Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-05
How Pianos are Made.


instrument; three years and some months
to season the wood, and three months to
form the parts. No less than sixteen diff
terent kinds of wood enter into the form
alton, embracing the softest, toughest,
hardest, heaviest, ightest 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 its composition. While spruce pine
from Northern New York, maple from
West Massachusetts, pine and ash from
Michigan, cherry from Pennsylvania,
walnut from Indiana, and poplar from
West Virginia, after passing through
choppers, sawyers, raftmen and inspec-
tors, as well as buckskin of four kinds,
first from the wild deer and then from the
manufacturers, are necessary, this coun-
try does not furnish all the material re-
quired. 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 imported from
| other countries. In an ordinary piano
| there are five hundred screws, one hun
dred and seventy strings, s. keys, and
five hundred and twenty key and tuning
pins. In a seven-Octave square about
ninety square feet of veneering is used,
and in the action alone there are no
less than 5,072 pieces. From the forego-
ing, some conception of the requisites of
square, upright, or grand piano may be
formed.
First in the manufacture of a 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 sepa
rated to get Fan air drying, and then
quarantine Of several months in build
ing heated with steam, followed by ten
stages of hot air drying during the pro-
cess of manufacture. Each manipulation
of the wood and each coat ofvarnish is fol-
lowed by a drying process, and in the
case of the outside rosewood pieces a
regular roasting. The heaviest pieces of
wood being worked by machinery, they
together with the legs are carved by the
hands Of skillful artists to the required
shape, and the sounding and other boards
shaved to the requisite thinness by plan
ing machine. Then comes the glueing,
bending and veneering, each followed by
the drying-all of which is accompanied
with the most minute and elaborate de-
tail. Next in order are the cases and
tops, which are vanished five times, each
coat being entirely scraped off and anoth-
er put on until the grain Of the wood ap-
pears, when they receive several more
coats of polish 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
complicated details of fitting the
frames, finishing the sounding boards,
making the bridges, uprights, strings,
and pins, as also the delicate scroll-saw
manipulations in making the ivory keys
and wooden lace-work for music rests,
all battle description. The ivory, like
everything else, is submitted to the dry
ing process to prevent warping. Next in
order is placing the sounding board, 1it-
ting the strings and key board, and
making the movement" The "moye-
ment," which includes the pedal arrange
ment, hammers, hampers and innumera-
BILE, other contrivances, which differ in
the various kinds of instruments, is so
complicated and elaborate in its construc-
tiOA 90 W UCi uCoSIlptIOu. I'D 10 NC11
known, each key struck going a certain
distance, which differs in each key, raises
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 cover
ings. The pedal operates on the wires by
strips of felt which press against them.
The movement being placed in position,
the wires are strung and other finishing
touches given, when, the instrument hav
ing been carefully regulated by tuning
fork, the tone and meditation is perfect
and the manufacture of the piano is COM
pleted.-Baltimore Sun.
A WONDERFUL occurrence took place
il Colorado recently. A gentleman walk
ing down the street heard noise behind
him. 1t sounded like railroad train
crossing bridge Stopping to ascertain
| what it was, whirlwind travelling no
faster than a spirited walk picked him up.
Its force was sufficient to invert the tails
of his coat above his head, notwithstand-
| ing the pockets were loaded with speci-
mems of silver ore, and he was carried
along for a hundred feet or more, like a
| feather, with both feet occasionally OF the
ground.
WATER SODA is used for bleaching the