Apparatus for forming an elongated loosely felted mat of thin elongated wood flakes with the flakes being aligned in mutually parallel relation and being aligned with the longitudinal direction of the elongated mat. The apparatus comprises a plurality of conveyor belts positioned in closely adjacent side-by-side relation and defining a mat supporting surface adapted to support the aligned wood flakes, the belts being supported on the surface of a cylinder. Wood flakes are deposited in loosely felted relation on the belts, and a plurality of closely spaced parallel planar baffles surround the cylinder, the baffles comprising plates positioned between the belts and functioning to cause alignment of the flakes as they are deposited on the belts. The mat is compressed against the supporting surface by a plurality of belts positioned in adjacent side-by-side relation, the belts being positionable between the baffles and engageable against the mat.