Presto

P I A N O S
Strolling
I N THE
MAKING
down the production line
tn the modern (^uloransen factory
By
ROBERT P. MILLER
MAGINE carrying a piano under your arm! "Impos-
sible," you say. Yet that feat was entirely possible with
the clavichord, the earliest keyed stringed instrument,
which appeared in Italy around 1450. It had only a few
keys and could easily be tucked under one's arm.
I
Later came the harpsichord, the design of which in some
respects resembled the modern console piano, and in 1709
Bartolomeo Cristofori's pianoforte became the prototype
of today's pianos. These early developments began in Italy,
France, Germany, England and other European countries
where instruments in one form or another were made.
American enterprise in this field lagged until after 1774
when John Brent of Philadelphia made his first pianoforte.
Then others, encouraged by the popularity of instruments
imported from London, went to work and soon new factories
were humming in several sections, notably in Philadelphia
and Boston. Many innovations were added and in 1800
the first satisfactory upright piano was invented by another
Philadelphian, John Hawkins. Since then constant im-
provement in manufacturing processes has accounted for
steady progress in the industry. American-made pianos today
enjoy an enviable reputation throughout the world for their
graceful design, tone quality and fine appearance.
Let us stroll through a typical factory and see how these
instruments are made. We shall start in the Mill Room
where the rough lumber is received—Appalachian poplar,
northern hardwoods such as maple and birch, and of course
mahogany and walnut, which are used principally as veneer-
ing materials. This lumber usually contains about eighteen
per cent or more moisture, so it must first be cured or kiln-
dried, an operation requiring from ten to twenty-eight days.
When ready for milling the lumber contains only about
five per cent moisture and is in a condition to resist any
tendency to warp or split.
Attracted by the noise of saws buzzing and motors hum-
ming, we move along in the room where the cured lumber
is sawed and cut in strips. Pieces of the required length,
width and thickness are next passed through an electrically-
operated planer and then joined together with hide glue,
forming panels. These are placed in huge clamps and
• Courtesy of Du Pont Magazine.
In the veneering room.
strips from the gluing
building panels which
hydraulic press shown
Operators are taking
machine, right, and
will be placed in the
at the left.
The Mill Room, where rough lumber is cut into
strips of the required size to form shells,"
legs, trim mouldings and a variety of other
parts used in manufacturing piano cabinets.
A skilled spray operator is applying a coat
of "Duco" Lacquer to one section of a
cabinet. Other parts are similarly finished
before reaching the final assembly.
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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).
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