15-i INDUSTRIAL USES OF WOOD. 



8. Wood for StriiKj Musical Instruiiu'fits. 



Split wood is used for making violins, violoncellos and other 

 string-instruments. As steamed woods more or less curved and 

 pressed into shape are required, only split wood, and not sawn 

 wood, can stand the strain. The fronts and backs of the instru- 

 ments are made of spruce and silver-fir wood, and their sides of 

 sycamore. As regards fine zones and uniform structure, wood 

 of even superior quality to that used for pianofortes is required. 

 The zones in the wood for violins should not exceed 1 to 2 mm. 

 (^V to i\j inch) ; for double-basses and violoncellos it may be 

 coarser-textured, 2 to 4 mm. {^'^ to ^ inch). 



The higher the key, the finer the woody zones should be. 

 This valuable wood is steadily becoming scarce. Up to the present 

 it has been obtained from selection forests, in which the suitable 

 trees are found disseminated. It is rare that an entire stem can 

 be used for making musical instruments, only certain portions of 

 it beiijg suitable. These pieces are exported in split sector-shaped 

 pieces, from which the core has been removed, in lengths of 1(3 

 to 30 inches for violins, or of 40 to 60 inches for the larger 

 string instruments. Grasenau (in the Baviaian Forest), 

 Mittenwald (in the Bavarian Alps), a".d Markneukirsck.en (in 

 Saxony) are the best known markets for these goods. 



Section XII. — Glazier's AVood. 



(jlaziers formerly used chiefly oakwood for window-frames; 

 less frequently, wood of sweet chestnut, elm, larch and Scotch 

 pine. More recently, in large towns, the better kinds of Scotch 

 pine-wood [or teak. — Tr.] have replaced oak for this purpose. 

 The glazier requires oakwood of similar quality to that used 

 by the cooper ; it is generally sawn, with a nearly square section, 

 or is taken from the refuse wood after splitting staves, or is split 

 from billets. Sawn oak planks are used for the larger windows. 

 The advantage of split wood for this purpose is that it warps 

 less than sawn wood. Coniferous window-frame wood comes 

 into the market ready prepared by machinery. Iron is steadily 

 replacing wood for window-frames, especially in windows of shops 

 and other large buildings. 



