In the early 80's some industry leaders thought the days of softwood plywood were coming to an end, to be replaced by waferboard and OSB. But new technology has allowed the use of smaller logs (as small as 5 inches in diameter) to remain competitive.

A spindleless lathe...

How small of a log can be peeled?

New lathe technology allow logs as small as 5 inches in diameter to be peeled. And, spindleless lathes can peel down to a 2-inch core.

How important is the quality of logs coming to the veneer plant?

The quality of a log entering the plywood mill is important for two reasons: it determines the quality and yield of veneer and because "bad" logs— those that split on the lathe because of heart rot or other reasons, can seriously reduce the production rate of the mill.

Because of the high cost of top grades of lumber, those logs with the fewest knots and other defects go to the sawmill, rather than the veneer plant. Sheathing grades of plywood can be produced from logs of intermediate quality. However, plywood plants producing the high grade sanded plywood grades still need the best logs available.