Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-06-26
HOW DRUMS ARE MANUFACTURED.
The old Fashioned, Wooden BarreIed Sort-The Modern Kind Made of Tin.

The old fashioned drum with wooden barrel, which was formerly the only kind In the market, Is being rapidly supplsnted by the heater 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 a brass imitation. This tin comes in sheets Of two sizes, liN2J inches, and 20X2s, the sheets being packed in cases holding Il2 The sheets are first sent tO knife, which cuts them into various l3nCths, from which drums Of sizes varying from C. 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 Co receive the sounding skin. This IS generally a sheepskin, which is stretched tightly across the head ahova
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 dnI Delow, and fastened from the outside by hoops. These skins are all imported from Liverpool, and cost from Sl.'5 Co i25J 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 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 Co stiffen the sound skin. The rods are hooked on one end and screwed at the other. Of this lltter kind. the consumption is over six frr4raz HHuH nF fha rTHa-s F4z hfur1
 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, it needs to undergo many processes, among others being bending blaming. 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, 80 that 2, ,0OO drum pieces is considered nothing more than one mans fair days work
 The log. usually cut to three feet in length, Ia placed between the teeth of a huge machine and the slicing begins. The knife receives it, and, as the log re- Nu4ftrt tue piece a4lleA As EcNeAfcA OA d wooden cylinder and then rolled up. Sevsn-y-Iive thicknesses make one inch of the log If then the los 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 S the jaws and split into drumsticks or tenpins. The veneers are heated, then bent, and are soon ready tO be shaped as a drum. There are also blaming and sandpapering 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 Trocess being continued for three or four hoUrs.-Spring- Held Republican.