Staple Holding Strength of Furniture Frame Joints Constructed of Plywood and Solid Wood
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
An interesting research article on the strength of joints used in the construction of furniture but also packaging based on pine wood and plywood panels.
The basic properties of pine wood and plywood of eucalyptus, poplar and combined plywood from both species were presented.
The paper contains a reference to the literature to an inadequate degree. The authors should supplement the literature review with references to studies of furniture construction and significantly increase the literature review of studies of pine, poplar and eucalyptus raw material.
The effect of the number of staples on the strength of the joint is indicated, pointing out the influence of the direction of the destructive forces and modification of the construction of plywood from the raw material of fast-growing species.
The influence of material strength and density on the staple holding rate was indicated.
Unfortunately, the study did not consider and explain the choice of staples. Reference should be made to other types of staples in terms of the length and thickness of the metal fasteners used. The differences for raw and resinated staple with increased pull-out strength were also not considered.
The properties of the pine wood used in the tests were not indicated which may raise concerns about the variable influence of this parameter on the test results.
The strength testing methodology is presented in great detail.
The deformation results do not include the calculation of the increase in resistance when the number of staples is increased, which significantly increases the value of the trowel.
Table 4 does not have the values described
Conclusions are presented in an appropriate manner, however, there is no reference to deformation within the limits of applied and destructive forces.
Author Response
1.Question：The paper contains a reference to the literature to an inadequate degree. The authors should supplement the literature review with references to studies of furniture construction and significantly increase the literature review of studies of pine, poplar and eucalyptus raw material.
Answer：In addition to the revision of the original thesis, four articles were added, two related to the material of this paper, respectively, the application of poplar and eucalyptus as man-made boards and the application of eucalyptus/poplar composites as man-made boards, and two related to the structure, respectively, to test the edge-to-edge bending moment capacity of four materials in the nodes of upholstered furniture, and three types of wood in the application of T-nodes.
The following references have been added.
[1]Dix B , Thole V , Marutzky R . Poplar and eucalyptus wood as raw material for wood-based panels[J]. 1999.
[2]G, CastroF, Paganini. Mixed glued laminated timber of poplar and Eucalyptus grandis clones[J]. European Journal of Wood & Wood Products, 2003.
[3] Kamperidou V , Vasileiou V . Bending Capacity of Middle Joints of Upholstered Furniture Frames[J]. Drvna Industrija, 2012, 63(4):255-261.
[4]Efe H, Zhang J L, Erdil Y Z, et al. Moment capacity of traditional and alternative T-type end-to-side-grain furniture joints[J]. 2005.
2. Question：Unfortunately, the study did not consider and explain the choice of staples. Reference should be made to other types of staples in terms of the length and thickness of the metal fasteners used. The differences for raw and resinated staple with increased pull-out strength were also not considered.
Answer：The staples used in this article are the most used staples by the sofa manufacturers concerned after fieldwork, so this one is more representative.
3. Question：The properties of the pine wood used in the tests were not indicated which may raise concerns about the variable influence of this parameter on the test results.
Answer：The material density of pine wood is described at the beginning of the second paragraph of "Materials", and the remaining material properties of the wood are not described in Demirel 's articles, such as Refs. 1, 15, 16, and 17, and therefore are not measured in this paper.
4. Question：Conclusions are presented in an appropriate manner, however, there is no reference to deformation within the limits of applied and destructive forces.
Answer：Added in the third paragraph of the conclusion.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The topic of the research work and manuscript is really interesting, well-prepared and provides new information. However there are some issues to be addressed towards its quality improvement before publication. Please provide more relevant key words (plywood, panel, composite etc.), than those already presented and not so complicated as the "eucalyptus/poplar composite", since the subject or manuscript would be difficult to be searched like that. The description of state-of-the-art and theoretical approach of background knowledge is quite poor and should be enriched towards the improvement of introduction. The number of references used in the whole manuscript is quite low. Please, try to enrich this section and among others, please add as well the relevant work DOI: 10.5552/drind.2012.1219 , where the wood joint of gusset with staples is being dealt (among other wooden joints). The format was not properly applied in the text, it could be implemented in the following steps of the process (references presentation etc.). The phrase " purpose of this study is to study" needs improvement. In the same sentence, the word "change" should be removed, in order the meaning to be clarified. In the last paragraph of introduction, please highlight the meaning and significance of this work for the specific group of furniture (are also other furniture or wooden structures in the focus of this work, concerning the strength of such joints?). Spaces are missing in some points between dot and the capital letter of the next sentence. Are you sure about the use of term "chord board"? The figures do not refer units of these values. Leave spaces between the values and the units in the text. You do not refer information for the raw materials, wood trunks number, age, origin, characteristics, sapwood/heartwood, whether the wood elements were conditioned, moisture content at the time of assembly and testing process? What about the plywood? which was the wood species used, one or more? which adhesive was used? conditions of its production? Simultaneously to the staples, did an adhesive interact with staples in the joints or there was not adhesive application? Explain why it was necessary to test joints of solid-wood to plywood (which case of furniture elements this corresponds to?where is this combination applied?). In some cases, dot is missing in the end of sentence. Statistical analysis of the results is not at all described in materials-methods section. The different species used (poplar, eucalyptus) are not at all described in the materials-methods section (only the pine is referred). In table 2, correct the "specie". In results section, you have to explain what is the different way of distruction means in each case of joint, which are the conclusions that could be drawn from these different ways of failure/fraction? In the caption of table 3, you should correct the numbers to be in exponent position. You rather use the term "panel" instead of "plate" for plywood. Check if the term "pine timber cube" represents indeed your specimens configuration. In conclusions section, correct the "a eucalyptus" phrases. In the last paragraph of conclusions, change "more" to "most" and try to rephrase to improve the presentation of the meaning and significance highlighting of your work and its findings. Since you have recorded the strength of these joints, why dont you provide also the elasticity of these joints (recorded at the time of strength testing)? That would be very important, since the elasticity in joints is very crucial except for the Fmax (maximum strength).
Author Response
1.Question：Please provide more relevant key words (plywood, panel, composite etc.), than those already presented and not so complicated as the "eucalyptus/poplar composite", since the subject or manuscript would be difficult to be searched like that.
Answer：I have added keywords such as plywood, material density, wood joint and I have removed the keyword eucalyptus/poplar composite.
2.Question：The description of state-of-the-art and theoretical approach of background knowledge is quite poor and should be enriched towards the improvement of introduction.
Answer：In addition to the revision of the original thesis, four articles were added, two related to the material of this paper, respectively, the application of poplar and eucalyptus as man-made boards and the application of eucalyptus/poplar composites as man-made boards, and two related to the structure, respectively, to test the edge-to-edge bending moment capacity of four materials in the nodes of upholstered furniture, and three types of wood in the application of T-nodes.
The following references have been added.
[1]Dix B , Thole V , Marutzky R . Poplar and eucalyptus wood as raw material for wood-based panels[J]. 1999.
[2]G, CastroF, Paganini. Mixed glued laminated timber of poplar and Eucalyptus grandis clones[J]. European Journal of Wood & Wood Products, 2003.
[3] Kamperidou V , Vasileiou V . Bending Capacity of Middle Joints of Upholstered Furniture Frames[J]. Drvna Industrija, 2012, 63(4):255-261.
[4]Efe H, Zhang J L, Erdil Y Z, et al. Moment capacity of traditional and alternative T-type end-to-side-grain furniture joints[J]. 2005.
3.Question：The format was not properly applied in the text, it could be implemented in the following steps of the process (references presentation etc.).
Answer：Changes have been made to the format of the references.
4.Question：The phrase " purpose of this study is to study" needs improvement.
Answer：I have amended it to “The objectives of this study was to examine”.
5.Question：In the same sentence, the word "change" should be removed,
Answer：I have removed it.
6.Question：In the last paragraph of introduction, please highlight the meaning and significance of this work for the specific group of furniture (are also other furniture or wooden structures in the focus of this work, concerning the strength of such joints?).
Answer：Already added at the end of Part 1.
7.Question：Spaces are missing in some points between dot and the capital letter of the next sentence. Are you sure about the use of term "chord board"?
Answer：Spaces have been added and "chord board" has been changed to "chord-cut board".
8.Question：The figures do not refer units of these values. Leave spaces between the values and the units in the text.
Answer：Modifications have been made.
9.Question：You do not refer information for the raw materials, wood trunks number, age, origin, characteristics, sapwood/heartwood, whether the wood elements were conditioned, moisture content at the time of assembly and testing process?
Answer：I apologize for not presenting this information, nor is it mentioned in my main references such as references 1, 15, 16, 17, and therefore it is not considered to be important in this study and is not mentioned.
10.Question：What about the plywood? which was the wood species used, one or more? which adhesive wasused?
Answer：Poplar plywood and eucalyptus plywood both use only poplar or eucalyptus, while eucalyptus/poplar composite plywood uses both materials.All three types of plywood are made with Mildred E0 grade glue.
11.Question：Simultaneously to the staples, did an adhesive interact with staples in the joints or there was not adhesive application?
Answer：Attached by staples only, no adhesives.
12.Question：Explain why it was necessary to test joints of solid-wood to plywood (which case of furniture elements this corresponds to? where is this combination applied?).
Answer：This is the connecting node of the internal framework of the sofa, which is described in the "Introduction" section.
13.Question：In some cases, dot is missing in the end of sentence. In table 2, correct the "specie". In the caption of table 3, you should correct the numbers to be in exponent position.
Answer：Sorry, changes have been made.
14.Question：Statistical analysis of the results is not at all described in materials-methods section. The different species used (poplar, eucalyptus) are not at all described in the materials-methods section (only the pine is referred).
Answer：Added to the second paragraph of the "Materials" section.
15.Question：In results section, you have to explain what is the different way of distruction means in each case of joint, which are the conclusions that could be drawn from these different ways of failure/fraction?
Answer：The analysis of failure forms has been added to the section in the text.
16.Question：You rather use the term "panel" instead of "plate" for plywood.
Answer：Replacement has been made in the full text
17.Question：Check if the term "pine timber cube" represents indeed your specimens configuration.
Answer：It is indeed what I have expressed
18.Question：In conclusions section, correct the "a eucalyptus" phrases. In the last paragraph of conclusions, change "more" to "most" and try to rephrase to improve the presentation of the meaning and significance highlighting of your work and its findings.
Answer：The concluding paragraph has been reformulated
19.Question：Since you have recorded the strength of these joints, why dont you provide also the elasticity of these joints (recorded at the time of strength testing)? That would be very important, since the elasticity in joints is very crucial except for the Fmax (maximum strength).
Answer：The main references in this paper 1, 15, 16, 17 for the application of nodal staples are not analyzed for the elasticity of the nodes, so this paper also did not analyze this
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
As I have checked the authors have implemented the proposed changes in the revised verion of manuscript towards the improvement of their work. Almost all the changes have been implemented and in my opinion, the manuscript is well-prepared and organized enough to be accepted for publication in this journal.
