The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-06-03
Drum Making.

OF total of 100000 drums made in
this country last year, it is said that
17S,000 were manufactured in Gran
vile, Mass. The old fashioned drum
with wooden barrel, which was former
ly the only kind in the market, is being
rapidly supplanted by the neater and
lighter model with a tin barrel. For
the manufacture of the latter, tin of
various colors is employed, blue and
red predominating, though the larger
quantity of tin drums are made of
brass imitation. This tin comes in
sheets of two sizes, IA by 90 inches and
20 by 2S, the sheets being packed in
cases holding 112. The process of man
facture is thus described by the SPRING
field Republican: The sheets are first
sent to knife, which cuts them into
various lengths, from which drums of
sizes varying from 81 inches across the
head to thirteen inches are made. This
done, the strips are each punched with
hole, then secured and tightened to-
gether. Hoops are placed on the inside
rims, and the barrel is then ready to re-
ceive 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 $1.75 to
So. so dozen. Previous to using, they
are stretched and dried by steam in the
winter and by sun in summer. Before
being stretched over the drum barrels,
they are once more moistened, general
ly in solution of pure water or slight
ly ammoniacaL Then remains 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 gener-
ally 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 process
ses, among others being bending, plan
ing, 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
Introduction of machinery and more
perfect methods has increased the daily
production, so that 1000 drum pieces Is
considered nothing more than one
mans fair days work. The log, usual
ly cut to three feet in length, is placed
between the teeth of huge machine.
and the slicing begins. The knife re-
ceives it, and, as the log revolves. the
piece sliced is received ON wooden
cylinder and then rolled up. Seventy
five thicknesses make one inch of the
log If then the log is three feet
through, one revolution will yield a
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 drum sticks 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.