December 4, 1920.
SNAPPED BY
ESSENTIAL SKILL OF THE TUNER BIG TRUCK
THE KODAKER HIGHER UP
IN PRESERVATION OF THE PIANO
Interesting Picture of Unit in the Lyon & Healy
Traffic Department.
An Indispensable Part of the Instrument's Upkeep and Care Too Little
Understood by the Public or Even by the
Average Dealer
By Henry Francis Peltier
(Continued from last week.)
First, mark the tuning pins with chalk, indicating
each string that "rattles"; second, remove the action
from the piano.
Loosen the string and unhook from the hitchpin
at bottom of plate.
Now, hold the string in such a manner that you
will have it between the thumb and the little finger,
with the other three fingers over the string, forming
a sort of clamp with the hand. Hold the thumb
and little finger away from the other fingers, about
an inch or so, and press down with the other three
fingers; at the same time press up with the thumb and
little finger. Hold the string taut with the left hand
while performing the above.
Another method I use:
Taking hold of string with both hands, starting
at the top near the pressure bar, holding hands apart
about two inches, I bend the string back and forth,
once or twice, and keep on doing this all the way to
the lower end; you do the same with the first
method.
Doing this will renew the string and tone. When
you are putting the string back into place, twist
same one turn, the same way the string is wound,
and note the difference in tone when you pull the
string to pitch.
Cause of Rattling.
The cause of base strings "rattling," or buzzing,
is rust, or the winding has become "stiff," or it has
partly adhered together from long contact. You
will note, when you remove the string, that it is
somewhat "rigid." No base string, should be in
such condition. All should be pliable, then there
will be no "rattles" or "buzzes."
There are times, however, when a new string is in-
dispensable, more especially when new. When a
new string "buzzes" it is because the winding has
become loose, or was not put on tight when made.
Sometimes this can be remedied by twisting the
string one or two times, the same way the winding
is put on. But this will not last very long, at best.
The only remedy is to put on a new string.
For good, permanent work, where the base strings
are very old, it is necessary to remove them and
have a new set made, as stated before. If the instru-
ment is over fifteen years old, have the new strings
made with the core of same one-half size larger.
(There was a misprint on this subject in a formet
issue.)
It is good policy to clean the strings at the upper
end with fine 000 sand or emery paper, and oiling
same with an oily cloth before replacing.
The Finish and Its Protection.
A good, lasting finish is hard to produce, requiring
expert workmanship, material and ideal surround-
ing conditions, and time to season.
A finish that has required a year's time to produce
may be ruined in a few moments' time by ignorance
of what to do under different conditions. Put the
following in your Memory cap:
If I am perspiring, and go out into the cold with-
out any protection I am liable to catch a severe cold
and, mayhap, something worse.
This is just what, happens to the finish of your in-
strument if not protected and prepared beforehand
for the sudden changes of temperature.
I have found in my past travels a great many deal-
ers who were ignorant about how to take precautions
in regards to the piano's protection
If the manufacturers would make a little more ef-
fort to inform their dealers what to do when they
receive an instrument and, also, take due precautions
when they ship same, there would not be so many
complaints about the finish. However, a few
"Don'ts" just at this season will do no harm, and
may do a lot of good in preventing some damage
and comebacks to the manufacturers.
A Few Don'ts.
Never move a highly finished varnished article
from a cold room into a warm room.
Never move a highly finished varnished article
from a very warm room into a very cold room.
Never allow a sudden draught of cold air to strike
an instrument.
Never permit strong sunlight rays to strike the in-
strument, for certain light rays will fade the best
stains and colors.
Never allow pianos to remain open over night in
damp weather.
Never allow a strong light nearer a finished sur-
face than twelve inches.
Any light is heat, and if near a finished surface the
heat will expand just at that point nearest to it.
Never wash a very warm piano with cold water.
Never wash a very cold piano with warm water.
Water used to wash instruments should be about
the same temperature as room where the instrument
is located.
Never use patent polish that is liable to gum; if
you are not sure, try it on something else first.
When you polish a case be sure you remove all
the polish from the corners first, the middle will
automatically take care of itself.
When any article is highly finished and polished it
will require a special varnish.
Shrinkage.
When an instrument is warm, the finish is in an
"expanded" condition, and if you cause it to "chill"
it shrinks. When any article shrinks, something
must give way.
The outer or finishing coat of varnish is rubbed
till it is very thin, so much so that a few strokes of
rubbing block will remove it entirely. It is also
necessary that this coat be a hard composition, so
that it will take on the high polish which is in de-
mand in this country.
This coat of varnish, being harder than the under-
coating, and receiving the brunt of chill first, shrinks
suddenly; when anything shrinks, something some-
where must give room. In case of varnish, the un-
der coating being warmer, and containing more elas-
ticity, does not so suddenly shrink. There being
nothing to give, except within itself, it "splits," or
checks, into many parts.
This checking will not be noticed for some time,
maybe for several months; then it will begin to ap-
pear, like small hair-lines, and gradually will get
larger with time.
There is then nothing to do but to refinish. There
is a method of refinishing without removing all the
old varnish; but more of that later.
Never let anyone open a window, or door, near an
instrument in winter time.
It is impossible to guarantee the finish on an in-
strument, for no one can have control over the dif-
ferent temperatures.
Temperature Changes.
The sudden change of temperature not only ruins
the finish but will do material damage to the interior
of the instrument as well.
This same condition is what causes rust to appear
on the metal parts.
The cause of rusting is "sweating." This sweat-
ing is produced by warm air coming into contact
with cold metal. Air condenses and forms water,
which in turn causes rust. Even wood at times will
be thus affected.
You may have observed, when walking in a warm
basement, that where the water pipes were wet on
the outside the water on the inside of the pipes, be-
ing colder than the air, caused the "sweating."
Wood will swell from the same cause. It will
swell the wood action parts, causing them to become
sluggish, and sometimes to "warp" the fine woods,
such as the keys, hammer shanks, and even the ham-
mer rails.
Warping! of hammer shanks is a common occur-
rence.
Where to Place Piano.
Always tell your customers never to put an instru-
ment "against" an outside wall, when preventable.
You will ask, why?
Because the effect of different temperatures on
one object will cause trouble.
The piano back will be cold and the front warm,
which, in turn, causes different tensions on the
piano's frame.
If there is no inner wall to place the instrument
near, have it put at least six, or more, inches away.
This will allow the air to travel around the instru-
ment.
This is not only good for the instrument, but will
This cut was made from a "sky-view" photograph
of Lyon & Healy's high speed motor truck. The
eye of the observers above cannot miss the name at
the top. This truck has a capacity of nine pianos or
forty Victrolas. It travels along smoothly at the
rate of about twenty-five miles per hour.
Recently this truck made a record of covering two
hundred and ten miles from Chicago to an Indiana
town and return in fourteen hours or at about the
rate of twenty-one miles per hour. The time in-
cluded a four-hour waiting at the destination.
It is a Packard motor equipped with a special
body designed by Lyon & Healy's traffic department.
The truck is fitted with special pneumatic tires ten
inches in thickness and forty-four inches in diameter.
The proud chauffeur claims that his "limousine"
rides like a Pullman palace car.
NEW CHICAGO CONCERN.
The De Luxe Piano Company, 166 West Wash-
ington street, Chicago, has been incorporated with
capital of $50,000 to deal in and manufacture musi-
cal instruments. The incorporators are William E.
Rodrigues, Richard P. Poulton and Joseph A.
Rogers; correspondent, William Rodrigues, 716
Reaper block.
Three cities and a wide stretch of territory are
served by the Baxter Piano Company, Davenport,
la. The house with a "Tri-City Trade" has hand-
some warerooms at 216-218 W. Third street.
assist a great deal in letting the tone come from the
rear.
Never have the instrument near steam radiators,
hot-air pipe, or stove, or any heating apparatus.
Instruments will withstand heat and cold, pro-
vided it comes on gradually, but never suddenly
without causing material damage.
Where steam, hot water, or hot air, is used, or
even stoves, water in some kind of utensil should be
near.
If steam heat, put a pan of water under the
radiator. The hot pipes of the radiator cause a draft,
this draft draws the cold air from the floor, the air
passes over the water and gathers moisture, which
is discharged into the upper air channels of the
room. If it is impossible to put water there, put a
pan of water on top of, or hang same on side of, the
radiator.
Use the same method with hot water heat.
Usually, hot air furnaces are equipped with water
tanks. Care should be used to make sure that water
is in the tank at all times.
Instruction to Dealer.
To the dealer. When unpacking an instrument in
winter, never put it in a warm room at once. Let it
be covered, and put it into a cool room for about
24 or 48 hours, giving it a chance to warm up slowly.
It is better to do this than to have to pay for clean-
ing of rust and doing repairs. You may do irrep-
arable damage, more especially if a player.
If you allow it to be brought into a warm room
at once you will cause it to "sweat." The woods
will swell, and then will shrink. This will cause
rattles. If a player, it will in time become "leaky,"
hard to play on, valves will expand and then shrink,
openings will be larger, and there will be danger of
spoiling the diaphragms of player action.
The leathers absorb moisture and, when drying,
will shrink, and this condition sometimes causes
leakage, not only at the valves, but at other parts,
which will be explained later on.
(To be continued.)
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/