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TPI Quality Assurance Program Extended to Traditional Milled Logs
 More than 80% of logs inspected meet Premium Grade Standards!
by Phil Alman
Let's face it, not everyone prefers the furniture-like appearance and resistance to checking of laminated logs. In fact, there are lots of people who prefer the more rustic appearance of solid logs and look upon the natural tendency of logs to check as part of the character of the log. That's why we added solid logs to our product mix several years ago and, during that time, have committed ourselves to making them the best they can be. Part of that commitment has always been founded in the simple fact that the same folks who mill our laminated logs are also charged with the responsibility of producing our solid logs. They use the same equipment and continue to treat every log as if it would be used in their own homes.
In an earlier article, we reported to you we had contracted with Timber Products Inspection (TPI) to oversee our lam log quality assurance program. Now, we've extended TPI's involvement to include all of our milled logs. Several of our people have been certified as licensed graders and every milled log is carefully graded, inspected, and trimmed to assure that it meets Dry Wall Log 40 Specifications. This grade meets virtually every building code in the country and is a grade higher than the logs provided by many manufacturers. However, that's just the beginning of the story.
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Each month we are subject to an unannounced inspection by a local TPI representative. During his visit, the TPI inspector selects bundles of recently milled logs at random to see how they stack up against grade requirements. He regrades the logs, issues a report to management and reviews any discrepancies directly with the person who graded the logs. Of all the logs tested this way during 1996, more than 90% exceeded Wall Log 40 specifications and more than 80% actually graded out as meeting Premium Grade requirements -- three grades higher than Wall Log 40 and the highest grade afforded house logs. When asked why the company has elected to stamp all of its logs Wall Log 40 instead separating out Premium logs for sale at a significantly higher price, Bob Smith, president of Glu-Lam-Log, replied, "Sticking exclusively with the Wall Log 40 grade simplifies the grading process, reduces inventory costs, and assures that the customer is getting exceptional value for their money."
Grading aside, the real reason our solid logs are better is we take great care in milling them and aggressively trim to remove any visibly defective material.
- Carbide Cutters -- We use only the highest quality carbide cutters in our milling operations and always keep a spare set on hand just in case the blades are damaged.
- Slower Feed Rates -- We've deliberately slowed down the feed rate of our planers so that we get more cuts per inch. This dramatically improves milling quality.
- We're Not Afraid To Stop Our Planer -- Cants used to produce milled logs often have dirt or gravel embedded in checks. In the twelve years we've been in business we've also run into a fair number of bullets and nails. All of these things can cause nicks in the cutters that can degrade the milling job.
- No Bug Hole Spec -- Although they're often allowable in the grade, bug holes are not acceptable to us. If we see bug holes we trim the logs to remove them.
- We Hand Feed the Planer -- We've resisted the temptation to install a fully automatic feeder and rely on trained personnel who do everything possible to position cants so the most appropriate surfaces are profiled for interior and exterior exposure.
We live by the motto "The bone pile stays here!" because we understand that it's inappropriate and embarrassing for builders to have piles of scrap at the job site. It makes even less sense to waste valuable transportation expense on unusable material. What it all boils down to is less waste and top quality logs that both builders and homeowners will be proud of. Take a look at the photos of some homes built with our solid logs and you'll see what we mean.
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