from
Letters to the Editor
"Mechanical Music, Journal of the Musical Box Society International"
Autumn, 1994
I have just read with interest the article by Charles Hind in
the Spring 1994 issue of Mechanical Music (pp.39-42, "From Music to Cylinder: An
Eight-Step Method").
It is not uncommon for a craftsman to have many talents, but Charles Hind seems
to have it all, certainly all that is necessary in order to make a complete
cylinder-type musical box. Even the inlay and cabinetry in the construction of
the instrument's wooden case appears as excellent quality workmanship. Mr.
Hind's skill as illustrated through his detailed description of arranging the
music of Bach with steel pins on a brass tube is phenomenal. Most of us can only
stand in awe of that achievement. I am familiar with some of the things in the
publication that I can personally relate to, which adds to my understanding and
appreciating such perfection.
The article as it is written really does not do enough justice to Mr. Hind's
accomplishments as far as explaining the obstacles this man had to overcome. For
example, to merely read that two 8" length steel combs were heat treated in an
electric kiln and finished in a surface grinder does not tell the whole story.
In the past, I have made several musical box combs and I know the problems that
one encounters during the process. Making a steel comb is truly a learning
experience and many hours of lost time is the price one sometimes has to pay for
the knowledge. One of the main problems in producing a comb is warpage. When a
steel comb is heated and tempered, it changes its original shape somewhat. This
can be corrected by allowing enough extra material on the work piece to be
ground and brought back into true by the surface grinder. But in grinding this
excess material, the comb plate has to be repeatedly turned over and ground from
side to side. I well remember these experiences because my first two attempts at
comb making were complete failures. In error, one of the combs was finished to
size by grinding most of the metal from the comb's underside. Afterwards, when
the piece was released from the magnetic table, the thin teeth area curled and
sprung upwards in a distorted fashion. Although I was an impatient young man at
the time, as a machinist I should have known better.
Nothing is mentioned in the article about how or if Mr. Hind made the parts for
his musical box's governor. Assuming that he did, then unquestionably this
caliber of work separates "the men from the boys," as the saying goes. The most
difficult part for Mr. Hind to have made obviously would have been the worm gear
and its shaft (the endless screw). The late Clarence Fabel, while repairing
musical boxes at his home in Indiana , used to make endless screws from drill
rod my cutting the worm's thread with a small diameter cutter in a lathe milling
attachment. In contrast to this method, whenever I found the need for one I had
another way to shape endless screws from hardened steel. During the time that I
was employed at a large steel-making corporation as a toolmaker, I had access to
a Norton thread grinding machine. this machine was designed to do a variety of
work and it was capable of grinding the fine threads of metric pitch as well as
a conversion to standard pitch. Naturally, it was a little awkward to use the
Norton on small delicate work like an endless screw, but with the proper wheel,
a modified follower rest, patience, and a high degree of concentration, the work
could be done. The thread grinder was also capable of indexing and grinding
multiple threads. This was an asset when I had to make a double thread worm on
an endless screw for a Symphonion clock. (Most endless screws usually have a
worm gear with a single thread.) Since this grinding procedure was tedious and
exacting work on a comparatively large machine, I recall one incident where I
became distracted by a fellow worker that resulted in my ruining the workpiece.
This can be frustrating and a little depressing, particularly since the job was
nearly complete. However, as I drove home from work that day, I at least had the
comforting thought of knowing that I had been paid for my effort even though the
piece was ruined. I also knew that my employer would pay me again to make
another on the following week. but where was Charles Hind's compensation ever
time he failed? How many of us have enough faith in our abilities to do what
Charlie has done, and to make such a sacrifice and not really know if it would
be successful? The man deserves a great deal of praise and I say--well done
Charlie!
Joseph E. Kubin
Baltimore, Maryland
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