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32 North American Natural Resources: Timber and Forest Products
The next step is to sort the logs. Logs of lower quality—smaller logs, or ones with
many knots and imperfections in the grain—may be sent to a
pulp
or paper mill,
where they are processed into paper. Other logs are transported to a sawmill, where
they will be made into lumber.
Paper Mills and Sawmills
Once the logs are at the mill, the real work can begin. The logs are first passed
through a machine that removes the bark. This machine is like a large, rotating drum.
Several logs are placed in the machine at a time, so that they spin and hit each other,
removing the bark in the process. Bark is not used in lumber or paper—instead it is
used as fuel or in mulch.
At a paper mill, the logs are passed through a chipper. Here the log is reduced
to pieces about 2 inches (5 centimeters) square. The chips are mixed with chemicals
Safety First
Lumberjacks make a
V-shaped cut in a tree to
help direct where it will
fall. There is no guarantee
that things will go as
planned, however, so they
always have two escape
routes planned, in case
the tree begins to fall in an
unintended direction. Care
is taken before beginning
to cut the tree to remove all
the small trees and brush
from the escape paths.
Other people in the area are
advised to stand far away
from the tree—as far as 1.5
times the height of the tree.