Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-23
ORUM.MAktNG.

The Process Of Manufacture Employed Il
the United States.
OF total of 200, 900 drums m ade in
this country last year, it is said tina,
$4,000 were manufactured in Gran.
vile, Mass. The old-fashioned drum
with wooden barrel. which was formerly
the only kind in the market is being
rapidly supplanted by the neater and
tighter model with tin barrel. For the
manufacture of the latter. tin of various
eolors is employed, blue and red pre-.
dominating, though the larger quantity
Of tin drums are made of brass imita-
ton. This tin comes in sheets of two
sizes, IA by 20 inches and 20 by %, the
sheets being packed in cases holding
112. The process of manufacture is
thus described: The sheets are first sent
to a knife, which cuts them into various
lengths, from which drums of sizes
varying from 1-2 inches across the
head to thirteen inches are made. This
done, the strips are each punched with
hole, then secured and frightened to-
gether. Hoops are placed on the inside
rims, and the barrel Is then ready to re-
eeive the sounding skin. This is gen
orally sheepskin, which is stretched
tightly across the head above and be-
low, and fastened from the outside by
hoops. These skins are all imported
from Liverpool, and cost from $l.75 to
81. 50 dozen. Previous to using, they
are stretched and dried by steam in the
winter and by the sun in summer. Be-
fore being stretched over the drum bar
rels, they are once more moistened,
generally in a solution of pure water or
the tightening Of the drum-hoops. This
is done either by strings or rods. The
first are stretched diagonally, leather
tighteners being inserted to stiffen the
sound skins. The rods are hooked on
one end and screwed at the other. OF
this latter kind, the consumption is over
six times that of the older-fashioned
Wooden drums differ but slightly
from the above. The barrels are gem
orally bass or white wood, occasionally
oak. The stay hoops are of oak or
beech. Before the strip of wood can be
used. it needs to undergo many pro-
cesses, among others being bending,
planning and sweating. The first drums
made used to be boiled in open tanks,
and the limit that could thus be pre-
pared daily was less than fifty. The
ntrod1ction of machinery and more
perfect methods has increased the daily
production so that two thousand drum
pieces is considered nothing more than
one mans fair days work. The log,
usually cut to three feet in length, is
placed between the teeth of huge ma
chine. and the slicing begins. The knife
receives it, and, as the log revOlves. the
piece sliced is received on q wooden
cylinder and then rolled up. Seventy
five thicknesses make one inch of the
'og. If, then, the log is three feet
through, one revolution will yield q
piece nine feet long, and the total
length sliced from the log would extend
over a mile. Cutting machines further
reduce this huge sheet to the desired
lengths. A core of six inches thickness
is left, which is taken out of the jaws
and split into drumsticks or tenpins.
The veneers are heated, then bent. and
are soon ready to be shaped as drum.
There are also planning and sandpaper-
ing machines, all run by water power.
The strips are put through the bender.
from three to six at time. The sticks
are smoothed by rolling in revolving
barrels, the process being continued for
three or four hours.-Sprtngfetd
(Nass.) Republican.