Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-07-13
HOW DRUMS ARE MANUFACTURED.
The Old Fashioned, Wooden Barreied
sort-The Modern Kind Made Of Tin.

The old fashioned drum will, wooden
barrel, which was formerly the only Kind
IN the mar6et, is being rapidly sunplanted
by the neater and lighter model with tin
barrel. For the manufacture nf the latter,
tin Of various colOrs is employed, blue ana
red prcdom, mating, though the larger
quantity of tin drums are made Of brass
imitation This tin comes in sheets OF two
sizes. l4x3J inches, and a0x2s, the sheets
being packed in cases holding liz. The
sheets are first sent TO a knife, which cuts
them into various lengths, from which
drums of sizes varying from q inches
across the head to thirteen inches are
made. This done the strips are each
punched with hole, then secured and
frightened together. Hoops are placed on
the inside rims, and the barrel Is then
ready 10 receive the sounding skin. This
is generally sheepskin, which Is
stretched tightly across the head above
and below, and fastened from the outside
by hoops. These skins are all imported
from Liverpool, and cost from sl.15 To
*. 80 dozen. Previous TO using, they are
stretched and dried by steam in the winter
and by the sun in summer. Before being
stretched over the drum barrels, they are
once more moistened, generally in a solu-
ton of pure water or slightly ammonlacal.
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 skin. 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 fashion.
Wooden drums differ but slightly from
the above. The barrels are generally
white or bass wood, occasionally oak.
The stay hoops are Of oak or beech. Be
fore the strip of wood can be used, IL
needs TO undergo many processes, among
Others being bending, planning, and sweat
ing. The first drums made used to be
boiled in open tanks. and the limit that
could thus be prepared 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, usually cut 10 three feet in
length, is placed between the teeth of a
huge machine, and the slicing begins.
The knife receives it, and, as the log re-
wolves, the piece sliced is received on "A
wooden cylinder and then rolled up.
Seventy-five thicknesses make one inch of
the log. IL then the log is three feet
through, one revolution will yield II 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 sandpapering machines, all
run by water-power. The strips are put
through the bender, from three to six at r
time. The sticks are smoothed by rolling
in revolving barrels, the process being
continued tor three or four hours.-Spring
field Republican.