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APRIL 11,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1925
45
SUPPLY BRANCHES OF THE INDUSTRY
Proper Finishes for
Period Style Pianos
Directions for Stains Used in Producing the
Proper Finishes for English Period Styles
Piano superintendents and their woodwork-
ing foremen have their own ideas as to
mixing stains properly to produce correct ef-
fects in their period model grands. Albert
Brace, an authority on finishes, sets forth some
ideas in the current Veneers, which may be in-
teresting, however, to the piano-making trade
for comparative purposes.
"To produce the proper finish for mahogany
in the Queen Anne design," he writes, "the
stain may consist of two ounces of red and
four ounces of brown stain, dissolved in one
gallon of water. For Queen Anne, Heppelwhite
and Chippendale, six ounces standard Adam
brown dry stain, straight. The latter is some-
times highlighted by sanding lightly on panel
.centers and around drawer pulls and deepened
with jet nigrosene in the deep parts of mold-
ings and ornamentation. All of the work is
filled with either a red or brown paste filler. In
the case of Sheraton the red mahogany filler
alone suffices—no stain is required at all. For
the protective finish shellac and rubbing varnish
or lacquer may be used, rubbed to a medium
luster except in the case of Sheraton designs,
which usually take a high polish.
"The finish for walnut calls for a stain of
standard American-walnut shade, or, if desired,
a trifle deeper, which may be of the oil or water
variety. Filler is optional for William and
Mary designs, but is invariably applied on
Queen Anne and such Georgian patterns as may
be executed in walnut. Highlighting or shading
is not resorted to and the protective finish for
either filled or unfilled work is shellac and two
coats rubbing varnish or three coats medium
body lacquer, both rubbed down to the lowest
eggshell luster.
The man who uses Behlen's Varnish
Crack Eradicator can afford to figure
lower, yet makes more profit on a re-
finishing job, than the man who does
not use it.
The reason—he saves the time, trouble
and expense of scraping off the old var-
nish and shellac and the finished job is
just as satisfactory, too—if not more so.
Send for a sample can today and
try it.
"For oak, the standard shade of Jacobean
oil or water stain may be employed, highlight-
ing on panel centers and raised work if de-
sired. This is accomplished with oil stain while
it is still wet, using a cheesecloth pad and
exercising care to blend gradually from light to
dark. In the case of water stain the same
rules apply except that the stain is allowed to
dry and the finest grades of sandpaper are em-
ployed in place of the cloth. No filler is re-
quired and the protective coat may be wax or
flat varnish."
New Varnish Base
The discovery has been made recently in the
turpentine producing zone outside of Savannah,
Ga., that China wood oil combined with rosin
can be used in the manufacture of varnish and
that the nut-bearing trees, from which the oil is
obtained, will grow in the naval stores produc-
ing district in the South. Facts relative to this
discovery were brought out by William Whit-
tam, formerly special agent, United States De-
partment of Commerce, writing an elaborate ar-
ticle in the New York Commercial.
"The United States imports China wood oil
in large quantities—81,587,854 pounds in 1924—
which is like carrying coals to Newcastle,"
writes Mr. Whittam. "Cultivation tests on a
thousand acres in the South have demonstrated
that this nut-bearing tree flourishes abundantly
in the Southern slash pine territory. Nor does
it involve a long wait for returns. The tree
begins to bear at three years, is a heavy pro-
ducer at the end of five years and in eight years
is in full fruitage. The oil from the crushed
nuts on one acre brings from $180 to $300.
Appeal Treasury Ruling
A ruling by the General Appraiser of the
Port of New York that every piece of lumber
imported from Canada must be marked to in-
dicate its origin caused a stir among lumber
and shipping interests recently. A protest was
made by the parties affected to the Treasury
at Washington against the action of the cus-
toms authorities in New York in holding up
shipments of Canadian lumber.
The Treasury has not yet issued a ruling in
accordance with the board's decision, but in
view of the tie-up of lumber imports at New
York is considering giving the thirty days' lee-
way, which is accorded when a change of classi-
fication is made, and that would release the
cargoes already in ports or on the seas upon
their arrival in port.
PHILIP W. OETTING & SON, Inc.
213 East 19th Street, New York
Sole Agents (or
WEICKERT HAMMER AND DAMPER FELTS
GRAND AND UPRIGHT HAMMERS
Made of Weickert Felt
New Hammer Mechanism
A new patent piano hammer mechanism, the
invention of a Frenchman, has been described
recently in Musique et Instruments. The form
of the propelling catch is new. Its felt-covered
top, considerably enlarged, takes contact with
the hammer at a certain distance from the axis
of this latter, thus facilitating its movement, and
thereby achieving an easy touch. When the
hammer, so propelled, rises, the point of con-
tact changes position and approaches the axis
of the hammer, the final push taking place very
near to this axis, it being also very vigorous.
When the head of the hammer has reached
within two to three millimetres from the string,
the balancing lever is stopped by the regulating
button. The rear end of the note continues its
upward movement, and the regulating screws
acting on the heel of the propelling pin, forces
this to turn around its axis and to move to the
left, in the direction of the head of the ham-
mer; then the summit of the catch is at a lower
level than before this movement, enabling the
hammer to fall back after the push, and the
escapement to take place. Then the hammer
resting on the pin is ready to be acted on again.
The reception cannot fail, and may be extraor-
dinarily rapid. It can be adapted to uprights
as well as to grands.
Antwerp Ivory Sales
A total of 101147 kilos, of ivory tusks were
offered recently at the first quarterly sale of
the year in Antwerp, of which 85,110 kilos,
were sold. There were offered 58,722 kilos, of
Congo hard, of which 52,697 kilos, were sold;
11,209 kilos. Congo soft, of which 6.677J/2 kilos,
sold; also quantities of Angola, Central Africa,
Cameroon, Soudan, etc. Heavy and medium
tusks, good quality, sold at previous values;
current and inferior at 5 per cent and 10 per
cent decrease. The stock in hand at date of
sale was 54,000 kilos., against 36,000 kilos, and
38,000 kilos, in 1924 and 1923, respectively. The
next sale is fixed to take place on May 6 with
large offering in sight.
Gourtade Back to Desk
Joseph N. Courtade, of the piano case manu-
facturing firm of Joseph N. Courtade & Son,
Inc., New York, returned to his desk recently
from a pleasure trip to Palm Beach, Fla., where
lie had spent several weeks. He stated that he
had just escaped the big fire which destroyed
the Breakers Hotel there.
WHITE, SON CO.
Manufacturers of
ORGAN AND PLAYER-PIANO
ARTNOVELTYCO.
H. BEHLEN & BRO.
Anilinas
Sh.llact
Cxelusive manufacturers of
Stains
Fillers
Piano Benekes
and Musie Cabinets
10-12 Christopher St., New York
Near «th AT*., and 8th St.
GOSHEN
Writ* for-catalog and d*tails
INDIANA
LEATHERS
530-540 Atlantic Are., BOSTON, MASS.
For over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N. J.