USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > North Adams > North Adams city directory 1879-1880 > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
SOUNDING-BOARD AND IRON FRAME ROOM AND SPINNING MACHINE.
Stories Der.
The sounding-board is what, in a great'measure, gives tone, and the differ- ent qualities of tone, to the piano. We use the beautiful white, clear spruce
7
EDWARD MOCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
lumber found in the interior counties of New York, which we consider in every way as good as the celebrated " Swiss Fir." It is sawed out in a pe- culiar manner, expressly for us, for this use, selected with the greatest pos- sible care, and so thoroughly seasoned that there is no possibility of its warping or cracking after being placed in one of our finished instruments. The making of the sounding-board the requisite thinness (some parts require to be much thinner than others), its peculiar bracing, etc., are all matters that require great practical experience, together with numberless experiments, by which alone the perfection found in the piano-fortes of our make, their full, rich tone giving the most positive evidence of superiority, can be attained.
You will watch the processes of the workmen in this department. One is at work putting in the " long block " of hard maple, seasoned and prepared until it seems almost as hard as iron, which is requisite, as the "tuning pins " pass through the plate into it, and are thus firmly held. Another workman is making a sounding-board, another fitting one in its place, etc., etc. All the blocking being in the case, the sounding-board is fitted and fastened in its place, so as to have the greatest possible vibrating power, etc., and then the iron frame must be fitted over all and cemented and fast- ened down. The frame is finished, with its hundreds of holes and pins, in the drillers' room, and the workman here has only to fit it to its place and secure it there, and then the skeleton case is ready to receive its strings, and begins to look like what may make a piano-forte.
Spinning the bass strings, and stringing the case, come next in order. In the foreground of the last plate, you notice a curious looking machine, and a workman busy with it winding the bass strings, a curiosity to all who wit- ness its operations. To get the requisite flexibility and vibration to strings of the size and weight wanted in the bass notes, tempered steel wire is used for the strings, and on this is wound soft annealed iron wire, plated with silver ; each string being of a different size, of course various sizes of body and covering wire are used in their manufacture. The string to be covered is placed in the machine, which turns it very rapidly, while the workman holds the covering wire firmly and truly, and it is wound round and covers the centre wire. This work requires peculiar care and attention, and like all the other different branches in our factory, the workmen here attend to but one thing ; they do nothing else but spin these bass strings, and string pianos year in and year out.
The case, while in this department, receives all its strings, which are of the finest tempered steel wire, finished and polished in the most beautiful manner. But a few years since, the making of steel music wire was a thing unknown in the United States, in fact, there were but two factories of note in the world which produced it ; but now, as with other things, the Ameri- cans are ahead, and the "steel music wire" made in the United States is far superior in quality and finish to the foreign wire. The peculiar temper of the wire has a great influence on the piano's keeping in tune, strings break-
8
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
ing, etc., and as the quality cannot always be ascertained but by actual experiment, much is condemned after trial, and the perfect only used.
Forbes Del
KEY MAKERS' DEPARTMENT.
The preparation of what is termed the " key-board " is one of peculiar nicety, and the selection of the lumber and its preparation require great experi- ence and minute attention, so that the keys will not spring or warp, and thus either not work or throw the hammers out of place, etc.
The frame on which the keys rest is usually made of the best of old dry cherry, closely framed together to the form required for the keys and action. The wood of the keys is usually of soft, straight-grained white pine, or pre- pared bass wood. Both kinds have to go through many ordeals of seasoning, etc., ere they are admitted into one of our pianos.
The keys are made as follows : On a piece of lumber the keys are marked out, and the cross banding and slipping done to secure the ivory ; the ivory is applied and secured, and then the keys are sawed apart and the ivory polished and finished complete.
The ebony black keys are then made and put on and polished and the key- board is complete ; the key maker has finished his part of the piano. The ivory used is of the finest quality, and an article of great expense ; its prepa- ration from the elephant's tusks, of sawing, bleaching, etc., is mostly confined to a few large dealers in the United States. As the ivory comes from them, it is only in its rough state, sawed out to the requisite sizes for use, after which it has to be seasoned or dried the same as lumber, and then prepared and fastened on the key ; then to be planed up, finished and polished, all of which requires a great amount of labor, much skill and experience.
In this, as in other departments, cach workman has his own special kind of work ; nothing else to attend to but key-making ; his whole energies are devoted to perfect this part of the instrument.
9
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
HINCKLEY
ACTION-MAKING MACHINE, Etc.
In this department, we again see the perfection of machine work. The action is one of the most important things in the, piano-forte. On its con- struction and adjustment depends the whole working part of the instrument ; for, however good the piano-forte scale may be, or how complete and perfect all the other parts are formed, if the action is not good, if the principle on which it is constructed is not correct, and the adjustment perfect, if the ma- terials used are not of the right kind, of course the action will not be right, and it will either be dead under the fingers, without life and elasticity, with- out the power of quick repetition of the blow of the hammer, or soon wear loose, and make more noise and rattling than music. Thus will be seen the importance of not only having that action which is modelled on the best principle, but of having an instrument constructed is the most perfect and thorough manner. All parts of it should be so adjusted as to work together with as much precision as the wheels of a watch.
We use the principle which is termed the French Grand Action, with many improvements added by ourselves. This we have found from long experience to be the best in many ways. It is more powerful than the " Boston or Semi-Grand ;" it will repeat with much greater rapidity and precision than any other ; it is far more elastic under the manipulation of the fingers ; and, to sum up all, it is almost universally preferred by profes- sors and amateurs, and, what is still a very important point, they find after a trial and use of it for many years, that it wears well. What is technically called the action consists of the parts that are fastened to the key, and work together to make the hammer strike the strings of the piano when the key is pressed down. The parts made of wood, consisting of some eight or ten pieces to each key, are what compose the action-maker's work, and although they are each of them small, still on their perfection and finish depends much of the value of the instrument in which they are used.
Various kind of close-grained wood are used in their construction, such as white holly, apple or pear-tree, mahogany, hard maple, red cedar, etc., and other kinds as are best adapted to the use put to. They have to be closely
10
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
fitted ; the holes for the centre pins to work in must be clothed with cloth prepared expressly for this work. Backskin of a particular finish, and cloth of various kinds and qualities, are used we cover those parts where there is much friction or liability to noise, and every part so perfectly finished and fitted that it will not only work smoothly, and without any sticking or cling- ing, but without noise, and yet be firm and true, so that every time the key is touched the hammer strikes the string in response. The action-maker completes these different parts of the action ; and then another workman, who' is called the " finisher," fits them to the keys and into the case of the piano ; but, before you enter into his room, you will see to the preparation of another important part of the action, namely, the hammer. This is another extremely important thing in piano-forte making ; the covering of the ham- mers is one of the most peculiar branches of the business. It is one that long experience, and minute attention can alone perfect.
The hammerhead is made of bass wood, and then covered with felt pre- pared for this purpose. The upper hammers are covered with buckskin. The preparation of buckskin for piano-forte makers is at this time quite an important trade, and the improvements made in its dressing of late years have kept full pace with the other improvements in the piano. Those em- ployed in covering and preparing hammers do this exclusively and must perfect their work.
We left the piano case in the hands of the persons employed in putting on the beautifully polished steel strings, whose vibrations may yet thrill many a heart, or bring many a tear. After it has its strings, it goes to the finisher, whose duties consist in taking the keys as they come from the key-maker, the action as prepared, and the hammers from the hammer maker, and fitting them together and into the case, so that the keys and action work together ; adjusting the hammer to strike, the strings, and putting the dampers in their proper places to be acted on by the keys and pedals ; making and fitting the harp, a soft stop, adjusting the loading of the keys to make a heavy or light touch, and thus doing what may be termed the putting the machinery to- gether to form the working part of the piano-forte. And, when you consider that each key in one of our pianos is composed, with its action, of some sixty- five to seventy pieces, and that there are eighty-five keys to a seven octave instrument, making a sum total of nearly six thousand pieces, and that many of these pieces have to be handled over many times before they are finished in the piano, one is not a little surprised at the immense amount of work in a perfect piano-forte. But these six thousand pieces only compose the key and action alone, and consist of wood, iron, cloth, felt, buckskin, and many other things ; and, as a matter of course, each piece must be made and fitted with the greatest exactness, and the most perfect materials alone must be used.
11
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
Forbes Del.
FINISHING-ROOM.
The " finishing," it will be seen at once, is another important branch, and requires long experience, close attention, and workmanship. The work of finishing is done by the piece, as many of the different branches are under the personal superintendence of the foreman, whose duty it is to see that the work is made perfect ; for the workman is liable for the materials he destroys.
When the case is thus finished, it can be tuned for the first time, although all is yet in the rough and unadjusted state; and from the finisher, after being tuned, it passes into the hands of the "regulator."
PIANO-FORTE ACTION REGULATOR.
12
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
The Piano-Forte Action Regulator adjusts the action in all its operations. Those parts are supplied and fitted that are still wanting to complete it. The depth of the touch is regulated, the keys levelled, the drop of the hammer adjusted, and all is seemingly in order for playing, but the instrument has to undergo another ordeal in the way of regulating ; for, after standing for several days or weeks, and being tuned and somewhat used, it passes into the hands of another and last regulator, who again examines minutely every part, readjusts the action, key by key, and note by note, until all is, as it were, perfect. And now its tone must be regulated, and the " hammer finisher" takes it in charge, and gives it the last finishing touch ; every note from the bass to the treble must give out a full, rich, even, melodious tone. This is a very important branch of the business ; for great care and much experience are required to detect the various qualities and shades of tone, and to know how to alter and adjust the hammer in such a way as to pro- duce the desired result. Some performers prefer a hard or brilliant tone ; others a full soft tone ; and others, again, a full clear tone of medium quality. It is the hammer-finisher's duty to see that each note in the whole instrument shall correspond in quality and brilliancy with the others. Our pianos are celebrated for their full organ tone, and for the even quality of each note, for the rich, full and harmonious music, rather than the noise, which they make; and a discriminating public have set their stamp of approbation on our efforts, if we may judge by the great and increasing demand for our instruments.
The instrument, after being tuned, is ready for the wareroom or parlor. But several operations we have purposely passed by, as it was our wish to give a clear idea of the structure of the piano-forte by exhibiting, from stage to stage, the progress of the manufacture of the musical machinery. Let us now look after the construction of the other parts of the instrument.
The desks are made by being so framed together as to give strength, then veneered, and after being varnished and polished are sawed out in beautiful forms and shapes by scroll saws, in the machine shop
They have thus to pass through quite a number of processes before they are ready to constitute a part of a finished piano-forte. The same can be said of many other parts of the instruments that are made separate and ap- plied when wanted in the instrument, such as lyres, leg-blocks, or caps, etc. And, as each workman is employed at but one branch alone, and perfects his part, it is evident that, when put together correctly, the whole will be perfect. And, as we conduct our business, there are from twenty to twenty- four distinct kinds of work or trades carried on in our establishment. Thus the case-maker makes cases ; the leg-maker legs ; the key-maker keys ; the action-maker action ; the finisher puts the action into the piano ; the regu- lator adjusts it ; and thus each workman bends the whole of his energies and time to the one branch at which he is employed.
The result of this division of labor is strikingly shown in the perfection to which we have brought the art of piano-forte making, as may be seen by our superior and splendid instruments.
The putting together the different parts of the piano-forte, such as the top,
13
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
the legs, the desk, the lyre, etc., to the case, constitutes what is called fly. finishing. The top is finished by the case-maker in one piece, and remains so until varnished and polished ; then the fly-finisher saws it apart, and ap- plies the butts or hinges, so that the front will open over the keys ; puts on all the hinges ; hangs the front or " lock-board " to the top, and completes it. He also takes the legs as they come from the leg-maker, and fits them to the case by means of a screw cut on some hard wood, such as birch or iron- wood, one end of which is securely fastened into the leg, and the other end screws into the bottom of the piano. The fly-finisher also puts on the castors, locks, and all the finishing minutiæ to complete the external furniture of the instrument, when it is ready for the warerooms, to which it is next lowered by means of a steam elevator, sufficiently large to hold a piano-forte placed on its legs, together with the workman in charge of it.
-11
STEAM ELEVATOR.
The above plate exhibits a piano-forte on the elevator passing from the fly-finisher's department to the ware-rooms. Of these steam elevators there are two, one at each end of the building ; one for passing workmen as well as lumber, to and from the machine shop and drying rooms, and one for pass- ing cases and pianos up and down to the different rooms. Much ingenuity
14
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
is shown in their construction, being so adjusted as to be sent down or up by a person on either floor, or by one on the platform, who, going or stopping at will, thus saves an immense amount of hard labor.
Water from the Albany water-works is carried throughout the building on to cach floor, with sinks, hose, and every convenience for the workmen, so that they may have no occasion to leave the premises, during the working hours.
Having thus given a passing glance at most of the mechanical parts of the piano-forte, we will now examine the varnishing and polishing depart- ments consisting of some five or more large rooms. As the different layers of varnish require time to dry, it is policy to let the varnish harden while the workmen are busy putting in the various internal parts of the piano. Thus the case, when it comes from the case-maker, goes first to the first var- nishing room, and receives several coats of varnish ; and, when the workman is ready to put in the sounding-board and iron plate, it is taken from the varnish room to his department; and, when he has finished his work, it is again returned to the varnishing department, where it remains until the finisher wants it, who, when done with it, returns it to the varnishing room. Thus, these varnishing rooms are the store rooms for not only cases, but all the parts to be varnished ; and the drying of the varnishing is going on all the time that the other work is progressing. In this establishment from 150 to 200 pianos are being manufactured in the course of each day. In the varnish rooms, from 100 to 150 cases are at all times' to be seen ; others are in the hands of the workmen in the different rooms, in the various stages of progress towards completion.
Besides the cases in the varnish rooms, we may see all the different parts of the pianos in dozens and hundreds, legs, lyres, tops, desks, bars, etc., etc., forming quite a museum in its way. The processes of varnishing and polish- ing are as follows : The cases, which are all of rosewood, are covered first with a spirit-varnish made with shellac gum, which drying almost instantly, becomes hard, and keeps the gum or pitch of the rosewood from acting on the regular oil varnish.
After the case has been "shellacked " it then receives its first " coat of varnish" and is left to dry; and then a second coat is applied, and again it is left to dry. The varnish used is made of the hardest kind of copal gum, and prepared for this express purpose. It is called scraping varnish ; it dries hard and brittle, and is intended to fill in the grain of the wood. When it becomes thoroughly dry and hard, these two coats are scraped off with a steel scraper. The case then receives several coats of another kind of var- nish ; when this is dried it is ready for rubbing, which is effected by means of an article made of cloth fastened on blocks of wood or cork ; and the var- nish is rubbed on with ground pumice stone and water (a process somewhat similar to that of polishing marble). When the whole surface is perfectly smooth and even, it receives an additional coat of varnish. Each coat having become dry, hard and firm, the surface receives another rubbing, until it is
15
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
perfectly smooth, when it receives a last flowing coat. After it is thoroughly dried and hardened, it is ready for the polishing process, which consists in first rubbing the surface with fine rotten stone, and then polishing with the fingers and hands until the whole surface is like a mirror wherein we can
" See ourselves as others see us."
POLISHING AND RUBBING DEPARTMENT.
In the preceding statement, we have simply given an outline of the me- chanical branches of the business, and a general description of the lumber required, and its peculiar seasoning and preparation prior to use. Large quantities of rosewood are used for veneering and carved work, slipping, etc. Just now, this is the fashionable wood for furniture, nothing else is used in the external finish of our pianos.
A view of our large veneer room would excite the astonishment of the novice.
Rosewood is brought from South America, and is at present a very im- portant article of commeree, a large number of ships being engaged in this trade alone, to say nothing of the thousands employed in getting it from its native forests for shipping, and the thousands more busy in preparing it for the market after it has reached this country.
We buy large quantities at a time, and, of course, have a large supply on hand ready for immediate use. We always select the most richly-figured wood in the market, believing that rich music should always proceed from a beautiful instrument.
Thick rosewood is constantly undergoing seasoning for those portions which require solid wood. And one thing, we would say ; and that is, where rosewood veneers are put on hard wood well seasoned, and prepared correctly, they are much more durable than the solid rosewood would be, not being so liable to check and warp.
We also make use of a large quantity of hardware in the form of " tuning pins." Ofiron plates we use tons. Each piano requiring a plate 145 pounds in weight. The outlay for steel music wire amounts to hundreds of dollars per
16
EDWARD MCCAMMON'S ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
year ; not to speak of the locks, pedal feet, butts and hinges, plated covering wire for the bass strings, bridge pins, centre pins, steel springs, and screws of various kinds and sizes, of which we use many thousand gross annually. Of all these, we must keep a supply constantly on hand, as it will not do for our work to stop for want of materials. A large capital is at command at all times ; and as many of these things require to be made expressly to order, calcula- tion, judgment, and close attention are needed to keep all moving smoothly on. Cloth is used for a variety of purposes. It is made and prepared ex- pressly for piano use, from fine wool, of various thicknesses and colors, ac- cording to the use for which it is designed, whether its texture be heavy or thick, firm or loose, smooth or even, soft or hard, every kind has its peculiar place and use.
Here we would give a word of caution to the reader. So much cloth is used in and about the action of the piano-forte that you must beware of the insidious moth, which will often penetrate and live in its soft folds, thereby doing much damage to the instrument. A little spirits of turpentine, or camphor, is a good protection against them.
Ivory is another article which is largely used. Being expensive, no little capital is employed in keeping an adequate supply at all times on hand.
And then there is buckskin of various kinds and degrees of finish, sand paper, glue, and a variety of other things, all of which are extensively em- ployed in the business.
So far, we have treated merely of materials and labor. We have said nothing of the science of piano-forte making. If, after all the pains taken in selecting and preparing the materials required, the scale of the instrument shall not be correctly laid down on scientific principles; that is to say, if the whole is not constructed in a scientific manner, we shall not have a perfect musical instrument. So the starting point in making a piano-forte is in having a scale by which to work. This scale must be of the most improved pattern, and laid out with the utmost nicety, and with mathematical preci- sion. By the scale, we mean the length of each string, and the shapes of the bridges over which it passes. The length of the string for each note, and its size, are calculated by mathematical rules, and perfected by numerous experiments; and by these experiments alone can perfection be attained in the manufacture of the instrument. We use new and improved scales of our own construction, in which are embodied all the improvements which have from time to time been discovered.
And now, we have attempted to show you how good pianos are made; to give you an idea of the varied materials which are requisite for this purpose, and to describe the numerous processes to which they are subjected before a really perfect instrument can be produced.
The manufacturer's department is under the immediate supervision of Mr. Edw. McCammon who gives his time personally to the business. He selects and purchases all the materials used in the establishment. No piano-forte is permitted to leave the concern until it has been submitted to his careful inspection. If, on examination, an instrument proves to be imperfect, it is
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.