Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute. 1951. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-78). Also available via the Internet.

Investigations were conducted of the statistical aspects of basic research, engineering development, and economic problems pertinent to the Lane Company, Altavista, Virginia, cedar chest manufacturer. Estimations were made of the quality level and variability of various manufacturing operations, e.g., the veneer slicer, gang saws, hot plate press, planers, sanders, top panel inspection, and finish inspection. Statistical quality control procedures were established at points in the processes most feasible for and responsive to their application. A thorough study was made of available data on chests returned by consumers because of open corners. The percentage of returned chests was related to differences in case size and to differences in the predicted equilibrium moisture content of wood in the plant during manufacture. These relationships were presented as a basis for determining the months of the year during which it will be economically profitable to 3-ply chests of various sizes as a protective action against returned chests. An experiment was designed to estimate the effects of high humidity conditions on the rupture of the corners of cedar chests having different panel constructions, corner constructions, and glue treatments. A proposed design with an outline of the analysis was presented. Some thought was directed to the measurement of the moisture content of cedar wood. It was proposed that a combination of both oven-dry and electrometric methods, rather than by an extraction-distillation method alone, might be employed to estimate more precisely the true moisture content under industrial conditions. / Master of Science

Yes / Chests were a ubiquitous part of medieval church furniture across Britain and Europe. Late 19th and early 20th century scholars believed that one type, the dug-out chest, was devoid of technical skill, and as such, confined to the earliest period of chest chronology. Perhaps as a result of the ‘primitive’ label, dug-outs remain relatively under-studied in relation to other types of chests and surprisingly few attempts have been made to validate ideas about their early origin through scientific dating. The current study uses dendrochronology to directly date a selection of dug-out chests, almost doubling the number of dated chests of this type in England and producing the earliest absolute dates for their construction. Five dug-out chests from the case-study counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire returned dates ranging from the 13th-16th century, showing that they are not chronologically confined to the ‘earliest’ period. This research also demonstrates how analysing extant saw-marks, along with the different methods of attaching chest lids, can assist in dating a chest’s construction. By understanding the tools and processes of construction, this research challenges the existing accepted framework that dug-outs are the ‘crudest’ and ‘most primitive’ type of church chest in the medieval period. Together these findings offer a new methodology and framework for studies of church chests in Britain and Europe. / This paper is based on research undertaken by Rachel Sycamore, as part of a Master’s by Research, at the University of Worcester (Sycamore, 2021). Funding for the dendrochronology was provided by the Regional Furniture Society.

Mémoire (M.A.)-- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1993. / Ce travail de recherche a été réalisé à l'UQAC dans le cadre du programme de maîtrise en arts plastiques extensionné de l'UQAM à l'UQAC. CaQCU Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU