Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-01-29
How f'ianOS Are Made.

~ OAAcS ncAIly WlF years ~ Hlahc
one instrument three years and some
months to season the wood, and three
months to form the parts. No less than
sixteen different kinds of wood enter
into the formation, embracing the soft
est, toughest, hardest, heaviest, light
est and most compact grain. In the
g action alone, there are eleven diff
ferent kinds of wood. The piano, more
ever, is cosmopolitan, from the fact
that the vegetable, animal aud mineral
kingdoms Of the world contribute to
its composition. While spruce pine
from Northern New York, maple from
West Massachusetts,, pine and ash
from Michigan, cherry from Pcnnsyl-
vania, walnut from Indiana, and poplar
from West Virginia, after passing
through choppers, sawyers, raftmen
and inspe ctors, as we'll as buckskin of
four kinds, first from the wild deer
and then from the manufac-
turers, are necessary, this country
does not furnish all the mate
rial required. Six kinds of felt, four
kinds of cloth, four kinds of metal be-
sides silver for the plate, silver gilded
strings, cast iron, many kinds of paper,
as also ivory, ebony and varnish are all
imported from other countries. In an
ordinary piano there are 500 screws,
ITO strings, 81 keys, and 500 key and
tuning pms. In St ven-octave square
about 80 square feet of veneering is
used, aud in the " action" alone there
are no less than s, ,O72 pieces. From the
foregoing, some conception of the re-
qulsltes of square, upright, or grand
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 stor-
age IN an open building, each piece be-
ing 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 manufacture. Each
manipulation of the wood and each coat
of varnish is followed ny drying pro-
cess, and in the case of the outside rose
wood pieces regular roasting. The
heavier pieces of wood being worked
by machinery, they, together with the
legs, are carved by the hands of skill
full artists in the required shape, and
the sounding and other boards shaved
the requisite thlnness by a planning
machine. Then comes the glueing,
bending and veneering, each followed
by the drying-all of which is accom-
panied with the most minute and clab-
crate 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 pol
ish varnish, are again scraped and then
rubbed down with pummice stone,
again vanished, again rubbed, and
then polished by hand. The iron
frames, after being japanned. receive
several coats of paint, and are then
rubbed down and bronzed, after which
they are ornamented in shaded gilt,
The ivory, like everything else, is sub.
4nitted to the drying process, to prevent
warping. Next in order is placing the
soundins-board, fitting the strings
and keyboard, and making the "move-
ment." The movement" which in
cludes the pedal arrangement, ham,
mers, hampers and innulnerable other
contrivances, which differ in the various
kinds of instruments, is SO complicated
and elaborate in it's construction as to
defy description. As it is we'll known,
each key struck going certain dis
tance, which differs in each key, raises
a grooved arrangement connecting with
the hammer of that KEY, which, as the
grooved connection slips out, hits the
wire and flies back to the first position.
Each hammer flies different distance,
and is further regulated by the felt
coverings. The pedal operates on the
wires by strips of felt which press
against them. The movemen, being
placed in position, the wires are strung
and other finishing touches given,
when, the Instrument having been
regulated by tuning fork,
the tone and modulation is perfect and
the manufacture of the piano is COM
pleted.