Presto

24
PRESTO
MARTIN HANDCRAFT RECORD
New High Marks in Distribution Achieved by Mar-
tin Band Instrument Co.
New distribution records were set by the Martin
Band Instrument Company, of Elkhart, Indiana, in
March and April, and the makers of Ilandcraft are
looking forward to exceeding all existing marks in
the near future. This optimistic forecast is found
in a statement by Sales Manager Fred A. Holtz, of
the Martin Company.
Shipments for the month of March, 1924, exceeded
those of any previous month in the history of the
company, only to be surpassed in turn by those of
April, by several thousand dollars. In May, due to
the combined fact that there was a rather sudden
letup in the demand for Melody Saxophones and
there were a considerable number of Melodies in
work, shipments fell off slightly, although had all
these Melodies been in Altos, Sopranos, and other
models, the month of May would have established
still another record. At the end of May unfilled
orders were 98 per cent more than at the begin-
ning of that month, and it is expected that Hand-
craft shipments for June will set a new mark.
One of the features of Martin distribution is the
wide demand. The Handcraft instrument is not
only known all over the United States but is also
very popular in Canada and England.
SOME TROUBLES WITH VENEER
Expert Traces Many of Them to Source and Suggests
Way to Avoid Them.
"Passing the buck" is the easy way to evade blame
that men in the piano factories and cabinet-making
plants often turn to. And notwithstanding the fact
that a great deal of trouble in connection with
veneered work arises from something over which
the veneer room itself has no control, this department
receives the blame, and, as the matter rests there,
no serious effort is made to correct it. In an article
in Veneer, Floyd L. Webster writes on that topic
and says:
The product of some veneer rooms shows, espe-
cially after it is varnished, the outline of each piece
of wood in the core. When men do not understand
the cause of anything of this kind the all too com-
mon practice is to try and find someone on whom to
shift the blame and let the matter rest there. The
proper thing to do is to investigate until the cause is
thoroughly understood and have it corrected. There
are two causes for the outline of each piece of wood
in the core showing through the veneer, one of which
is the mixing of woods used in the core. Frequently
a batch of cores is made up of a lot of scrap lumber
that is not considered suitable for any other particular
use—birth, maple, basswood, poplar and chestnut are
all glued up together, with the idea that veneer, like
charity, will cover a multitude of sins; forgetful of the
fact that, also like charity, it may cover them, but
does not entirely hide them.
Another cause of outlines of the different pieces in
the core showing through the face veneer is rushing
the core stock from the glue-clamps to the jointer or
planer to be finished off for the veneer. The glue
used in jointing up these pieces causes the wood to
swell along the line of the joint and for a short dis-
tance back; and if the stock is leveled off before this
swelling has been reduced by drying the shrinking
will take place some time after the leveling off has
been done, either before or after the veneer has been
laid; and when it does take place it leaves a depres-
sion along the line of the shrinkage. As in the other
case referred to, the matter could still be corrected
provided the stock were allowed to dry out thor-
oughly before the next leveling off was done, and the
veneer was thick enough to stand the necessary
amount of scraping. But the time is seldom allowed
after laying the crossbanding, and the face veneer
is too thin to permit the necessary amount of scrap-
ing or sanding.
Another trouble arising is loose veneer, especially
where animal glue is used and there is no properly
equipped drying room. Stock with only the cross-
banding on is taken from the press or retaining
clamps within ten or twelve hours after being glued
up and sent to the drum sander to be made ready for
the face veneer.
MAHOGANY VARIETIES.
More than sixty different species of timber have
been put on the market under the name of mahogany.
Many if not all of these have been used in the manu-
facture of musical instruments, notably pianos. Not
all of these are true mahogany. Some of them closely
resemble mahogany and are related to it botanically.
Others have only a general resemblance to mahogany,
but may be mistaken for that choice veneer by per-
sons unfamiliar with its characteristics, according to
Arthur Koehler, specialist in wood structure, in an
interesting report on the identification of the true and
so-called mahoganies for the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture.
June 28, 1924.
COINOLAS
FOR
RESTAURANTS, CAFES and
AMUSEMENT CENTERS
Style C-2
FROM THE BIGGEST
ORCHESTRION
SCHOOL HELPS BUSINESS.
The band instrument and musical merchandise de-
partments of the Kesselman-O'Driscoll Music Co.,
Milwaukee, have been considerably helped by the
school teaching the various instruments, now a feature
of the store and the bands and orchestras equipped
by the company. The school has an enrollment of
two hundred. Any young man or woman owning an
instrument, regardless of where it was purchased,
is eligible for enrollment in the school.
TO REGULATE RADIO.
Ten superpower radio broadcasting stations, cover-
ing the entire United States, are planned by large
electrical and radio companies, Pierre Boucheron, of
New York, radio expert, announced at the convention
of the Associated Manufacturers of Electric Supplies
in Atlantic City, N. J., this week. He declared that
recent discoveries, when put into general use, would
entirely eliminate "interference" commonly encoun-
tered with wireless receiving sets.
NEW SOUTH BEND CONCERN.
South Bend Music Publishing Company has been
incorporated at South Bend, Ind.; capital, $10,000;
to publish musical compositions and deal in musical
instruments. Directors: Adolph Franic, Geza Orban,
George H. DeView.
SLINGERLAND
May Bell
Slingerland Banjos
are sold the country over because
they are Highest quality and sold
at a reasonable price.
Over 40 Styles of Banjos, Banjo Mandolins, Tenor Banjos
and Banjo Ukuleles, to select from.
Tiny Coinola
THE SMALLEST
KEYLESS
Manufactured by
Write for Catalogue
The Operators Piano Co.
SLINGERLAND BANJO CO.
715-721 N. Kedzie Ave.
1815 Orchard Street
CHICAGO
CHICAGO
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