Abstract: A composite material panel having alternating layers of wood veneer with recycled or waste material. The layers are sandwiched together. The technique involves forming the composite material layer by layer and employing materials in each layer that are suited to satisfy requirements for specific kinds of construction. The layer of recycled or waste material is preferably flexible and has memory. Some examples include plastic straw, bars from plastic, tires or metal, balls from plastic or tires, sheet from plastic, tires or metal, air bubble cushioning from plastic. The metal is exemplified by aluminum and tin.

Abstract: The strength of wood composites, including hybrid composites comprising wood members bonded to reinforced polyester members, is improved by modifying the polyester components with a polyisocyanate. Wood composites adhesively bonded with polyester resins modified according to this invention are particularly desirable for use in applications where exterior exposure is contemplated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wood board for use as flooring panels and a method of making the wood board. The wood board has the strength and outer surface finish of hardwood boards, increased flexibility, and a lower cost than hardwood boards. The wood board of the present invention comprises a core layer having plural veneer layers oriented such that longitudinal grain structures of adjacent layers are perpendicular with respect to each other, and each veneer having longitudinal pierced slots placed therein oriented in parallel with their respective longitudinal grain structures; and a longitudinally sliced face layer placed upon the inner core layer. This wood board and flooring panel of the present invention have high strength, high flexibility and superior surface smoothness. Further, the present invention provides lower manufacturing costs and thus lower costs for the consumer.

Abstract: A blinds slat has a major portion being strips of bamboo and a minor portion being one or more pairs of wooden strips that are located at or near opposite side extremities of the slat. The resulting composite bamboo and wooden slat as exemplary resistance to warping and other deleterious effects of exposure to sun and moisture. Also disclosed is a method for producing the slats that is particularly advantageous in avoiding environmental harm, in that only small amounts of wood are used.

Abstract: A tensioned structure such as a house is disclosed. The house includes at least one wall panel placed under tension by bending the wall panel from a flat form to a curved form. The tension provides rigidity and thus strength to the wall panel. In a preferred form, the house includes two tensioned wall panels with the concave faces of the wall panels confronting each other such that a generally circular residential house is formed. A counter to oppose the tension engages the wall panels. The counter may include a roof or rafter support network, a portion of the floor or floor support, the wall panels themselves where the end edges of the wall panels are engaged to each other, or stainless steel straps running about the wall panels. The wall panel may be include material such as oriented strand board, steel, cement, plastic, or organic material such as grass.

Abstract: Coated inflatable fabrics, more particularly airbags to which very low add-on amounts of coating have been applied, are provided which exhibit extremely low air permeabilities. The inventive fabrics are primarily for use in automotive restraint cushions which require low permeability characteristics (such as side curtain airbags). Traditionally, heavy, and thus expensive, coatings of compounds such as neoprene, silicones and the like, have been utilized to provide such required low permeability. The inventive fabric utilizes an inexpensive, very thin coating to provide such necessary low permeability levels. Thus, the inventive coated airbag possesses a coating of at most 3.0 ounces per square yard, most preferably about 0.8 ounces per square yard, and exhibits a leak-down time (a measurement of the time required for the entire amount of gas introduced within the airbag at peak pressure during inflation to escape the airbag at 10 psi) of at least 7 seconds.

Abstract: Methods for forming compressed and adhesively bonded structural beams of strands divided from wood waste, and the beams resulting from such methods, are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods for forming compressed and adhesively bonded structural beams of strands divided from wood waste, and the beams resulting from such methods, are disclosed.

Abstract: Coated inflatable fabrics, more particularly airbags to which very low add-on amounts of coating have been applied, are provided which exhibit extremely low air permeability. The inventive inflatable fabrics are primarily for use in automotive restraint cushions that require low permeability characteristics (such as side curtain airbags). Traditionally, heavy, and thus expensive, coatings of compounds such as neoprene, silicones and the like, have been utilized to provide such required low permeability. The inventive fabric utilizes an inexpensive, very thin coating to provide such necessarily low permeability levels. Thus, the inventive coated inflatable airbag comprises a film laminated on at least a portion of the target fabric surface wherein the film possesses a tensile strength of at least 2,000 and an elongation at break of at least 180%.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to thermoplastic elastomer films and bags made from thermoplastic elastomer films and also to methods for making thermoplastic elastomer films and bags. The thermoplastic elastomer films of the present invention are composed of thermoplastic elastomers and non-elastic polyesters. The bags of the present invention are fabricated using blended monolayer thermoplastic films that include a blend of thermoplastic elastomer and a non-elastic polyester, or co-extruded multi-layer films that include at least one layer of thermoplastic elastomer and at least one layer of non-elastic polyester. The blended monolayer thermoplastic films of the present invention are useful in the food handling industry and particularly in the meat packaging industry and for use in cooking bag applications. The co-extruded films of the present invention are also useful in the food handling industry and particularly the meat packaging industry and for use in meat casing applications.

Abstract: Wood such as spruce, maple, and hornbeam are retained in high pressure steam of pressure 0.2 to 1.6 MPa at 120 to 200° C. for 1 to 60 minutes, and subsequently, cooled and dried to obtain a modified wood having superior acoustic properties and old wood-like appearance due to a change to a deep color tone. Since the conventional modification methods by chemical treatment using chemicals such as resorcin and formaldehyde are not used, the treatment steps are simple and a modified wood used as a material for musical instruments is obtained at low cost.

Abstract: Five processes for cutting teak wood timber so that the resulting logs have at least one straight-line grain surface and minimal surface area showing buds. Logs or thin sections thereof when aligned and glued together form boards or planks with straight-line grain surfaces.

Abstract: In a mounting structure including a first electrode and a second electrode electrically connected to each other via a conductive adhesive, the periphery of an adhesion portion between at least one of the electrodes and the conductive adhesive is covered with an electrical insulating layer, whereby the adhesion portion is reinforced from the periphery. The electrical insulating layer may be formed by dissolving a binder resin component of the conductive adhesive in a solvent. This increases the concentration of a conductive filler in the conductive adhesive, so that the conductivity of the adhesion portion is also enhanced.

Abstract: A bamboo venetian blind panel is made without restrictions of bamboo types.

Abstract: An abrasive sheet member is disclosed, including a substrate having first and second major surfaces, an abrasive on the first major surface, and a plurality of hooking stems on the second major surface. The hooking stems are adapted to hook engaging structures on an opposed surface to releasably affix the abrasive sheet member to the surface.

Abstract: A sheet of unidirectionally-oriented fiber strands includes unidirectional fibers, bonding fibers interwoven with the unidirectional fibers to form a fiber panel, and thermoplastic film laminating the fiber panel there between. In one embodiment, a second sheet of laminated unidirectional fibers is joined to the first sheet of laminated unidirectional fibers with the unidirectional fibers running in a second direction as compared to the first fibers. In yet another embodiment, individual laminated sheets of unidirectional fibers are stitched together to form packets of sheets which may be used singularly or multiple packets may be bundled together.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a prefabricated laminated wood member (1) having at least three interconnected layers (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f) which are made of different kinds of wood (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f) arranged in the form of immediately adjacent boards or mounts, wherein the different kinds of wood (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f) in at least two adjacent layers (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f) have different directions. In order to provide a uniform wood structure, the assembly of individual layers (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f) is achieved by using plugs (4) that extend through the layers (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f) of wood (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f).

Abstract: The invention provides a method of making a hybrid wood product that includes a void-free contact surface for abutment to another surface, for example a glass sheet. First, composite wood products are laminated to, and encompass, a solid-sawn lumber key. After cutting through the key and composite wood products, the resulting segments are milled to produce a hybrid wood product with a residual key contributing the void-free surface.

Abstract: A composite wood component is comprised of a wood filler core having opposed parallel flat side and end surfaces and opposed parallel top and bottom surfaces. Solid wood trim components are glued to the side and end surfaces of the filler core and oriented with its wood grain extending in a common direction. A solid high quality wood covering is adhesively secured to at least the top surface of the filler core and also has its wood grain oriented in the common direction with the trim components. The wood trim components have a thickness selected to be machined without exposing the wood filler core. The wood filler core is comprised of lower grade quality wood pieces glued together at opposed side edges to form a rectangular or a square core.

Abstract: An engineering wood based laminated panel for use as structural flooring for vehicle decking systems replaces a traditional hardwood decking and is cheaper plus having superior structural and wear properties. The panel has a plurality of layers in order down from a top surface, comprising a surface layer (1) having at least two high density wood veneer plies oriented parallel to one side of the panel, a load distribution layer (2) having at least one high density wood veneer ply cross oriented to the one side of the panel; a core layer (3) having from about 8 to 14 wood veneer plies oriented parallel to the one side of the panel with centre plies of the core layer being high density wood plies, and a resin impregnated reinforcement layer (4).

Abstract: An embossed, decorative, man-made embossed article having an embossed surface portion containing at least about 80% by weight cellulosic fibers and sufficient binder to adhere the cellulosic fibers together into a structurally sound article having a specific gravity in the range of 0.96 to 1.08, a surface of said article having a pattern of embossed ticks stained to visually distinguish the embossed ticks from surrounding surface portions of said article, said embossed ticks formed in elongated bundles to replicate a wood grain pattern, said embossed ticks and said bundles of ticks satisfying the following criteria: (a) at least 90% of said embossed ticks, in bundles of three or more adjacent ticks, are spaced at least 0.016 inch; (b) at least 90% of said embossed ticks are embossed a depth in the range of 0.003 inch to 0.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the manufacture of a multi-layered board having a stable, and moisture-resistant surface. To accomplish this and other advantages of the invention, an improved binder system is used in the production of the surface layers of a multi-layered board which combines an. excellent resin penetration inside the wood constituents of the board's surface layers, with a strength, durability and resistance to ambient water and moisture. The improved binder system used in the production of the board surface layers according to this invention involves contacting wood pieces with a binder composition comprised of a curable powdery aldehyde resin and a curable isocyanate resin in the substantial absence of free water to provide a composite mixture that can be formed into a surface layer for assembly and lamination together with other wood and resin composite layers.

Abstract: A composite wood product manufactured from waney lumber and a method for making the composite wood product. The method utilizes lumber that has been cut from a log such that the piece has a length substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, a width substantially tangential to the growth rings and a thickness substantially perpendicular to the growth rings. The wane on the lumber is removed to create a complementary side surface for joining in alternating growth ring orientation to the adjoining piece across the joined profiled side surfaces.

Abstract: Improved methods for forming multilayer circuit structures are disclosed. In some embodiments, conductive layers, dielectric layers and conductive posts can be formed on both sides of a circuitized core structure. The conductive posts are disposed in the dielectric layers and can be stacked to form a generally vertical conduction pathway which passes at least partially through a multilayer circuit structure. The formed multilayer circuit structures can occupy less space than corresponding multilayer circuit structures with stacked via structures.

Abstract: A method of providing a substrate with a decorative coating simulating the appearance of grained wood. A continuous layer comprising an aqueous medium which contains a polymeric binder and a particulate, non film-forming material is applied to an opaque surface of the substrate (the particulate material and the resulting layer both being lighter in color than the opaque surface. While the layer remains in the liquid state, a tool having a longitudinal extending face which has a convex section transverse to the longitudinal direction thereof, is drawn along the layer, the face of the tool having a series of spaced ridges along the longitudinal direction. The tool is rocked about the face as the tool is drawn along the layer, so as to discontinuously remove parts of the layer and selectively expose part of the underlying surface and to produce a decorative appearance resembling heart grains of cut timber.

Abstract: The present invention refers to multi-layered decorative laminates including a decorative layer, such as a wood veneer layer, and one or more reinforced polymer layer(s), such as a reinforced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer. Methods of making and using such laminates and of producing overly and underlay layers, which supplement the decorative layer, are described herein. The invention also relates to laminates of improved fire resistance including reinforced polymer layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wood board for use as flooring panels and a method of making the wood board. The wood board has the strength and outer surface finish of hardwood boards, increased flexibility, and a lower cost than hardwood boards. The wood board of the present invention comprises a core layer having plural veneer layers oriented such that longitudinal grain structures of adjacent layers are perpendicular with respect to each other, and each veneer having longitudinal pierced slots placed therein oriented in parallel with their respective longitudinal grain structures; and a longitudinally sliced face layer placed upon the inner core layer. This wood board and flooring panel of the present invention have high strength, high flexibility and superior surface smoothness. Further, the present invention provides lower manufacturing costs and thus lower costs for the consumer.

Abstract: The wood fiberboard of the present invention comprises wood fibers which have been subjected to an acetylation treatment and wood fibers which have not been subjected to an acetylation treatment bonded together by a binder resin, wherein the content of the wood fibers which have been subjected to an acetylation treatment is 35 to 90% by weight of the total amount of wood fibers which have been treated to an acetylation treatment and wood fibers which have not been subjected to an acetylation treatment.

Abstract: A composite member having increased resistance to delamination includes a reinforcing wrap of fiber-matrix composite material which is encircled about the member so that the edge surfaces of the member are covered by the wrap. The wrap includes fibers which are oriented from about −60° to about +60° relative to the direction along which the reinforcing wrap is wrapped about the member. The fibers of the reinforcing wrap impart increased third-axis or Z-direction strength at the edges of the member where interlaminar tensile stresses are greatest.

Abstract: A method of making a fiber glass mat especially useful for bonding to wood contains glass fibers and a “B” staged resin is disclosed. A substantial portion of the resin binder can be a furfuryl alcohol formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, or any other resin that can be “B” staged. Also, a method of making wood and wood product laminates using this new mat without any other adhesives, and the resultant laminates are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for making a wooden blind slat includes a first step of cutting a tree trunk of a length into a plurality of rectangular slices, which are properly smoothed by a dressing tool before they are randomly joined together by an adhesive to form a rectangular board. The rectangular board is sliced in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal surfaces of the rectangular slices into a plurality of wooden blind slats, which are smoothed again before being covered with a coat. The coated blind slats are finally dried by baking.

Abstract: A chair stock such as a seat 12 includes a construction in which uppermost and lowermost wood veneer sheets 30, 32 present opposing support and mounting surfaces 20, 22, and are spaced from one another by an intermediate element 34 such as a pile of relatively small wood veneer sheets 36. The intermediate element 34 presents a bearing surface that corresponds in size to a planer central region 28 of the mounting surface 22, and the support surface 20 includes a curved central region directly opposite the planer central region. The stock is constructed by forming a pile of the sheets 30, 32 and the intermediate element 34, and pressing the pile between a pair of spaced apart pressing surfaces. One of the pressing surfaces includes a substantially planer central region aligned with and corresponding in size to the bearing surface of the intermediate element, and the other pressing surface includes a curved central region immediately opposite the planer central region.

Abstract: Wooden blind slats have a length, a width, and a thickness, whereby the wooden blind slats are made of a wooden board which is formed of a plurality of wooden slices, the wooden slices being joined together by an adhesive.

Abstract: A fiber glass mat especially useful for bonding to wood contains glass fibers and a “B” staged resin, and the method of making the mat, are disclosed. A substantial portion of the resin binder can be a furfural alcohol, phenol formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, or any other resin that can be “B” staged.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a laminated glass pane free of optical obstruction, caused by warping, in reflected and transmitted light. The laminated glass pane comprises a first pane of glass, a second pane of glass and a multilayer spacer layer comprising a first composite film, a biaxially-stretched, thermoplastic carrier film provided with a thin layer system, and a second composite film. A carrier film provided with the thin layer system is mounted on the first composite film and has a thickness of from 30 to 70 &mgr;m and a degree of heat shringage of from 0.3 to 0.8%, measured after a heat treatment of 20 seconds at 120° C., in both directions. The second composite film is mounted on the carrier film. The packet of films is arranged between the two panes of glass so as to be wrinkle-free, pressed using pressure and heat and made into a composite with the panes of glass. A suitable carrier film and the use thereof for producing the laminated pane of glass are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a paper-laminated metal sheet having a structure in which at least one sheet of paper is laminated on at least one side of a metal plate via a pressure sensitive adhesive agent or an adhesive agent layer, and a protective layer is formed on a top surface of the paper-laminated side. With this structure, the paper-laminated metal sheet can be processed without wetting the paper with water, while thereby preventing the paper from being torn. In addition, the aesthetic appearance derived from the paper is kept for a long period of time. Due to high strength and processability derived from the metal base material, and high aesthetic appearance unbelievable for a metal plate derived from the paper, the paper-laminated metal sheet is valuable in various applications as a novel material.

Abstract: A composite member having increased resistance to delamination includes a reinforcing wrap of fiber-matrix composite material which is encircled about the member so that the edge surfaces of the member are covered by the wrap. The wrap includes fibers which are oriented from about −60° to about +60° relative to the direction along which the reinforcing wrap is wrapped about the member. The fibers of the reinforcing wrap impart increased third-axis or Z-direction strength at the edges of the member where interlaminar tensile stresses are greatest.

Abstract: An improved method of treating wood comprising treating a sheet of wood veneer with a conventional stress relieving process, saturating the treated veneer with oil and sealing the saturated veneer to retain the entrained oil. It is found that this treatment renders the veneers significantly more flexible, with radii of approximately {fraction (1/16)} inch, and allows wood veneers to be used informing hinges, wallets, purses, draperies, shoes, clothing and other products which could not previously be made from wood, together with a plurality of products made with this process.

Abstract: A method of forming a wood-veneered product. The method includes (1) providing a veneer having a main portion formed of wood and an edge portion joined to the main portion, the edge portion being formed of a material different from the wood of the main portion, (2) providing a core having an edge portion and a surface for receiving the veneer, (3) affixing the veneer to the surface of the core, so that the edge portion of the veneer is adjacent the edge portion of the core, and (4) shaping the veneer and core, so that the edge portion of the veneer is removed, to form the wood-veneered product. The method reduces waste, because it reduces the amount of wood required for the main portion of the veneer. The core and veneer may include various materials of various sizes. The core and veneer may be formed and joined in various ways. The invention also provides a wood-veneered product constructed in accordance with limitations (1)-(3).

Abstract: The invention is an edge densified lumber product of improved strength and stiffness and the method of its manufacture. The method is based on the parallel lamination of multiple plies of wood veneer. Narrow longitudinal reinforcing strips are laid along each edge of the veneer assembly between at least some of the veneer plies. Additional spaced apart veneer strips, about twice the width of the edge strips, are laid up at preselected locations in the mid-portion of the veneer assembly. These strips in the mid-portion are preferably spaced so that the distance between their centerlines corresponds to standard lumber widths. Appropriate adhesives are used to bond the assembly. The assembly is pressed to a uniform thickness so that the areas along the narrow veneer strips are densified relative to the adjacent portions. Longitudinal saw cuts are then made along the centerlines of the interior veneer strips to separate the assembly into multiple units of lumber.

Abstract: An umbrella skeleton is composed of a shaft, a runner fitted slidably over the shaft, a plurality of ribs arranged radially from the shaft such that ribs are fastened pivotally at one end thereof with the shaft, and a plurality of strut ribs fastened pivotally at one end thereof with the ribs and at other end thereof with the runner. The shaft is composed of a fiber-reinforced plastic core and a wooden sheath covering the core.

Abstract: A method is designed for making bamboo blind slats. The method comprises an initial step in which a selected bamboo stem is split into a plurality of bamboo strips, which are then skinned and disinfected with a sulfur fume for over 12 hours. The disinfected bamboo strips are dried by baking before they are provided with a layer of adhesive. The coated bamboo strips are joined together in conjunction with a pneumatic press to form a rectangular bamboo plate, which is subsequently sliced into a plurality of bamboo slats, with each having a width and a thickness. The bamboo slats are smoothed by grinding and are then covered with a base coating and a face coating which is applied on the base coating. The twice-coated bamboo slats are punched so as to enable them to accommodate the pull cords of a Venetian blind comprising the bamboo slats which are made by the method of the present invention.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing tiles from waste wood uses round crosscut wood slices, a binder, and a filler. The slices, all generally of a thickness, are placed on the flat bottom of a die within side walls. Adhesive is applied to the slices and the die is filled with a mixture of the binder and the filler. The die contents are hot pressed to achieve the required tile thickness. The tile is ejected from the die and then maintained at room temperature for not more than 72 hours. The face side of the tile is ground and the dimensions of the tile are brought within the required tolerances.

Abstract: A wooden flooring strip having a wooden flooring strip, comprising a top surface and a base surface opposed to the top surface, the top surface and the base surface defining between them a predetermined thickness wood flooring material. The predetermined thickness wood flooring material includes a top surface zone adjacent the top surface and a base surface zone adjacent the base surface. The base surface zone has longitudinally-extending wood fibers which have been broken to an extent sufficient to relieve tension on the base surface and thereby increase the flexibility of the flooring strip for more closely adhering to a sub-floor. The top surface zone has longitudinally-extending wood fibers which have been broken to an extent sufficient to relieve tension on the top surface of the flooring strip and to equalize tension on the wood fibers adjacent both the top surface and base surface of the flooring strip.

Abstract: Application of vibration and/or compression to kiln-dried wood increases the retention and penetration of preservatives in the wood.

Abstract: The invention proposes a lamellar wood panel (1) comprising stacked, flatly superposed wood layers (3) cemented to each other at pairwise adjacent large faces (15), part of the wood layers (3) having mutually transverse fiber direction, part of the large surfaces (15) being fitted with a plurality of slots whereby the slots of the adjacent large surfaces (15) are mutually crossing, at least in part, pairwise adjacent wood layers (3) having mutually transverse fiber directions.The invention also proposes a method for manufacturing a lamellar wood panel (1) in which wood layers (3) are stacked together and cemented to each other, at least part of the wood layers (3) with mutually transverse fiber directions being stacked, slots being fitted in part of the wood-layer large surfaces (15), the wood layers (3) being stacked, and the wood stack being moved into a tightly sealable enclosure which is evacuated during at least part of the cement setting period.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a structural member comprising a thermoplastic composite core with an exterior reinforcing layer, the core member is initially extruded in the shape of a profile. The profile is then contacted with reinforcing fiber and resin to form the exterior reinforcing layer. The exterior thermosetting layer is cured to form a reinforcing layer. The structural member is preferably manufactured using a pultrusion method in which a tractor device is used to provide linear movement of the profile from the extrusion head to the exterior coating operation. The fiber-reinforced thermoset is coated on the entirety of the exterior of the profile or is applied only on a portion of the profile requiring reinforcement in a defined load-bearing direction. A preferred thermoplastic core comprises a polymer-fiber composite material.

Abstract: A method is used to make bamboo slats which are intended for use in making a blind. The method comprises a first step in which a bamboo stem is split into a plurality strips. The bamboo strips are barked, polished, and bleached before they are adhered side by side to form a base plate. A plurality of base plates are adhered in a stack to form a rectangular bamboo block having bamboo fibers which are arranged in an interlacing manner. The bamboo block is sliced into a plurality of bamboo slat, with each having bamboo fibers which are arranged in the interlacing manner.

Abstract: A method for making hardwood or decorative plywood. The plywood includes a number plies including a back veneer, a face veneer, and a number of core and center plies. The method forms subunits of plies and stacks the discrete formed subunits to form a unit. The unit is processed to forms discrete hardwood panels. Subunits having different sets of plies are formed. The subunits are formed by sequencing the order of placement of the plies so that the face and back veneers do not touch the conveyor. This process enables line assembly of hardwood plywood. Without this sequencing, at least the back veneers would touch the conveyor subjecting the panel to aesthetic damage due to the nature of the outer veneers. This process also significantly reduced the labor necessary for forming the panels because numerous subunits can be formed simultaneously.

Abstract: A reinforcement panel with a cellulose surface material improves adhesion of the panel to one or more wood segments in wood structural members such as laminated beams, wood I-beams, and trusses to provide a cellulose material-to-wood segment interface that withstands high shear stresses. The reinforcement panel is comprised of a plurality of reinforcement fibers that are preferably arranged parallel to one another and aligned with the longitudinal direction of the panel, and accordingly the wood structure. The fibers are maintained in position by a resin encasement that completely encloses the fibers. A cellulose surface material is impregnated with a polyester resin and adhesively connected to a first side of the panel. The first side of the panel is adhesively affixed to the wood structure at an area of high stress such that the surface material is sandwiched between the resin encasement of the panel and the wood structure. Thus, the panel provides improved adhesion.