invention includes a low solubility borate compound which is mixed with the lignocellulosic furnish, resin adhesive, and a flow agent, the resultant mixture being pressed into a mat and cured. The low solubility borate can be used in a quantity from about 1% to 10% by weight of the furnish. Suitable flow agents are polyethylene glycol and glycerol in the amount of 0.4% to about 4% by weight of the furnish.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for controlling sapstain in wood and wood products comprising a) steam pasteurizing the wood or wood product followed by b) treating the wood or wood product with a biological control agent comprising one or more fungi selected from the class Hyphomycetes. Also disclosed are wood or wood products so treated.

Abstract: A multi-storey wood frame construction system of the beam and column configuration uses engineered wood products. Standard prefabricated column components permit beam and column construction system which heretofore has usually only been possible with steel when used in multi-storey buildings. The system comprises a plurality of prefabricated column components, all having the seine height for one storey of construction, the components spaced apart and supporting laminated beams, each component having at least two laminated vertical column members extending from top to bottom of the component, the vertical column members spaced apart and joined at the top and at the bottom of the component by laminated horizontal members.

Abstract: The presence of decay is determined in wood by testing a sample. The wood tested may be standing timber, cut timber or when coated in building structures. The testing occurs in very short time intervals so that tests can be carried out on timber in mills and the like. The method of testing includes heating a portion of a wood sample at a temperature in the range of about 220.degree. to 350.degree. C. to evaporate analytes from the wood, conveying the analytes in a sample gas flow into an ionizing chamber of an ion mobility spectrometer detector, ionizing the analytes within the ionizing chamber at a temperature in the range of about 220.degree. to 350.degree. C., generating an ion drift time signature in the detector, and comparing the signature with predetermined signatures representing decay in wood.

Abstract: A laminated veneer lumber product utilizes low density veneers and is able to provide an edge stiffness value or MOE of at least 2,000,000 psi. This is the same strength as attained with high density veneers. The product has adjacent surface layers formed of low density incised veneer sheets having a moisture content of at least about 6% or adjacent surface layers formed of low density incised veneer sheets impregnated with phenolic resin and dried to a moisture content not exceeding about 5%. The surface layers are positioned on both sides of adjacent core layers which are either formed of high density veneer sheets or are formed of low density incised veneer sheets impregnated with a phenolic resin and dried to a moisture content not exceeding about 5%. The surface layers of low density incised veneer sheets having a moisture content of at least about 6% are densified against the core layers by at least about 5%.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to produce an ion mobility signature representing a wood sample provides a method of comparing signatures to identify the species of the wood sample. A method of producing an ion drift time signature representing a wood species comprises heating at least a portion of a wood sample at a temperature in the range of about 220.degree. to 350.degree. C. to desorb and produce trace vapors from the wood sample, ionize the trace vapors at a temperature in the range of about 220.degree. to 350.degree. C., pulse ions through a gate into a drift region, measure the time of arrival of the ions and the ion flux for each pulse, with a collector electrode, located at the end of the drift region to produce an ionic signal, and amplify and average the ionic signal to provide an ion drift time signature for the wood sample.

Abstract: A system of drying veneer sheets for manufacturing wood products such as plywood, measures the moisture content of the sheets and controls drying to a predetermined moisture content. By drying veneer sheets to the predetermined moisture content, avoids excessive drying to ensure all sheets are below the 11% moisture content level. A process of drying comprises incising a veneer sheet, sensing the moisture content of the incised veneer sheet, steam drying the sheet under pressure and controlling the drying based on the sensed moisture content of the veneer sheet, to dry the sheet to the predetermined moisture content.

Abstract: A multihead incisor for incising at least two sides of lumber or timber and in one pass produces a higher incision density than can be achieved without two or more passes on existing single roll incisors. The incisor comprises at least two sets of incisor rolls, each set having two or more rolls spaced apart in one plane representing a side of a piece of lumber or timber moving in the one plane, a first incisor roll in each set having incising teeth positioned to make a pattern of incisions in the one plane, a second incisor roll in each set, downstream of the first incisor roll, positioned to make a second pattern of incisions over the first pattern of incisions in the one plane, and a system to synchronize rotation of the first and second incisor rolls in each set to ensure combination of the first and second patterns of incisions is to a predetermined final pattern of closely spaced apart incisions on at least two sides of a piece of lumber or timber.