The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-02-22
How Pianos are Made.


1t takes nearly four years to make one
instrument; three years and some months
to season the wood, and three months to
ferent kinds Of wood enter into the form
alton, embracing the softest, toughest,
hardest, heaviest, lightest and most COM
pact grain. In the faction" alone there
are eleven different kinds Of wood. The
piano, moreover, is cosmopolitan, from
the fact that the vegetable, animal and
mineral kingdoms of the world contribute
to it's composition. While spruce pine
from Northern Now York, maple from
West Massachusetts, pine and ash from
Michigan, cherry from Pennsylvania, wal
nut from Indiana, and poplar from West
Virginia, after passing through choppers,
sawyers, raftsmen and inspectors, as we'll as
buckskin of four kinds, first from the wild
deer and then from the man u:acturers. are
necessary this country does not furnish
all the material required. Six kinds of
felt, four kinds of cloth, four kinds of metal
besides silver for the plate, silver gilded
strings, cast iron, many kinds of paper, as
also ivory, ebony and varnish are all i'm
ported from other countries. In an ordin-
airy piano there are 500 screws, 40 strings,
81 keys. and $50 key and tuning pins. In
seven octave square about 80 square feet
of veneering is used, and in the action
alone there are no less than 5,O72 pieces.
the requisites of a square piano may be
formed.
First in the manufacture of piano
comes the seasoning of the wood, which is
done by two years exposure. Next it is
subjected to several months storage in an
open building, each piece being separated
to get an air drying and then quarantine
of several months in a building heated
with steam, followed by ten stages of hot
air drying, during the process of manufac-
ture. Each manipulation of'the wood, and
each coat of varnish is followed by dry
ing process, and in the case of the outside
rosewood pieces, a regular roasting. The
heavier pieces Of wood being worked by
machinery, they, together with the legs,
are carved oy the hands of skllful artists,
in the required shape, and the sounding,
and other boards shaved the requisite thin
ness by a planning machine. Then comes
the glueing, banding and veneering, each
followed by the drying-all of which is
| accompanied with the most minute and
elaborate detail. Next in order are the
| cases and tops, which are vanished five
times, each coat being entirely scraped off
| and another put on, until the grain of the
| wood appears, when they receive several
more coats of polish varnish, are again
scraped and then rubbed down with pun
ice stone, again vanished, again rubbed,
and then polished by hand. The iron
frames. after being japanned, receive sew
eral coats OF paint, ana are then RUBBED
down aud bronzed, after which they are
ornamented in shaded gilt. The ivory,
like everything else, is submitted to the
drying process, to prevent warping. Next
in order is placing the sounding board, fit
ting the strings aud key board, and making
the "movement." The movement, which
includes the pedal arrangement, hammers
hampers, and innumerable other contri-
vances, which differ in the various kinds Of
Instruments, is 80 complicated and ella.
borate in its construction as to defy des
cription. AS it is we'll known, each key
struck going certain distance, which
differs in each key, raises a grooved ar
rangement connecting with the hammer O
that key, which, as the grooved connection
slips ont, bits the wire and flies back tt
the first position. Each hammer flies {
different distance, and is further regula aztec
by the felt coverings. The pedal operates
on the wires by strips of felt which pres
against them. The movemen being placed
in position, the wires are strung and Other
finishing touches given, when, the instru
ment having been carefully regulated by
a tuning fork, the tone and meditation ii
perfect and the man ufacture of the piano
is completed. Baltimore Sun.